Understanding Non-Verbal Communication in Interpersonal Dynamics
Which of the following statements is true?
a. Research clearly establishes that women listen better than men do.
b. For the average person, interpersonal listening skills are significantly better than speech listening skills.
c. Verbal messages are the primary ways through which we communicate feelings, emotions, and attitudes.
d. When a non-verbal message contradicts a verbal message, we tend to believe the non-verbal message.
Final answer:
The true statement is that when a non-verbal message contradicts a verbal message, we tend to believe the non-verbal message, emphasizing the impact of non-verbal cues in communication.
Explanation:
The statement that is true among the options is: d. when a non-verbal message contradicts a verbal message, we tend to believe the non-verbal message. This principle relates to the importance of non-verbal communication in conveying emotions, attitudes, and feelings. Non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language often carry more weight in our interpretations of a message than words alone.
While research on gender differences in communication, such as the work by Deborah Tannen and Janet Hyde, provides insights into communicative styles and challenges stereotypes, it does not conclusively establish that one gender is inherently better at certain communication skills like listening. Therefore, statement a. is not universally supported by research. Similarly, statement b. about interpersonal listening skills being significantly better than speech listening skills, lacks broad empirical support and is too general to be deemed true.
Communication through speech, which involves vocabulary, enunciation, and respectful language, as mentioned in statement c., is indeed a significant aspect of communication; however, non-verbal methods also play a crucial role in expressing our inner states, making it incomplete to say verbal messages are the primary way we communicate feelings, emotions, and attitudes.