Although nonverbal communication seems like something that just happens, it isn’t random, nor is it a pointless companion to verbal messages. Instead, it is purposeful and serves many functions. By understanding these functions, you can better match your nonverbal communication to the demands of different situations.
Walking into the kitchen, Steve found his son Kyle laughing over his laptop. “Look at how many people joined my Rave!” Moving closer to the screen, Steve was stunned to see Kyle’s World of Warcraft character thrusting his hips and gesturing in a bizarre dance, surrounded by other dancing characters. Suddenly there was an on-
Acknowledging the importance of nonverbal communication in real life, World of Warcraft allows characters to gesture, move, and produce a wide range of facial expressions to perform actions and build relationships within the online game.
In World of Warcraft (WoW), a massively multiplayer online role-
These virtual nonverbal messages serve a host of functions. Players can directly convey meaning (“you motion for everyone to follow”), express emotion (“you run around in a frenzied state of panic”), present themselves to others in a specific way (“you grin wickedly”), manage interactions (“you tap your foot—