Communication: What’s More Important?

Introduction

• Debate on the importance of verbal (what you say) vs. nonverbal (how you say it) communication.
• General consensus leans towards nonverbal behaviors (body language).
• Attention historically and currently focuses more on nonverbal communication.
• Example: TED Talks emphasize the power of nonverbal communication.

Challenging the Consensus

• Proposal: Verbal communication is more important than previously thought.
• Importance of verbal behaviors may have increased in recent times.

Understanding Communication

• Key goal: Establish mutual understanding in communication.
• Previous suggestions: Common ground relies on partners using the same words.
• Challenges: Lack of empirical testing for these theories.

Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS)

• Introduction of LSS as a new measure to assess mutual understanding.
• Definition: LSS measures similarity of text by analyzing word relationships.
• Example: Comparing words used in conversations between friends to determine shared meaning.

Research Studies

First Study

• Analyzed videotaped interactions between pairs of strangers meeting for the first time.
• Measured a variety of verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
• Findings: LSS is a legitimate measure of mutual understanding.

Second Study

• Analyzed two separate samples of initial interactions between strangers.
• Identified behaviors predicting high levels of mutual understanding.
• Major Finding: Only verbal behaviors (amount of talking, questioning) consistently predicted understanding.
• Nonverbal behaviors (gestures, smiles) were less essential for establishing mutual understanding; important for emotional engagement.

The Impact of the Internet on Communication

• The Internet has drastically changed communication since its public availability in the 1990s.
• Shift from in-person, phone, or letter communication to text-based communication (emails, texts, social media).
• Key Insight: Online communication relies solely on words; nonverbal cues are not visible in text-based formats.
• Conclusion: Given the dominance of text-based communication in modern interactions, it is crucial to focus on verbal behaviors.

Conclusion

• Nonverbal behaviors are valuable but not essential for mutual understanding.
• Emphasis should shift towards what we say (verbal communication) as it influences our interactions and well-being.