ABSTRACT
The power and relational significance of nonverbal immediacy is, in part, the result of the multichannelled nature of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal immediacy, likewise, is typically conveyed through proxemic, haptic, oculesic, kinesic, vocalic, and chronemic behavior simultaneously. Immediacy can be signaled through several proxemic or spatial channels. Haptic, or tactile, communication is, perhaps, the most immediate form of communication. A variety of kinesic behaviors may communicate warmth and intimacy, including smiling, nodding, general facial expressiveness, bodily relaxation, increased gestural behavior, and interactional synchrony. The Behavioral Indicants of Immediacy Scale (BII) is a comparative, perceptually based measure of 15 nonverbal immediacy behaviors. The generalized immediacy scale assesses a person's gestalt global impressions of a person's nonverbal immediacy. The Raters' Perception of Immediacy Scale (RI) was designed to be used by observers in an instructional context to measure the nonverbal immediacy behaviors of teachers.
