Title: Nonverbal Reflection Quiz
Course: PIM: Teaming 1: Communication > Section: 3. Non-verbal Communication

Q: What is one type of non-verbal communication that you use frequently? How or where did you learn to use it? How do others understand it?
Feedback: Understanding non-verbal communication takes practice. The first step is to keep in mind that the same facial expressions, gestures, or body positions can mean different things in different cultures. It's always good to stand back and observe. Are other people's responses similar to what you would expect? If not, that could be an indication that there is a difference in meaning. You might ask a cultural informant for an explanation or if you know the person who performed the gesture, ask them directly. It's always good to frame your question in a non-offensive manner, e.g., "I'm not sure I understood our exchange earlier; what did you mean when….?"

Q: What is one example of non-verbal communication that you observe other people using but don't use yourself? What do you think it means? Why do you think others use it and you don't?
Feedback: Every culture has norms for nonverbal communication - how closely to stand to people, whom you can touch (and when, and where on their body), how loudly to speak, when and for how long to stay silent, how and how energetically to gesture, and much more. We learn these norms as children along with our native languages, and we only tend to notice nonverbal communication on a conscious level when it violates our expectations in some way, such as when someone is operating according to a different set of cultural norms than we are (closer/farther away, louder/softer, etc.). It's easy to mis-interpret others' nonverbals according to our own culture's set of expectations. Think about how you can get an "insider's" viewpoint about nonverbal signals that differ from what you are used to.