Page 126 - Essentials of Human Communication

The Channels of Nonverbal Communication 105

Green will probably elicit a negative response; it’s likely to be seen as too different from the
expected and acceptable norm for lawyers.
Colors vary greatly in their meanings from one culture to another. To illustrate this
cultural variation, here are some of the many meanings that popular colors communicate in
a variety of different cultures (Dreyfuss, 1971; Hoft, 1995; Dresser, 1996; Singh & Pereira,
2005). As you read this section, you may want to consider your own meanings for these col-
ors and where your meanings came from. See “The Nonverbal Message of

● Red. In China red signifies prosperity and rebirth and is used for festive and joyous occa- Red” at tcbdevito.blogspot.com
sions; in France and the United Kingdom it indicates masculinity; in many African coun- for a brief note on the color red.
tries, blasphemy or death; and in Japan, anger and danger. Red ink, especially among Would you have responded
similarly?
Korean Buddhists, is used only to write a person’s name at the time of death or on the
anniversary of the person’s death; this can create problems when U.S. teachers use red ink
to mark homework.
● Green. In the United States green signifies capitalism, go ahead, and envy; in Ireland, Explore the Exercise
patriotism; among some Native American cultures, femininity; to the Egyptians, fertility “Color Meaning” at
and strength; and to the Japanese, youth and energy. MyCommunicationLab
● black. In Thailand black signifies old age; in parts of Malaysia, courage; and in much of
Europe, death.
● white. In Thailand white signifies purity; in many Muslim and Hindu cultures, purity and
peace; and in Japan and other Asian countries, death and mourning.
● blue. In Iran blue signifies something negative; in Ghana, joy; among the Cherokee it sig-
nifies defeat; for the Egyptian, virtue and truth; and for the Greek, national pride.
● Yellow. In China yellow signifies wealth and authority; in the United States, caution and
cowardice; in Egypt, happiness and prosperity; and in many countries throughout the
world, femininity.
● Purple. In Latin America purple signifies death; in Europe, royalty; in Egypt, virtue and
faith; in Japan, grace and nobility; in China, barbarism; and in the United States, nobility
and bravery.

clothing and body adornment People make inferences about who you are Communication
partly on the basis of how you dress. Whether accurate or not, these inferences will Choice Point
affect what people think of you and how they react to you. Your social class, your clothing
seriousness, your attitudes, your concern for convention, your sense of style, and per- communication
haps even your creativity will all be judged—in part at least—by the way you dress. One of your friends has been
In the business world, what you wear may communicate your position within the passed over for promotion several times.
hierarchy and your willingness and desire to conform to the clothing norms of the You think you know the reason—your
organization. It also may communicate your level of professionalism, which seems to friend dresses inappropriately. What are some
be the reason some organizations favor dress codes (Smith, 2003). things you might say to help, knowing that your
Your jewelry also communicates messages about you. Wedding and engagement friend is extremely sensitive to criticism?
rings are obvious examples. If you wear a Rolex watch or large precious stones, others
are likely to infer that you are rich. Men who wear earrings will be judged differently from
men who do not.
The way you wear your hair says something about who you are—from a concern about
being up to date to a desire to shock to, perhaps, a lack of interest in appearances. Men with
long hair, to take only one example, will generally be judged as less conservative than those
with shorter hair. And in a study of male baldness, participants rated a man with a full head
of hair as younger and more dominant, masculine, and dynamic than the same man without
hair (Butler, Pryor, & Grieder, 1998).
Body piercings and tattoos communicate too. Although people wearing, for example, nose
rings or belly button jewelry may wish to communicate positive meanings, those interpreting For another function of rings, see
the messages of body piercings seem to infer that wearers are communicating an unwillingness “The Divorce Ring” at tcbdevito
to conform to social norms and a willingness to take greater risks than those without such pierc- .blogspot.com. If you were
ings (Forbes, 2001). In a study of employers’ perceptions, employers rated and ranked job appli- divorced, would you wear a
cants with eyebrow piercings significantly lower than those without such piercings (Acor, 2001). divorce ring?