Nonverbal Communication

The course investigates the impact of nonverbal behavior on the communication process.  It explores how the environment, space, dress, appearance, movement, facial expressions, eye behavior, and time affect communication. The cultural context of nonverbal communication is also considered.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Describing the role of the nonverbal channel in the communication model.
• Locating and collecting scholarly research, online resources and videos, on nonverbal behavior, and writing a professional summary.
• Using critical thinking skills to analyze a business environment.
• Discussing the role of semi-fixed and fixed feature space within the environment.
• Listing and describing the proxemic distances: intimate, personal, social, and public.
• Discussing how territoriality affects interaction among people.
• Listing and explaining the concepts of attractiveness in cultural contexts, and the advantages and disadvantages of attractiveness and unattractiveness.
• Identifying and describing the different classic body types:  endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph.
• Listing, describing, and discussing the different types of facial expressions.
• Describing the causes of pupil dilation.
• Differentiating between circumstances under which people gaze more often and when they gaze less often.
• Explaining why touch is important.
• Listing and describing touch norms.
• Describing how an individual’s vocalics can influence whether they are seen as competent, friendly, sad, optimistic, or warm.
• Defining emblems, illustrators, regulators, and adapters.
• Describing how nonverbal communication can be used to persuade others.
• Listing similarities and differences of nonverbal communication among cultures.