Cultural Characteristics

that Shape
Communication
Body Language

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
Presented by: Kyla Gayle Lagrimas
Review
 YEE

OTATCNC
Cultural Characteristics
that Shape
Communication
Body Language

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
Presented by: Kyla Gayle Lagrimas
"There’s language in her
eye, her cheek, her lip"
-William Shakspeare
kinesics
Gestures
Head Movement
Eye Contact
 the "ok" sign thumbs up
gestures
Greece, Spain or
Brazil : means
America &
asshole
Europe: Job well
Both gestures
Turkey: insults done
means ok or job
toward gay people
well done in the
Greece & Philippines
Middle East:
insulting "up
yours"
 Curling the index finger with the palm facing up
gestures
China, East Asia,
United States Malaysia,
& Europe: Singapore, the
means come Philippines:
closer extremely
impolite to use
this gesture with
people.
gestures

mountza bras d’honneur mon oeil (french)

ankabe (japan)
head movemnents
bowing
Bowing is a
nonverbal greeting
ritual that is more
common in Asian
cultures than in
Western cultures.
head movemnents
eye contact
·Eye contact signals confidence
in the West, but can be seen as
rude or challenging in parts of
Asia and the Middle East.
In some cultures, avoiding eye
contact is considered a sign of
respect.
Eastern cultures discouraging
women from making eye
contact with men as it conveys
authority or sexual interest.
head movemnents
eye contact variation by culture
Used a lot in regions such as the Middle East,
Mediterranean cultures, Europeans, and Latin
Americans.
Used often in much of Northern Europe and North
America
Used somewhat carefully in cultures in Africa, Middle
East, Korea and Thailand
Used carefully in most of the Far East
Facial Expressions
facial expression six universal facial emotions

happiness sadness suprise

fear disgust anger

haptics
touch behaviors are
important during initial
interactions, and cultural
differences in these
nonverbal practices can lead
to miscommunication and
misunderstanding.
 handshake
Western culture typically
haptics
perceives a strong
handshake as
authoritative and
confident, whereas many
parts of the Far East
perceive a strong
handshake as aggressive,
and usually bow instead
sitting position/posture
Sitting cross-legged is seen as
disrespectful in Japan
 silence

North America & UK China

problematic show agreement

Philippines Japan (women)

uncomfortable feminity
 high-context
culture
High-context cultures rely more on
nonverbal communication than low-
context cultures.
They use personal relationships,
social hierarchies and cultural
knowledge to convey meaning.
low-context
culture
Low-context culture words are more
important.
Communication is direct,
relationships begin and end quickly,
and hierarchies are relaxed.
 thank you
for listening!
references:
Byron, K., Sophia Terranova, and Stephen Nowicki Jr., “Nonverbal Emotion
Recognition and Salespersons: Linking Ability to Perceived and Actual Success,”
Journal of Applied Social Psychology 37, no. 11 (2007): 2600–2619.
DePaulo, P. J., “Applications of Nonverbal Behavior Research in Marketing and
Management,” Applications of Nonverbal Behavior Theories and Research, ed.
Robert S. Feldman (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1992), 63.
Martin, J. N. and Thomas K. Nakayama, Intercultural Communication in Contexts,
5th ed. (Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2010), 271.
Pease, P. and Barbara Pease, The Definitive Book of Body Language (New York, NY:
Bantam, 2004), 112–13.
https://virtualspeech.com/blog/cultural-differences-in-body-language
https://open.maricopa.edu/com110/chapter/4-4-nonverbal-communication-in-
context/