The Importance of Communication: What vs. How

Overview

• Debate on the importance of verbal (what we say) versus nonverbal (how we say it) communication.
• Traditional consensus favors nonverbal behaviors (body language, gestures).
• Aim of the talk: challenge the idea that nonverbal is more important than verbal.

Understanding Communication

• Key goal: Mutual Understanding
  • Essential for effective communication.
  • Difficulty arises when parties do not understand each other.
• Development of common ground understanding depends on interaction partners using the same words in similar ways.
  • Previous research lacked empirical measurement for this.

Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS)

• Definition: A measure assessing the contextual meaning of text based on word relationships.
• Purpose: Determine shared meaning in conversations.
• Example: Comparing words used in a conversation about weekend plans to find common understanding.

Research Findings

Study 1: Initial Interactions

• Analyzed videotaped recordings of strangers meeting.
• Measured both verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
• Outcome: LSS proved to measure mutual understanding effectively.

Study 2: Predicting Mutual Understanding

• Analyzed interactions from two samples of strangers.
• Findings:
  • Only verbal behaviors predicted levels of understanding.
  • Key indicators:
    • Amount of talking
    • Number of questions asked
  • Nonverbal behaviors (gestures, smiles) were not essential for developing understanding, though they can enhance emotional interactions.

The Impact of the Internet

• Historical Context:
  • Communication before the Internet: in-person, telephone, letters.
  • Emergence of digital communication in the 1990s transformed interaction.
• Current Communication Trends:
  • Emails, text messages, social media, online dating messages are now dominant forms.
  • Primarily text-based communication focused on words, not nonverbal cues.
• Conclusion:
  • In a text-driven communication environment, the importance of verbal communication increases.
  • Suggests a shift in focus from nonverbal to verbal behaviors for effective communication.

Final Thoughts

• Nonverbal behaviors remain important but should not overshadow the significance of verbal content.
• Emphasizes the need to adapt to modern communication practices by prioritizing what we say.
• Call to action: Focus more on verbal communication in our interactions.