Comments on: Education Reduces Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding of Nonverbal Behaviour http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php Understand your mind with the science of psychology - Mon, 04 May 2009 10:30:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JPMendoza http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-24151 JPMendoza Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:26:48 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-24151 Paul van Lange at the VU University Amsterdam studies noise (the unintended errors that affect interaction outcomes). Of course, noise can be also present in nonverbal communication. I am Colombian, and like many other Latin Americans, we tend to touch people when we pay attention to them (I expect several readers to go, "hey, this guy would be off limits with me"). My impression is that we have more physical contact than other groups. I have sent the most unintended, noisy messages with this behavior. It has been interpreted in many ways, even as flirting. Paul van Lange at the VU University Amsterdam studies noise (the unintended errors that affect interaction outcomes). Of course, noise can be also present in nonverbal communication. I am Colombian, and like many other Latin Americans, we tend to touch people when we pay attention to them (I expect several readers to go, "hey, this guy would be off limits with me"). My impression is that we have more physical contact than other groups. I have sent the most unintended, noisy messages with this behavior. It has been interpreted in many ways, even as flirting.

]]> By: neurogrrl http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-21126 neurogrrl Sun, 20 Jan 2008 05:36:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-21126 My Egyptian fiance, while shopping, would occasionally say "just a minute" while waving goodbye to me. A minute later, he would say "come on." I learned on the net recently that in Egypt and Greece, the wave that we use for goodbye is used to indicate that someone wants you to come with them. Within a day or so, the same situation came up and I laughingly cleared it up. My Egyptian fiance, while shopping, would occasionally say "just a minute" while waving goodbye to me. A minute later, he would say "come on." I learned on the net recently that in Egypt and Greece, the wave that we use for goodbye is used to indicate that someone wants you to come with them. Within a day or so, the same situation came up and I laughingly cleared it up.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-20853 Anonymous Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:36:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-20853 if thats the reality of non-verbal behaviour then is it good for people of this century to hang to the unusual belief and faith that we have in our culture, also as there is globalization being the part of human revolution of this era these faiths should be denounced and a formal rule should be established all over<br /> the world if thats the reality of non-verbal behaviour then is it good for people of this century to hang to the unusual belief and faith that we have in our culture, also as there is globalization being the part of human revolution of this era these faiths should be denounced and a formal rule should be established all over
the world

]]> By: Jeremy (PsyBlog author) http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-19950 Jeremy (PsyBlog author) Mon, 28 May 2007 09:43:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-19950 Wow, that is a really extreme example of apparent nonverbal behaviour being misread! Thanks for that... Wow, that is a really extreme example of apparent nonverbal behaviour being misread! Thanks for that...

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-19946 Anonymous Mon, 28 May 2007 02:09:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-19946 I'm in the US and was teaching at a high-school that served deaf students and black and latino "mainstream" students. Some of the deaf students were signing and a group of kids who were gang affiliated misread the sign language and thought the deaf students were "throwing signs" which is gang language for signing with your fingers your affiliations and enemies. It all got resolved, but is an interesting story. I'm in the US and was teaching at a high-school that served deaf students and black and latino "mainstream" students. Some of the deaf students were signing and a group of kids who were gang affiliated misread the sign language and thought the deaf students were "throwing signs" which is gang language for signing with your fingers your affiliations and enemies. It all got resolved, but is an interesting story.

]]> By: Jeremy (PsyBlog author) http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-19939 Jeremy (PsyBlog author) Fri, 25 May 2007 13:22:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-19939 Good example, I also came across <a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Bulgaria/Oblast_Grad_Sofiya/Sofia-379460/Local_Customs-Sofia-shaking_head_vs_nodding-BR-1.html" rel="nofollow">this site</a> on which a commenter claims that when Bulgarians say 'yes' twice they actually mean no! And, when saying no twice, this actually means yes. Apparently this is only used in certain contexts. Is that accurate? Good example, I also came across this site on which a commenter claims that when Bulgarians say 'yes' twice they actually mean no! And, when saying no twice, this actually means yes. Apparently this is only used in certain contexts. Is that accurate?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural.php/comment-page-1#comment-19938 Anonymous Fri, 25 May 2007 13:08:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2007/05/education-reduces-cross-cultural-misunderstanding-of-nonverbal-behaviour.php#comment-19938 Bulgarians nod their heads up-down to indicate "no" and left-right to indicate "yes."<br /><br />My Bulgarian stepmother knew before coming to America that our responses would be "wrong," but I wonder how many misunderstandings this difference has caused. Bulgarians nod their heads up-down to indicate "no" and left-right to indicate "yes."

My Bulgarian stepmother knew before coming to America that our responses would be "wrong," but I wonder how many misunderstandings this difference has caused.

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