IX. Physical Appearance

1. Judy Burgoon: Physical appearance includes several attributes: hair, clothing, body type, tattoos, piercings, etc.

2. Physical appearance is critical in face-to-face interactions but it is also very important for online interactions as well.

3. Attractiveness is based on: (a) facial symmetry; (b) clothing

DISCUSSION STARTER 6: Look at your physical appearance, as shown in photos on your Facebook page or other personal Web sites. What do your face, hair, clothing, and body communicate to others about who you are and what you’re like? Now examine friends’ photos on your pages. How might their appearances affect others’ perceptions of you?

X. Communicating Through Objects

1. Artifacts are the things we possess that influence how we see ourselves and express our identity to others. Artifacts communicate power and status. According to Susan Wildermuth several important additions are due (Michael’s Sound Bite 7-11):

2. We are justfully proud of our artifacts and often take them along when we leave our territory;

3. Artifacts can attend to any of our perception channels;

4. Color is a type of artifact; psychologists have found that colors have certain attributes and create certain moods;

5. Tattoos, piercings and hair style also influence our perception of other people; depending on our culture we may find them more or less attractive.

6. Some artifacts become symbols; i.e. signs that stand for something else: a wedding ring, a cross, etc.

XI. Communicating through the Environment

A. We communicate through our environment by shaping it in the way that presents us. Any environment has fixed (stable, unchanging elements) and semi-fixed features (changing elements).

DISCUSSION STARTER 7: Look around the room you’re in right now. How does this room make you feel? How do the size of the space, furniture, lighting, and color contribute to your impression? What kind of interpersonal communication would be most appropriate for this space— personal or professional? Why?

XI. Olfactory Communication

Richard Doty (Michael’s Sound Bite 7-12):

1. Smell is a major factor in creating attractiveness; people react to smells they can sense and process as well as those they can’t process;

2. Attitude to smell changes from person to person and from culture to culture;

3. Smell influences the taste.

4. Business uses smells to anchor customers;

5. Aromatherapy assists in treatment of many diseases of somatic nature.

XII. Functions of Nonverbal Communication

1. Nonverbal communication conveys meanings: (a) we can convey them directly (gestures, distance), and (b) indirectly (as in support of verbal messages; (c) we can also use nonverbal messages to enhance meaning, and add to it; (d) sometimes we use nonverbals to replace verbal messages; (e) we also use nonverbal to spotlight certain parts of messages.

2. Nonverbal communication expresses emotions: (a) both true and feigned; (b) through face and voice; (c) intentionally and unintentionally; (d) through voice features, such as tone, volume and rate;

3. Nonverbal communication presents self: we use ALL nonverbal behaviors to make ourselves presentable to others.

4. Nonverbal communication manages interactions: (a) to augment the message; (b) to regulate talk, (c) to check level of interest; (d) to regulate others’ attention and behavior.

5. Nonverbal communication defines relationships: (a) creates intimacy through touch, voice, eye behavior, etc.; (b) signals dominance and submissiveness.

DISCUSSION STARTER 8: Call to mind three relational partners: a friend, a coworker, and a romantic interest. What aspects of your nonverbal communication (touch, gaze, space, voice, and so forth) are different across these relationships? What does this tell you about the role that nonverbal communication plays in conveying relationship intimacy?