An Observational Study Of Verbal And Nonverbal Communication In Female And Male University Students

Abstract


 Gender based sociological and linguistic studies show that differences exist in communication style of men and women, boys and girls. Although many gender stereotypes have changed with modernization and awareness about gender issues however common assumption is that ‘girls are talkative’ and boys are ‘less emotional’. In the context of transitions in culture and society, this study explored verbal and nonverbal communication differences among male and female university students. Using purposive sampling method, male and female students were observed in three types of groups sitting at different social spots in University of Karachi. In total 30 male and 30 female students were observed for verbal and nonverbal communication. The units of observations were Paralanguage (words, pitch, volume, speaking rate) for verbal communication and gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, distance and space when sitting and standing. Results showed that overall both boys and girls were talkative and used slang language within same sex groups. However, the topic of discussion was personal for girls and politics for boys. Females kept a space and distance while sitting and standing as compared to boys. Within groups, male and female student’s body language showed superiority. The study has limitations therefore generalization of results for other gender-typed situations are not promising. Future studies could examine in other situations where status and power difference exist within relationships.

Non-verbal communication skills among teaching staff and medical students in a medical educational Institution in Khammam, Telangana, India

“…Thus, communication is essential for human interaction, between parents and children, among workers, between employers and employees, and even between wife and husband. 11 NVC is also culturally determined. It indicates the speaker's emotional state.…”

Effects of gender diversity on college students’ collaborative learning: From individual gender to gender pairing

“…As for non-verbal interaction, Kring and Gordon [ 48 ] employed a systematic observation tool to measure facial expressiveness and found that female undergraduates’ faces were more expressive than male undergraduates. Similarly, Ali et al [ 15 ] found that female students were more inclined to make eye contact when talking, while male students preferred not to look at each other. Other gender differences in non-verbal interaction include: male students engage in more movements such as fidgeting, leg movements, leaning, and feet on table, while female students prefer nodding, forward-leaning, making hand movements during speech, gazing at partners, gesturing, and smiling [ 48 , 49 ].…”

“…The key to excellent group performance and individual gains in collaborative learning is the quality of interpersonal interaction among participants [ 7 ], which is influenced by group composition [ 8 , 9 ]. Gender, as a key demographic attribute, has been regularly used to compose collaborative learning groups [ [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ], and gender diversity induced a wide range of factors highly relevant for group functioning, such as behavioral patterns [ 14 ], peer interaction [ 15 ], and emotional expression [ 16 , 17 ], which determine the overall efficacy and experience of collaborative learning. However, there is a lack of research studies investigating the effect of gender and gender diversity on social interaction and learning behavior in the context of higher education.…”

“…Additionally, few studies have explored gender pairing on collaborative learning, with mixed findings reported regarding the effect of gender pairing on group performance. Several researchers found that same-gender groups were more dedicated [ 15 , 33 ], and the proportion of women members was highly correlated with the group's academic achievement [ 13 , 34 ]. Other researchers favored mixed-gender groups or found no significant difference between gender pairings.…”