Nonverbal Communication

A. General Information 1.Definition – All the behaviors and elements of people, other than words, that convey meaning 2. At least 90 % of communication is nonverbal.

B. Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication 1. Emotions and feelings are more accurately and easily communicated nonverbally 2. Non-verbals are not easily controlled 3. When nonverbal and verbal messages conflict, non-verbals are usually more accurate 4. Non-verbals indicate how you should interpret messages

B. Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication 5. People remember more what they see than what they hear. 6. People from different cultures may attach different meanings to the same gestures. 7. Nonverbal communication helps us understand how others react to us and our ideas (feedback).

C. Types of Nonverbal Communication 1.Appearance – the way you look, clothes and grooming 2. Kinesics (Body Movement) a. Emblems – directly translate into words/phrases (OK sign) b. Illustrators – accompany and illustrate a verbal message (size of fish you caught)

Types of Nonverbal Communication Kinesics (Body Movement) c. Affect displays – emotional meaning (fear, happiness, anger, etc.) d. Regulators – monitor, maintain, or control the speaking of another (hand gesture to slow down) e. Adaptors – satisfy some need (scratching your head) f. Distractors – no function (nervous habits)

Kinesics (Body Movement) 3. Gaze a. An individual’s looking behavior b. Gaze is used to regulate and monitor communication c. It is also used to express willingness or lack of desire to communicate

Kinesics (Body Movement) 4. Facial Expressions – use of face to show attitude/emotion Many facial expressions and sequences of nonverbal behavior have been found to be universal

Kinesics (Body Movement) 5. Proxemics – distance between people, size and arrangement of a room The distance we choose in a given conversation is a function of our cultural and personal expectations for appropriate distance. In the U.S. : Intimate – physical to 18 inches Casual/personal – 18 inches to 4 feet Impersonal business – 4 to 12 feet Public – 12 feet and beyond

Kinesics (Body Movement) 6. Temporal – being late or early, making someone wait; what we spend our time on reveals what is important to us 7. Artifacts – personal objects

Kinesics (Body Movement) 8. Paralanguage (Vocal Cues) – the way you say things, tone of voice/emphasis – Stress - which words are emphasized – Pitch – the highness or lowness of voice – Rate – speed at which the words are said – Volume – loudness of the words spoken – Rhythm – grouping of the words as being spoken – Fillers – useless, meaningless terms to fill space – Pauses – intentional moments of silence – Distractors – yawning, laughing, moaning, sighing, etc.

Kinesics (Body Movement) 9. Physical Environment – your personal space you own 10. Other - Haptics, Olfactics, Territoriality Territoriality – establishing of personal space Olfactics - smell Haptics – touch - *The most powerful nonverbal method of communication.