A police officer uses an upright hand with a flat palm to indicate "stop" to oncoming traffic in the middle of a busy city intersection. This action demonstrates that a substituting signal is often used in place of an oral message because __________.
A) verbal messages are too long
B) verbal messages can be impossible, undesirable, or inappropriate
C) nonverbal messages are ambiguous
D) nonverbal messages are universal

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The use of a substituting signal (nonverbal message) in place of an oral message is often necessary when oral messaging is impossible, undesirable, or inappropriate. This could be due to factors such as noise or distance making it difficult to hear, or the situation being too urgent for lengthy communication. In this specific example, using a hand signal to indicate "stop" in the middle of a busy intersection is a more effective and efficient way to communicate with oncoming traffic.

A Police Officer Uses an Upright Hand with a Flat