Exam 4: D: Verbal Communication

When your little sister brings home the MVP trophy from her softball tournament, you say, "Good job!" while simultaneously giving her a "thumbs up" sign. We would say that your nonverbal behavior was repeating your verbal message.

One way that nonverbal communication differs from verbal communication is that nonverbal symbols do not need to be interpreted by the receiver.

Complementing behaviors mirror the verbal message they accompany.

Masking refers to the intentional concealment of a person's true emotion by displaying a facial expression that is more appropriate in a given interaction.

Personal space requirements change according to the situational, relational, and cultural context of the communication.

Vocal elements like pitch, rate, and volume are elements of nonverbal communication.

Nearly all facial expressions are innate and universal while only a few are learned culturally.

How people perceive the use of time and how they structure time in their relationships is an element of nonverbal communication.

The use of touch can send powerful messages of caring and comfort, as well as control, and can serve a regulating purpose in our interactions.

Women tend to initiate touch more often than men do.

Vocal sounds such as a sigh, a scream, or laughter are considered verbal communication behaviors.

Affect displays are usually unintentional actions that show a person's emotion.

Research indicates that infants tend to smile more when they receive direct eye gaze from another person than they do when the other's eyes are averted.

Research cited in your textbook indicates that physical attractiveness is an important factor when it comes to dating but has little impact on other parts of social interaction.

Using nonverbal behaviors to contradict one's verbal message may create a sarcastic tone.

It is recommended that we avoid using back-channel cues because they interrupt the speaker and result in us monopolizing the conversation.

The location or environment, the event, and the level of touch are all indicators that might help us determine the informal-formal dimension of the situational context.

Gestures that are nonverbal, and not part of an organized sign language, cannot substitute for a verbal message.

Because nonverbal communication is more natural and spontaneous than verbal communication is, it is more easily understood.

Edward Hall discovered that the most comfortable space for communication within professional contexts, such as business meetings, is the public zone.