Nonverbal Behavior

Nonverbal behavior is physical action that complements, supplements, or takes the place of spoken words or sounds. Examples include, but are not limited to, facial expressions, body postures, and gestures.

Data collection in survey research may include the cataloging (observing and coding) of nonverbal [Page 541]behavior in order to help put verbal data—written or spoken words or other utterances—into context for more in-depth analysis and interpretation. For example, a study based on personal interviews of people who are reluctant to speak with the interviewer may gauge the level of rapport that the interviewer was able to establish by examining the nonverbal behavior of respondents. If these respondents are frowning, turning their backs to the interviewer, or otherwise demonstrating discomfort, this information could be used to gauge the credibility of the answers of those interviewed.

Nonverbal behavior can change, alter, enhance, supplement, complement, or contradict the meaning of an act of verbal communication. Nonverbal behavior sometimes contradicts or confuses the meaning of verbal communication. For example, if an individual tells an interviewer that they enjoy an activity but they frown as they say so—the frown communicates something different than a smile or a neutral expression. In this case, the respondent may be providing a socially desirable yet inaccurate verbal answer. A researcher could work toward producing more valid data by recording the nonverbal behavior that accompanies the verbal communication.

Survey researchers also need to be concerned about the nonverbal behavior that interviewers exhibit. Interviewers who are expected to remain neutral while administering a questionnaire may keep their voice and language neutral but may inadvertently demonstrate nonverbal signals that could bias a respondent's answers. Thus, interviewer training, especially in the case of in-person (face-to-face) interviews, should emphasize interviewers being aware of their own nonverbal behavior.

Nonverbal communication and its meanings can vary across cultures and groups. For example, whether a speaker looks at a listener in his or her eyes during conversation has different meanings in different cultures. In some cultures, looking into the eyes of the person to whom you are speaking is considered respectful and desirable behavior. In other cultures, a direct gaze is thought to be a sign of disrespect. In addition, recent studies of eye gazing and human communication have found that eye gazing may not be only a cultural phenomenon but also a physiological one. People with differing brain structures—for example, some people with autism spectrum disorders—look at areas on faces other than the eyes because direct eye gaze can provoke a physiological fear response for them.

The conditional and contingent meanings of nonverbal behavior as a complement to verbal communication can make coding and analyzing the information a challenging, but potentially very useful, aspect of research.