Definitions and Examples

Denotative Language is the literal meaning of a word. Ex: cat – a four-legged feline

Connotative Language is the emotional meaning of a word. Ex: I tell my friend my dog died and she doesn’t fully understand because she doesn’t have a pet and doesn’t like dogs.

Low-context cultures are cultures that use what you hear is what you get communication.
Ex: when someone says yes, they are saying affirmative, in agreement.

Indexing is knowing that there are exceptions when making a general statement(s). Ex: men are stronger than women; but Lauren is stronger than Zac.

Kinesics is body motions. Ex: making direct eye contact, posture, or gestures.

Emblems are objects people have or wear on them or on clothing. Ex: a certain symbol on a pieces of jewelry

Haptics is the use of touch to relay a specific emotion or feeling. Ex: shaking hands

Paralanguage is reading the tone of a person’s voice. Ex: I say I’m fine but when you listen to my voice it has a higher pitch than normal meaning that something is wrong.

Artifacts are objects a person has. Ex: a woman carrying a purse,

Monochronic Time is being very punctual, everything has an order and it’s finished in that order and must be accomplished before being satisfied. Time is viewed as a scarce resource and if not used efficiently it is viewed as being wasted Ex: if a person is just a few minutes late to a meeting, an apology or explanation is expected.

Polychronic Time is the belief that time is continuous and people engage in many activities at one time. Ex: if a meeting is arranged one person might be on time but the other just shows up whenever convenient for him and it is viewed as acceptable.

Chronemics is how time is spent. Ex: one person’s day is packed full of events until the day is over and another person just takes what the day has to offer having nothing planned

We need to study and be aware of these concepts when communicating because within communication there is always an underlying message a person is trying to relay and if we can understand what’s being said without words it will help us relate to others better and can help better relationships.