Communication in the 21st Century: Is It What You Say, Not How You Say It? | Vivian Ta | TEDxUTA

Summary

The transcript challenges the common belief that nonverbal communication is more important than verbal content. It argues that in the digital age, where text-based communication is prevalent, the actual words we use are crucial for mutual understanding. The speaker introduces the Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS) measure to empirically assess shared meaning in conversations, and suggests that verbal behaviors like asking questions are more significant for understanding than nonverbal cues, which are more important for emotional connection rather than conveying information.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Communication is often believed to be more about 'how you say it' rather than 'what you say it', with a focus on nonverbal cues.
• 🤔 The speaker challenges this notion, suggesting that verbal behaviors may be more important than previously thought, especially in the digital age.
• 🔍 Historically, the importance of nonverbal behavior has been emphasized, but the speaker proposes a shift towards verbal communication's significance.
• 📚 The concept of 'latent semantic similarity' (LSS) is introduced as a measure to determine the extent of shared understanding in communication.
• 📈 LSS is validated as a legitimate measure of mutual understanding through a study published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology.
• 🧐 The study analyzed initial interactions between strangers and found that verbal behaviors were key predictors of mutual understanding.
• 🙅‍♂️ Nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, smiles, and gazes were not essential for developing common ground understanding in the study.
• 💻 The Internet has revolutionized communication, making it predominantly text-based and accessible globally, which impacts the importance of verbal communication.
• 🌐 The prevalence of digital communication means that nonverbal cues like body language are often irrelevant, emphasizing the need to focus on verbal behaviors.
• 💡 The speaker argues that in a society dominated by text-based communication, we should adapt and prioritize the words we use over nonverbal cues.
• 🙌 The takeaway is to recognize the evolving nature of communication and the growing importance of verbal behaviors in establishing understanding.

Q & A

What is the general consensus regarding the importance of nonverbal behavior in communication?

The general consensus leans towards the importance of nonverbal behavior, such as body language, in communication, as it provides a lot of information that isn't conveyed verbally.

What does the speaker challenge in the script?

The speaker challenges the idea that nonverbal behavior is more important than verbal behavior in communication, suggesting that what we say might be more significant than previously realized.

What is the role of establishing mutual understanding in communication?

Establishing mutual understanding is crucial in communication as it ensures that the message being conveyed is understood by the recipient in the intended way.

What is the significance of using the same words in the same way for developing common ground understanding?

Using the same words in the same way is important for developing common ground understanding because it helps interaction partners to use language consistently, facilitating mutual comprehension.

What is Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS) and how is it used?

Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS) is a measure that uses an automated statistical method to establish the contextual meaning of any text by analyzing the relationship among the words used, determining how similar blocks of text or groups of words are to each other.

How did the researchers test the validity of LSS as a measure of mutual understanding?

Researchers tested the validity of LSS by analyzing videotaped recordings of initial interactions between pairs of strangers, comparing the LSS measure against various verbal and nonverbal behaviors to see which best predicted mutual understanding.

What did the study published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology find regarding LSS and mutual understanding?

The study found that LSS is a legitimate measure of how much people understand each other, indicating its effectiveness in empirically measuring mutual understanding.

What behaviors were found to be most important for establishing common ground understanding in communication?

The study found that verbal behaviors, such as the amount of talking and the number of questions asked, were the most important for establishing common ground understanding, rather than nonverbal behaviors.

How do nonverbal behaviors contribute to communication, according to the script?

Nonverbal behaviors contribute to creating an emotionally pleasant and involving interaction, but they are not essential for developing mutual understanding.

How has the Internet changed the way we communicate and what does this mean for the focus on verbal vs. nonverbal behavior?

The Internet has made communication primarily text-based, focusing on the words we use rather than nonverbal cues. This shift suggests that we should place more importance on verbal behaviors in our communication.

What is the speaker's final argument regarding the focus on verbal behavior in the age of the Internet?

The speaker argues that since our communication is largely text-based and intertwined with our daily lives, we should adapt and focus more on what we say rather than how we say it.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ The Importance of Verbal Communication

The speaker challenges the common belief that nonverbal cues are more important in communication than the actual words spoken. They argue that the content of our verbal communication may be more significant, especially in the context of the internet and digital communication where nonverbal cues are absent. The speaker introduces the concept of 'latent semantic similarity' (LSS) as a measure to assess mutual understanding in communication. They discuss a study published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, which analyzed interactions between strangers and found that LSS was a legitimate measure of understanding, suggesting that the words we use are crucial for establishing common ground.

05:00

🌐 The Internet's Impact on Communication

This paragraph delves into how the internet has revolutionized communication, making it primarily text-based and instantaneous. The speaker points out that nonverbal behaviors, while important for creating pleasant interactions, are not essential for developing mutual understanding in the context of online communication. They emphasize the importance of focusing on verbal behaviors, such as the amount of talking and questioning, which were found to be the only consistent predictors of mutual understanding in their study. The speaker calls for a shift in focus from nonverbal to verbal communication, given the prevalence of text-based interactions in modern society.

10:02

📝 Prioritizing Verbal Communication in the Digital Age

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker summarizes the argument for prioritizing verbal communication over nonverbal cues, especially in the digital age where most interactions are text-based. They reiterate the findings from their studies and stress the importance of the words we use in establishing understanding and common ground. The speaker encourages adapting to the predominant form of communication and focusing on improving our verbal behaviors to enhance mutual understanding.

Keywords

💡Communication

Communication is the act of conveying meaning from one entity to another through the exchange of information. In the context of the video, it is the central theme, focusing on the importance of verbal versus nonverbal aspects. The script discusses how historically, nonverbal communication has been emphasized, but the speaker challenges this notion, suggesting that in modern times, especially with the prevalence of digital communication, verbal communication may be more critical.

💡Nonverbal Behavior

Nonverbal behavior refers to the unspoken cues we give through body language, facial expressions, and other physical signals. The video script initially acknowledges the traditional focus on nonverbal cues in communication, citing their role in conveying information beyond words. However, it later argues that in the context of developing mutual understanding, verbal behaviors may be more significant.

💡Verbal Behavior

Verbal behavior encompasses the words we use and the way we use them in communication. The script posits that verbal behavior is more important than nonverbal cues in establishing mutual understanding, especially in the context of digital communication where nonverbal cues are absent.

💡Mutual Understanding

Mutual understanding is the state where all parties in a communication exchange comprehend each other's messages. The video emphasizes the importance of achieving mutual understanding through verbal behaviors, as demonstrated by the use of Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS) to measure shared meaning in conversations.

💡Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS)

LSS is an automated statistical method used to determine the contextual meaning of text by analyzing the relationships among words. The script explains that LSS measures the similarity of text blocks or groups of words based on their usage and relation to other words, which helps in quantifying the extent of mutual understanding in a conversation.

💡Common Ground

Common ground refers to the shared knowledge, beliefs, or assumptions between communicators that facilitate effective communication. The video discusses how researchers have suggested that developing common ground understanding is largely dependent on interaction partners using the same words in the same way, which LSS can now measure.

💡Social Sciences

Social sciences are academic disciplines that study human society, social relationships, and institutions. The script references social scientists' focus on nonverbal behavior in communication, indicating a shift in the speaker's argument towards the importance of verbal behaviors in social interactions.

💡Empirical

Empirical refers to evidence or data that is based on observation and experimentation. The video uses the term to describe the scientific approach to testing the validity of LSS as a measure of mutual understanding, emphasizing the need for observable and measurable evidence in communication studies.

💡Internet

The Internet is a global network that connects devices and allows for the exchange of information. The script highlights the Internet's role in changing communication patterns, making verbal communication more prominent due to the prevalence of text-based interactions such as emails, text messages, and social media posts.

💡Text-Based Communication

Text-based communication involves the exchange of written words without the use of spoken language or nonverbal cues. The video argues that in the digital age, text-based communication has become the primary mode of interaction, thus emphasizing the importance of verbal behaviors over nonverbal cues.

Highlights

The general consensus in communication is that nonverbal behaviors, such as body language, are more important than the content of what is said.

A challenge is posed to the traditional view, suggesting that verbal behaviors may be more important than previously thought.

The importance of establishing mutual understanding in communication is emphasized.

The development of common ground understanding is largely dependent on the use of the same words in the same way.

Latent Semantic Similarity (LSS) is introduced as a new measure to assess the contextual meaning of text.

LSS determines the similarity of text blocks based on the words used and their relationships.

A study published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology analyzed initial interactions between strangers using LSS.

LSS was found to be a legitimate measure of mutual understanding in communication.

A second study analyzed verbal and nonverbal behaviors to determine predictors of mutual understanding.

Verbal behaviors, such as the amount of talking and questions asked, were found to be the only consistent predictors of mutual understanding.

Nonverbal behaviors, while important for emotional connection, were not essential for developing common ground understanding.

The role of the Internet in changing daily communication methods is discussed, with a focus on text-based interactions.

The prevalence of text-based communication suggests a need to prioritize verbal behaviors over nonverbal in modern society.

The importance of adapting to the dominant form of communication and focusing on verbal behaviors is highlighted.

A call to action to place more importance on the words we use in communication is made.

The conclusion emphasizes focusing on verbal behaviors rather than nonverbal in the context of the Internet age.

Transcripts

what's more important in communication

what you say or how you say it

generally the consensus tends to lean

more towards how we say things our body

language or our nonverbal behaviors as

social scientists call it if you look

online you will quickly find this to be

true most of the attention historically

and currently has been paid towards the

importance of nonverbal behavior within

communication because nonverbal supply a

lot of information that isn't projected

or supplied verbally in fact as I was

looking up examples for this talk I even

came across an article titled what TED

Talks speakers teach us about presenting

and one of the things that they focus on

is the power of nonverbal it's not what

you say it's how you say it or is it I

want to challenge that perhaps what we

say our verbal behaviors are much more

important than we realize perhaps what

we say has been so much more important

now that ever has been before in history

and perhaps we've been focusing on the

wrong aspect of communication for a

while but first I want to step back and

talk a little bit more about

communication in general one of the most

important things about communication is

having other people understand what

you're saying establishing mutual

understanding

after all communicating can be quite

difficult even though I can really

understand each other right and so how

do people actually even develop a mutual

understanding for each other in the

first place

well previously researchers and writers

have suggested that the development of

common ground understanding is largely

dependent on

action partners coming to use the same

words and essentially the same way

however researchers have weren't able to

test this empirically in order to

determine if it's true or not because

there hadn't been anything that could

measure what they wanted to measure

which was the extent to which

interaction partners use the same words

in essentially the same way fortunately

though in recent decades a new measure

called latent semantic similarity or LSS

that they will be referring to it as was

proposed to be such measure so what

exactly is LSS so LSS is a measure that

is assessed by using a program called

Lane semantic analysis which is an

automated statistical method that

establishes the contextual meaning of

any text by analyzing the relationship

among the words that are used in other

words the LSS measure determines how

similar to blocks of text or to groups

of words are to each other based on the

words that are used and how those words

are used in relation to other words so

for example if I'm talking to where my

friends about our weekend plans the LSS

measure would first take all the words

that I say compare it against all the

words that my friend says and determine

the amount of shared meaning that exists

between us within our conversation and

so as someone who studies Social

Psychology and someone who is especially

interested in how people come to

understand each other especially the

processes and the behaviors that

underlie it my colleagues and I decided

to test this measure in order to

determine if it can actually be a

legitimate measure of how much people

understand each other and so in our very

first study which has been published in

the Journal of language and social

psychology we analyzed a sample of

videotaped recordings and in these

recordings were the initial or a series

of initial interactions between pairs of

strangers who had just met for the very

first time and so they had never met

before and so they were having a

conversation for the first time ever

with each other so we analyzed this and

we also analyzed and measured a wide

variety of nonverbal and verbal

behaviors that occurred within these

interactions and we found that the LSS

measure was indeed a legitimate measure

of how much people understood each other

so now we have something that can

empirically measure this great so next

we wanted to determine the behaviors

that would significantly predict high

levels of mutual understanding in other

words what were the behaviors that were

most important when you are

communicating with someone and you want

to establish common ground understanding

and so in our second study we again

analyzed a two completely separate

samples of initial interactions that

occurred between pairs of strangers

again and then we also analyzed a wide

variety of verbal and nonverbal

behaviors and we found that the only

behavior that consistently predicted how

much people understood each other were

their verbal behaviors how the amount of

talking that they engaged in and how

much how many questions they asked each

other all the other behaviors like

gestures or smiling laughing gazes

nonverbal acknowledgments all of these

nonverbal behaviors were not essential

for the development of common ground

understanding now that doesn't mean that

nonverbal behaviors are not important in

communication they are important when it

comes to creating an emotionally

Pleasant and involving interaction but

they're not important when it comes to

developing mutual understanding with

each other and what is important

is what we say the words that we use and

so the the science behind this is only

one reason why I argue that we should be

really focusing more on what we say

rather than how we say it

the second reason and perhaps more

important reason is the Internet the

Internet has drastically changed how we

communicate with each other on a daily

basis and it has done so in a very very

short amount of time as most of you will

probably remember the internet became

publicly available in the 1990s and up

until then people primarily communicated

either in person over the telephone or

sent letters to name a few today how do

we primarily communicate we send each

other emails we send each other text

messages we send each other instant

messages we comment on each other's

facebook statuses we tweet if you're on

an online dating website which is

becoming lis becoming increasingly

popular and if you see someone that

you're interested in what do you do you

send up a message we engage in this form

of communication so much every day and

it has literally allowed us to

communicate with anybody on the planet

at the touch of our fingertips whether

or not that person is halfway across the

world or if that person is right next to

us the Internet and the technological

advances that have resulted from it have

made communication so much easier and

has change the face of communication

just in general and the resulting

different types of communication all

have one thing in common they're all

primarily text-based they consist solely

upon the words that we use our verbal

behaviors no one is going to know

whether or not you had shifty eyes or

that you were

nervously twiddling your thumbs whenever

you send a text message or an email or

an instant message our body language our

nonverbals don't really matter in this

type of communication that dominates our

everyday lives and yet we continue to

focus on it and again I don't believe

that nonverbal behaviors are not

important they are but if we are to live

in a society where we primarily engage

in this type of communication where this

type of communication is so largely

intertwined with our sense of self our

well-being and our livelihood we should

adapt accordingly and we should begin to

place more importance on the behavior

that we engage in the most and that and

that has the most influence the words

that we use we should be focusing more

on what we say rather than how we say

thank you very much