4.5: Interpreting Nonverbal Communication

Lesson Objectives

• To explain why it is important to exercise caution when interpreting the nonverbal communication of others.
• To explain nonverbal learning disabilities and how they may impact nonverbal communication.

As you have learned, we communicate and interpret the communication of others through our cultural lens or perspectives. A skillful communicator must learn to interact with those who communicate in a manner different from their own. Like verbal communication, nonverbal communication is influenced by many diverse cultural, co-cultural, and demographic factors; thus, communicators should reserve making judgments about others based solely on interpretations of their nonverbal communication. It is crucial to interpret nonverbal communication objectively and fairly. Suppose you are confused by another person’s nonverbal communication or believe you have possibly misinterpreted them. In that case, it is better to ask them what they meant instead of continuing the conversation with what could be inaccurate or unkind assumptions. 

Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication

In the United States, socially accepted examples of professional nonverbal communication include maintaining eye contact with the speaker, leaning towards the speaker in a conversation, and using facial expressions and gestures to appear attentive to the speaker’s message. However, as you learned in Chapter 2, not all cultures consider these as good or required nonverbal communication skills.

In Japan, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, communicators often avoid eye contact to show respect. Arabic communicators may maintain prolonged eye contact to establish trust and truthfulness, whereas American communicators could perceive prolonged eye contact as unwanted sexual or romantic advances (Tidwell).
Differences in the communication styles of neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals are examples of communication differences that often cause misinterpreted nonverbal messages.

Neurodiversity and disability perspectives on nonverbal communication

Some individuals struggle to form relationships, communicate in groups, and start conversations. Depending on the extent to which an individual’s social and communication skills are affected, he or she may be diagnosed with a social skills disorder or disability on the neurodivergent spectrum.

The two most common methodologies when discussing neurological perspectives, such as autism spectrum (disorder) and attention-deficit hyperactivity (disorder) (ADHD), are the pathological (medical) and neurodiverse (social) models of human experience (Shaw).

Neurodiversity, defined as the “natural diversity in human thinking,” argues that all forms of human thinking and communication are equally valid. Within this model, people with typical or ‘normal’ social skills, thinking, and communication methods are considered neurotypical. In contrast, individuals with nonstandard social skills and communication techniques are considered neurodivergent (Dwyer).

The Neurodiversity model is commonly accepted among autistic and neurodivergent individuals and self-advocacy organizations. However, the medical and neurodiverse models support diagnosis and treatment for social skills disabilities when necessary for improved quality of life (Shaw).

Differences between neurodivergent and neurotypical communication:

• Autistic people are often low-context communicators and are most comfortable with specific communication and instructions. Many autistic people are uncomfortable interpreting nonverbal communication and decoding a sender's intention from context clues (National Autistic Society).
• Some neurodivergent people may wear headphones in public to control their sensory environment. They are not being rude. These neurodivergent people feel extreme discomfort when exposed to loud noises, bright light, unexpected touches, and other sensory stimuli the individual cannot control (Alper). Haptic communication (touch) and forcing eye contact can make autistic people extremely uncomfortable (Eklöv).
• Neurodivergent people often talk extensively about their special interests and communicate better with one another than they do with neurotypical people.
• Active listening looks different in neurodivergent people. Autistic and ADHD people often focus better while performing repetitive actions such as “stims,” and often can focus better without maintaining eye contact with the speaker.
• Neurodivergents often learn social skills by adopting personalities from media such as TV shows and books* (u/Dotacchin & u/the_quirky_ravenclaw et al. via community consensus, see note in Works Cited).
• People with ADHD often have difficulty focusing on long and tedious tasks. Still, they can spend hours hyperfocusing on a single task or project without getting up to eat or drink. This "hyperfocus" can be a distraction and cause ADHD people to prioritize tasks of lesser importance.

Neurodivergent masking (camouflaging) is a term used to describe neurodivergent individuals using neurotypical modes of behavior and communication to fit in with society. “Social psychologist Devon Price explains that masking is any attempt or strategy ‘to hide your disability.’ Masking manifests itself in two ways: camouflage and compensation. Camouflage includes behaviors like ‘faking a smile, faking eye contact by looking in the middle of someone's forehead,’ Price says (Sivayoganathan).” Neurodivergent people with low to intermediate social support needs can mask for different lengths of time before needing to rest and recharge their social batteries (Sivayoganathan). Masking for extended periods can result in burnout and/or emotional trauma (Garcia, Shaw, & Dwyer).

Neurodivergent individuals with a high degree of difficulty in a social interaction category are considered "high support needs." In contrast, those with less difficulty in a category are considered "low support needs." One can simultaneously be “high support needs” in one category and "low support needs" in another. For example, an individual can require significant support maintaining punctuality and adhering to deadlines but need little support understanding nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication in textual channels

Nonverbal communication is also essential via physical and electronic textual channels such as letters, instant messages, emails, communication servers, or group chats. Since it can be harder to analyze and interpret nonverbal communication when receivers cannot see the sender, receivers must use context clues and inferences to determine nonverbal communication and sender intent within these channels.

In informal communication, using emojis (such as 😊😊, 👍👍, and 😢😢) and tone indicators (such as /s “sarcasm,” /gen “genuine,” /j “joke,” /srs “serious”) can improve understanding of the sender’s intent. Tone indicators are used in cases such as sarcasm, when the verbal (textual) message can differ significantly from the sender’s intended meaning, and in cases where the sender wants to emphasize genuine concern to a recipient who could take the intended message as a joke. Although using emojis and tone indicators is strongly discouraged in formal communication, studies show they significantly help low context communicators understand the sender’s tone and inflection. Many communicators, especially autistic and neurodivergent communicators, use these styles to limit misunderstandings within online communities (Marcus).

Works Cited and Resources for Additional Study References

Content and resources in 4.5 were provided by Southwest Tennessee Community College student, Dev Chrysalis Dalal. The authors appreciate his contributions.

Alper, Meryl. "Inclusive Sensory Ethnography: Studying New Media and Neurodiversity in Everyday Life." New Media; Society, vol 20, no. 10, 2018, pp.

3560-3579. SAGE Publications, https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818755394. Accessed 18 Sept 2022.
 

Bölte, S., Lawson, W. B., Marschik, P. B., & Girdler, S. (2021). Reconciling the seemingly irreconcilable: The WHO’s ICF system integrates biological

and psychosocial environmental determinants of autism and ADHD. BioEssays,43, e2000254. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202000254

Dwyer, Patrick; Ryan, Jacalyn G; Williams, Zachary J; Gassner, Dena L (1 April 2022). "First Do No Harm: Suggestions Regarding Respectful Autism

Language." Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 149 (Supplement 4). doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049437n. ISSN 0031-4005. PMC 9066426. PMID 35363298.

Eklöv, Annie. "Why You Should Not Insist That ADHD Kids Make Eye Contact | The ADHD Minimalist". The ADHD Minimalist,

2022, https://theadhdminimalist.com/why-yo...e-eye-contact/.

Furfaro, Hannah. “New Evidence Ties Hans Asperger to Nazi Eugenics Program.” Spectrum News, 23 Apr. 2018,

www.spectrumnews.org/news/new-evidence-ties-hans-asperger-nazi-eugenics-program/.

Garcia, Eric, and Meghan Keane. "How 'Unmasking' Leads to Freedom for Autistic and Other Neurodivergent People: Life

Kit." NPR.Org, 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/14/10928...nclusive-world.