THE ABILITY TO NONVERBALLY COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

1. THE ABILITY TO NONVERBALLY COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

2. IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR IMPROVING NONVERBAL SENDING AND RECEIVING SKILLS • DESIRE TO IMPROVE • POSITIVE & PRODUCTIVE ATTITUDES • KNOWLEDGE OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR • OBTAIN GUIDED EXPERIENCE & PRACTICE IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS

3. ABILITY TO ENCODE NONVERBAL MESSAGES • AS A GROUP, FEMALES TEND TO BE BETTER ENCODERS THAN MALES

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE ENCODERS • EXTROVERTED OR DRAMATIC STYLE • POPULAR • OCCUPATION INVOLVING SOCIAL SKILLS • MONITOR OWN BEHAVIOR CAREFULLY • DO NOT OFTEN INTERNALIZE EMOTIONS • EXPERIENCE LESS PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL WHEN SENDING MESSAGES OF EMOTION

5. ABILITY TO DECODE NONVERBAL MESSAGES • AS A GROUP, FEMALES TEND TO BE BETTER DECODERS THAN MALES • MINIMAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE & DECODING SKILL • WHEN HUSBAND’S DECODING ABILITY IS LOW, COUPLE HAPPINESS IS LOW (SEE NOLLER STUDY, p. 95-96)

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE DECODERS • EXTROVERT • POPULAR • JUDGED INTERPERSONALLY EFFECTIVE BY OTHERS

7. GROUPS THAT DO WELL AT DECODING • ACTORS • STUDENTS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION AND VISUAL ARTS • ANYONE RATED EXCELLENT IN HIS/HER JOB

8. WEAK EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT: • IF YOU’RE GOOD AT ENCODING AND/OR DECODING POSED EXPRESSIONS, YOU’LL BE GOOD AT ENCODING AND/OR DECODING SPONTANEOUS EXPRESSIONS • IF YOU DECODE ONE CHANNEL WELL (E.G., VOICE), YOU WILL DECODE OTHER CHANNELS WELL (E.G., FACE, BODY).

9. IF YOU’RE A GOOD ENCODER, YOU’LL BE GOOD DECODER OR VICE VERSA (ABILITY MAY VARY A LOT DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF MESSAGE OR EMOTION)