Non verbal communication

• Nonverbal communication means conveying information without

using words.
• This might involve using certain facial expressions or hand
gestures to make a specific point, or it could involve the use (or
non-use) of eye contact, physical proximity, and other nonverbal
cues to get a message across.
• A substantial portion of our communication is nonverbal. In fact,
some researchers suggest that the percentage of nonverbal
communication is four times that of verbal communication, with
80% of what we communicate involving our actions and gestures
versus only 20% being conveyed with the use of words.
Types
Gestures
• Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning
without words. Common gestures include waving, pointing, and giving a "thumbs up"
sign. Other gestures are arbitrary and related to culture.
• For example, in the U.S., putting the index and middle finger in the shape of a "V" with
your palm facing out is often considered to be a sign of peace or victory. Yet, in Britain,
Australia, and other parts of the world, this gesture can be considered an insult.
• As gestures have meanings so they should be coordinated with proper
intensity of speech. The greater the gesture the louder the speech and vice
versa”, comments a scholar. A presenter while facing the audience is
advised to keep positive postures, since it indicates his positive personality.
• Kinesics, first coined by Ray Birdwhistell, is the study of how gestures, facial
expression, and eye behavior communicate. Gestures can generally be
considered any visible movement of the body. These movements “stimulate
meaning” in the minds of others.
Facial Expressions
• Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal
communication.
• Consider how much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown.
The look on a person's face is often the first thing we see, even before we
hear what they have to say.
Appearance
• Our choice of clothing, hairstyle, and other appearance factors are also
considered a means of nonverbal communication.10 Research on
color psychology has demonstrated that different colors can evoke
different moods. Appearance can also alter physiological reactions,
judgments, and interpretations.
• Just think of all the subtle judgments you quickly make about someone
based on their appearance. These first impressions are important, which is
why experts suggest that job seekers dress appropriately for interviews
with potential employers.
Eye Gaze
• The eyes play a role in nonverbal communication, with such things as
looking, staring, and blinking being important cues.
• People's eyes can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility,
interest, and attraction. People also often utilize eye gaze cues to
gauge a person's honesty. Normal, steady eye contact is often taken as
a sign that a person is telling the truth and is trustworthy. Shifty eyes
and an inability to maintain eye contact, on the other hand, is frequently
seen as an indicator that someone is lying or being deceptive.
• Oculesics is the study of eye movement, behavior, and gaze,
and how they relate to nonverbal communication. The word
"oculesics" comes from the Latin word oculus, which means
"eye".
Haptics
• Haptics is the study of the sense of touch, and the technology and science of
transmitting and understanding information through touch.
•Touch can have different effects
A warm touch can have a positive outcome, while a violent touch can have a
negative outcome.
•Touch can be comforting, threatening, or persuasive
For example, a lack of confidence in a firm handshake can lead to negative
judgments about a person's credibility.
• Touch is a form of communication that can be used to initiate, regulate, and
maintain relationships. It is a very powerful form of communication that can be
used to communicate messages ranging from comfort to power. Duration,
frequency, and intensity of touch can be used to convey liking, attraction, or
dominance
Proxemics – study of personal space
• People often refer to their need for "personal space." This is known as proxemics and is
another important type of nonverbal communication.
• The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to
us are influenced by several factors. Among them are social norms, cultural expectations,
situational factors, personality characteristics, and level of familiarity.
• Close distance
0–18 inches apart, for those with whom you are intimate, such as lovers, children, close
family members, friends, and pets
• Personal distance
18–4 feet apart, for conversations with friends, to chat with associates, and in group
discussions
• Social distance
4–12 feet apart, for strangers, newly formed groups, and new acquaintances
• Public distance
12–25 feet apart, for impersonal interactions, such as teachers and students in a formal
classroom setting
Paralinguistics (Vocalics)
• Paralinguistics refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual
language. This form of nonverbal communication includes factors such as
tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch (Vocal Qualities).
• For example, consider the powerful effect that tone of voice can have on
the meaning of a sentence. When said in a strong tone of voice, listeners
might interpret a statement as approval and enthusiasm. The same words
said in a hesitant tone can convey disapproval and a lack of interest.
• Pitch refers to the frequency range between high and low. Tempo
refers to the rate at which one speaks. Intensity refers to how loudly or
softly an individual speaks.
• Dysfluencies, vocal fillers, or verbal surrogates are sounds that we make
as we attempt to fill dead air while we are thinking of what to say next
• Every culture follows different levels of physical closeness to
suit their relationships, and individuals learn this while growing
up in a society. It is quite important to understand these
distances so as to approach others in a non-threatening and
appropriate way. For building healthy relationships at work or
home, maintaining these distances is vital; an arm’s length from
the opposite gender especially during personal communication
casts a good impression.
• In our day to day life, while interacting with people around us,
oblivious of our body language, we encounter the problem of
proximity. The violation of an “appropriate distance” by
someone may induce a feeling of discomfort and raise warning
signals, and may also lead to misinterpretation of gestures. The
science of interpersonal distance is called Proxemics
Chronemics
• Chronemics / Time Dimension: The most important thing
at a work place is the management of time. Similarly
management of time is the watchword of the successful
presentation.
• During the presentation, if the speaker takes a lot of
time, his speech becomes monotonous. To grab the
attention of the audience during presentation, the
speaker should try to sum up his presentation within the
allotted time. He should plan and rehearse well so that
his speech will not go beyond the allotted time.
Why Nonverbal Communication Is
Important
• Nonverbal communication serves an important role in conveying
meaning. Some benefits it provides include:
• Strengthening relationships: Nonverbal communication fosters
closeness and intimacy in interpersonal relationships.
• Substituting for spoken words: Signaling information that a person
might not be able to say aloud. This can be helpful in situations where a
person might not be heard (such as a noisy workplace) or in therapy
situations where a mental health professional can look at nonverbal
behaviors to learn more about how a client might be feeling.
• Reinforcing meaning: Matching nonverbal communication to spoken
words can help add clarity and reinforce important points.
• Regulating conversation: Nonverbal signals can also help regulate
the flow of conversation and indicate both the start and end of a
message or topic.
 Factors That Affect Our
Perception of Someone
• Whenever we form a perception of someone, a number of
processes allow us to make quick decisions that help us
navigate our social worlds. Person perception is a term used in
social psychology to describe the mental processes that we
use to form impressions of other people. This includes not just
how we form these impressions, but the different conclusions
we make about other people based on our impressions.1
• Consider how often you make this kind of judgment every day.
When you meet with a new co-worker, you begin to develop
an initial impression of this person. When you visit the grocery
store after work, you form an impression of the cashier, even
though you know very little about them.
How We Form Perceptions of Somone
• Obviously, person perception is a very subjective
process that can be affected by many variables. Factors
that can influence the impressions you form of other
people include:
• The characteristics of the person you are observing
• The context of the situation
• Your own personal traits
• Your past experiences
Social Norms and Role Expectations
• People often form impressions of others very quickly, with only
minimal information. We frequently base our impressions on the
roles and social norms we expect from people.
• For example, you might form an impression of a city bus driver
based on how you would anticipate a person in that role to behave,
considering individual personality characteristics only after you have
formed this initial impression.
Physical Cues
• Physical cues can also play an important role. If you see a
man/woman dressed in a professional-looking suit, you might
immediately assume that she works in a formal setting, perhaps at a
law firm or bank.
Salience
• The salience of the information we perceive is also important.
Generally, we tend to focus on the most obvious points rather than
noting background information.
How Social Categorization Affects Your Perception of
Someone
• One of the mental shortcuts we use in person perception is
social categorization. In this process, we mentally categorize
people into different groups based on common characteristics.
• Sometimes, this process occurs consciously, but for the most
part, social categorizations happen automatically and
unconsciously. The most common social categories are age,
gender, occupation, and race.
Pitfalls of Social Categorization
• As with many mental shortcuts, social categorization has
positive and negative aspects. On the plus side, social
categorization allows you to make rapid judgments.
Realistically, you simply do not have time to get to know every
person you come into contact with.
• Imagine that you are getting on a bus. There are only
two seats available. One is next to a petite, elderly
woman; the other is next to a burly, grim-faced man.
Based on your immediate impression, you sit next to
the elderly woman, who, unfortunately, turns out to be
quite skilled at picking pockets.
• Because of social categorization, you immediately
judged the woman as harmless and the man as
threatening, leading to the loss of your wallet. While
social categorization can be useful at times, it can also
lead to these kinds of misjudgments.
Implicit Personality Theories
• An implicit personality theory is a collection of beliefs and
assumptions about how certain traits are linked to other
characteristics and behaviors. Once we know something
about a cardinal trait or a primary trait that makes up the
core of a person's personality, we assume that the person
also exhibits other traits commonly linked to that key
characteristic.
• For example, if you observe that a new co-worker is very
happy, you might immediately assume that they are also
friendly, kind, and generous. As with social categorization,
implicit personality theories help people make judgments
quickly but can also contribute to stereotyping and errors.6