COMS 323 - Chapter 7 Notes PDF

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Textbook used: Engleberg, N.I., & Wynn, R.N. (2013). Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies (6th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Higher Education. ...

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Verbal & Nonverbal Communication in Groups: 6.1 Two Essential Tools: Verbal communication: the use of words in a language are used to generate meaning. Nonverbal communication: the use of message components other than words to generate meaning. ● Without it, it’s difficult to interpret the meaning of spoken language. ● Tone of voice, directness of eye contact, and physical proximity of group members, etc. Verbal messages express the literal content of messages, while nonverbal messages express the emotional meaning. Effective group members rely on both verbal and nonverbal communication to generate meaning. ● People in high-context cultures put more emphasis on nonverbal codes and interpersonal relationships to generate & interpret meaning. ● In low-context cultures, people tend to rely on words to generate and interpret the meaning of a message. 6.2 Team Talk: ● The language group members should use when working together in pursuit of a common goal. ● The types of words, sentences, and patterns of speech reveal how group members think and feel about each other and about their task. ○ Language also creates thoughts, feelings & behaviors in group members (i.e. the words we speak create our reality), which affect the ways in which the group uses power, manages conflict & negotiates solutions. The Dimensions of Team Talk: Identification Talk: use plural rather than singular nouns. Interdependence Talk: use collective language such as we and our. Balanced Power Differentiation Talk: use considerate and equitable language. Social Equality Talk: use casual, informal language. Conflict Management Talk: use collaborative, nonjudgmental language. Negotiation Talk: use exploratory and problem-solving language. Use of I, You, and We Language Appropriately: ● Use I appropriately by using it to take responsibility for your own actions & feelings. ● Use you appropriately by following it with positive remarks. ○ Show your negative feelings through I language. ○ When used with negative remarks, it may lead to defensiveness & anger. ● Successful teams use the plural pronouns bc they’re inclusive & they imply interdependence among members. ○ Plural pronouns also share credit for team achievements. 6.3 Language Challenges:

Abstract Words: the more abstract one’s language, the more likely group members will interpret its meaning other than the way its initially intended. Concrete word: refers to a specific thing that’s perceived with one of the senses. ● They help narrow the number of possible meanings and decrease the likelihood of misinterpretation. ● Avoid using overly abstract words when working in groups. ○ Use words that refer directly to observable things. Bypassing: the miscommunication that occurs when people have different meanings for the same words or phrases. ● Communicators who habitually look for meanings in the people using words, rather than in the words themselves are much less prone to bypass or to be bypassed. Exclusionary Language: demeans, inappropriately excludes, or stereotypes people. ● Avoid words that specify the gender of individuals in particular roles or occupations.; use words that refer to both men and women. ○ Ex. chairperson instead of chairman ● Avoid language that stereotypes people based on their culture, race, religion, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, or lifestyle. Jargon: the specialized or technical language of a profession. ● Groups use it as verbal shorthand that allows members to communicate with each other clearly, efficiently & quickly. ● Despite being useful, it can also make ideas difficult to understand & even conceal the truth. ○ Members who are unfamiliar with a group’s jargon are easily intimidated and frustrated. 6.4 Language Differences: Language & Gender: women tend to use language to reinforce relationships & promote cooperation whereas men tend to use language to exchange information or content. ● Male speech is more direct & forceful, whereas women may speak more tentatively. ● Female speech is more likely to contain qualifiers and tag questions (“you know”) Qualifier: a word that conveys uncertainty or timidity (“maybe” and “perhaps”) Tag question: brief question added to the end of a statement (“right?”) Language & Culture: Non-native English speakers with accents are often perceived as less influential and less competent in spite of their expertise & knowledge. ● Most nonstandard dialects of English are frequently accorded less status and are often considered inappropriate or unacceptable in education, business and government (ex. African American Vernacular English) Codeswitching: refers to the ability to shift from one’s own dialect and adopt the dialect of another cultural group. (ex. African Americans with Ebonics & Standard English) ● People judge others by their speech ● Upward ,mobility and social aspirations influence whether people change their speech to the accepted norms

● General American speech is most accepted by the majority of the American culture ● People should be aware of these prejudices and attempt to look beyond the surface. 6.5 Nonverbal Communication: accounts for 60%-70% of all meaning. ● Group members often rely more on one’s nonverbal behavior than their verbal one to interpret meaning. ● Is arguably one of the most powerful methods of communication. Personal Appearance: influences first impressions, which are hard to change later on. ● Based on members’ physical appearance, people draw conclusions about their credibility, sociability, ability to work with others, etc. ● People tend to see attractive people as friendlier and as more credible than those who are less attractive. ● Effective small group members should view clothes and hair styles as an important silent statement made to the group. ● Appearance should communicate that one respects the group and takes its work seriously. Facial Expressions & Eye Contact: facial expressions of group members let one knows if they’re interested in, agree with, or understand what one has said. ● Even smiling may influence a group member’s ability to emerge as a leader. ● Facial expressions supplement and complement the verbal messages. Good listeners look at a speaker’s facial expressions in order to comprehend the full message. ● North Americans perceive eye contact as an indicator of attitude. ○ People who maintain eye contact are perceived as more sincere and trustworthy. ○ Lack of eye contact is usually perceived as signifying inattentiveness, indifference, nervousness, or dishonesty. ○ Perceptions about eye contact vary from culture to culture. ● Establishing eye contact helps maintain interaction, tells a group leader that one wants to speak. ○ Avoiding eye contact usually means one’s attempting to avoid interaction. Vocal Expression: variations in pitch, volume, speaking rate, and word stress.These variations add meaning, emphasis, and authority to one’s voice. Pitch: refers to how high or low the voice sounds. ● Variations can communicate a range of emotions. Volume: refers to the loudness of the voice. ● Loud voice can imply anger, excitement, or dominance. Rate: refers to the speed at which a person speaks in terms of words per minute. ● Slow or monotone voice may bore or disinterest group members whereas a speaking rate that’s too fast makes it difficult to understand the message. Word stress: refers to the degree of prominence given to a syllable within a word or a word within a phrase or sentence. Physical Expression: Kinesics: the study of body movement and physical expression (ex. gestures)

● Gestures can emphasize or stress parts of a message, reveal discomfort with the group situation, or convey a message without the use of words. ○ Gesturing helps ease the mental effort when communication is difficult. ○ People who use animated gestures are often perceived as more credible and as having more leadership potential. ● Posture can convey moods and emotions (personal example: feelings of emptiness is always accompanied by a slouched posture) ○ Slouching back in a chair may come across as lack of interest or dislike for the group. ○ Conversely, sitting upright and leaning forward communicate interest and are signs of attentive listening. ○ Group members who lean forward and assume a relaxed posture are more likely to emerge as group leaders. And to be viewed as attractive by other group members. ● Touch is one of the most potent forms of physical expression. Brief touch between group members can express encouragement, support, or happiness. ○ Touch in a small group may establish greater teamwork, solidarity or sharing. ○ Varies greatly in between different cultures. ○ Touch approachers: people who are comfortable being touched and initiating touch with others. ○ Touch avoiders: people who are less comfortable being touched and touching others. ○ Approachers may view avoiders as cold and unfriendly; avoiders may perceive approachers as invasive and rude. ○ Women are more likely to avoid opposite-sex touch, whereas men often avoid same-sex touch. 6.6 The Nonverbal Environment: Arrangement of Space: Arrangements that physically separate group members make group interaction difficult, whereas arrangements that bring people closer together and permit direct eye contact among all members promote group interaction. ● Members prefer corner-to-corner or side-by-side seating for cooperative activities. ● Members who anticipate competition or disagreement often choose seats across from each other. ● A member’s seating position often reflects the person’s official position & amount of power. ○ Leaders are more likely to choose or be assigned a seat at the head of a table. ○ Task-oriented leaders are attracted to the head of a table, while the middle position at the side of a table attracts more socially-oriented leaders. ● A long, rectangular table gives a group’s leader a special place of prominence at its head. A round table allows all members to sit in equally important positions. ● A hot room may promote aggressive behavior.

● Low levels of lighting encourage social conversation, whereas higher lighting levels encourage task-oriented activities. Poor lighting may contribute to negative moods. Perceptions of Personal Space: Territoriality: the sense of personal ownership attached to a particular space. Space distances: proxemics: the study of how we perceive and use space within the context of a culture. Zones of interaction: the variable psychological space surrounding each person that expands or contracts in different contexts. For North Americans: 1. Intimate (0-1.5 ft): at such close distances group members will feel inhibited from interacting and will make an attempt to restore their personal space bubble by moving back even if that means leaving the group. 2. Personal (1.5-4 ft): the average distance during a convo in this zone is an arm’s length away from the other person. ○ Members of more established groups interact within this distance because it allows them to feel close enough to engage in discussion but far enough away to be comfortable. ○ Sometimes referred to as the business zone 3. Social (4-12 ft): typically used in group interactions with new acquaintances & strangers. ○ Groups in which members use the outer limits of this zone may find it difficult to interact with others and feel distanced from the group. 4. Public (over 12 ft): typically used for large audiences. Groups are unlikely to use this zone unless they’re making a presentation to a large audience. 6.7 Nonverbal Differences: Nonverbal Communication & Gender: ● Women tend to use more facial expressions, smile more, use more eye contact, use more expressive movements, touch others more (especially other women), and notice nonverbah behavior more. ● Men tend to use more expansive movements, appear more relaxed, appear less involved, touch others less (especially other men), shake hands more, and use a larger personal distance. Nonberbal Communication & Culture: ● People from North America, Northern Europe, Asia, Pakistan and India prefer more distance during interactions than do people from southern Europe, Lating America, and Middle Eastern countries (greetings from Turkey). ● Americans, British, Canadians, and eastern Europeans tend to prefer direct eye contact. However, many other cultures avoid eye contact (ex. Asian cultures, African Americans, all as signs of respects) 6.8 Creating a Supportive Communication Climate: Communication climate: the atmosphere characterized by group members’ degree of comfort or discomfort when interacting with each other.

● In the groups where the climate is warm and supportive, members like and trust one another; whereas in chillier group climates, defensiveness and tension pollute the atmosphere, and members may feel threatened by and suspicious of each other. Defensive and Supportive Behaviors: Defensive climate: a communication environment that triggers the instinct for self-protection in reaction to verbal criticism and dominance. ● Hinders productive group interaction. ● Members devote attention to defending themselves and defeating perceived opponents. ● Spreads negative emotions, and increases stress and burnout. ● Defensive behaviors are evaluative, controlling, strategic, neutral, for superiority, and certain. Supportive climate: a communication environment in which members feel free to share their opinions and feelings. Synergy is present. ● Supportive behaviors are descriptive, problem-oriented, spontaneous, empathetic, for equality, and provisional. ● Increases the expression of positive emotions and promotes group productivity, member satisfaction, and genuine cooperation. Keep a both/and approach. Nonverbal response styles are contagious. The more cohesive the group is, the more uniform their style of emotional expression. Immediacy in Groups: Immediacy: the degree to which a person seems approachable and likable. ● Leaning forward, smiling, nodding head, being vocally expressive, engaging in appropriate touch, gesturing, using more eye contact, and having a relaxed open body position are all behaviors that promote immediacy. ● In verbal communication, using “us” and “we” instead of “you” and “I” statements contribute to immediacy, as well as using encouraging & supportive statements. ● When group members are physically comfortable with each other, they work in a more supportive climate. ● Nonimmediate members lean back, sit farther away, and cross their arms and hunch over. They may sit sideways and rarely make eye contact. They may have poker faces or may scowl....