behavioral science assignment

8/2/2019 Behavioral Science Assignment

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BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT

On

BEHAVIOR COMMUNICATION IS ALSO KNOWN AS

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

By

NITIKA AGGARWAL

A0101910374

MBA Class of 2012

AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH

SECTOR 125, NOIDA - 201303, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

2011


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BEHAVIOR COMMUNICATION IS ALSO KNOWN AS NON VERBAL

COMMUNICATION

Communication is the process of transmitting and receiving information on a particular topicbetween two people. It is a process not a product. It is not simply producing a brochure, a poster

or a social drama.

Behavioral Communication is a psychological construct that addresses people's use of day-to-

day behaviors as a form of communication. Specifically, it refers to people's tendency to express

feelings, needs, and thoughts by means of indirect messages and behavioral impacts.

Basically, any behavior (or its absence when one is expected) may be judged as communicative

if it has the intent to convey a message. For example, an expressive hairstyle, a show of a certain

emotion, stonewalling (emotional withdrawal), or simply doing (or not doing) the dishes all canbe means by which people may convey messages to each other.

The construct of behavioral communication is conceived as a variable ofIndividual differences.

This means that some people more than others tend to engage in behavioral communication in

spite of the plausible alternatives of using verbal communication.

A measure of the construct, The Behavioral Communication Questionnaire (M. Ivanov, 2008),

has been introduced at the Society for Personality Assessment conference in March, 2008.

The conceptual framework of the construct has been presented at Western Psychological

Association Conference in April, 2008.

In March 2010, a manuscript detailing the construct and its measurement has been published by

the journal ofPersonality and Individual Differences, an official scientific journal for

the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences. This manuscript is authored by

Michael Ivanov, Ph.D. and by Paul D. Werner, Ph.D., professor of psychology from

the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University.

A second phase of the research into behavioral communication has been completed in 2012. In

this study, the role of behavioral communication was explored within the context of romantic

relationships and within a larger array of personality and communication variables. The reporthas been published as a part of the doctoral dissertation titled Perceptual Agreement: Reality and

Illusion in Romantic Relationships by Michael Ivanov, Ph.D. Researchers and other interested

parties are welcome to contact the author for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguisticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_and_Individual_Differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_the_Study_of_Individual_Differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_School_of_Professional_Psychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliant_International_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliant_International_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_School_of_Professional_Psychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_the_Study_of_Individual_Differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_and_Individual_Differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguisticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_differences


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How can differences among people in the proclivity to say things by doing rather than verbally

be understood and measured? Behavioral Communication (BC) is defined as a variable of

individual differences concerning the use of behaviors that indirectly express one's feelings,

needs, and thoughts, as a substitute for more direct and open forms of communication. BC thus

provides a conceptual framework to account for many instances of day-to-day behavior from

communication standpoint.Strong positive intercorrelations among these versions of the BCQ

suggested that people report consistency in what and how they communicate regardless of with

whom they communicate.

The capacity to communicate with others is at the heart of human experience. We use language,

thought, feelings, creativity and movement to let others know about ourselves. Through that

communication, we also develop our capacity to understand others.

The way we come to communicate and understand is shaped by our early experience of

relationshipsthe context in which we begin to learn about, and make sense of the world. Goodearly attachment experiences facilitate the capacity to communicate effectively, while adverse

early experiences can inhibit communication.

NON VERBAL BEHAVIOR

The communication without words. The face is used a great deal. Hand signals, shrugs, head

movements, etc. also are used. It is often subconscious. It can be used for:

Expressing emotion (e.g. smiling to show happiness) Conveying attitudes (e.g. staring to show aggression) Demonstrating personality traits (e.g. open palms to show accepting qualities) Supporting verbal communication

Non-verbal behavior also varies across cultures (such as the ok finger O), although the sixmajor emotions (anger, fear, disgust, sadness, happiness and surprise) are common across the

world.

Non-verbal behavior is commonly called body language.

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

According to experts, a substantial portion of our communication is nonverbal. Every day, we

respond to thousands on nonverbal cues and behaviors including postures, facial expression, eye

gaze, gestures, and tone of voice. From our handshakes to our hairstyles, nonverbal details revealwho we are and impact how we relate to other people.

Scientific research on nonverbal communication and behavior began with the 1872 publication

of Charles Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Since that time, there

has been an abundance of research on the types, effects and expressions of unspoken


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communication and behavior. While these signals are often so subtle that we are not consciously

aware of them, research has identified several different types of nonverbal communication.

In many cases, we communicate information in nonverbal ways using groups of behaviors. For

example, we might combine a frown with crossed arms and unblinking eye gaze to indicatedisapproval.

1. Facial Expression

Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication. Consider

how much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown. While nonverbal

communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures, the facial expressions for

happiness, sadness, anger and fear are similar throughout the world.

2. Gestures

Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning without

words. Common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numeric

amounts. Other gestures are arbitrary and related to culture.

3. Paralinguistics

Paralinguistics refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual language. Thisincludes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection and pitch. Consider the powerful

effect that tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. When said in a strong tone of

voice, listeners might interpret approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a hesitant tone

of voice might convey disapproval and a lack of interest.

4. Body Language and Posture

Posture and movement can also convey a great deal on information. Research on body language

has grown significantly since the 1970's, but popular media have focused on the over-

interpretation of defensive postures, arm-crossing, and leg-crossing, especially after the

publication of Julius Fast's bookBody Language. While these nonverbal behaviors can indicate

feelings and attitudes, research suggests that body language is far more subtle and less definitive

that previously believed.
http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/a/attitudes.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/a/attitudes.htm


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5. Proxemics

People often refer to their need for "personal space," which is also an important type of

nonverbal communication. The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive

as belonging to us is influenced by a number of factors including social norms, situationalfactors, personality characteristics and level of familiarity. For example, the amount of personal

space needed when having a casual conversation with another person usually varies between 18

inches to four feet. On the other hand, the personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of

people is around 10 to 12 feet.

6. Eye Gaze

Looking, staring and blinking can also be important nonverbal behaviors. When people

encounter people or things that they like, the rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate. Lookingat another person can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility, interest and attraction.

7. Haptics

Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. There has been a

substantial amount of research on the importance of touch in infancy and early childhood.Harry

Harlow's classic monkey study demonstrated how the deprivation of touch and contact impedes

development. Baby monkeys raised by wire mothers experienced permanent deficits in behavior

and social interaction. Touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity, sympathy and

other emotions.

8. Appearance

Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles and other factors affecting appearance are also

considered a means of nonverbal communication. Research on color psychology has

demonstrated that different colors can evoke different moods. Appearance can also alter

physiological reactions, judgments and interpretations. Just think of all the subtle judgements

you quickly make about someone based on his or her appearance. These first impressions are

important, which is why experts suggest that job seekers dress appropriately for interviews with

potential employers.
http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/p/harlow_love.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/p/harlow_love.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/p/harlow_love.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/p/harlow_love.htm


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behavioral science assignment

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