Chapter 4 Nonverbal Communication 111implied ownership of space, such as a seat in a classroom, a parking space, or a
table in a restaurant. Few people like anyone encroaching on their territory. If
you’re a fan of How I Met Your Mother, then you know that nothing good can
come from taking the booth that Ted and his crew have unofficially claimed.
Territoriality operates in mediated contexts as well. Just as we do with phys-
ical spaces in the real world, we claim our social networking pages by naming
them and decorating them with our “stuff,” we allow certain people (“friends”)
access, and we “clean up” our space by deleting or hiding comments. Research
shows that young people are more adept at managing their space on Facebook
than are their parents (Madden & Smith, 2010). Some clean up their wall regu-
larly, deleting status updates and wall posts as often as they make them. Others
take social media “vacations” or “breaks” or simply deactivate their accounts
when they are not online so “friends” cannot see their wall, post anything on it,
or tag them in photos while they’re metaphorically not around (Boyd, 2010).
Environment
Any home designer or architect knows that humans use space to express themselves.
The layout and decoration of your home, your office, and any other space you occupy
tells others something about you. For example, the way you arrange your furniture
can encourage interaction or discourage it; the décor, lighting, and cleanliness of the
space all send messages about how you want interactions to proceed. Even the scent
of a space impacts communication: customers stay in stores longer and rate the store
higher if the aroma is pleasant (as in the scent of chocolate in a bookstore) (Doucé,
2013). Professors who have neat, clean, attractive offices are rated by their students as
more friendly, trustworthy, and authoritative (Teven & Comadena, 1996).
Color also matters. Hollywood location scouts negotiated with Juzcar in
southeastern Spain to paint all the bone-white Andaluz stone buildings baby
blue to film the feature-length version of The Smurfs there. The blue color was
so unique—and clearly signaled the popular movie—that tourists flocked there.
Although the producers agreed to repaint the buildings white after the film-
ing, the townspeople left them blue because the tourist trade had relieved their
unemployment woes (Herman, 2013).
The environment’s power to affect communication
may explain, in part, the success of shows like Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition and Renovation Raiders. In
transforming dreary or cluttered spaces into warm and
vibrant rooms, the best makeovers reflect not only a
family’s practical needs but also its unique personalities
and interests. That’s because the designers understand that
environment communicates to others about who we are.
Touch
Touch is the first communication we experience in life.
A newborn baby is soothed in the arms of her parents;
she begins learning about herself and others while reach-
ing out to explore her environment. Haptics is the use of
touch to send messages. We hug our loved ones in happy
CONNECT
Territoriality can have an
impact on group com-
munication, as we gener-
ally feel more in control of
situations on our own turf
(Chapters 9 and 10). Think
about this the next time a
professor breaks you up
into random groups. Do
you enjoy moving across
the room from your usual
seat, or do you prefer your
group members to come
to you? Chances are good
that a new “territory” will
affect your communication.MANY PEOPLE favor
“their” spots, which can
include a favorite table at the
bar, a preferred spot in the
lecture hall, or a usual seat in
the car. CLIFF LIPSON/CBS /Landov