Chapter 5 Outline
(Italicized words are key words)
I. Nonverbal communication, commonly used to describe all human communication
events that transcend spoken or written words, has many characteristics and
functions.
A. There are five characteristics of nonverbal communication.
1. Nonverbal communication may be intentional or unintentional, since often
when people communicate nonverbally, they are unaware of it.
2. Nonverbal communication is primary, because it takes precedence over
verbal communication.
3. Nonverbal communication is often ambiguous, since a nonverbal behavior
may have different meanings depending on the user’s personality, family
influences, and culture.
4. Nonverbal communication is continuous, because one is constantly
communicating through nonverbal behaviors.
5. Nonverbal communication is multichanneled, since we use a variety of
cues to make an interpretation.
B. Nonverbal communication serves five primary functions.
1. Nonverbal communication provides information by repeating, substituting
for, emphasizing, or contradicting our verbal messages.
2. Nonverbal communication regulates interaction as conversations are
managed through nonverbal cues.
3. Nonverbal communication expresses or hides emotion and affect, since
one is able to show nonverbally how one feels about another person, or
one may mask true feelings through nonverbal behaviors.
4. Nonverbal communication presents an image, because much of impression
management occurs through the nonverbal channel.
5. Nonverbal communication expresses status, power, and control, since
many nonverbal behaviors are signs of dominance and one can convey
power and status through nonverbal behavior.
II. There are multiple categories of nonverbal communication.
A. Body language is nonverbal communication through body motions, also
known as kinesics, the study of body language.
1. Eye contact is how and how much we look at the people with whom we
are communicating.
2. Facial expression is the arrangement of facial muscles to communicate
emotional states or reactions to messages; emoticons are typed or graphic
symbols that convey emotional aspects of online messages.
3. Gesture is a movement of hands, arms, and fingers to describe or to
emphasize.
a. Emblems are gestures that can substitute completely for words.
4. Posture is the position and movement of the whole body; body orientation
refers to posture in relation to another person.
5. Touch, formally known as haptics, is putting part of the body in contact
with something.
