116 Part 1 Basic Communication Processes
THINK
ABOUT
THIS❶ Do you think soldiers
can learn communication
skills from a video game?
Do you think this method
of training would be more
or less effective than
classroom instruction?
❷ Why is establishing
competent communication
so important for soldiers
in Iraq? Do you think such
training would have been
more or less important for
soldiers in Europe during
World War II?
❸ The company that cre-
ated Tactical Iraqi is con-
sidering a civilian version
of the game. Would it be
useful to engage differ-
ent cultures in the United
States in virtual reality
play? How might its tech-
nological format affect its
usefulness for various co-
cultures (age, education,
socioeconomic status,
and so on)?War Games Without Weapons, Sometimes Without Words
It’s probably no surprise that soldiers benefit from virtual reality training of-
fered in computerized war games. But soldiers abroad need to learn to
dodge more than bullets: in different cultures, they need to learn to navigate
different norms and rules of nonverbal communication.
American soldiers stationed in Iraq, for example, have discovered the
hard way that gestures that are innocent in the United States can be quite
offensive in Iraqi culture (and vice versa). For example, showing the soles of
your feet is considered rude in Iraq; proximity while speaking, head bowing,
and handshakes can also lead to misunderstanding. In one instance, an Iraqi
man gestured at a female soldier by rubbing his fingers together. He was
indicating friendship; she thought he was making a lewd sexual gesture.
This is where Tactical Iraqi, a virtual reality game created for the U.S.
military, comes in handy. Wired magazine reports that “players navigate a set
of real-life scenarios by learning a set of Arabic phrases, culturally relevant
gestures and taboos.... A speech-recognition system records and evaluates
the responses. Accurate responses allow the soldier to build a rapport with
other characters and advance to the next level” (Cuda, 2006). The point is to
help soldiers understand the Iraqi gestures, as well as to know how Iraqis are
likely to perceive gestures that are considered innocent in the United States.
Interestingly, the game, though intended for soldiers, has no weapons or
combat of any kind. It focuses instead on mutual understanding, with soldiers
attempting to gain the trust of their companions in order to rebuild war-torn
communities. The game’s technical director, Hannes Vilhjalmsson, notes the
power of nonverbal communication in this process: “I got a kick out of remov-
ing the weapons and replacing them with gestures” (Cuda, 2006). The suc-
cess of such games has led the U.S. military to invest even more in simulation
games—dubbed “first-person cultural trainers”—that help prepare troops for
intercultural communication (Drummond, 2010).WIREDFORCOMMUNICATION
One study in Japan found that college students use positive emoticons as a “flame
deterrent”—to try to prevent emotional misunderstandings that might upset
others (Kato, Kato, & Scott, 2009). Since we can’t hear voice inflection or see
facial expressions in many mediated situations, effective use of the keyboard and
computer graphics can help to create a sense of nonverbal immediacy. This can be
particularly useful in relationship formation and maintenance; for example, a dat-
ing Web site that used avatars to restore nonverbal cues improved perceptions of the
effectiveness of online interaction so that participants exchanged more information
and had a stronger desire to pursue a relationship (Kotlyar & Ariely, 2013).The Situational Context
Dancing at a funeral. Raising your Starbucks cup to toast your professor. Making
long, steady, somewhat flirtatious eye contact with your doctor. Wearing a business
suit to a rock concert. Do these situations sound strange or potentially uncomfort-
able? The situational context has a powerful impact on nonverbal communication.Have you ever taken an
online or distance-learning
course? Were you happy
with the instruction and the
amount of interaction? It is
challenging to both present
and respond nonverbally in
courses offered online. What
are the most effective ways
to do this, based on your
experience?AND YOU?