CAS 470: Nonverbal Communication
Spring, 2006
Study Guide #1

Readings

Pp. 1-2: Is nonverbal more believable than verbal? Why? Nonverbal is the primary mode of expression for certain topics/emotions (know which ones). Is it possible to “read someone like a book? If not, why (illusive and ambiguous). Nonverbal comes in packages or clusters.

Chapter 1: What are the roles of verbal and nonverbal in communicating factual or persuasive messages? Is nonverbal more believable than verbal? Why? Which is more believable when there are inconsistent/contradictory messages? Which channels do people pay more attention to (visual and vocal channels)? Define nonverbal communication (also lecture). What is a message? What is a nonverbal code? Name and define each code (oculesics, space/proxemics, territoriality, tactile/haptics, chronemics). Define nonverbal function. Name and define the six functions. What is a backchannel? What are social rhythms (synchronicity and tempo)? What are primary or basic emotions? Are emotions cross cultural (interpreted the same by different cultures)? What are emotional blends and display rules? What are immediacy and nonimmediacy cues? Describe the immediacy principle. What is the difference between strategic and nonstrategic or leakage cues? Which are the leakiest channels? How do culture (rules), relationships (partners and development), and situations (environment, type of situation, timing) influence nonverbal communication?

Pp. 43-5: Define code as well as the 8 basic codes.

Pp. 265-6: What do we mean when we say nonverbal cues come in packages?

Pp. 423-4: What is nonverbal adaptation and how does it occur? Define reciprocity/convergence and compensation/divergence. Define immediacy. What cues express immediacy and how do they affect adaptation? Define involvement. What cues express involvement and how do they affect adaptation?

Chapter 49: Describe predictive and prescriptive expectations. What are the sources of expectations (individuals, culture, relationships, contexts)? Define expectancy confirming and violating behavior. Do we tend to notice confirming behaviors? Define violation valence and explain the differences in how we react to positive, negative, and ambiguous violations. Define communicator reward level and explain its role in resolving violations.

Pp. 445-8 (Ch 50): Define automatic mutual influence. What is contagion? Why is mutual influence pervasive? How early (at what age) does mutual influence appear in people’s lives? How does mutual influence affect relational outcomes (security, satisfaction)? What factors influence reciprocity and compensation (personality, relational differences, social situational constraints)?

Ch 52: What is interpersonal adaptation and how is it related to success? What are the 9 principles of interpersonal adaptation theory? They are: (1) biological predisposed to adapt, (2) matching/synchrony under same external influences, (3) approach and avoidance behaviors to manage interplay (examples of each), (4) social pressures to match and reciprocate, (5) reciprocity and compensation, (6) ability to adapt based on personality, behavioral tendencies, and culture, (7) tendency towards matching, reciprocity, and synchrony, (8) a variety of factors influence adaptation, (9) need to examine sets of adaptation behaviors rather than individual acts, interaction position (requirement, expectations, desires) and reciprocity or compensation (discrepancy, valences).

Chapter 3: Define research. When do you use a research question? Name the 3 types of research questions. Define hypothesis. When do you use a hypothesis (as opposed to a research questions)? What are the two types of hypotheses? What are the three goals of research (describing, predicting, and explaining)? What are the 4 tests of the importance of a topic? What does it mean when we say research is systematic? What is the difference between grounded and hypothesis testing approaches? Define the following terms: naturalistic setting, control, manipulate, confederate, laboratory experiment. What are the 5 common methods (define each)? In survey research, what is the difference between open and closed questions? What are 2 limitations of survey research? What is a coding system and how is it used in nonverbal research? What are field notes and how are they used? What are diaries and what are their limitations? Explain how physiological responses might be used in nonverbal research?

Chapter 2: Name the 9 basic nonverbal skills? What are the 4 fundamental dimensions (or types) of communication skills (interaction management, other-orientation, composure, expressiveness, effects of context and expectations)?

Ch 20: How is silence a communicative act? What is the importance of knowing when to speak and when not to speak? What is the relationship between silence and uncertainty and between silence and (known and unequal) power?

Ch 44: How do stereotypes help us? When do people modify their expectations (personalizing)? What are the effects of stereotypes on behavior, thoughts and evaluation? What are the effects of more pronounced or stronger stereotypes (direct/indirect effects)?

Ch 48: Define convergence. What cues show that people are converging? What is the relationship between convergence and social approval? What role does power play in accommodation? What role does the desire to be understood play? What is divergence? What is the difference between personal and group bases of divergence? What is psychological and subjective accommodation? Define over and under accommodating. What is speech complementarity? How is complementarity different from other forms of convergence?

Lectures

Principles: Define nonverbal communication. Define message. What is the importance of nonverbal communication for emotion, impressions, attraction, and dominance? Why is nonverbal communication believable? Why is it important that nonverbal cues come in clusters or packages? What are the relationships between verbal and nonverbal messages? How are they different? Explain the idea that communication has both content and context.

Approaches: Define the four approaches to nonverbal communication. What is the problem with the structure approach? What is the problem with the meaning approach? Name the functions and codes. What is the cognitive approach? What are the differences among Interaction Adaptation, Nonverbal Expectation Violation, and Discrepancy Arousal theories? What are the 9 types of expectations? Explain the role of rewardingness, problems in expectation violations? Define rules including episodes, repertoires, and sanctions. What are the 4 methods of negotiating rules? How do people respond to rule violations (results of the exercise)? How can these theories be used to improve nonverbal behavior?

Methods: What are the goals of research? What are the 4 principles of research design? What are the 4 basic methods, What are the 5 basic ways of recording nonverbal behavior? What are the parts of a research report (see syllabus)?

Sending and Receiving Skills: What are the 2 basic skills needed to be an effective nonverbal communicator and which is more difficult? What are the characteristics of good receivers and senders? What factors affect receiving and sending accuracy? What are the 2 major influences on the nonverbal development of children?

Culture: Define culture in terms of code, conversation and community. What are the 3 D=s? Define the 5 characteristics of culture and show their relationship to nonverbal behavior.

Gender: What are the 4 principles of gender and nonverbal communication? Explain the 3 cultural explanations of gender differences. Be able to describe general differences in nonverbal behaviors (proxemics – distance, use of space, reaction to crowding; facial expressions – number, hiding emotion, anger, smiling; eye gaze – how they use gaze; touch – amount, same/opposite sex touching; interruptions). What is the overall effect of gender?