Chapter 4 Nonverbal Communication 103would understand: a shaka sign—a pinkie and thumb salute that is widely
regarded as a representation of the “aloha spirit.”c Illustrators reinforce verbal messages and help visually explain what is being
said. Holding your hands two feet apart while saying, “The fish was this
big!” is an illustrator. Illustrators can also be used to increase influence in
relationships, as when we emphasize our words with pointing or sketching a
thought in the air (Dunbar & Burgoon, 2005).c Regulators help us manage our interactions. Raising your hand and lifting
your head, for example, indicate that you want to speak. Raising your eye-
brows usually indicates you want information from others (Flecha-García,
2010). Both regulators and illustrators often pair with vocal signals to
enhance communication, as when you say, “I, I, I ...” while holding up your
index finger to break into conversation (regulators) or emphasize the word
“this” in the preceding fish example (illustrator).
c Adaptors satisfy some physical or psychological need, such as rubbing your eyes
when you’re tired or twisting your hair when you’re nervous or bored. Usually
not conscious behaviors, adaptors are used to reduce bodily tension. Because
they may be more frequent when someone is stressed, impatient, or bored, they
are often interpreted as indicators of negative feelings (Goss & O’Hair, 1988).
c Affect displays are nonverbal gestures that convey feelings, moods, and
reactions. Slumping in a chair may indicate fatigue or boredom; a fist thrust
high in the air indicates joy when your team scores a touchdown. Setting
your jaw and hitting your fist on the table may indicate your anger or frus-
tration. Affect is also displayed through facial expressions, as discussed next.Facial Expressions
Consider the character Spock, the half-Vulcan, half-human science officer from
Star Trek who suppresses his emotions at all costs in the pursuit of pure logic.
Both of the actors who have played Spock (Leonard Nimoy in the original
television series and Zachary Quinto in the 2013 film) had their human eye-
brows replaced with artificial “Vulcan” ones: because Spock’s eyebrows—and eye
expressions in general—appear less human, his emotions seem less human too.
As humans, we are wired to use our faces to indicate emotions (Fridlund &
Russell, 2006). Although the reasons behind our facial expressions might be dif-
ficult to ascertain, several specific expressions are common across all cul-
tures (Ekman & Friesen, 1971). A smile, for example, usually indicates
happiness; a frown, sadness; raised eyebrows tend to indicate surprise,
and wrinkled eyebrows, concern (see Figure 4.1).
Blind children, who cannot learn to mimic facial movements
through sight, exhibit sadness, anger, disgust, fear, interest, surprise,
and happiness in the same way that sighted people exhibit these feelings
(Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1973). These seven primary facial expressions are thus
considered inborn, whereas most other expressions are learned from
our culture (Gagnon, Gosselin, Hudon-ven der Buhs, Larocque, &
Milliard, 2010). There is some evidence that pride also may be a
universally recognized emotion (Tracy & Robins, 2008).
WITH THOSE Vulcan
eyebrows, Spock portrays
little emotion. © Paramount. Cour-
tesy Everett Collection