Rick's manager, Susan, called him into her office one afternoon to discuss his annual evaluation. As soon as Rick sat down, Susan said, "Rick, your performance is unacceptable and I'm going to have to let you go." After a moment of silence, Susan grinned and winked at Rick and he knew she was joking. Susan used nonverbal communication to
A) reinforce the interpersonal nature of her message.
B) metacommunicate that she was teasing.
C) convey emotional meaning.
D) give her statement greater impact.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Susan used a wink to convey that she was teasing, which is an example of metacommunication. Metacommunication is the communication about communication, or using nonverbal cues to clarify or modify a message. So, Susan's wink was a metacommunicative signal that indicated that her statement about Rick's performance was not to be taken seriously.

Rick's Manager, Susan, Called Him into Her Office One Afternoon