Body Language: Key to Professional Success - PDF

BODY LANGUAGE: KEY TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS Prof Rashmi Gaur Humanities and Social Sciences IT Roorkee  INDEX S.No. Topic Page No. WEEK- 1 1 Defining Body Language, Scope and Relevance...

BODY LANGUAGE: KEY TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS Prof Rashmi Gaur Humanities and Social Sciences IT Roorkee  INDEX S.No. Topic Page No. WEEK- 1 1 Defining Body Language, Scope and Relevance 1 2 Defining Proxemics, Four Zones 8 3 Proxemics: Behavioral Connotations 15 4 Oculesics - I 18 5 Oculesics - II 20 6 22 Haptics I WEEK- 2 7 26 Haptics II 8 Kinexics: Types & Contexts 37 9 Facial Expressions 45 10 Macro and Micro Facial Expressions 48 11 Mouth and Smiles 49 12 Cultural Differences in Smiles; Head Nods 54 WEEK- 3 13 Hand Movements 59 14 Understanding Finger Movements 64 15 Movements of Feet & Legs 69 16 Paralanguage 74 17 Chronemics 79 18 Chromatics, Olfactics & Physical Appearance 82 WEEK- 4 19 Gustorics and Silence 87 20 Gustorics and Silence 92  Body Language: Key to Professional Success Prof. Rashmi Gaur Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Lecture - 01 Defining Body Language, Scope and Relevance Good morning dear participants and welcome to the first module of our course on Body Language. As all of us are aware, body language is an integral part of our professional communication. A positive body language helps us in projecting ourselves in a more successful manner. In today’s module, we would try to understand the basic definitions of body language, the scope and relevance. (Refer Slide Time: 00:56) The study of body language is important for us as it alerts us to the inconsistencies, which exists between what one says and also what one conveys. Because it is with the help of the micro and macro expressions of body language that we can comprehend the attitudes and emotions of people in dietetic as well as in interpersonal situations. We can make out whether a particular individual is humble or arrogant or is being condescending or too demanding etcetera and at the same time, whether one is talking under certain depression or is in angry mode whether one is impatient or indifferent etcetera. So, these signals of body language help us to understand the true personality and the true intention of a person. We can say that the body language alerts us to the 1 possibilities of reading an individual in the same manner in which we can read a book and decipher its meaning. We can find out the inconsistencies, which exists between the verbally statements and the nonverbal communication with the basis of the intonations, gestures, voice control etcetera and therefore, we understand the truth and then we can also provide the necessary feedback accordingly. (Refer Slide Time: 02:27) Nonverbal aspects of communication have macro as well as micro expressions. Now, what exactly is the difference between the macro and micro expressions of body language? Macro expressions are those expressions and aspects of body language which are visible to us. For example, if I smile (this smile is visible), it is a macro expression. On the other hand, micro expressions are those expressions which are very tiny almost fleeting expressions, but it is the truth which is communicated through micro expressions in particular. There have been several audio recordings when people have been asked to describe their colleagues for example, or a particular movie. It has been noticed that during these audio and also the video recordings, people were careful to use positive epithets to depict their colleagues. However, in the micro expressions one could read their association and their intentions towards the other people. For example, we could make out whether a person likes the colleague whom he or she has been asked to describe or not or what type of animosity or what level of friendship might exist between the two. 2 These, micro expressions may be very tiny for example, there may be a twitch in a muscle just below the eye or there may be a twitch of a muscle over here (hemifacial) or my smile may try to communicate something, but the eyes contradict that emotion. Now, these micro expressions are significant aspect of body language much more significant than the macro ones. The phrase micro expressions was used for the first time by Paul Ekman in his book Telling Lies which had come out in 1985. These macro and micro expressions are basically communicated through our touch, glance, eye contact, volume those aspects which exactly are a part of our body and at the same time those aspects which are not necessarily or strictly speaking a part of our body. For example, the dress we wear the smell which we wear the accessories which we carry with us. But in today’s highly competitive world we find that these aspects are also an extension of what we know in understand as body language. And therefore, we find that because of the growing presence of media, the growing competitiveness in the business world as well as in other professions a significant understanding of body language is must. Media presence has also made our obsession with this particular field of a study, heightened. Particularly our obsession with celebrity has also enhanced our awareness of it. We find that magazines as well as video channels TV channels carry endless stories on the body language of celebrities. Body language of actress actresses political and social leaders are disseminated endlessly. I would refer to a very interesting incident here where one FBI agent tried to analyze the eyelid fluttering of Madonna to see whether she was lying about her pregnancy on NBC television program. So, we can find that the enhanced media awareness as well as the continuous growth in the technology today has made this particular aspect of a study a significant one. 3 (Refer Slide Time: 06:27) If we look at the definitions of body language or the nonverbal aspects of communication, we find that different dictionaries have tried to define them in interesting manner. The Twelfth Edition of Collins English Dictionary, which was published in 2012 has defined it as the “nonverbal imparting of information by means of conscious or subconscious bodily gestures and postures etc”. So, here we could find that this definition has concentrated on the communication of information through conscious as well as unconscious aspects of our micro and macro signals. These two aspects that is the conscious and unconscious ones we would discuss after a couple of minutes. Webster’s New World College Dictionary in it is Fifth Edition, which came out in 2012 defines it as “gestures unconscious bodily movements facial expressions etcetera, which service nonverbal communication or as accompaniments to a speech”. Hedwig Lewis has described body language as “the communication of personal feelings, emotions, attitudes and thoughts through body movements; gestures, postures, positions and distances either consciously or involuntarily, more often subconsciously and accompanied or unaccompanied by the spoken language”. In all these definitions I think that the definition by Hedwig Lewis is by far more complete than the other dictionary definitions. 4 (Refer Slide Time: 07:59) Body language or nonverbal aspects of communication can be used either in addition to words or even independent of words. For example, in a crowded room we can try to attract the attention of a friend or a colleague by making certain gestures even though the voice is not audible. At the same time we find that when we look at the communication in its totality that is the words as well as the nonverbal aspects of communication we can imagine the totality of the situation. The complete picture emerges before us only when we combine the two. It also provides the immediate feedback, for example, we are talking to a person and then looking at the expressions of that individual we can make out how much has been internalized by that person or whether some more clarifications are required about a particular aspect. These aspects make it very important in interpersonal and group interactions because more than half of what we try to say is communicated not through words, but through the nonverbal aspects of communication. Even though the codified studies of nonverbal aspects of communication is started much later we find that mankind has always been aware of its significance. In literature and in arts there have been in numerous references to it. 5 (Refer Slide Time: 09:32) The literary and artistic awareness can be traced as early as Shakespeare. Shakespeare has particularly alluded to the expression of eyes and he has often looked at eyes as an expression of human character. For example, in Much Ado about Nothing he says “Let me see his eyes, that when I note another man like him, I may avoid him” or in Henry IV he says “I see a strange confession in thine eye” or in Henry VI, Part II, he says “look not upon me, for thine eyes are wounding”. So, we can see that as early as the renaissance time people were aware of the significance of body language and what exactly was their role in communicating ideas, information and emotions to others. In art also we find that various painters and artists have utilized richly the nonverbal aspects of communication. 6 (Refer Slide Time: 10:37) I particularly refer to this painting The Cardsharps by the famous Italian painter Caravaggio who had painted this particular canvas in late 16th or early 17th century and he has drawn on kinesics the body postures to paint a libelous scene from the low everyday life of his contemporary society. (Refer Slide Time: 1:59) This particular fresco painting is an iconic painting by Michelangelo. It is a part of the Sistine Chapels ceiling, which was painted during 1508-1512. It is an iconic representation of humanity where god himself is extending his hand to humanity and we 7 can look at the expression, which has been presented here with the way the fingers have started to talk to each other. So, simply by looking at the fingers we can try to make out the meaning which the artist wants to convey. (Refer Slide Time: 11:38) However the painting which is closest to my heart is a painting by one of my countrymen. This is a 19th century painting by Vishwanath Dhurandhar. In this particular painting he has presented before us- a scene at a Hindu wedding. We can look at it and find that each person has a distinct face, the outfit is also intricately detailed and the body language of each person who has been painted here is dissimilar. So, you would find that each character in this painting speaks a different language and we can make out the intentions, the sensitivities and the social standings simply by looking at the body language painted so cleverly by the artist here. 8 (Refer Slide Time: 12:25) Even outside the domains of literature and fine arts we find that there has been a continuous professional awareness of body language. It has been used continuously by roman orators and rhetoricians and I particularly referred to Cicero and Quintillion in particular who had emphasized on the harmony of a speech gesture and face and also recognize the significance of the tone of the voice. It was particularly important in the contemporary rudimentary democratic situations. In the 18th and 19th centuries we find that the European elocution movement also emphasized on the body movements and vocalizations. The earliest academic study can be credited to Charles Darwin, whose work The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals was published in 1872. He studied facial expressions in the context of evolutionary principles. Even though his finding was based on largely anecdotal data, we find that most of the comments which Darwin had made in 1872 are still valid and they have got further validation on the basis of more recent scientific investigation. However the codified academic study into the science of body language has started only in the 20th century. We find that it was in the 1940s rather late 1940s that at the university of Pennsylvania professor Ray Birdwhistell is started looking at the nonverbal aspects of communication. He was an anthropologist and very soon we find that several other people were drawn to this research. Several terms which we still use to a study the field of body language, but invented by professor Ray Birdwhistell and his fellow 9 researchers. For example, (Refer Time: 14:33) Birdwhistell use the term kinesics in 1952. (Refer Slide Time: 13:57) George L Trager use the term ‘paralinguistic’s, somewhere around 1950s E T Hall used the word Proxemics in 1959. Professor Ray Birdwhistell was also joined by Albert Mehrabian was a faculty at UCLA and as I have read somewhere though I do not recall the exit reference, he was also perhaps a professionally trained ballet dancer. So, his insights into the art form also provided a study material to Professor Ray Birdwhistell. Professor ray Birdwhistell and Albert Mehrabian is started to record people’s reactions under lab control situations to find out the significance and the true nature of nonverbal aspects of communication, they primarily studied nonverbal aspects of communication which they termed as NVC in order to comprehend the structures of human interaction as a whole but very soon we find that this study started to have an overreaching influence over the contemporary fields of a study. They had never use the word body language. In fact, in all their writings they have used consistently nonverbal aspects of communication or any of the terms which they had used earlier. However, ‘body language’ was a layman’s term for ‘nonverbal’ aspects of communication which was popularized in 1970s with the publication of a book by Julius Fast. Body language was a title of this book and as sometimes happens the title becomes 10 catchier than the book, it also has happened with another book the title of which is I’m Ok You’re Ok. So, the same phenomena had happened with body language also we do not remember much about the book itself; however, the title has remained in our memory since then. (Refer Slide Time: 16:38) Now, what exactly is the significance of body language? These researchers, Professor Ray Birdwhistell and Mehrabian noted and recorded almost a million nonverbal cues and signals. Albert Mehrabian at one moment had suggested that the total impact of a message is a combination of verbal content paralanguage and body language. He had put verbal content at 7% paralanguage that is tone of the voice intonations inflections etcetera, at 35% and body language that is gestures postures eye contact etcetera at 58%. Even though he has later on modified it and said that it cannot be rigidly compartmentalized as it is. But the fact remains that in any face to face communication particularly the verbal content is the least important, what is more important is the body language, the kinesics aspects of it their facial features and the paralanguage. 11 (Refer Slide Time: 17:43) In this module I am listing 9 components of body language, which we are going to discuss in detail later on. So, lets look at them one by one. (Refer Slide Time: 17:54) The first aspect of body language which we are going to study is Proxemics. Proxemics is a study which analyzes the communicators sense of physical distance with the recipient in terms of signals and codes; that means, how much distance we want to keep between the two of us, if it is a dyadic situation between us and the other people if it is an interpersonal group situation. 12 Now, at the same time we find that Proxemics does not only study the distance between the two or more interactants, it also looks at the arrangement of the space in different socio cultural patterns. (Refer Slide Time: 18:37) The second aspect which we shall study is known as Oculesics or the study of eye movement. Oculesics studies and analyzes the behavior of the eyes the language of the eyes the movements of the eyes and whether it is different in a right handed person and in a left handed person. So, these aspects are studied in Oculesics the different type of gazes and their interpretations in a professional world are important to understand for all of us. 13 (Refer Slide Time: 19:10) The third aspect, which we shall look at is known as Haptics which is the language of touch or let us say it also studies the absence of touch in those situations, where it matters it analyzes communication which is done through human touch and how this touch communicates our feelings and emotions whether it is socially appropriate or not. In the visuals you can look at how the same touch can convey different attitudes and emotions to people. (Refer Slide Time: 19:43) 14 The fourth is Kinesics. Kinesics studies body gestures and postures in the movement of the people particularly. There are three aspects of Kinesics, which we shall study and these 3 aspects are known as Emblems, Illustrators and Affect Displays. Emblems looks at the codified meanings of fixed symbols. For example, the underwater swimmers coat has a particular codified meaning or for example, or traffic signal persons actions. So, or the language of the deaf and the dumb. So, these are emblems and therefore, because it is a codified study of fixed symbols in their meanings we are not going to look at this aspect of kinesics. We would focus on the next two aspects that is illustrators and affect displays of kinesics. What exactly are illustrators? These are those micro and macro signals which illustrate what we want to say. For example, if I want to say yes I would not speak it out with a deadpan face and say ‘yes’, I would rather say ‘yes’ or I would not say ‘no’ in a deadpan manner I would say ‘no’. So, you would find that these expressions are illustrators no human being can speak without introducing some component of body language in one’s communication. It is true that those of us who are extroverts use body language in a much more relaxed manner our gestures and postures would be more expressive. On the other hand a person who is shy and introvert would be using less gestures, but it is very strange to look at a person using a speech without illustrating it with body language. Affect displays are also a type of an illustrator. The only difference is that illustrators, illustrate the true intention of a person, but affect displays allow us to tell a lie. Now there are certain social situations where a polite lie is perhaps expected. You might have visited a friend and you have being served a pudding or a piece of cake or some cookies, which are atrociously prepared. So, what do you say? “It’s tasty” no, you would say “oh! It’s so yummy it’s so tasty” but you say it with a false smile in order to communicate your happiness and at the same time in order to appreciate the true sentiments over which it has been served to you. So, sometimes you would find that these polite lies are the requirements of a society, these are affect displays. However, we cannot continuously use these affect displays to hide the true intention of our heart. Very soon within a couple of seconds, the true 15 intention comes out and therefore, affect displays can serve their purpose only for maybe a minute or two unless and until we are trained actors. (Refer Slide Time: 20:17) The fifth aspect of body language is known as paralanguage, it is everything which is related with our voice except the meaning of the words. We can pronounce the same word in order to convey different types of meanings. Those of us who are in teaching know how to use it very effectively, if there is a late comer in the class we may allow the late comer, but we would allow it with very effective paralanguage to convey what exactly we feel about that particular person. We can say ‘yes come in’ or ‘yes come in’ or ‘yes do come in’ (with different expressions). So, you would find that the anger, the irony is being expressed over this variation of tone with a variations of inflections. Sometimes it can be artificial, but most of the times it comes out naturally. Paralanguage is studies the voice codes and at the same time it also studies the silences in those places, where the words should have been spoken. 16 (Refer Slide Time: 24:20) The sixth aspect which we shall is study is known as Chronemics, it analyzes the role of time and communication. We keep time in different ways we keep time as an individual, we keep time as a society we also have a cultural definition of time. So, these aspects of time would be studied in Chronemics. (Refer Slide Time: 24:43) Chromatics is a study of colors particularly the social aspects and we find that color is also used to communicate a particular type of message. So, these aspects we would study under chromatics. 17 (Refer Slide Time: 25:01) Olfactics is based on our sense of a smell. A smell can be positive as well as a negative one. It can be a personal choice, but more often now we find that it has become a social and cultural choice. There are certain cultures in which it is almost compulsory to wear some type of a smell, there are certain cultures in which smells are particularly the smells we wear on our body are frowned upon. So, it is a personal statement, but more so, it is also a social and professional statement. So, we would study it is significance under Olfactics. (Refer Slide Time: 25:42) 18 The ninth aspect of body language which we shall study is about the Artifacts. Artifacts analyzed communicator’s sense of dressing style of putting makeup accessories on body etcetera which become a statement of personality and emotions. This is not exactly a part of our body, but at the same time we study it is a part of body language because like our body gestures and postures etcetera, it is an extension of what we want to say. (Refer Slide Time: 26:14) If we look at this particular slide, we would find that the meaning of body language becomes clear to us. Every single person who is attending this meeting except the supervisor or the boss is conveying a negative emotion, but this negativity has not been translated into the words. So, we can either ignore words, but then we would only have 50% of the communication. On the other hand, we find that the body language suggests something which is not being communicated through the silence. 19 (Refer Slide Time: 26:56) So, nonverbal aspects of communication involve those nonverbal stimuli in a situation, where we not only look at the message which is being communicated through words, but we are also looking at what type of nonverbal aspects have been used by the source that is the sender as well as by the receiver or by the listener. So, we would find that it can be intentional and it can also be unintentional though most of the time, it is unintentional. Most of the times we find that a speakers are not even conscious of their own body language. Sometimes when we want to use it with certain intention as we might do in our use of affect displays this particular aspect of kinesics we find that we can control it in a very limited manner, we cannot control it for more than 2 minutes or maximum 3 minutes. And that is why in most of the spoken competitions the time which we said is at least 3 minutes. At the same time our body language is also a product of our society and culture. The inter-cultural aspects of body language are so important that if we ignore them it can lead to certain misgivings and misunderstandings. These aspects of cultural variations and differences would be a compulsory part of each of our discussion. 20 (Refer Slide Time: 28:32) We would find that in our highly competitive professions body language has become more and more important. As the nature and demands of different professions is growing, we find that our understanding of body language would help us in understanding the intentions and attitudes of the people and at the same time it would provide us a better orientation. Whether it is related with patient counseling or physiotherapies or rehabilitation courses on nurses etcetera or whether it is the job of a caregiver of children with special needs or it is the job of a school teacher or people who are working as information analyst or criminologists or FBI of police interrogators etcetera or practicing lawyers managers or even, us, simple university teachers. So, you would find that an understanding of body language helps us in avoiding the misinterpretations and conflicts and antagonists in different situations. We would be able to pass on our ideas with better confidence and with better effectiveness in any situation if we understand the significance of our own body language and at the same time we would emerge as a better listener also, because we would be looking at not only the meaning which is conveyed through words, but also the meaning which is conveyed through the nonverbal aspects of our communication. So, in different work situations we would find that an understanding of our body language is very important. 21 (Refer Slide Time: 30:07) Whereas it is important to understand body language, we find that contextualizing our body language is equally important. The individual differences do exist. Our body language is not a duplicate of anyone else’s body language normally and at the same time there are cultural differences also as we have referred to. For example, in Japan listeners particularly women are taught to focus on a speaker’s neck in order to avoid eye contact. In China as well as in Middle East a one has to pay respect to the other person, the eye contact is normally avoided. On the other hand in the USA listeners are encouraged to have a direct eye contact and to gaze into the speakers eyes. At the same time we would find that there are certain cultural stereotypes which are based on gender differences. In those cultures, when the gender equality is practically nonexistent we find that these stereotypes have a greater hold on people and in different situations a particularly in intercultural and interracial situations, these signals can often be misread. It is therefore, particularly important for us to focus on the cultural differences, the gender stereotypes and the use of body language and the necessity of contextualizing our body language. 22 (Refer Slide Time: 31:41) A language is made up of words, sentences and paragraphs. Body language is also made up of similarly words, sentences and paragraphs. Each gesture is like a single word and as we know a word may have different meaning. Here I have quoted an example, which have been used by Allan Pease. He has referred to an English word dressing which has at least ten different meanings including the act of putting on clothing, a sauce for food, stuffing for a fowl etcetera. Even a simple word like ‘wood’ may have different meanings and connotations. So, if we are using a single word the meaning does not become clear. In the same way we find a gesture is like a single word. A frown on our face is like a single word, which can have different meanings. If you put the same word in a sentence then it has a better clarity and a sentence in body language has an equivalence in a clusters of gestures and or postures. For example, we may say wood and it may have some different meanings. In the same way, a single smile or a single frown may have different possible meanings. We put the word in a sentence. I need a piece of wood. So, the idea becomes clear we look at this smile, we look at the movement of a person we listen to the paralanguage and then it becomes a sentence to us. Then we put a sentence into a para and try to contextualize it- “I need a piece of wood it is so hot”, “let us have some fire in the garden”. So, now, it has become a properly worded paragraph which conveys a contextual meaning, which cannot be debated easily. 23 The paragraph has it is equivalents in nonverbal aspects of communication with the introduction of cultural variations, gender stereotypes as well as certain time gap. If we keep on looking at a person and look at the cultural differences, look at the gender stereotypes and learn to avoid them and also have a significant couple of minutes to watch the body language of a person it becomes an equivalent of paragraph. So, that is why we find that the need to contextualize body language is very important. It is tempting to decipher the body language of a person after listening to a talk after having gone through an article or a popular book, but let us not hurry into looking at a fixed meaning simply by looking at a particular idea or a particular gesture. For example, I may rub my nose, it is known as a difference of gesture as we would discuss later on, but right now maybe I am suffering from a bad cold and I have an a itching. So, you would find that jumping into conclusion on the basis of a single isolated gesture is never helpful. (Refer Slide Time: 35:03) So, now we can see that contextualizing body language is important, if you overlook the context we run into the danger of miss ratings and nonverbal aspects of communication. The five common mistakes which have been referred to by Carol Goman can be listed over here, which we tend to make in interpreting body language of other people. We may forget to consider the context or associate the meaning with a single gesture, we focus too much on what is being said with the help of words we do not know what has been the 24 starting point of a person and we just the body language of another person through the bias of one’s own culture. So, in this lecture we have discussed the basic definitions of body language, the emergence of body language as a field of a study over the passage of time, it is significance in the scope and different aspects of body language, which we would study. In our next lecture we would begin our discussion of these different aspects gradually. Thank you. 25  Body Language: Key to Professional Success Prof. Rashmi Gaur Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Lecture - 02 Defining Proxemics, Four Zones Welcome dear participants to the second module of the first week. In this discussion we would look at Proxemics, try to define it and understand the four basic zones of Proxemics. (Refer Slide Time: 00:39) As an aspect of nonverbal communication, proximity looks at how we treat their space and distance between us and other people in any dyadic or a small group situation. Proxemics has its origin in the word ‘proximity’, which implies nearness in space time or relationship. In everyday life we maintain certain distance with other people and therefore, we maintain a particular type of a space and distance with others, we also communicate our attitudes and feelings towards them. Any change in our special relationship with other people also communicates the type of attitude we have towards them. Whether we want to maintain certain distance from them are we at ease or with them. In a group situation our orientation towards other people also displays with which group member we are more comfortable. In the same way we would find that in dyadic 26 situations also, if we like a person or if we are close to a person, we tend to move closer to them. This is a very superficial way of understanding Proxemics, but this is also the quintessential interpretation of the tongue. (Refer Slide Time: 02:04) In these sketches and in this visual, we find that different aspects of proxemics have been communicated. If we look at the photograph in which two people are sitting on the same bench, but the distance which exists between them and the distance which has been studiously maintained by them also suggest that there is no actual closeness between these two. The differences in their attitudes as independent human beings can also be seen on the basis of the other aspects of body language. 27 (Refer Slide Time: 02:39) In these photographs also we find that the proximity and this space, which we are maintaining visibly others also conveys our attitude and ideas towards other people. We can make out in the left hand side photographs whether the space has been used to intimidate another person. In the dialogue of the two people which of the two is being defensive and which one is being aggressive. Similarly on the right hand side corner photograph, we can look at the ease and the distance which has been maintained by these two people. We can contrast these pictures with a bottom corner photograph in which a group of three people has been displayed. But in this group, we look at the two people are standing with certain closeness in comparison to the third person and the third person who is slightly isolated in comparison to others is also showing his isolation with the help of other body linguistic signs. 28 (Refer Slide Time: 03:50) The term proxemics has been coined by the cultural anthropologist, Edward T Hall. He had used this word in 1963 publication of his book with a title, The Hidden Dimension. The Hidden Dimension is in fact, the dimension which is never talked about specifically by anybody. He has put across in this book his seminal theory about our perception of a space and use of interpersonal distances to mediate their interactions with other people. He had also indicated a pragmatic relationship of his research to the principles of linguistic structuralism and he is also identified the culturally dependent ways in which people use interpersonal distances to comprehend and mediate their ideas and associations with other people. 29 (Refer Slide Time: 04:46) To Edward Hall proxemics was something which helps us to structure the space as well as the micro space. The distance which we have with each other in our daily transactions and also the organization of a space in our houses in buildings and ultimately in the layout of the town. So, we find that proxemics is not only a study of the distance, which people maintain with each other in different ways, but it is also a study of a space as it is being created and organized in other aspects of our experiences. The construction of houses as well as the arrangement within a house and similarly, how do we construct the offices space with the help of the buildings and with the help of the interior decoration. So, organization of a spaces, in houses, offices, building, city planning, as well as urban renewal is an unconscious structuring of micro space and a space has been treated by Edward T Hall as a specialized elaboration of culture. 30 (Refer Slide Time: 06:00) The idea of proxemics can be understood by suggesting that we walk within an invisible bubble. When we walk or we stand we do not only occupy this space which is exactly required by our body, but let us say that an invisible bubble is surrounding us from every side and we also treat this space of invisible bubble is a part of our own body space. We can look at this aspect of our behavior in crowded places, elevators, trains, seating arrangement in restaurant offices, as well as an individual preferences regarding the seat we occupy in any crowded place. Now, the idea behind this invisible bubble is that, when we walk we are surrounded by this invisible bubble and we normally do not allow people to encroach upon this invisible bubble. We feel threatened when somebody intentionally or accidentally encroaches upon this bubble. We allow only those people who are very close to us to enter this bubble and irrespective of gender and culture if we are facing a situation in which people are intruding within our bubble and we cannot do anything about it, we develop a defense mechanism. You might notice that, when we are in a crowded space when there is nobody around us who is friendly with us or who is our acquaintant, we try to develop a mechanism to create a make believe sense that this invisible bubble is still protected. For example in lifts, we would look at inanimate objects we would maintain an eye contact with others we would look at the lift buttons, we would look at the number of 31 floor which is being displayed, we would look at certain object and now of course, we prefer to look at the smart phone in our hand, but we try to avoid any eye to eye contact with other people and this avoidance or direct eye contact helps us to understand that we are still keeping our invisible bubble intact. The same happens when we are traveling in a train, for example, or in a bus or in any other automobile, where other people who are not known to us have to share the same space with us. We develop a body language which suggest that we do not want to be close to them. So, proxemics occurs by virtue of people’s relative position to each other whereas we also try to keep this invisible bubble intact. Proxemics also describe characteristic, spatial relationships including territorial phenomena among persons in various cultures or within a given culture for different kinds of social occasions. (Refer Slide Time: 09:14) The study Proxemics helps us to understand the level of comfort and discomfort, which we have towards other people. For example, as I have already commented if we move closer to another person it may signal a better comfort, some level of intimacy. On the other hand if we move further down then it also offers a signal of discomfort or fear etcetera. At the same time it can be an assertion of power. In order to emphasize, one’s the status of power one may try to move into other peoples personal space as it is often done by the police people by people who are interrogating others. 32 And at the same time we find that in order to assert power a person can also be very physically distant. So, we find that these extremities suggest the relationship between the power and the absence of power in different ways. Proxemics is divided into four different zones of intimacy level. These four zones are a classificatory system for instinctive spacing distances and they are intimate, personal, social and public zones. Each zone has it is own close and far phases which we shall discuss and at the same time there are cultural and locational aspects related with them, which will also be discussed. (Refer Slide Time: 10:47) The four zones and their distances are mentioned over here, the intimate zone which is 15 to 45 centimeter from the closest possible contact to about 45 centimeter. Here, as you can understand the other person is allowed to intrude into our personal bubble. The social zone is somewhere from 46 centimeters to 1.2 meter, the personal zone is 1.2 to 3.6 meters, the public zone is anywhere over this limit. 33 (Refer Slide Time: 11:22) The intimate zone is from the closest possible body contact to 18 inches, which is a distance for comforting for whispering. This is also a zone in which we allow only very close people and family members. The personal zone is somewhere from 18 inches to 4 feet, a distance which enables us to have casual conversations amongst friends and family, this is also the space which we maintain for our day to day work for example, in offices etcetera. Social zone is from 4 to 12 feet, which is a distance which is reserved for formal social and business transactions. Public zone is anywhere which is beyond this which is a suitable distance for public lectures, performances etcetera. These zones are not compartmentalized very strictly there may be minor variations. But the idea behind them is communicated by roughly keeping the same space. 34 (Refer Slide Time: 12:28) The intimate space or zone suggest that, we share the psychological bonding with other people, we are mixing the bubbles of two people. We feel threatened if this is space is violated and irrespective of the situation or gender or race, if suddenly comes very close to us it results into a certain anxiety or a lack of comfort and our immediate reaction is to step back so as to enhance the space between the two of us. Sports etcetera are an exception, because close physical contact, for example, in boxing or in wrestling etcetera is a compulsion. It is significant for us to keep the sanctity of the intimate space because the presence of other people within this space may be overwhelming. The significance of voice and touch is also underscored in any discussion on intimate space. At the same time our understanding of intimate space and to what extent we can willingly share it with others and with whom is also decided by our cultural understanding. 35 (Refer Slide Time: 13:45) In this particular video, we can look at the cultural aspects which govern our personal space. (Refer Slide Time: 13:54) 36 (Refer Slide Time: 14:03) (Refer Slide Time: 14:12) Everyone needs their own personal space. Personal space varies depending on the surroundings and at the situation, but it is not done willingly it can create a lot of tension. 37 (Refer Slide Time: 14:42) So, how do people kind of maintain this balance between crowding stress on the one hand and feeling isolated on the other? So, there are behavioral mechanisms according to Robert Sommer that people use to optimize their contact with other people. So, what do we mean by personal space? Well, we said that it is an area around somebody’s body it is an invisible kind of zone and if people go into it too closely you start to feel uncomfortable, you start to feel that stress of too much proximity. (Refer Slide Time: 15:12) 38 (Refer Slide Time: 15:17) According to Edward Hall, whose an anthropologist he found some very consistent zones of personal space in his research across many different cultures. One zone is the intimate zone; 0 to 18 inches of contact with somebody else the personal distance zone a foot and a half to 4 feet out social distance, 4 to 12 feet out or public distance where you go into lecture and you are interacting with the speaker whose up on a podium and you are separated from that person. So, these are different sort of zones of personal space that people use. Let us say you are giving a speech, then I would be sitting here in a distance as an audience I am in your public space. Now let us say I am very impressed by speech and I want to comment on it. I would come up to closer for conversation, I am in your social space, but if I come this close that is a little weird because I am a mere acquaintance and you only let your family and close friends to enter your personal space and now this just creeps you out, because I am now in the hugging distance, I am in your intimate space while I barely know you. Now you are alarmed and maybe even offended. 39 (Refer Slide Time: 16:33) Personal space interactions are actually 8 dimensional; there is voice volume: what is up, body heat, eye contact, smell, touching, gender position, body position and whether the space encourages positive interaction. You know I have a friend, who works at the metropolitan museum of art. How do you like a behind the scenes tour? Really you could do that? Easily. It would not be any trouble? Of course not. When do we go? How about right now? I am ready. Are you sure? Yes. 40 Let me get my coat. All right, what do you say? I do not think so, and I have plans. How about you Jerry? I am sorry. Okay! come close. Maybe I will try and catch up with you. (Refer Slide Time: 17:36) 41 (Refer Slide Time: 17:46) Firstly according to a 2009 study in nature, these invisible bubbles are based on the Amygdala which is deep within the brain, it controls aggression, fear and unsurprisingly social interaction. If the Amygdala is damaged, people may lose their understanding of personal space and in our teenage years the size of the invisible bubbles that is surround us are solidified they are highly dependent on culture. So, personal space in a public transportation based urban area here in the United States would be vastly different than those in a car only rural area in Russia not to mention the difference between other countries. (Refer Slide Time: 18:17) 42 Next zone is of our personal space, which is somewhere from 18 to 48 inches. This is the distance which we normally maintain at workplace during our office parties, friendly social gatherings etcetera. This is the buffer which allows us to continue our day to day functioning along with others without intruding into each other’s bubble. During our interactions with acquaintances we send the signals of intimacy by enhancing this space or by shrinking it. This space can inflate or shrink and the range also decides the type of attitude which we want to show towards other people. If we look at this photograph again, we find that two individuals in this group photo are at a closer distance to each other on the other hand the third person is maintaining slightly more distance. We can also make out that whereas the two people are at complete is with each other the third person does not have that easy relationship or association with them right now. We definitely have to look at the context in order to ascertain the complete meaning, but this meaning becomes clear on the basis of the proxemics and related signals which are being sent. In the close phase of the personal space, we find that the distance is so, that a person can hold another person or can extend the arm to touch a person. The far phase is slightly longer where if people extend their arms they may perhaps can touch each other and it is this aspect which is used in haptics which we will discuss later on this is also the distance which allows us to discuss topics of mutual interest. (Refer Slide Time: 20:23) 43 In this video, our idea of the personal zone or personal space also becomes clear. The rules of personal space in public places etiquette experts suggest that human beings should keep 2 feet of space or 24 inches between them. Does this feel comfortable to you dear? (Refer Slide Time: 20:40) Yes good. This is what you are used to? I do not like it, when people are too close to me. Too close to when they are like just a couple. Is it is too close? Is it too close? No. Is this too close? That is close enough. 44 Now, most of us know the unwritten rules of elevator etiquette, find the least crowded spot keep your eyes forward and your mouth shut. But what happens when you break those rules? We took over this elevator security camera to find out. Despite plenty of room I moved uncomfortably close to other riders most simply stepped away. This guy even jumped, but several decided to hold their ground. I went toe to toe with this woman and she would not budge. And this woman who stayed pressed against the back of the elevator may have remained calm, but she felt something very different. I had a moment where I was kind of wanting to push you or shove you or punch you or grab you. I am glad you did not, thank you. Lucky for me, the average elevator ride last just 30 seconds. Next up the bus, where you are expected to choose an open seat away from other riders. We boarded this one with a hidden camera on a quiet day, there were plenty of empty seats, but I prefer to try peoples patients instead. Can I get in here please? Where here? Yeah. Why here? I am sorry? Why do not you sit there? This woman was kind enough to point out the very obvious available seat right in front of her while this guy made no objection to my sitting next to him though he did get off at the very next stop. So, what is your general recommendation when it comes to personal space? Excuse me miss. 45 Nearly everyone we met seem to agree on how to cope with someone, who gets a little too close. To get too close to people you do not know? Probably step back. Keep a distance. But our unscientific social experiment revealed something more. When confined to small spaces like in the elevator people were more prone to protect their territory, while those we approached in wide open spaces like at this park rarely moved at all and this woman even struck up a conversation. How you doing? Hi. Because sometimes it is worth giving up a little personal space for pleasant company. (Refer Slide Time: 22:47) The third is the social space or the social zone, which is somewhere from 4 to 12 feet. We maintain this distance from strangers and those people with whom we are not very even familiar or even people we want to avoid. It is at this distance, that we have to be aware that the physical movements the kinesics aspects of our body become more 46 important as the exact details of facial expressions cannot perhaps be perceived. At this distance touch is also not possible and therefore, we find that in certain offices spaces this is the designated space for certain tasks. For example, at the billing desks, at the receptionist counter, it is the social space which is maintained. Whereas the kinesic features become important, The voice level also has to be louder in this zone, it enables us to continue to work silently also in the presence of another person without appearing to be rude. (Refer Slide Time: 23:59) The fourth zone is the public zone or the public space, which is anything over 12 feet. While talking to a large group or while making a very formal presentation this is the space. Whereas in the previous three zones the individual identity becomes important, in the public space, the identity of the audience does not remain important for us. In these situations the identity of the speaker is definitely important for the audience, but the audience are not responded to as individuals by the speaker in this situation. We automatically tend to adopt a formal style, where the selection of words is careful the phrasing of the sentences is also meticulous and a certain level of formal distance automatically creeps in our language, as well is in our body language and therefore, our voice, our gestures and our bodies stances become exaggeratedly communicative and they are different from what they are in our intimate zone. The far phase is also the distance that is automatically set around important public figures for safety reasons too. 47 (Refer Slide Time: 25:21) So, what exactly are the Connotations of proxemics in our day to day life, as well as in our day to day professional performance? Personal space is precious. And unconscious changes in body behavior in crowded places take place as we have already discussed. We may avert eyes, for example, we may try to keep our face absolutely impulsive, we may try to maintain a posture which is relatively rigid, when we are forced into these situations. At the same time if we encroach upon the personal space of another person we would obviously be termed as obnoxious and rude people and therefore, these type of encroachments should be avoided. The Connotations of proxemics are also important in space settings, as we will look at in further detail in our next discussions. The symbolic space divisions are artistically created in restaurants and in office desk also. Even when the space is shared we find that artificial boundaries are created to give an impression to the people, who are working in the shared space to understand a particular space as belonging to them. So, that they can understand that their personal space that their intimate bubble is not being disturbed by others. And therefore, we find that the visual boundaries are created either by transparent barriers, which may be very small and tiny, or even by putting objects close to us on a table on which we are sitting to define this space which belongs to us. This is done sometimes subconsciously sometimes it is also done in a conscious manner to send a particular message that this space belongs to us and that we do not want 48 it to be disturbed. So, boundaries are also marked by a space artifacts on desks and on walls etcetera. For example, you would come across some people who put lot of decoration on their walls so, that the space can be designated as their own. These connotations we would discuss in further detail when we will look at a space settings in detail in our next modules discussions. If you look at this video the connotations of his face become clear to us. It is considered accept the (Refer Time: 28:00) for commuter to fall asleep on the shoulder of a stranger. In New York, it is quite a different story. Of course, (Refer Time: 28:27) depth. (Refer Slide Time: 28:42) 49 (Refer Slide Time: 28:47) France is a relatively crowded society and the people experience greater physical contact. (Refer Slide Time: 28:57) The Germans tend to be more strict about the range of distance, that indicates intrusion. In the U S sticking ones head or body part into another’s house is usually not considered as territory invasion as long as one feet are outside the house. 50 (Refer Slide Time: 29:13) The Germans find such behaviors alarming. Germens generally feel that happen in open door can lead to intrusion, while Americans generally feel that keeping the door close these to ostracism. Now, that we know that there can be differences even within the western world it is not surprising that middle eastern nations different (Refer Time: 29:28) from the US. (Refer Slide Time: 29:26) Public spaces in Middle Eastern countries tend to be more crowded. 51 (Refer Slide Time: 29:30) Physical contact and public spaces is more common than Middle Eastern countries. (Refer Slide Time: 29:38) Even when in public areas Americans keep a distance from other people to protect privacy, yet in Middle Eastern nations, public areas are purely public. 52 (Refer Slide Time: 29:45) And the person cannot claim private space. (Refer Slide Time: 29:51) 53 (Refer Slide Time: 30:38) (Refer Slide Time: 30:44) 54 (Refer Slide Time: 30:47) (Refer Slide Time: 30:52) As it is controlled in other aspects of body language, our understanding of a space is also subconsciously controlled in most of our interactions in our professional life. We can say that shy people have bigger distances and people who are extroverts are keen to create a smaller distance between themselves and the other interactant. However, this desire to create a bigger distance should not be interpreted as necessarily a negative desire. Spacing and distances are also used consciously to establish certain messages regarding authority as well as relationships, which we want to have with 55 others. Our personal space is sacred to us and irrespective of the culture, we find that this aspect is sometimes abused by people who want to impose their authority on us. Whenever bullies try to intimidate others we find that the encroachment of personal space takes place, whenever any law enforcement agency also wants to intimidate people then we find that the encroachment of personal space takes place. In the same way it is true that sales people maintain their distances they never encroach upon your personal space, but at the same time they act in such a way that you have to keep your fingers busy, this aspect of the sales people’s behavior we would take up when we will take up kinesics in detail. So, today we have discussed the basic four zones of proxemics as well as what exactly do they mean and how precious they are to us. In our next discussion we would take up the different types of cultures for example, high contact and low contact cultures as well as the cultural aspects related with our understanding of proxemics. Thank you. 56  Body Language: Key to Professional Success Prof. Rashmi Gaur Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Lecture - 03 Proxemics: Behavioral Connotations Dear participants, welcome to the third module of 1st week. In the previous module we had discussed the basic definitions of Proxemics, what are the different zones namely the four zones of intimate social, personal and public distances. We had also looked at the cultural connotations of these zones. In today’s discussion we would look at how cultures can be differentiated on the basis of being contact and non-contact, how context is important in certain cultures where as in certain it is not and also we would look at different types of space understanding. (Refer Slide Time: 01:11) As we have discussed in the previous module proxemics is a way through which we look at the distances, we unconsciously and sometimes consciously also maintained between ourselves and the other people in order to assess the emotions and ideas which are communicated. However, we find that it is not only the structuring of the micro space, but it is also the structuring of the micro space which is important to understand the principle behind proxemics. Hall has very rightly commented that this is the distance 57 between men in conduct of their daily transactions and further he says that it is also the organizations of space in his houses, buildings and ultimately the layout of his town. So, we find that proxemics does not only looks at the distances which people maintain between and amongst themselves in dyadic and team situations, but it also looks at how different aspects related with the space and its arrangements are significant in communication of certain messages. At the same time we find that proxemics also identifies the ways in which people bank on their cultural background to suggest how a particular spacing can pass on feelings and emotions related with their confidence, how much distance can create annoyance amongst people. Whereas Hall’s distribution of four zones sometimes has been commented on if not actually criticized, his basic supposition that proxemic behavior is also dependent on the cultural aspects has never been questioned so far. And it is this aspect of cultural associations which we will discuss in detail. (Refer Slide Time: 03:17) Hall has commented that cultures can be grouped in two ways, he has talked about contact and non contact cultures in his book The Silent Language which was published in 1959. His idea of contact culture is to denote those cultures in which close interpersonal distances are maintained and at the same time those distances in which personal and individual touch can be promoted. 58 On the basis of his studies he has suggested that countries of Southern Europe as well as Arabic countries can be termed as being contact cultures because in these societies normally he found that people are prone to touching each other and at the same time they maintain closer interpersonal contact in dyadic and team situations. In comparisons to others, he has put certain countries under his division of non-contact culture, he has commented on the basis of his researchers again that Northern European countries as well as in Northern America people exhibit opposite preferences and behaviors and prefer to maintain well defined and relatively more distance in their inter personal situations. It can also be commented in passing that Hall’s distinction of four zones of proxemic distances was also deeply inspired by a study by Heini Hediger who is also known as the father of zoo biology, he was a Swiss ethologist and he had systematically observed the distances which different species of animals maintained in their behavior in contact with each other. He has named these distances as flight, critical, personal and social distances and Hall had drawn a lot in his study on the four zones which human beings maintained with each other. However, the aspect of cultural dimensions of proxemic behavior is something which can be credited only to him. Another aspect towards which Hall has drawn our attention is of high and low context cultures. 59 (Refer Slide Time: 05:37) By the idea of context, he wants to suggest that in order to understand the behavior of a person it is necessary to encode the whole situation or background of the given information. Sometimes it is reflected in the phrases which we use in our day to day speech and at the same time it is also reflected in the proximity and distance which we maintained with each other. He had suggested that in high context cultures communication is highly symbolic and people are aware of so many unsaid things which remain in the background, but which do effect the way in which our meaning is interpreted or has to be decoded by others. For example, the social hierarchy, and the social status and at the same time certain ironical linguistic behavior which compel that we maintain a certain way of distance and certain way of communication. In Hall’s studies he has commented that Japan as well as several Asian societies and certain Western countries are also under this group of symbolic cultures. He has quoted a very interesting example from the vocabulary which a British person can normally use. A British may comment “I hear what to say” or may also say “oh I almost agree”. A person who does not belong to the high context culture may often interpret it as a confirmation of this statement which he has been trying to make, however, he would not be able to understand the ironical denial which is in built in the high context culture. 60 On the other hand we find that the low context culture believes in a precise communication. In low context culture a single information has only a single meaning and the way an information is to be decoded is not to be influenced by the rest of the unsaid things which have gone into the background. We can also say that communication in low context culture is rule oriented, it is also better codified and since it is better codified and rule oriented knowledge can be easily transferable in such low context culture. And the examples which Hall has put across is that of the USA and Germany. At the same time we find that whether a person is mindful of the context or not also depends on the social positions. And as we had seen in our earlier discussions a single aspect of non-verbal communication cannot be taken up as being the final meaning; however, it is a very positive indication. Hall has also suggested that these characteristics of high and low context cultures are also reflected it is space arrangements and nowadays very recent researchers have found that these tendencies are reflected not only in space arrangements, architecture and interior designing; they are also reflected in the designing of the web pages in different cultures as well as in our understanding of time. Whether the time we keep in our communication is monochrome or polychrome or whether during our dialogues and conversations we are using different aspects related with our understanding of time. So, in a way we can say that the proxemic understanding has an over reaching significance in our today’s communicating behavior. 61 (Refer Slide Time: 09:45) To continue this argument further, we can say that a high context communication is normally polite and respectful. It maintains certain proxemic distance, but at the same time it is never direct and therefore, it integrates by similarity and harmony etcetera. It is also critical of the low context communication because it believes that it is impolite and it does not have the ability to read between the lines and therefore, it is rather naive or may be too fast. In the same way we find that low context communication is believed to be open and true, it is suggested that it is integrated with a certain directness and therefore, it has a certain authenticity also. It therefore, also claims that high context communication normally hides information, it is arrogant and therefore, it cannot be trusted easily, it is too formal; too slow etcetera. 62 (Refer Slide Time: 10:39) This diagram suggests how the significance of low and high context culture is important for us to understand in any intercultural situations. It is very important to understand the context, the cultural context in which a person is speaking to find out what exactly are the connotations of given information or to understand the ways in which the given information has to be decoded. It also provides us insight into different possibilities at the work place in order to share information properly and at the same time to judge what are the expectations of different people from leadership role? We can say that each approach has its own strength. (Refer Slide Time: 11:31) 63 This particular video which you can check later on provides a very interesting commentary on the differences between the high context and low context cultures. (Refer Slide Time: 11:48) What is high and low context culture? What is the low context culture? In a low context culture it is more common for people to be direct say what they mean and could be considered more informative because of these points. (Refer Slide Time: 12:00) What is high context culture? High context culture is based on long term relationships, high context is formal and implies meaning and you have to look for the body language. 64 (Refer Slide Time: 12:18) Some examples of higher and lower context culture; here is an example of low versus high context culture. French people can feel that Germans insult their intelligence by explaining the obvious. While Germans can feel that the French managers do not provide any direction. (Refer Slide Time: 12:33) Here is an example of a high context culture. In Chinese culture its common for the hostess at the dinner party to serve to guests less food. It is seen as a compliment for the 65 guests to ask for more. This also prevents against for losing face if he does not like the food. (Refer Slide Time: 12:50) Here is an example of a low context culture, because of a personal effort business is doing better and better. (Refer Slide Time: 13:00) Business culture: Here a case in high context cultures, this is lesser in low context cultures. For example, Chinese people really care for status this is what determines if you deserve respect. In a low context culture like Germany they do not care about you and 66 your status, if you work hard and efficiently they respect. A supervisor in a German business does not have a higher status than his employees just because his position is higher, if you work hard your supervisor would treat you as equal. (Refer Slide Time: 13:32) With this background now we come to a discussion of cultural differences in this spatial connotations, we have already looked at the four basic zones of distances that is intimate personal, social and public. These zones are practiced in all cultures, but the space which is attributed to these different distances in different cultures is different. David Matsumoto has quoted several studies in this context, he has quoted a 1966 study over Watson and graves in which it was found that Arab males tend to sit closer to each other in comparison to American males. At the same time Arab males were seen with the direct and confrontational types of body orientation, they also had a greater eye contact and were using louder voice. Another study which he has quoted is the 1968 study by Fortson and Larson in which it was found that the Latin Americans tend to interact more closely than students from European background. This study was conducted in academic university background; he has also quoted a study by Noesjirwan which was conducted in 1977 and 1978. And which had found that Italians interact more closely in comparison to either Germans or American. 67 Another study which David Matsumoto has quoted is the 1976 study by Shuter in which he had said that Colombians interacted at closer distances than Costa Ricans. These spatial connotations alert us to the possibility of cultural differences which are in built in our psyche. (Refer Slide Time: 15:25) This diagram also helps us to understand how different cultures understand and interpret the sense of a space in their inter-personal dealings. (Refer Slide Time: 15:36) 68 Another aspect which is significant for us to understand in the context of proxemics is how it is affected by our understanding of gender and at the same time how does our understanding of social hierarchy influences our understanding of proximity. Space is always influenced by our understanding of how a particular gender code has to be enacted in a society and also what is the role of power relationships within and outside different gendered relationships. We have seen how contact cultures use a small interaction distances whereas, non- contact cultures avoid these close inter-personal distances as well as the frequent touching of each other. These cultural practices in fact, are the culture codes which human beings learn at a very early stage of their life. Different researchers have told us that by the time a child is 3 years old, the child has imbibed these social codes. So, these social and cultural codes which define our understanding of distance and at the same time which define our understanding of a proper gendered behavior “are learnt at a very early and impressionable age” so that they become almost a permanent part of our psyche. Context helps us in internalizing the messages which are passed on regarding the requirements of a space and distances for functional purposes in our day to day and work life. Since different societies in our world today have different gender norms, these gender norms are not necessarily symmetrical and therefore, we find that different types of cultures have different designated spaces for different genders. This idea is known as genderization of the space or space genderization. Particularly in conventional cultures when the gender appropriate behavior is highly different for people belonging to different genders, this idea becomes important for us. It is seen that depending on the genders people interpret the space and its intervention by people belonging to different genders in different manners. Certain researchers have found out that Hispanics followed by Europeans or people of Caucasian origin are least likely to feel that women are invading their personal space. So, they do not feel bad or threatened if women are coming into their personal space on the other hand people of the Middle East as well as in terms of intensity they have followed by Africans who are the most likely to feel when women invade their personal space. This can be found in other aspects of our understanding of space. 69 (Refer Slide Time: 18:53) Since cultures have different modules of behavior as far as different genders are concerned, it plays a very important part in our understanding of how a space is to be used. The understanding of proxemics by a man in any cross gender situation is likely to be different in different cultures in comparison to how a women understands it. In certain cultures we find that women are likely to be more sensitive in those social situations when they have to interact in any cross gender situation and therefore, they try to avoid what they perceive to be an invasion of the personal space by men. Generally, it can be said that closer proximity during dyadic interactions conveys a higher dominance and in several cultures we find that this role of higher dominance is normally referred to the male psychological characteristics and therefore, such stereotypes are especially strong in such cultures. The idea behind all these discussion is that our understanding of a space how do we negotiate it in our inter-personal interaction with other people is guided by our understanding of gender roles in a particular culture. Our sensitivity to these differences which may be cultural as well as individual because in the same culture we find that individual behaviors may also be different. So, this sensitivity to these differences would make us more observant of the behavior of other people and would turn us into a more effective person in our communication because it would enable us to have a better empathy. 70 Another precaution which we have to take during our understanding of the proxemic behavior is that these cultural differences should never be turned into cultural stereotypes to look down upon any cultural norm. (Refer Slide Time: 21:06) Another aspect which is significant for us to understand in the context of proxemics is the different dimensions which initially Hall had talked about. According to Hall proximate behavior is a function of eight different dimensions, he had developed these different dimensions basically as a system of notation so that these dimensions can be recorded for research purposes on appropriate scales. This system also enables the researchers to keep meticulous observations. The first dimension which he has referred to is the postural sex identifier which is related with the postures which people take according to their gender. In our understanding of the postural sex identifier the role of the culture is important. The second dimension he has talked about is the SFP axis or the sociofugal or sociopetal orientation, it is also culturally coded and it is also linked with our age, gender, status as well as the social situation. Sociofugal describes those space arrangements that push people apart away from each other. And sociopetal space arrangements are those arrangements which are based on those patterns which pull people together. The third dimension he has talked about is related with the kinesthetic factors, it looks at the positioning of body parts and different 71 ways in which these body parts can touch each other. He has illustrated four ways and different body parts can touch each other. (Refer Slide Time: 22:58) After that he talks about the touch code that is the amount of touch which is permissible during each interaction. How do people touch, how much frequently they touch each other, whether this touch is accidental or is it prolonged is it caressing or is it holding, whether people accept these touches conveniently or do they feel uncomfortable. So, the amount in frequency of touching each other in public is conditioned by our cultural understanding and at the same time which body part is being touched upon is also decided by our cultural understanding. As we shall see in our further discussions particularly our discussions of haptics, we would look at how in certain cultures touching over head is considered to be inauspicious. The fifth dimension he has talked about is that of retinal combination. That is the amount of eye contact as well as the nature of eye contact, whether it is sharp, clear, peripheral or whether there is an avoidance. As we shall see it is also based with our cultural understanding, our gender differences as well as the power hierarchies within any organization. Then he also talks about the thermal and the olfaction codes; thermal code is related with the amount of body heat which people perceive in each other and it can function only when we are very closely positioned with each other. 72 Olfactory codes are basically related with the interpretation as well as the messages which we want to convey with the help of our odor, the smell which we wear on our body etcetera. Again we shall discuss how in certain cultures it is preferable and how in certain cultures it is to be avoided. The last dimension he has talked about is related with the loudness of voice which is conditioned by the distance, the relationship, the subject under discussion as well as the culture and several other factors. (Refer Slide Time: 25:07) These systems and dimensions are bio-basic and they are rooted in physiology of the organism. It is not necessary that in our understanding of the proxemic behavior all these eight factors are equally important. And at the same time not all these factors share the same label of complexity. For example, our understanding of the vision is much more complex in comparison to our understanding of thermal and olfaction inputs. After having discussed these dimensions, he also says that there is what can be termed as a cultural universal understanding of the four basic zones of distances; however, specific behavior responses to these zones are defined according to our culturally specific conventions. So, again we find that Hall has repeatedly highlighted the significance of cultural understanding of proximity. 73 (Refer Slide Time: 26:11) Another aspect which is deeply related with our understanding of proxemics is how we create and use the built-space around us which is also a reflection of our subconscious understanding of proxemics. Many of us may not be aware that the norms of proxemic behavior govern our cultural understanding, but we become acutely conscious of these norms whenever there is a suggested violation or when we visit a foreign land where the arrangement of a space is very different from what we had been used to perceive up till that point. Cultural space tells us a lot “about the nature of a relationship” and here I would like to quote Kathryn Sorrell who has commented “so, if someone comes more into a personal space, then you are used to you can often feel like, ‘what is happening here?”’ So, we can also see very easily that as our cultural lenses are different misconceptions can also easily occur, if we are not attentive to the cultural differences in our understanding of proxemics. 74 (Refer Slide Time: 27:29) In our understanding of proximity, the way we arrange our space which is available to us in a formal or an informal setting is also important. Though in our understanding of the space arrangements as a part of our studies of proxemics, the understanding of cultural variation is important. Still roughly we can say that the understanding of space is governed by our understanding of three basic types. It is true that cultural understanding of space does exist, for example, a very small room which is very barely furnished can sound to be cozy to a person On the other hand to a person who is born in an effusive culture the same room may look rather oppressive and bare. But despite it we find that the three different types of space which researchers have pointed out are the fixed feature space, the semi fixed feature space and the non fixed feature space. The semi fixed feature space is the one in which we find the maximum impact of different types of understanding of proxemics and culture. For example, the sociofugal and sociopetal understanding of space arrangement is same maximum in our arrangement of the semi fixed feature space. 75 (Refer Slide Time: 29:03) The fixed feature space is characterized by those constants which are given to us, those immobile aspects which we normally cannot change, for example, wall, the territorial boundaries etcetera. And the fixed feature space is significant in the way we construct office buildings or a schools or the shopping malls the religious places, places of public entertainment etcetera. So, the way we perceive the features of our fixed space are internalized at a very early stage in our life. The world which Hall has used for it is the Skinnerian reinforcement procedure. Now, what exactly is this reinforcement procedure which has been suggested by Skinnerian? B. F. Skinner a famous behavioral scientist had put forward this theory of motivation and he had said that it is on the basis of the punishment and reinforcement that people learn certain behaviors almost in a permanent fashion. An appropriate behavior is awarded where, as an inappropriate behavior is punished severely. So, it is through this Skinnerian reinforcement procedure to which as young children all of us are exposed to our understanding of the significance of fixed feature space is internalized. 76 (Refer Slide Time: 30:38) The second is the semi fixed feature space. The semi fixed feature space is created by an arrangement of those elements which are mobile. For example, the way we arrange curtains, screens, the partitions which we create with the help of furniture etcetera and at the same time the way we use colors. So, these are the boundary markers and they enable us to understand how a system is to be interpreted. If you walk into any room, we get certain impressions on the basis of how furniture etcetera has been arranged in this room. So, simply by looking at the furniture arrangement we find that we can develop a way in which messages are been communicated to us, whether it is a friendly environment or not, how much severity is there in the office space designing etcetera are immediately clear to us when we look at a particular office space. For example, if you look at this particular photograph which is there on the right hand top corner. We can find that it gives us the interpretation or the impression of being an open and friendly space. In comparison to others we find that a different office space can also make us feel rather clingy. 77 (Refer Slide Time: 32:04) \ A non-fixed feature space is informal and dynamic when a person varies the spatial features of setting or inter personal distances. It is a space which is maintained between interactants without being aware of it. Also the position someone prefers individually and the things he or she does to appropriate the space around him saying something about that person. So, you might have also noticed that when we interact with each other and particularly when we occupy a seating space, we not only occupy the place which is allowed to us by the invisible bubble around us, but at the same time we also want to occupy certain space around us. We want to put certain artifacts there, we want to put certain objects there and if somebody pushes a file or a cup of tea suddenly across the table towards us we feel violated. So, we find that whenever there is an unwelcome sound or even a stare or a scent we find that we are being violated in a space which is accursing to us. So, that is why we find that our understanding of non fixed feature space is related with our own psyche and this is also the space which is perhaps the most significant way to impact our work performance in any situation. 78 (Refer Slide Time: 33:40) This is also an understanding of the non fixed feature space, so which is a space which is immediately surrounding our body and each of us perceive this space to be our own. Proxemics also very closely related with the way architectural designs are put across. (Refer Slide Time: 33:59) We have seen it in our discussion of the fixed space also that a particular architectural design passes on a particular message and therefore, we find that it is also considered as a silent language through which people put across their attitudes feelings and even judgments about other people. The latest example of it is the concept of new urbanism 79 which has started to emphasis the context appropriate architecture. The design of a social space the interface between social structure, built environment and human behaviour is one of the most challenging concepts of architectural and planning. The ways in which we respond to it are also very interesting to note. For example, researchers have found that German business people visiting the US often look at the open doors in offices and business houses as an indication of a relaxed attitude which is even almost unbusiness like. They do not like the openness which has been introduced in the architecture. On the other hand when Americans visit a traditional German office they find that the closed door are rather secretive they may even conceal something which is almost conspiratorial. So, you would find that these understandings are developed on the basis of our cultural understanding of how proxemics is to be unfolded in our architectural designs. (Refer Slide Time: 35:42) It is also equally important in the way we look at the space design of the interior. So, social and cultural distances which people maintain are interrelated with interior designs. So, we find that with changing cultural norms the interior space designs also change. In our offices we also see that now there is a shift from the individual work culture to a culture of group or team work. So, if in the past the office was arranged with a relatively more fixed and individual desks, now with the beginning of the smart office trend the 80 workstations become more and more flexible where different teams can be arranged for different works. So, the space is no more fixed and the workstations may also change on the basis of the activities. But a person who has been used to a fixed office space may not feel the same level of work enthusiasm in a non fixed space. Companies also require suitable offices for sharing activities, but at the same time they have to allow the respect for distances which should exist between people. (Refer Slide Time: 37:03) In the open spaces therefore, it becomes necessary for us to create areas for acoustic isolation and also for the space which should be known as the individual territory. Our understanding of territory is also pretty much linked with our understanding of the four zones of proxemic distance, there is what is known primarily as the body territory which is the bubble which we carry around us. Then there is a primary territory which obviously, belongs to us only for example, our own home, our car also. Then there is a secondary territory where we develop certain association because we go and do some work over there, it may be our office space, it may be our school etcetera and then lastly this is the public territory which is the open space. So, the space also imparts a sense of identity and if we have a well defined space around us we find that it also gives us a certain sense of identity control and permanence. 81 We have referred to the use of markers which some people use around us and we find that it is a very interesting way to understand how the relationships, the status, and power dynamics are displayed around us. You might have also noticed that in close offices spaces also, where a good number of people have to sit and work for long hours. There may be small glass partitions the glass partitions may be very low in terms of height, but at the same time they are able to designate a particular space which is one’s own space. So, it helps us to understand our own territorial rights. In the table setting of restaurants also you might be also noticed that if it is a table setting for the two, the restaurant owners normally put a small objects in the centre of the table. They would put small ketchup bottles or may be salt shakers etcetera in the middle so, that if it is in arrangement for the two this is your space and this is my space. You might have also noticed that if it is a seating where friends are seated, they would be very casually putting this sitting aside so, that to communicate the day space which is between them is equally shared. On the other hand if you are having a cup of tea or spending some time in a restaurant with another person where the table have been set only for two people, but you are not very particularly friendly with the other person you are on a somewhat formal and strict tones, then try to conduct a very small experiment. Suppose this is a salt shaker or ketchup bottle unconsciously try to put it slightly over this side of the other person so, that the space on your side of the table is maximized. Within 5 to 10 minutes you would find that the other person would shift it back to you towards your side to increase the space which you have curtailed in a process you try to push it again the person who push it back. Irrespective of the fact how comfortable and familiar one is in ones understanding of proximity. You would find it soon it would be a tug of war people pushing the salt and shakers towards each other site. So, you would find that it is a display of the power dynamics, it is also a display of the relationship. You would also find that if you are attending a conference for two days people go and occupy a particular seat and keep on occupying the same seat repeatedly all the sessions. why? Because they have developed a particular association unconsciously. So, you would find that our understanding of proximity is significant in understanding these aspects of our communication. 82 (Refer Slide Time: 41:35) In seating arrangements also we find that there are linkages between and among proxemic behavior designing, seating arrangement and power and leadership equations. The centrality of seating position automatically conveys a power play. The most central location in a group physical arrangement allows for greater participation by the members, at the same time it also provides a certain dominance to a person and it is also linked with the perception of other people that the leadership of that individual is being perceived. You would find that these aspects of our cultural understanding of proxemics are also carried over to the way space is designed in stage, in theatre and in film. The way people choose the mis-en-scene and different properties related with it, also communicates our cultural understanding of proximity. So, today we have finished our discussion of proxemics, you would find that many aspects which we have discussed in the last two modules would be taken over again when we will look at different other aspects of non-verbal communication. Because, any aspect of non-verbal communication cannot be taken in isolation. In our next module we will look at the oculesics, the language of the eye contact. Thank you. 83  Body Language: Key to Professional Success Prof. Rashmi Gaur Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Lecture - 04 Oculesics - I Welcome dear participants. In this module, we will discuss Oculesics or different aspects related with the language of eyes. Eyes are the most expressive part of our body. (Refer Slide Time: 00:39) Oculesics refers to the study of the use of eyes in our communication. Eyes have often been the focus of our literary interpretation of emotions also. They have been termed as a windows to our souls. There are various idioms in every language which are related with the eyes; for example, making eyes, eagle eyes, shifty eyes etcetera. Eyes communicate and sometimes you would find that the communication which is done through eyes is the most authentic one. Our communication through eyes goes beyond the primary function of receiving and transmitting visual stimuli to the brain. Sometimes you would find that we try to pass on a particular emotion through our smiles etcetera, but eyes communicate the truth of the emotions. 84 (Refer Slide Time: 01:37) Oculesics help us to understand what is the level of comprehension of a particular topic. In any interaction what is the level of our empathy which we have towards the content which is being passed on. Eyes also help us to get the immediate feedback on the basis of whatever we are saying. They also help us to understand whether a communication is to be started or when it is the time to end our communication. At the same time we find that eyes communicate is certain sense of trustworthiness. A positive eye contact is related with credibility honesty trustworthiness and it also shows a certain level of interest. Although eye contact and facial expressions are often linked together we have found that eyes can also communicate message which is independent of any other facial expression. 85 (Refer Slide Time: 02:37) As we have discussed in the context of proxemics also, the significance of cultural interpretation of our gaze and eye contact is also important. For example, up till very recently in Japan listeners are taught to focus on the neck of the speaker and avoid a direct eye contact because they wanted to pay respect to the speaker. The same was followed in conventional Chinese culture also in Indonesia in countries of the Middle East also. Where is in the US and in northern Europe, listeners are encouraged to look directly into the eyes of the speaker because this direct eye contact is considered to be a sign of confidence and openness. If the interpretations and nature are not consistent amongst different cultures, we find that the differences of religions and differences with socio economic background are also important. However, it has also been same in world politics also that MS interpretation of oculesics can lead to interesting confusions and I would recall something which belongs to the decade of 1970s. It was perhaps around this time that the US economy was trying to reach the Chinese people and China also was eager to shut this image of being a country behind in iron curtain. It so, happened that a high powered American delegation which consisted of their senators and business leaders was sent to China to finalize certain business deals. However, after about two days of a spending in Beijing, American delegation give the feedback that they do not find the Chinese to be trust for the people. 86 It went against the policies of both countries. So, immediately the US President send his communication consultant to China in order to find out the reason behind it. The consultant found out that it is because of the lack of eye contact that the American delegation has reached this conclusion. Chinese did not maintained a direct eye to eye contact because they want it to pay certain respect to the American delegation. And when the American delegates found that the Chinese are not looking at them, they simply felt that they are trying to hide something and therefore, they did not have any trust in them. There are certain dominant interpretations in every culture also; however, most of the times when I would be talking about the interpretations of our eye contact, I would refer to the dominant interpretations which we have in our country right now. From the perspective of in Indian who has been taught in a western pattern of a schooling and is also working in an organization, where a Western oriented culture is dominant we find that the interpretations of eye contact would be talked about in this context. This is by far not the only interpretation, this is also not the universally accepted interpretation, but this is the point of reference which I wanted to clarify at this point. (Refer Slide Time: 06:17) There is a very interesting phrase which we come across that we should listen through eyes. Because if we are listening to a person with our eyes ever did the other person feels that we a