Psychology 235, Psychology of Gender

Nonverbal communication is a very large part of human communication behavior. The types of nonverbal communication can range from a simple smile to an obvious avoidance of eye contact, but each behavior carries a direct message that can be understood by all the individuals in a public communication situation. Nonverbal communication, for use in this analysis, is defined by Canary and Dindia (1998) as the form of "communication that does not include words; messages expressed by nonlinguistic means, people's actions or attributes, including their use of objects, sounds, time and space, that have socially shared significance and stimulate meaning in others" (Canary &Dindia, 1998). Through my own observation of a public communication situation, a set of rules for nonverbal communication for that situation was determined, yet it varied according to age and gender.

Nonverbal communication rules may differ according to the situation. An individual's actions are

The need for personal space was the next noticeable behavior. Subjects' in this group desired more personal space than any other group observed, as they would move to the position inside the establishment with the most available space. Sometimes subjects would even wait outside rather than have their personal space intruded upon. This group also made minimal eye contact in communication. When interacting with employees in the ordering process this group would move their eyes as much as possible with out making direct eye contact. This group tended to dress very casual, and also used very little facial expression. Women of the same age range portrayed a very different set of behaviors in the situation.

New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Canary, D. J. & Dindia K. (1998). Sex Differences and Similarities in Communication.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Procedure Males, Dress Discussion, Canary Dindia, Method Overview, Participants Actions, Communication Empirical, eye contact, nonverbal communication, personal space, nonverbal behavior, fifteen thirty, communication situation, hand movement, leg movement, Movement Figure, direct eye contact, public communication, direct eye, public communication situation, McGuire November, Leathers Dale, Expression Figure, gender nonverbal communication, aged fifteen thirty, canary dindia 1998,
Approximate Word count = 1916
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)