ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the ways that nonverbal cues are shaped by culture and how they work to reflect culture. It discusses some primary ways that cultures differ from one another and how those differences show up in the nonverbal cues that people in those cultures use. It distinguishes culture-specific, cross-cultural, and intercultural research, and it overviews some of the ways that these differences can affect how we communicate with others nonverbally. The chapter also outlines ways in which people may err in their interpretation of others’ nonverbal communication and offers some help to become more aware of the ways in which nonverbal cues may be “cultured.”
