Nonverbal communication
any symbolic activity other than the use of language
Decoding
the act of assigning meaning to nonverbal symbols you receive
Encoding
putting feelings into behavior through nonverbal communication
Dynamic
elements of nonverbal communication that are changeable during interaction (such as facial expression, posture, and gesturing)
Static
elements of nonverbal communication that are fixed during interaction (such as shape of the room where an interaction takes place, color of eyes, and clothes worn during an interview)
Leakage
unintentional betrayal of internal feelings through nonverbal communication
Environment
the natural or human-made surroundings in which communication takes place
Proxemics
the study of space and distance in communication
Territoriality
the establishment and maintenance of space that people claim for their personal use
Personal space
space legitimately claimed or occupied by a person for the time being; the area around a person that is regarded as part of the person and in which only informal and close relationships are conducted
Body buffer zone
a kind of imaginary aura around you that you regard as part of yourself and your personal space
Kinesics
the study of movements of the face and body that take place during an interaction
Emblems
nonverbal face and body movement representing feelings or ideas not necessarily being expressed verbally
Illustrators
nonverbal face and body movement used to visualize or emphasize verbal communication
Affect displays
nonverbal face and body movement used to express emotion
Regulators
nonverbal face and body movement used to indicate to others how you want them to behave or what you want them to do
Adaptors
nonverbal behaviors used to satisfy personal needs
Deintensification
a form of facial management in which the intensity of an emotional display is lessened
Overintensification
a form of facial management in which the intensity of an emotional display is increased
Neutralization
a form of facial management in which displays of emotion are nonexistent or quickly erased
Masking
a form of facial management in which the emotion displayed is the opposite of being experienced
Eye contact
extent to which someone looks directly into the eyes of another person
Gaze
involves one person looking at another person
Vocalics (paralanguage)
vocal characteristics that provide information about how verbal communication should be interpreted and how the speaker is feeling
Pitch
highness or lowness of a person's voice
Rate (of speech)
how fast or how slowly a person speaks, generally determined by how many words are spoken per minute
Volume
loudness or softness of a person's voice
Silence
meaningful lack of sound
Chronemics
the study of use and evaluation of time in interactions
Haptics
the study of the specific nonverbal behaviors involving touch