Paralanguage And Kinesics

Key, Mary Ritchie 1975. Paralanguage And Kinesics (Nonverbal Communication). Metuchen: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

The study will not include nonverbal events such as music, painting, and writing, except in reference to paralinguistic and kinesic acts. Nor will it include such mental states as motivation, intention, thought processes, symbol responses, and belief systems, which are all important studies which must be dealt with eventually in reference to nonverbal communication, but are beyond the scope of this book. (Key 1975: 10)

Kinesics is articulation of the body, or movements resulting from muscular and skeletal shift. This includes or actions, physical or physiological, automatic reflexes, posture, faxial expressions, gestures, and other body movements. (Key 1975: 10)

The human communication in these discussions takes place primarily between human beings or to oneself but may at times involve other animate creatures who can respond. On a given day, an animal trainer may actually spend more time communicating with animals than humans. A hermit may communicate primarily with non-humans and with himself. Just as important in our discussions is the communication to oneself, particularly as a function of expressive or emotive behavior, or a dress-rehearsal for a future communication to other humans. Whistling in the dark is self-communication. Observations of the communication to self move toward the discovery of "Who Am I?" (Key 1975: 12)

Autokommunikatsioon ja enesehool.

...the incidental type is quite apart and separate from any semantic value of the Behavioral Event in question. There seems to be a continuum of intentional to inadvertant - or, instituted to spontanous. (Key 1975: 32)

The matter of responsibility might be considered in connection with contradictory accompaniments to language. Perhaps there is less realization of responsibility towards that which is conveyed by the explicit Verbal Act. For example, a chief of police might seem actually to believe himself when he says that he has no racist feelings, even though his nonverbal behavior, in the way of hesitations, misplaced stress, pitch distortions, facial expressions might clearly communicate deep-seated discriminatory feelings. Or the parent who declares vehemently that he understands his offspring and feels no generation gap may indicate by nonverbal behavior that he is pretty far from communicating. It is these communications that the minority persons and the youngster receive - not the Verbal Act. (Key 1975: 35)

It is a truism that vocal and bodily expressions are never repeatable in exactly the same proportions and therefore defy experimentation. Like sentences in human language, they are infinite in variety. The application of scientific methods and experimentation is destructive to the spontaneity and communicative value in emotional expression. It changes the data. (Key 1975: 81)

The term "startle pattern" was introduced by Landis and Hunt to refer to the immediate, tense movements characteristic of a fright reaction. (Key 1975: 99)

I have outlined nine general categories where communication is effected by tactile kinesic acts: (1) Greetings and congratulations, (2) Conversational behavior, (3) Ritual and Rites of Passage, (4) Affection, (5) Play, (6) Occupational, (7) Learning or evaluating activity, (8) Manipulation in interpersonal relationships, and (9) Warfare and agression. (Key 1975: 102-103)

The manipulation of interpersonal relationships is expedited by tactile expression. Often this relationship involves the need to demonstrate authority. Discipline is more effective with small children by tactile means. In the courtroom the police personnel holds the arm of a young man brought in for trial. Authority is demonstrated in different ways in different societies. (Key 1975: 104)

Autistic gestures are self-directed. They have been said to be "meaningless," but we have already indicated that every movement has some kind of meaning and if observed and analyzed can be seen to be a part of the communication act. Austistic thinking, or day-dreaming, is a means of adapting to the world around us. It is a rehearsal of the past and the future and everyone participates. Autistic behavior is different when one is completely alone, and when one is alone but there is a possibility of another entering the room. (Key 1975: 105)

In the discussion of the Model in chapter II it was seen that the Signal may include certain olfactory experiences such as perfume and incense. These signals, along with others, comprise a group of items which are indirect communication. In space (in another room) and in time (after the crowd has left), they may continue emitting their fragrance, for example, a vase of flower, or incense left at the temple. In this way they are different from body odors which convey something during speech acts or during silences between them. (Key 1975: 109)

This definition of rhythm suggests an intimate relationship between speech and body movement. And, in fact, other scholars (for example, Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson) recognize this relationship by such terms as "postural silence," meaning immobility. By analogy, while cessation of vocal activity results in silence, cessation of kinesic activity results in postural silence or a kinesic freeze. Perhaps we should say near cessation of kinesic activity, because imperceptible, out-of-awareness movement continues that can be recorded by delicate instruments. (Key 1975: 117)

The context of situation comprises, briefly, the how, when, and where, the what and the under what circumstances. It involves the choice of channel of communication, such as acoustic, optical, tactual, or chemical; the temporal element and time duration; the location, position, and the space/distance relationship; the description and relationships of the speaker-hearer as well as the non-participants or audience in the surroundings; the physical condition of the surroundings (the amount of light, noise, silence, and artifacts); the Zeitgeits the society is considered to be in; the individual idiosyncracies of the participants; and finally, the style of communication in the medium and genre used. (Key 1975: 122)

Description of the speaker and hearer(s) implies age, sex, and race or culture, each having its varying set of behavioral norms. In addition, the status or the power relationship of the participants must be noted in order to interpret the communication between them. The persons involved, of course, display several roles; even in a single day a person may be a father, a teacher, a customer, a patient, a client, a group president, and a chauffeur. (Key 1975: 130)

To interpret the meaning of behavioral events, it is necessary to know the familiarity and desired goals of the participants. Persons well known to each other might exhibit behavior which would be bizarre if they were just acquaintances. (Key 1975: 130)

Derogatory imitation, [William] Austin continues, is one of the most infuriating acts of aggression one person can commit on another. (Key 1975: 150)

Another illustration is the event of clearing the throat. One cannot say what this means in isolation; it must be interpreted to determine whether it means: (1) a physiological act of necessity; (2) a signal to call to attention the listener; (3) an intent to interrupt a long-winded speaker; (4) a response - an acknowledgment, where speech might be precluded; or (5) a warning, for example to a child. (Key 1975: 165)

Ultimately the practical value of an academic focus on these matters must be dealt with. WIll communication be enhanced between individuals, communities, and nations, by examining the nonverbal subsystems of communication? I think not, contrary to my own first assumptions when I started seriously studying nonverbal communication. In fact, bringing these things to attention, other than for scientific purposes, may even be counterproductive to communication. Flack (1966) speaks of the "limits to sharable meaning." Relationships can be destroyed by knowing too much, or communicating too much - with all the potential for inaccuracies. Or relationships can be destroyed by abortive communication - by trying too hard and bungling. Human beings cannot function with equanimity when too much detail is brought to the level of awareness. The human can cope with only so much. Blind spots are a protection, in a sense. Bringing too much to the attention of a person, about the way he or she fiddles with their hands, or grimaces, or uses over-high pitch too often, will not enhance communication, and may push the individual into isolation. (Key 1975: 169)

• Leslie A. White, "The symbol: The Origin and basis of human behavior," The science of culture: A Study of man and civilization, 1949, (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, Reprint Series, Social Sciences A-239).
• Flack, Michael J. 1966. "Communicable and uncommunicable aspects in personal international relationship," Journal of Communication 16.3, pp. 283-290.