Chapter 4 Nonverbal Communication 107Meanwhile, vocalizations are paralinguistic utterances that give informa-
tion about our emotional or physical state, such as laughing, crying, sighing,
yawning, or moaning. Other vocalizations simply replace words or create non-
word fillers in conversations. You might clear your throat to get someone’s atten-
tion or use “Shhhh” to quiet a crowd, and most of us tend to insert “umm’s” and
“ah’s” into conversation when we’re taking a moment to think. Sometimes such
back-channel cues signal when we want to talk versus when we’re encouraging
others to continue talking (“oh,” “uh-huh”).
Physical Appearance
If you’ve ever seen a reality television makeover show (from The Biggest Loser to
What Not to Wear), you know that many people wish to alter their appearance
to elicit positive changes in their personal and professional lives. Although what
you wear—or the way you fix your hair or makeup—may not speak directly to
your abilities or define you as a person, it communicates messages about you
nonetheless. In fact, the initial impression your appearance makes may affect
your future interactions with others (DeKay, 2009).
Most people in Western society are well aware of the significance of appear-
ance. Research shows that society affords attractive people certain advantages. For
instance, attractive students receive more interaction from their teachers (Rich-
mond et al., 1991), and “good-looking” job candidates have a greater chance of
being hired (Molloy, 1983; Shannon & Stark, 2003). Jurors find attractive defen-
dants innocent more often (Efran, 1974), although discussion and deliberation
can mitigate this bias (Patry, 2008). Appearance affects not only perceptions of
attractiveness but also judgments about a person’s background, character, person-
ality, status, and future behavior (Guerrero & Floyd, 2006).
Perceptions about appearance and attractiveness are inferred not only from physi-
cal characteristics like body shape and size, facial features, skin color, height, and hair
color but also from the clothing you wear, which can reveal quite a bit about your
status, economic level, social background, goals, and satisfaction (Crane, 2000). In
fact, your clothing choice can also speak to your communication intentions. When
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit the Irish Republic after
decades of discord, she wore a suit in emerald green, the proud color of the Emerald
Isle. Clearly her choice signaled a hoped-for reconciliation (Dowd, 2012).
We also infer a great deal of meaning from artifacts—accessories carried or
used on the body for decoration or identification. For example, the expensive
Rolex watch that your uncle wears sends a very different message about wealth
and status than a ten-dollar watch would. Other artifacts, such as briefcases, tat-
toos, earrings, nose rings, nail polish, and engagement and wedding rings, also
convey messages about your relational status, your gender, and even how willing
you are to defy conventions. Tattoos, for example, send a variety of messages.
Some descendants of Holocaust survivors inscribe the concentration camp iden-
tification numbers of their ancestors onto their forearms to communicate their
desire to remember their relatives and never forget the atrocities perpetuated by
the Nazi regime (Rudoren, 2012). On a lighter note, research finds that men
view a butterfly tattoo on the back of a sunbathing woman as a sign that she may
be receptive to his romantic overtures (Guéguen, 2012).
CONNECT
Using vocalizations like
“uh-huh” can help others
perceive you as an effective
listener (Chapter 6). When a
loved one discusses a dif-
ficult situation, you want to
allow the person to speak
and not constantly interrupt
with your own words. Vo-
calizations tell your partner
that you’re listening and
that you’re actively engaged
in the conversation.CONNECT
Chapter 11 explains that
the artifacts you exhibit
in a professional setting
both reflect and shape the
organization’s culture—its
beliefs, values, and ways
of doing things. Competent
communicators must be
mindful of the messages
their artifacts send in light
of the larger organizational
picture.