CROSS-CULTURAL SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES

ABSTRACT

This article provides a comprehensive overview of similarities and differences in nonverbal communication between Russian and American cultures. It examines the key aspects of nonverbal communication, including intonation, eye contact, personal space, dress code, facial expressions, and possible reasons for misunderstandings of nonverbal signals between Russians and Americans. The analysis of potential causes for misunderstandings that influence business interactions was conducted through observational studies and a review of existing literature.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В данной статье представлен анализ сходств и различий невербального общения между русской и американской культурами: рассматриваются ключевые аспекты невербального общения, включая интонацию, зрительный контакт, личное пространство, дресс-код, мимику, а также возможные причины непонимания невербальных сигналов. Анализ потенциальных причин недопониманий, влияющих на деловое взаимодействие, проводился посредством наблюдения и обзора существующей литературы.

Keywords: nonverbal communication, cross-cultural differences, cross-cultural understanding, gestures, facial expressions, body language, personal space, business interactions.

Ключевые слова: невербальное общение, межкультурные различия, межкультурное понимание, жесты, мимика, язык тела, личное пространство, деловое взаимодействие.

Nonverbal communication is a crucial aspect of interpersonal interaction and encompasses a wide variety of behaviors, including facial expressions, gestures, body language, and personal space. While some elements of nonverbal communication are similar across different cultures, there are significant cultural differences in the interpretation of various nonverbal behaviors. This topic is relevant, as it provides a comprehensive analysis and comparison of two different cultures that are, at first glance, similar in many aspects; however, there are some essential differences that could lead to potential misinterpretation of nonverbal signals. Knowing these differences helps avoid misunderstanding and achieve high productivity in communication.

The concept of nonverbal communication is to convey emotions, establish relationships, and maintain social interactions consistent across cultures. The ability to encode and decode nonverbal messages is associated with greater interpersonal skills, larger social networks, and higher relationship quality. The ability to recognize nonverbal signs becomes especially important within the working environment as it enhances business ties and increases the effectiveness of business negotiations.

Furthermore, key aspects of nonverbal communication, as well as their differences and similarities between American and Russian cultures, will be considered. Also, the reasons for potential misunderstanding will be provided.

Eye contact

Eye contact is highly valued in both American and Russian cultures. While direct eye contact is considered a sign of respect, truthfulness, and attention, its absence could be considered negative, and a speaker might assume that a listener does not pay attention to what he/she is saying. Of course, it is applicable only for face-to-face interactions; when it comes to group conferences with many participants, maintaining eye contact with the speaker is not as crucial [4].

In Russian culture, eye contact is often sustained and direct, reflecting sincerity, confidence, and engagement. It is common for Russians to maintain eye contact for a longer period of time, especially when listening, as it signifies attentiveness and respect. Avoiding eye contact might be interpreted as a lack of interest or dishonesty. In Russian culture, the actual attitude of an individual can be inferred from the duration of eye contact; the longer a person keeps eye contact, the higher the degree of respect and truthfulness.

On the other hand, Americans try to avoid long-lasting direct eye contact. Americans maintain eye contact when speaking for about 50% of the conversation, but this percentage increases to 80% when listening. They prefer to change their focus frequently from a person's eyes to other items to avoid the intensity of constant looks, which can be considered controversial or aggressive.

Even though both cultures highly appreciate eye contact, the key difference lies in the balance and interpretation of this nonverbal signal. While Russians might engage more consistently, Americans seek a balanced approach with occasional breaks to maintain comfort during interpersonal interaction. It’s important to note that these conclusions are generalized, and they could differ depending on a person and social context.

Facial expressions

Facial expressions are a significant component of nonverbal communication as they provide comprehensive information about the feelings of an individual; additionally, they are difficult to control, so we can rely on them as one of the most truthful sources of information when talking to a person. Most emotions are similar worldwide. Nonetheless, some facial expressions vary depending on the culture. Americans tend to smile automatically; they are trained to smile at all people they communicate with and not show their actual emotions and problems to strangers. While Americans smile with teeth, the Russian’s smile is reserved; people smile with lips. In addition, the Russian smile is sincere and consciously recognized. Emotions of Russians are reserved; moreover, smiling at strangers without a compelling reason is considered inappropriate and strange. Facial expressions tend to be more subdued and controlled, especially during business meetings [2].

Personal space

It is important to respect personal space during conversations, especially during business meetings. However, Russian and American cultures put different values on this nonverbal signal. Russian people keep a shorter distance during interpersonal interactions; they tend to sit and stand close to each other with the traditional personal distance being around 12 inches. Close interpersonal space helps create a comfortable environment between speakers; it creates a feeling of trust between them. This close physical proximity is a natural part of Russian cultural norms; moreover, the greater personal distance could be considered unfriendly and standoffish.

On the other hand, Americans highly appreciate privacy and respect personal distance. Individuals typically keep a distance of 2-3 feet during conversations. The concept of personal space is more prominent in American society, and violations of these norms can lead to discomfort, stress, and misunderstanding. These cultural differences in personal space expectations can significantly influence intercultural communication between Russians and Americans [2].

Intonation and tone

There are two main types of intonation in American culture: rising and falling intonation, which express emotions, convey meaning, and indicate certainty or uncertainty. Intonation in American culture is crucial for conveying meaning. Rising intonation is usually used for yes/no questions. Americans use falling intonation for affirmative sentences. Rising-falling intonation is used to draw attention to important information or specific words in a sentence [6].

At the same time, Russians don’t use distinctive intonation for questions; rising intonation is only used to emphasize astonishment. That’s why there could be some misinterpretations; the American question could be understood by Russians as a wonder. At the same time, Americans could interpret Russian questions as affirmative sentences because Russians don’t change intonation significantly when asking a question. Additionally, while word stress patterns in American culture are generally consistent, in Russian culture, word stress is unpredictable as it depends on the region, and it makes the Russian language difficult to understand [9].

While Americans have consistent intonation patterns, Russian intonation can be unpredictable; it could lead to a potential misunderstanding in international communications. It is crucial to understand intonation patterns in each culture to avoid these challenges.

Dress code

Russians pay special attention to the style of clothes, especially in business settings. Russian companies require workers to wear formal style, and wearing jeans or t-shirts is accepted as a sign of disrespect. Nevertheless, American corporations don’t follow such strict requirements, so employees are allowed to wear the casual style. It is essential to consider these differences when conducting negotiations with international business partners because knowing these differences and following rules allows one to create a comfortable environment for everybody.

In general, Americans are more expressive than Russians; they don’t hide their emotions. Also, Americans are sociable; they communicate with people easily. In addition, they treat all people equally, while Russians are selective[2].

In conclusion, the study of cross-cultural differences in nonverbal communication between Americans and Russians highlights the importance of recognizing and understanding the nuances of nonverbal signals that may influence business negotiations and relationships. This article underscores the importance of nonverbal cues in cross-cultural interactions and emphasizes the need to raise awareness about cultural differences to effectively communicate. By acknowledging and respecting the diverse nonverbal communication styles, business professionals can enhance their communication skills, build stronger relationships, and achieve successful outcomes in international business environments.