PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA
College of Human Development
Intramuros, Manila
VERBAL APPEAL
AND
BODY LANGUAGE
Sharene Y. Neri
BS PSY III-2
2005-10577
Ms. Sarmiento
Experimental Psychology (lab)
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ABSTRACT
The social ambiguity of a certain environment can be minimized through certain
experiments that might identify the extraneous variables that are present in the society. It
technically proposes that verbal appeal and body language can be identified and defined
as a basic element of our everyday lives and communication. People need the both of this
to express more what they intend to say. The experimenter aims to show and test that
gestures and expressions influence social impression. He used Tally sheets and stopwatch
as apparatuses in performing the experiment. One male and one female, both in the same
age level played as solicitor for an hour in a designated area in a nearby mall. The two are
delegated to solicit for one peso coin from passersby. On the first half of the hour, the
solicitors accompanied the request by adapting two types of physical intimacy; gaze
directly to the eyes of the other person and employ physical closeness. In the last half of
the hour, they asked the passersby a peso accompanied by a reason like they are hungry
and wanted to buy food. The results are tallied and analyzed and it proves that visual gaze
and physical contact played a significant role in persuading the passersby and gaining
their trust. There are other elements to dealt with in influencing social impressions like
clothing, gender and the way of approach. After the experiment has been performed and
results are analyzed, the experimenter concluded that visual gaze and physical contact
affects social impressions.
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INTRODUCTION
Charlie Chaplin and many other silent movie actors were the pioneers of non-verbal
communication skills; they were the only means of communication available on the
screen. Each actor was classed as good or bad by the extent to which he could use
gestures and other body signals to communicate effectively. As far as the technical study
of body language goes, perhaps the most influential pre-twentieth-century work was
Charles Darwin’s The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals published in
1872. This spawned the modern studies of facial expressions and body language. Modern
researchers around the world have since validated many of Darwin’s ideas and
observations. Since that time, researchers have noted and recorded almost one million
nonverbal cues and signals. Most researchers generally agree that the verbal channel is
used primarily for conveying information, while the non-verbal channel is used for
negotiating interpersonal attitudes, and in some cases is used as a substitute for verbal
messages. For example, a woman can give a man a ‘look to kill’; she will convey a very
clear message to him without opening her mouth.
Within the face-to-face encounter of speech, communication is not limited to words.
Speakers use a wide variety of extra-verbal devices, from emphasis and dramatic pauses
to changes in tone or tempo. Speakers also use a broad range of non-verbal clues. They
“talk” with their eyes and their bodies. They use hand gestures and facial expressions to
convey ideas. And speakers respond to similar cues from their listeners—the nods and
grunts that say, in effect, "I hear you," or the quizzical looks that say, "I don't
understand." As we learn a language, we also learn the non-verbal conventions of that
language—the meaning of a shrug, a pout, or a smile. Speech thus often includes not only
a face-to-face meeting, but also a meeting of the minds. Some of the research done by
Professor Ray Birdwhistell at the University of Louisville, which had shown that more
human communication took place by the use of gestures, postures, position and distances
than by any other method.
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This experiment intends to show and prove that expressions and gestures influence social
impression. Human’s primary difference to other species is their use of verbal appeal and
body language in communication. The use of this is indispensable to us humans.
METHOD
The basic objective of this experiment is to show that verbal expressions and gestures
influence social impression and reactions. Tally sheets (Appendix J) and stopwatches are
the materials used in performing the experiment. The subjects are one male and one
female acted as solicitors. Both are in the same age level. There is also a recorder and
observers.
PROCEDURE
The male and female subjects will act as solicitor for this experiment for one hour. They
will be assigned to a nearby mall. They must be delegated to different strategic places
inside the mall.
The experimenter instructs the participants the following:
During the first thirty minutes, they will approach passersby and ask for a peso at that
moment of tie. In random order, the subjects should accompany the request by adapting
two types of physical intimacy:
a) gaze directly to the eyes of the other person,
b) employ physical closeness like touching the shoulders of the person,
In the last thirty minutes of the experiment, follow the same procedure but this time the
subject will ay the appeal accompanied by certain reasons for asking the money.
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RESULTS
Table 1
Tally of The Subject’s Solicitations
first 30 minutes last 30 minutes
female subject
giving in rejecting request other reactions giving in rejecting request
a) visual gaze x
x
b) physical contact
a) visual gaze
x x
b) physical contact
a) visual gaze
x x
b) physical contact
a) visual gaze x
x
b) physical contact
male subject
a) visual gaze x
x
b) physical contact
a) visual gaze x
x
b) physical contact
a) visual gaze x
x
b) physical contact
a) visual gaze x x
b) physical contact
The table shows the solicitation of both the male and female subjects. On the first thirty
minutes of the experiment, four passersby gave a peso. Two of the subjects gave a peso
with the visual gaze of the experimenter alone while the other two gave a peso with the
elements of physical contact. Two even employed visual gaze and physical contact and
two just used visual gaze but are rejected.
On the last thirty minutes of the experiment, only one passerby refused their request. He
resisted the requested where the subject just executed visual gaze. Five passersby granted
the subjects request that utilized both the physical contact and visual gaze. Two passersby
also handed a peso to the subject even with just the visual gazed was applied.
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DISCUSSION
Based on the table, it could be interpreted the stranger’s impression towards the solicitor
are affected with the verbal appeal and gestures of the solicitor. There are more passersby
who granted the subject’s request when they are touch physically than just staring at
them. Females solicited more than males, this is an implication that females are more
convincing than males. Vocals and physical appearance also affect the persuasive appeal
of the solicitor to the passersby.
CONCLUSION
It can be therefore generalizes here that the verbal aspect or the communication and even
the gestures r the physical contact of an individual greatly affects or has a scaffolding
reaction to the nature or environment of the society. In addition to that, if in an
environment should be persuading, an individual can convince the respondents or other
people through the verbal aspect or the communication mode used and the gestures that
should be executed in a certain situation.
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REFERENCES
Kurtland, Daniel J. (2000). Nonverbal
http://www.criticalreading.com/nonverbal.htm
Pease, Allan (1998). Body Language
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31256/Body-Language-Allan-Pease
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APPENDIXES
