Which of the following are examples of paralanguage? A. Tone of voice B.…
2024
Which of the following are examples of paralanguage?
A. Tone of voice
B. Volume
C. Personal space
D. Eye contact
E. Pitch
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: A. A, B, E only — ConceptParalanguage (also called vocalics) is the vocal but non-lexical layer of speech: it is how something is said rather than what is said. Its elements…
- A.
A, B, E only
- B.
A, C, D only
- C.
A, B, D only
- D.
B, C, E only
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
Paralanguage (also called vocalics) is the vocal but non-lexical layer of speech: it is how something is said rather than what is said. Its elements are properties of the voice itself — pitch, volume or loudness, tone and voice quality, rate of speech, stress, intonation and pauses.
Non-verbal behaviour that carries no vocal signal belongs to separately named channels: proxemics is the use of physical space and interpersonal distance, kinesics is body movement, gesture and posture, and oculesics is gaze behaviour. These sit alongside paralanguage under non-verbal communication, but they are not part of it.
Applying the test to each listed item
Ask of every item: is it produced by the voice while a person is speaking? Only what the voice itself carries counts as paralanguage.
Item | What it refers to | Channel |
|---|---|---|
A. Tone of voice | The quality or colouring given to the speaking voice | Vocalics — paralanguage |
B. Volume | How loudly or softly the voice is produced | Vocalics — paralanguage |
C. Personal space | The physical distance communicators keep from one another | Proxemics — not paralanguage |
D. Eye contact | Gaze directed towards or away from the listener | Oculesics — not paralanguage |
E. Pitch | How high or low the voice sounds | Vocalics — paralanguage |
Cross-check
A silence test confirms the split. Tone of voice, volume and pitch cease to exist the moment a speaker stops vocalising, so each of them is carried by the voice. Personal space and eye contact remain fully operative in complete silence — two people standing close and holding each other’s gaze communicate without a sound — so neither can be a property of the voice.
The paralinguistic items are therefore A (tone of voice), B (volume) and E (pitch), which gives the grouping "A, B, E only".