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COMM301

Week 5: Nonverbal Communication & Congruence

Week 5 Summary

Week Summary

This week, we explored the rich world of nonverbal communication - the messages we send without words. We examined five major types of nonverbal communication: kinesics (body language), proxemics (space), haptics (touch), paralanguage (voice), and chronemics (time). We learned that nonverbal cues can complement, contradict, substitute for, regulate, and accent our verbal messages, and we discussed the critical importance of achieving congruence between what we say and how we say it.

Key Takeaways

  • 1Nonverbal communication includes kinesics, proxemics, haptics, paralanguage, and chronemics
  • 2Nonverbal cues serve multiple functions: complementing, contradicting, substituting, regulating, and accenting verbal messages
  • 3When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, people typically believe the nonverbal
  • 4Congruence - alignment between verbal and nonverbal - is essential for clear, trustworthy communication
  • 5Nonverbal norms vary significantly across cultures; avoid assuming your norms are universal

Coming Up Next Week

Next week, we'll explore how culture and context shape communication. We'll examine cultural dimensions, high-context and low-context communication styles, and how to communicate effectively across cultural differences.