Nonverbal Communication

The Nonverbal Communication Book

This book examines state-of-the-art research and knowledge regarding nonverbal behaviour and applies that scientific knowledge to a broad range of fields. It presents a true scientist-practitioner model, blending cutting-edge behavioural science with real-world practical experience.

Even though our society subtly discourages the verbal expression of emotions, most of us, in ostensibly conforming to our roles, nevertheless manage to express likes, dislikes, status differences, personalities, as well as weaknesses in nonverbal ways. Using vocal expressions; gestures, postures, and movements, we amplify, restrict, or deny what our words say to one another, and even say some things with greater facility and efficiency than with words. In this new, multidimensional approach to the subject of nonverbal communication Albert Mehrabian brings together a great deal of original work which includes descriptions of new experimental methods that are especially suited to this field, detailed findings of studies scattered throughout the literature, and most importantly, the integration of these findings within a compact framework. The framework starts with the analysis of the meanings of various nonverbal behaviors and is based on the fact that more than half of the variance in the significance of nonverbal signals can be described in terms of the three orthogonal dimensions of positiveness, potency or status, and responsiveness. These three dimensions not only constitute the semantic space for nonverbal communication, but also help to identify groups of behaviors relating to each, to describe characteristic differences in nonverbal communication, to analyze and generate rules for the understanding of inconsistent messages, and to provide researchers with new and comprehensive measures for description of social behavior. This volume will be particularly valuable for both the professional psychologist and the graduate student in psychology. It will also be of great interest to professionals in the fields of speech and communication, sociology, anthropology, and psychiatry.

Anyone who can successfully read people can communicate and hold power.

The use of nonverbal cues in social activities is essential for human daily activities. Successful nonverbal communication relies on the acquisition of rules of using cues from body movement, eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice, and more. As such, this book adds to our understanding of nonverbal behavior by examining state-of-the-art research efforts in the field. The book addresses the classification and training of nonverbal communication with advanced technologies, gives an overview on factors underlying the learning and evaluating of nonverbal communications in educational settings and in digital worlds, and characterizes the latest advancement that uncovers the psychological nature underlying nonverbal communication in conversations. We hope the book will reach a large audience for a variety of purposes, including students and professors in academic institutions for teaching and research activities as well as researchers in industries for the development of communication-related products, benefiting both healthy individuals and special populations.

The newly revised edition of this groundbreaking textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the theory, research, and applications of nonverbal communication. Authored by three of the foremost scholars in the field and drawing on multidisciplinary research from communication studies, psychology, linguistics, and family studies, Nonverbal Communication speaks to today’s students with modern examples that illustrate nonverbal communication in their lived experiences. It emphasizes nonverbal codes as well as the functions they perform to help students see how nonverbal cues work with one another and with the verbal system through which we create and understand messages and shows how consequential nonverbal means of communicating are in people’s lives. Chapters cover the social and biological foundations of nonverbal communication as well as the expression of emotions, interpersonal conversation, deception, power, and influence. This edition includes new content on “Influencing Others,” as well as a revised chapter on “Displaying Identities, Managing Images, and Forming Impressions” that combines identity, impression management, and person perception. Nonverbal Communication serves as a core textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in communication and psychology. Online resources for instructors, including an extensive instructor’s manual with sample exercises and a test bank, are available at www.routledge.com/9780367557386

The goal of this edited volume is to provide a much needed bridge between the research on nonverbal communication and the application of those findings. The book features contributions from some of the leading researchers in the field. These distinguished scholars apply their understanding of nonverbal communication processes to a variety of settings including hospitals and clinics, courtrooms and police stations, the workplace and government, the classroom, and everyday life. It explores nonverbal communication in public settings, in intimate relationships, and across cultures and general lessons such as the importance of context, individual differences, and how expectations affect interpretation. Applications of Nonverbal Communication appeals to a diverse group of practitioners, researchers, and students from a variety of disciplines including psychology, health care, law enforcement, political science, sociology, communication, business and management. It may also serve as a supplement in upper level courses on nonverbal communication.

Successful Nonverbal Communication: Principles and Applications demonstrates how knowledge of nonverbal messages can affect successful communication in the real world. Now with fifteen chapters, the fifth edition draws students in through applications of the latest nonverbal communication research and through current examples of celebrities, sports, and politicians. This extensive revision describes nonverbal cues and their desirable and undesirable functions while offering original tests for measuring and developing nonverbal communication skills. Updates include new attention to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, and discussion of nonverbal communication within same-sex partnerships.