Kinesics Observations: Nonverbal Communication in a Family
This paper presents a firsthand observational analysis of nonverbal communication within a young family dining at a pizza restaurant. Drawing on the five categories of kinesics — emblems, illustrators, affect displays, regulators, and adaptors — the author identifies and interprets specific gestures, facial expressions, and body movements displayed by both the parents and children throughout the meal. The observation also extends to the family's interaction with their waitress. The paper demonstrates how kinesic behaviors operate simultaneously and interdependently in naturalistic social settings, offering a grounded, real-world application of nonverbal communication theory.
- Introduction and Observation Setting: Family of five observed at pizza restaurant
- Emblems and Affect Displays Among Family Members: Thumbs up, frowns, pointing, and child mimicry
- Regulators and Attentive Listening Behaviors: Husband's nodding and leaning signal engagement
- Adaptors in Parental and Child Behavior: Unconscious fidgeting and foot-tapping behaviors
- Interaction with the Waitress: Check request gesture and waitress rapport behaviors
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract kinesics categories in concrete, vivid real-world examples, making theoretical concepts immediately accessible.
- It moves fluidly between multiple participants — mother, father, children, and waitress — showing how nonverbal communication is relational and reciprocal rather than one-directional.
- Each identified behavior is labeled with its correct kinesic category in parentheses, demonstrating precise application of terminology without disrupting narrative flow.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper exemplifies participant observation analysis: the author observes a naturalistic scene and systematically codes behaviors using an established theoretical framework (Ekman and Friesen's kinesic categories). Rather than simply listing behaviors, the author explains the communicative function of each gesture or expression, showing mastery of both the vocabulary and the underlying concepts.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized chronologically around the arc of the family's dining experience — from seating and conversation, through the meal, to requesting the check and interacting with the waitress. Within that narrative arc, the author clusters observations thematically by kinesic type, ensuring that all five major categories receive coverage. The conclusion of the observation with the waitress scene provides a natural and socially complete ending to the episode.
Introduction and Observation Setting
I observed a young family at a restaurant: the family consisted of a mother, a father, and three small children, ages 3, 2, and 1 respectively. The family was seated at a booth in a pizza parlor and used a number of different gestures throughout their meal and conversation. Kinesics, the study of body motion as communication, provides the framework for analyzing the nonverbal behaviors observed below.
Emblems and Affect Displays Among Family Members
The father used emblems with the children, giving the "thumbs up" sign several times — so often, in fact, that it became aggravating to his wife, whose facial expressions signaled that she wanted him to stop. Her agitation was an affect display represented by a frown, and her frown led to his frown. Their frowns, in turn, caused the oldest child to frown and point his finger in a scolding manner, accompanied by the words, "Stop it now! You two stop!" — which made the parents laugh. The child's pointed finger functioned as an illustrator.
The children pointed throughout the entire meal to illustrate whenever they wanted something — such as a straw, a fork, a napkin, or more food. They also pointed to draw attention to things across the room. This consistent use of pointing as an illustrator demonstrates how even very young children rely on nonverbal communication to express needs and direct attention before verbal skills are fully developed.
The father also winked at his children two or three times to get them to smile while they were eating. This was a playful emblem on his part, used to signify that all was well in spite of the earlier spill. The children responded by smiling or laughing and placing their hands on their heads out of excitement or enthusiasm for his attention.
Regulators and Attentive Listening Behaviors
As the wife talked, the husband nodded at least half a dozen times, which served as regulators to show that he was listening. He also leaned forward in his seat — another regulator — to convey that he was interested in what she had to say. She made use of a smile to show appreciation for his attention (an affect display), and the smile remained on her face until the children disrupted her narrative by spilling water on the table, which caused both parents to leap for napkins.
When the children started losing interest in their food, the mother would regain their attention by tapping on the table with her finger (an illustrator) and pointing at their food while saying, "Please, finish," which would prompt the children to take another bite.
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