Types of Nonverbal Cues
Hall (1976) organizes nonverbal into eight categories: body language, facial and eye, spatial communication, tactile communication, paralanguage and silence, smell, temporal communication, and artifactual communication. These items can differ greatly from culture-to-culture and especially between high and low context groups.
Body Language
Body language, or kinesics, looks at body posture and movement, often referred to as “body language.” How one orients themselves to another can say a great deal about their culture or their position of power. One might use a more relaxed posture to demonstrate dominance in a relationship, while a subordinate may act tenser.
There are many ways in which body language is used differently in various cultures. For instance, showing the bottom of your shoe in Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia can be considered a great insult. Body posture in the United States, however, isn’t as offensive as insults that are spoken. When looking at the information on Iraqi nonverbal, there are over five gestures just for the word “no” and its different uses. Their gestures, in general, are very expansive and cover a wide array of expressions and words. High context cultures will utilize these gestures more than low context cultures because this form of body language can carry more meaning than verbal words.
Facial and Eye
General emotions are most often communicated through facial expressions by affect display nonverbal cues. Typically, high context cultures tend to be more affective while low context cultures are less affective, though through conversation with Saudi Arabian students, we discovered their emotions to not be as directly displayed through facial expressions. As a general rule, increased direct eye contact can assert more power. One who already has the power in a conversation can break eye contact to demonstrate that power even more.
Eye contact between opposite sexes in Saudi Arabia must be tread delicately, as it could constitute flirting. It is considered disrespectful for a male to look at a female in the eyes, no matter how close in relation the two people are. In a conversation with Ohanes, a student from Jordan, one group noted that even in passing, this opposite-sex eye contact is rude and invasive. Though in low context cultures it is considered rude not to look someone in the eyes while speaking, people high context cultures often look down at their shoes while in a conversation until they feel comfortable enough to make eye contact. Lowering of the eyes is also used if one is being reprimanded, according to the slides on Iraqi nonverbal cues.
Facial expressions, while used often in the United States, are cause for skepticism in Saudi Arabia. They indicate high emotion and, perhaps, even some sort of wrongdoing. Emotion is not often portrayed through expressions of the face, but rather body gestures. Through experience with the video-chat conversations, my American partner and I were much more likely to raise eyebrows and make facial expressions indicating how we felt as opposed to either of our Saudi Arabian partners (unless they were laughing).
Spatial Communication
This area of nonverbal communication (also referred to as “proxemics”) looks at how physical space (or “personal space”) can impact communication. In terms of establishing more power, one may increase their proxemics, or, perhaps, infiltrate the subordinate’s space (but not the other way around).
In Saudi Arabia, space bubbles are very small, even while interacting with strangers. Most greetings constitute a kiss on the cheek. When finding a seat in a classroom or on the subway, Americans will situate themselves in a way that leaves much room between themselves and the next closest person. In high context cultures, however, people tend to sit closer to one another and that closeness during a conversation is a necessity. It is considered rude in interactions to sit or stand far away from the other person, no matter the level of relationship between those two parties.
Tactile Communication
Tactile or haptics communication examines touching behavior as it plays into nonverbal communication. In terms of power dimensions, those with more power in a relationship may be the one to initiate touch.
In Iraq Though in the United States it is common for friends (of either gender) to hug one another when greeting, Saudi Arabian women almost always only hug their female friends. Older generations in Saudi Arabia may shake hands throughout an entire conversation, though this practice has not been completely handed down to the youth. According to the Iraqi Body Posture slides, “After shaking hands in greeting, Iraqis continue to hold your hand while talking if they expect the conversation to be brief.” In fact, according Hall’s 1976 research, if no touching occurs in a conversation between high context people, it may show a certain disdain towards the person spoken to. However, strangers do nut hug and kiss in interactions. To emphasize an opinion, Arabs may touch or pat one another during their conversation. In some ways, Saudi Arabian culture uses more tactile cues, but those within the group are also very conscious of using haptics in public, even if two people are in a romantic relationship.
Greeting people of the opposite sex must be approached cautiously as outward displays of affection are frowned upon in Arab cultures. Married people, according to one conversation with a Saudi Arabian student, will hold hands in public, but not kiss, and a non-married couple would not even be able to hold hands. Familial relationships in Saudi Arabia often require kisses on the cheeks upon greetings. In conversation with Saudi students, we discovered that greetings differ greatly between high and low context cultures. While it is considered extremely rude not to greet every single person in a group, from right to left, in Saudi Arabia, this is not something on most young people’s radar in the States. Often we may greet the first person we see or just say hello to the group as a whole. This would be thought of as inconsiderate in Middle Eastern countries. Similarly, the United States especially does not require any sort of touching between parties upon greeting, but it is often used in family situations.
Paralanguage and Silence
Paralanguage looks at the elements of speech that are not the actual words themselves. Silence can be used by one in a higher status to maintain power, while someone in a lower status may use more pauses that weaken their communication.
High context cultures utilize many different paralinguistics from low context cultures, and may be perceived as loud or obnoxious. When Americans say “hmm” it can be mistaken as rudeness. As Hall (1976) writes, English is a tonal language, utilizing inflection to emphasize points, while Arabic is a Semitic language. Tone languages associate high tone with small concepts and low tone with large concepts. Rather than directly stating that a question or conversation is uncomfortable, many people in high context cultures will mumble or answer ambiguously.
Smell
Though smell is not widely thought of as a form of nonverbal communication, it can display a great deal in interactions. The way people use their sense of smell as a part of communication also differs from culture to culture. Low context cultures, because their concept of space is needed to be much larger than high context, are more sensitive to smell in interactions.
“Arab cultures, by contrast, are not as phobic about body odor. Arabs will not hesitate to smell each other. But this less-inhiited approach still doesn’t mean it’s okay to smell bad. Smell plays a particularly important role for the family of prospective Arab groom when it is first introduced to the prospective bride. Family members stand very close to the bride-to-be, taking deep breaths while they introduce themselves. The family may reject the prospective bride simply because she does not smell right” (Calero, p. 36).
Temporal Communication
This aspect of nonverbal communication (also called “chronemics”) looks at the study of time, or the tempo of a culture. Time can be considered either monochromic or polychromic. Cultures that behave on monochromic time focus on only doing one thing at a time. There is more of an emphasis on compartmentalizing functions and people. Polychronic cultures enjoy being involved with many things at once and with a great involvement with people. People under this time schedule are surrounded by information (Hall & Hall).
As we could tell through interactions with Saudi Arabian students, Americans tended to focus more on the task at hand than the general conversation. We wanted to make sure we checked each discussion question off of our list and may not have felt accomplished if we got off tangent. It took us only a few interactions, however, to understand that high and low context cultures have different concepts of time. Once us Americans looked at the conversation as a way to get to know another person and their culture rather than crossing an item off of a list, we were able to better divert our attention onto that single issue and therefore have deeper interactions in the process.
Artifactual Communication
Looking at one’s artifacts—clothing, cars, place of residence, etc.—can reveal much about their lives and personality. The objects that one values as important, also, are symbolic nonverbal cues.
When looking at Saudi Arabia, and especially most Muslim women in general, one’s dress is extremely important. Up until the 1970s, most Arab women wore a veil that covered their face completely, or revealed only the eyes. But in the 70s, many Muslim women (influenced by Western culture) removed the veil, and now wear a head covering that leaves their face exposed (Reece, 1996, p. 35). When conversing with a Saudi Arabian student, she did not seem to mind wearing the abaya (full body covering), and felt free to wear street clothes when not in public places. This form of dress complements the meaning of other nonverbal cues like eye contact as it diverts a feeling of intrusion. “The loose-fitting outer garment serves to minimize the intruding direct stares, allowing women public privacy…Due to the weight of patriarchal honor that rests upon their shoulders, women in Islam exhibit a more highly socialized concern about how they are perceived by both men and women” (Reece, 1996, p. 39). While this may be one example of a deeper meaning of the dress, it is a part of the Islamic culture, one that most women are accustomed to.
Body Language
Body language, or kinesics, looks at body posture and movement, often referred to as “body language.” How one orients themselves to another can say a great deal about their culture or their position of power. One might use a more relaxed posture to demonstrate dominance in a relationship, while a subordinate may act tenser.
There are many ways in which body language is used differently in various cultures. For instance, showing the bottom of your shoe in Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia can be considered a great insult. Body posture in the United States, however, isn’t as offensive as insults that are spoken. When looking at the information on Iraqi nonverbal, there are over five gestures just for the word “no” and its different uses. Their gestures, in general, are very expansive and cover a wide array of expressions and words. High context cultures will utilize these gestures more than low context cultures because this form of body language can carry more meaning than verbal words.
Facial and Eye
General emotions are most often communicated through facial expressions by affect display nonverbal cues. Typically, high context cultures tend to be more affective while low context cultures are less affective, though through conversation with Saudi Arabian students, we discovered their emotions to not be as directly displayed through facial expressions. As a general rule, increased direct eye contact can assert more power. One who already has the power in a conversation can break eye contact to demonstrate that power even more.
Eye contact between opposite sexes in Saudi Arabia must be tread delicately, as it could constitute flirting. It is considered disrespectful for a male to look at a female in the eyes, no matter how close in relation the two people are. In a conversation with Ohanes, a student from Jordan, one group noted that even in passing, this opposite-sex eye contact is rude and invasive. Though in low context cultures it is considered rude not to look someone in the eyes while speaking, people high context cultures often look down at their shoes while in a conversation until they feel comfortable enough to make eye contact. Lowering of the eyes is also used if one is being reprimanded, according to the slides on Iraqi nonverbal cues.
Facial expressions, while used often in the United States, are cause for skepticism in Saudi Arabia. They indicate high emotion and, perhaps, even some sort of wrongdoing. Emotion is not often portrayed through expressions of the face, but rather body gestures. Through experience with the video-chat conversations, my American partner and I were much more likely to raise eyebrows and make facial expressions indicating how we felt as opposed to either of our Saudi Arabian partners (unless they were laughing).
Spatial Communication
This area of nonverbal communication (also referred to as “proxemics”) looks at how physical space (or “personal space”) can impact communication. In terms of establishing more power, one may increase their proxemics, or, perhaps, infiltrate the subordinate’s space (but not the other way around).
In Saudi Arabia, space bubbles are very small, even while interacting with strangers. Most greetings constitute a kiss on the cheek. When finding a seat in a classroom or on the subway, Americans will situate themselves in a way that leaves much room between themselves and the next closest person. In high context cultures, however, people tend to sit closer to one another and that closeness during a conversation is a necessity. It is considered rude in interactions to sit or stand far away from the other person, no matter the level of relationship between those two parties.
Tactile Communication
Tactile or haptics communication examines touching behavior as it plays into nonverbal communication. In terms of power dimensions, those with more power in a relationship may be the one to initiate touch.
In Iraq Though in the United States it is common for friends (of either gender) to hug one another when greeting, Saudi Arabian women almost always only hug their female friends. Older generations in Saudi Arabia may shake hands throughout an entire conversation, though this practice has not been completely handed down to the youth. According to the Iraqi Body Posture slides, “After shaking hands in greeting, Iraqis continue to hold your hand while talking if they expect the conversation to be brief.” In fact, according Hall’s 1976 research, if no touching occurs in a conversation between high context people, it may show a certain disdain towards the person spoken to. However, strangers do nut hug and kiss in interactions. To emphasize an opinion, Arabs may touch or pat one another during their conversation. In some ways, Saudi Arabian culture uses more tactile cues, but those within the group are also very conscious of using haptics in public, even if two people are in a romantic relationship.
Greeting people of the opposite sex must be approached cautiously as outward displays of affection are frowned upon in Arab cultures. Married people, according to one conversation with a Saudi Arabian student, will hold hands in public, but not kiss, and a non-married couple would not even be able to hold hands. Familial relationships in Saudi Arabia often require kisses on the cheeks upon greetings. In conversation with Saudi students, we discovered that greetings differ greatly between high and low context cultures. While it is considered extremely rude not to greet every single person in a group, from right to left, in Saudi Arabia, this is not something on most young people’s radar in the States. Often we may greet the first person we see or just say hello to the group as a whole. This would be thought of as inconsiderate in Middle Eastern countries. Similarly, the United States especially does not require any sort of touching between parties upon greeting, but it is often used in family situations.
Paralanguage and Silence
Paralanguage looks at the elements of speech that are not the actual words themselves. Silence can be used by one in a higher status to maintain power, while someone in a lower status may use more pauses that weaken their communication.
High context cultures utilize many different paralinguistics from low context cultures, and may be perceived as loud or obnoxious. When Americans say “hmm” it can be mistaken as rudeness. As Hall (1976) writes, English is a tonal language, utilizing inflection to emphasize points, while Arabic is a Semitic language. Tone languages associate high tone with small concepts and low tone with large concepts. Rather than directly stating that a question or conversation is uncomfortable, many people in high context cultures will mumble or answer ambiguously.
Smell
Though smell is not widely thought of as a form of nonverbal communication, it can display a great deal in interactions. The way people use their sense of smell as a part of communication also differs from culture to culture. Low context cultures, because their concept of space is needed to be much larger than high context, are more sensitive to smell in interactions.
“Arab cultures, by contrast, are not as phobic about body odor. Arabs will not hesitate to smell each other. But this less-inhiited approach still doesn’t mean it’s okay to smell bad. Smell plays a particularly important role for the family of prospective Arab groom when it is first introduced to the prospective bride. Family members stand very close to the bride-to-be, taking deep breaths while they introduce themselves. The family may reject the prospective bride simply because she does not smell right” (Calero, p. 36).
Temporal Communication
This aspect of nonverbal communication (also called “chronemics”) looks at the study of time, or the tempo of a culture. Time can be considered either monochromic or polychromic. Cultures that behave on monochromic time focus on only doing one thing at a time. There is more of an emphasis on compartmentalizing functions and people. Polychronic cultures enjoy being involved with many things at once and with a great involvement with people. People under this time schedule are surrounded by information (Hall & Hall).
As we could tell through interactions with Saudi Arabian students, Americans tended to focus more on the task at hand than the general conversation. We wanted to make sure we checked each discussion question off of our list and may not have felt accomplished if we got off tangent. It took us only a few interactions, however, to understand that high and low context cultures have different concepts of time. Once us Americans looked at the conversation as a way to get to know another person and their culture rather than crossing an item off of a list, we were able to better divert our attention onto that single issue and therefore have deeper interactions in the process.
Artifactual Communication
Looking at one’s artifacts—clothing, cars, place of residence, etc.—can reveal much about their lives and personality. The objects that one values as important, also, are symbolic nonverbal cues.
When looking at Saudi Arabia, and especially most Muslim women in general, one’s dress is extremely important. Up until the 1970s, most Arab women wore a veil that covered their face completely, or revealed only the eyes. But in the 70s, many Muslim women (influenced by Western culture) removed the veil, and now wear a head covering that leaves their face exposed (Reece, 1996, p. 35). When conversing with a Saudi Arabian student, she did not seem to mind wearing the abaya (full body covering), and felt free to wear street clothes when not in public places. This form of dress complements the meaning of other nonverbal cues like eye contact as it diverts a feeling of intrusion. “The loose-fitting outer garment serves to minimize the intruding direct stares, allowing women public privacy…Due to the weight of patriarchal honor that rests upon their shoulders, women in Islam exhibit a more highly socialized concern about how they are perceived by both men and women” (Reece, 1996, p. 39). While this may be one example of a deeper meaning of the dress, it is a part of the Islamic culture, one that most women are accustomed to.