Page 133 - Essentials of Human Communication

112 Chapter 5 Nonverbal Messages

_____ ➎ I’m willing to endure difficulties if there’s a payoff/reward at the end.
_____ ➏ I frequently put off work to enjoy the moment.
_____ ➐ I prepare “to do” lists fairly regularly.
_____ ➑ I’m late with assignments at least 25% of the time.

_____ ➒ I’m very disappointed with myself when I’m late with assignments.
_____ ➓ I look for immediate payoffs/rewards.
HOw DiD YOu DO? These questions were designed to raise the issue of present and future time orientation,
whether you focus more on the present or more on the future. Future-oriented individuals would respond
with T to odd-numbered statements (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) and F to even-numbered questions (2, 4, 6, 8, 10). Present-
oriented individuals would respond in reverse: F for odd-numbered statements and T for even-numbered
statements.

wHaT will YOu DO? As you read more about time and nonverbal communication generally, consider how
these time orientations work for or against you? For example, will your time orientation help you achieve your
social and professional goals? If not, what might you do about changing these attitudes and behaviors?

An especially important aspect of temporal communication is psychological time: the rela-
tive importance people place on the past, present, or future. With a past orientation, you have a
particular reverence for the past. You relive old times and regard the old methods as the best. You
see events as circular and recurring and find that the wisdom of yesterday is applicable also to to-
day and tomorrow. With a present orientation, you live in the present—for now—without plan-
ning for tomorrow. With a future orientation, you look toward to and live for the future; we save
today, work hard in college, and deny yourself luxuries because you are preparing for the future.
Consider some of the findings on these time orientations (Gonzalez & Zimbardo, 1985). Fu-
ture income is positively related to future orientation; the more future oriented you are, the greater
your income is likely to be. Present orientation is strongest among lowest-income males and also
among those with high emotional distress and hopelessness (Zaleski, Cycon, & Kurc, 2001).
The time orientation you develop depends largely on your socioeconomic class and your
personal experiences (Gonzalez & Zimbardo, 1985). For example, parents in unskilled and
semiskilled occupations are likely to teach their children a present-oriented fatalism and a
belief that enjoying yourself is more important than planning for the future. Parents who are
teachers or managers, for example, teach their children the importance of planning and
preparing for the future along with strategies for success.
Different time perspectives also account for much intercultural
misunderstanding, because different cultures often teach their mem-
bers drastically different time orientations. For example, members of
some Latin cultures would rather be late for an appointment than
end a conversation abruptly. The Latin person sees the lateness as
politeness toward the person with whom he or she is conversing, but
people of another culture may see it as impolite to the person with
whom he or she had the appointment (Hall & Hall, 1987).

Time and Culture Culture influences time communication in a
variety of ways. Here we look at three of them: (1) time orientation,
(2) monochronism and polychronism, and (3) social clocks.

Time Orientation. Not surprisingly, time orientation is heavily in-
fluenced by culture. Some cultures—individualistic cultures in partic-
ular—seem to emphasize a future orientation; members work hard to-
day for a better future and without much regard for the past, for
example. Collectivist cultures, on the other hand, have greater respect
for the past; the past is often looked to for guidance for the present.