Nonverbal sound patterns, Paralanguage

1. Nonverbal sound patterns, Paralanguage Yang Xiaoqing Xiaoqing.Yang@uta.fi Alternative Communication & Access to InformationDept. of Computer and Information Sciences University of Tampere 05.03.2003

2. [ * ] [ ** ] Introduction • NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION [ http://zzyx.ucsc.edu/~archer/intro.html ] includes facial expressions, tones of voice, gestures, eye contact, spatial arrangements, patterns of touch, expressive movement, cultural differences, and other "nonverbal" acts. • PARALANGUAGE [ http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory44.htm ] • Features that accompany speech and contribute to communication but are not considered part of the language system. • The nonverbal voice qualities, modifiers, and sounds which we use consciously or unconsciously supporting or contradicting the linguistic, kinesic, or proxemic messages either simultaneously or alternating with them. • How something is said rather than what is said • Vocal Cues * http://home.pages.at/amigo/bauernregeln.htm ** http://zzyx.ucsc.edu/~archer/intro.html

3. General Information • Paralanguage is part of nonverbal communication. • Paralinguistics are what accompany your words to make up its true meaning. • According to Rozelle, Druckman and Baxter (1997), an important factor in studying nonverbal behavior is the difference between the encoder and decoder. The encoder produces and relays the behaviors to be inferred. The decoder accepts these behaviors and interprets them based on his individual approach. demo 1 [ http://www.uta.edu/english/V/digital/toni.html]

4. Why do we study nonverbal communication? • Nonverbal messages communicate emotions • Nonverbal communication is strongly related to verbal communication • Without nonverbal communication you cannot not communicate [ http://www.soapboxorations.com/donnellking/nvcom.htm ]

5. Major Prospects in the Study of Nonverbal Communication The non-verbal communication can be categorized into three major dimensions; namely positiveness, potency an responsiveness [as cited in Hargie, 1997] • Positiveness refers to the assessment of other people or objects that are described in terms of liking. revealed through, for example, eye contact, forward lean, and distance. • Potency represents status or social control and is revealed through hand and neck relaxation, sideways lean, reclining angle and arm-leg position asymmetry. • Responsiveness is a combination of activity and state of alertness [Merahbian, 1981].

6. Problems of studying nonverbal communication • Nonverbal cues can be ambiguous • Nonverbal cues are continuous • Nonverbal cues are multichannel • Nonverbal cues are culture-bound

7. Principles of Paralanguage • Paralanguage refers to  the vocal aspect of communication. • Vocal elements of language differ from verbal elements in this way: vocal elements involve sound and its manipulation for certain desired or undesired effects. • Verbal elements are the particular words we choose when speaking. [http://cyber.bentley.edu/faculty/wb/presentations/paralanguage/note001.htm ]

8. Ingredients of Paralanguage(1) Voice Qualities: • pitch range • vocal lip control • articulation control • rhythm control • resonance • tempo

9. Ingredients of Paralanguage(2) Vocal Characteristics: • laughing, crying, whispering, snoring, yelling, moaning, groaning, yawning, whining, sucking, sneezing, sighing, belches, hiccups • Remember that these characteristics are the vocal aspects of these actions, so imagine that these pictures are making noises. [ http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory44.htm ]

10. Ingredients of Paralanguage(3) Voice Qualifiers: • intensity (overloud, oversoft) • pitch height • extent Vocal Segregates: (examples: ) • "uh" • "um" • "uh-huh" • silent pauses demo 2 demo 3 demo 4 demo 5 demo 6 demo 7 demo 8 demo 9 demo 10 demo11 [ http://www.esl-lab.com/para.htm ]

11. Messages in the Voice (1): • Phrases have different messages depending on what parts we emphasize. For instance, take the sentence, She's giving this money to me. • SHE is the one giving the money, nobody else. • She is GIVING, not lending. • MONEY is being exchanged, not anything else. • I am getting the money, nobody else. [ http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory44.htm]

12. Messages in the Voice (2): The voice is used to infer personality traits. • An increased rate of speaking generally infers that the individual is more animated and extroverted. • A flatness in the tone of voice generally indicates more withdrawn and masculine characteristics. • A nasal sound in one's voice is generally thought of to be undesirable. [ http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory44.htm]

13. Messages in the Voice (3): The voice is also used to infer emotional states. [ http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory44.htm]

14. Conclusion Usage of Nonverbal Cues • reduce ambiguity • validate emotions • as a basis for decision-making and information processing. Nonverbal communication is gaining an importance in the study of human behavior and interactions. Its applications on how individuals perceive others and vice versa are recognized and validated. The use of nonverbal communication in advertising is a powerful and efficient tool for delivering provocative messages in a tasteful and palatable fashion. [ see too https://webspace.utexas.edu/QUAHS/WWW/conclusion.html]

15. References • Eisenberg, A.M., & Smith, Jr., R.R. (1971). Nonverbal communication. New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. • Ekman, P. (1980). Three classes of nonverbal behavior. In Von Raffler-Engel, W. (Ed.), Aspects of Nonverbal Communication (pp.89-102). Bath: The Pittman Press. • Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Anchor Books. • Major, B. (1981). Gender patterns in touching behavior. In C. Mayo & N. Henley (Eds.), Gender and Nonverbal Behavior. New York: Springer-Verlag. • Merahbian, A. (1971). Silent messages. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. • Messaris, P. (1997). Visual persuasion: The roles of images in advertising. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. • Rozelle, R. M. Druckman, D. & Baxter, J.C., (1997). Non-verbal behavior as communication. In O. D. W. Hargie (Ed.), The Handbook Of Communication Skills (pp. 67-102). Great Britian: TJ Press (Padstow) Ltd. • St. Clair, R.N. (1980). Social distance: expressions of power, solidarity and status. In Von Raffler-Engel, W. (Ed.), Aspects of Nonverbal Communication (pp.81-88). Bath: The Pittman Press. • M.W. Knudsen1, J.-C. Martin, L.D., et al., ISLE Natural Interactivity and Multimodality, Report WG Deliverable D8.1, 2002, available at: http://isle.nis.sdu.dk/reports/wp8/D8.1-3.3.2002-F.pdf