Non Verbal
Communication
Nonverbal Communication
Is it possible to
communicate
without words?
Nonverbal
Communication
Studies show that over half of your
message is carried through
nonverbal elements:
Your appearance
Your body language
The tone and
the pace of your voice.
Nonverbal
Communication
Before someone processes our verbal
messages,
Taken in our appearance,
Registered our enthusiasm and sincerety
Noted our tone of voice and processed all
into nonverbal message.
If this message reinforce the content of
verbal one, it means we send a powerful
message.
If the two messages do not match, they
Nonverbal Communication
The process of sending
and receiving wordless
messages by means of
facial expressions, gaze,
gestures, postures, and
tones of voice.
Nonverbal cues include
all expressive signs,
signals and cues ---
which are used to send
and receive messages
Language is not the only source of
communication, there are other means also.
Messages can be communicated through.
1. Gestures: It includes movement of hands, face or other
parts of the body.
2. Posture or Body language
3. Facial expressions
4. Eye contact
5. Emblems
6. Haptics
7. Appearance & object
Meaning can also be communicated
through object
• Clothing
• Hairstyle
• Architecture
• Symbols
• Dance
• Icons (Image, picture, or representation)
• Handwriting style
• arrangement of words
• physical layout of a page
Vocalizations
Non verbal sounds - not words,
but convey a meaning.
Divided into three categories:
vocal characterizers
vocal qualifiers
vocal segregates
vocal characterizers
Laughing
Sighing
Crying
Belching
Inhaling
Excessive groaning
Whining
Yelling
Whispering
vocal qualifiers
intensity (loud-soft)
pitch height
high-low
vocal segregates
(separators)
“um” “uh” “ah”
Note:
some sounds are not vocal,
e.g., snapping one’s fingers,
stamping a foot
…nv includes vocal and non vocal
phenomena
Some nonvocal
•made with the breath,
taking a small bit of air
•onomatopoetic words - zzz
Also other vocal
phenomena
more sounds than words e.g.,
zap...buzz
Body Motion
(Kinetic Gestures)
Movements of the:
Body
Limbs
Head
feet and legs
facial expressions
eye behavior
posture
Some movements
provide information
about emotions
Some give information
about personality
traits or attitude
Emblems
Thumbs up OK
V with fingers victory
Finger pointed to temple suicide
Hand grasping throat choke
hand to mouth eating
tilt head, eyes closed
sleeping
Use of Emblems (a)
Insults
Directions
come go
stop slow down
Greetings
Departures
Use of Emblems (b)
selected responses to questions
yes no
maybe I don’t know
physical state
emotion
triumphant angry
sad
Part of body associated
with emblems
Often the hands... but not
exclusively
Nose wrinkle Disgust
Drop of the jaw and exaggerated
raising of the eyebrows
Surprise
Upturned palms, shrugged
shoulders
Uncertainty
Regulators 2
They can tell the speaker to:
continue
hurry up
become more interesting
explain
let the other talk
Turn-taking regulators
(the most studied kind)
Head tilting
Nods
Eye contact
e.g. less eye contact if you want
to terminate
conversation.
Touch
Behavior
touching
stroking
pushing
guiding another’s motion
Paralanguage
How - not what you say.
Speech behavior
Voice quality and pitch
Range and rhythm control
Tempo
Articulation
Resonance
Glottis control
Vocal and lip control
We Express Ourselves
Through….
Posture( Gait, Walk, sitting)
(Position of body)
Gestures( Movements of hands , Legs,
fingers etc.)
(A Motion of hand, head or body to
emphazize an idea or emotion while
speaking)
Facial Expressions(Eyes, eyebrows,
lips,chin)
Sensory Channels
It is also important to remember that while
communicating we not only use different
frames of mind but also use various sensory
channels like ;
Verbal contents ( Words)
Auditory content ( Voice tone)
Visual content ( gestures, facial
expressions) and sometimes
sense of touch and smell ,too.
The Silent Language :
The Non Verbal Communication
Our actions
silence
expressions in the eyes
gestures
posture
walk
Facial expression
Vocal cues
Touch
Appearance
-all these can communicate without words.
Emotions- Express with Facial
Expressions
Surprise
Fear
Disgust
Anger
Happiness
Sadness
Four basic modes of Body
Language.-
Responsive- ( Eager)
Reflective-(Evaluating)
Fugitive -(Bored)
Combative- ( Aggressive)
Two basic groups of postures:
OPEN/CLOSED and FORWARD/BACK
OPEN/CLOSED is the most obvious.
People with arms folded and legs
crossed and bodies turned away
are signaling that they are
rejecting messages.
People showing open hands, fully
facing you and both feet planted
on the ground are accepting them.
FORWARD/BACK
FORWARD/BACK indicates whether
people are actively or passively
reacting to communication. When
they are leaning forward and
pointing towards you they are
actively accepting or rejecting the
message.
When they are leaning back, looking
up at the ceiling, doodling on a pad,
( Eager (Evaluating)
)
( Aggressive) (Bored)
Responsive
ENGAGED
Leaning forward
Open body
Open arms
Open hands
LISTENING
Reflective
Head tilted
Lots of eye
contact
High blink
rate
Fugitive
BORED
Staring into space
Slumped posture
Doodling
Foot tapping
Combative
LET ME SPEAK
Finger tapping
Foot tapping
Staring
Leaning
Back With
hands
Superiority Supporting
Relaxed Head
Rejecting
• Ready
• Positive
• Able
• Goal
oriented
person
Sit down
readiness
Honesty
Loyalty
Devotion
Hand to
Chest
A Doubt
Hesitanc
e
“Well, I don’t Know
”
Curiosity
Touching the
Nose
Boredom
Tired
“ I am bored.”
Low Steepling
Confident ( Joining
Proud Finger tips)
Egotistic
Sleeping
Expectatio
n
Unspoken
demand
Hand Rubbing
Evaluatin
g
Judging
Chin -stroking
evaluation
Negative
Emotional
Reaction
Scrutinizing
people
Gesture with
glasses
Open Hands
Sincere
Open to suggestion
Acceptance of
authority
Frustration Sincerity Helplessnes
s
Helplessness
Non-
Cooperative
Hostile
Unconcerne
d
Getting a Leg
Defensive
or
Sometimes,
seeking
comfort
Arm Gripping
Preferred
by teenage
girls
Crossed
Arm
Defensive
Generally
among
colleagues
or peers
or
In elders it
is for the
right to be Crossed arm
heard Defensive
Physical Characteristics
Not all nonverbal communication comes
through movement and motion
Some are static self presentation
characteristics
body height
weight
hair
skin color
breath odor
Artifacts
When objects interact with persons
to send nv cues
- clothes
- lipstick
- false eyelashes
- wigs
- perfume
Environmental Factors
Associated with the communication
event that impinge upon the human
relationship, but not part of it.
furniture
architectural style
interior decorating
lighting conditions
colors
temperature
First Impression
We know the importance of “first impression”
But first impressions happen everytime when
we initiate the communication.
Positive first impression make
communications much easier and more
comfortable.
Negative first impressions can cut off a
relationship before it gets started.
First Impression
First impression includes:
Dress & grooming
Voice
Handshake
Eye contact
Body posture
Language of Gestures
Body language and nonverbal
communication are transmitted through
the eyes, face, hands, arms, legs and
posture (sitting and walking)
Each individual, isolated gesture is like a
word in sentence; it is difficult and
isolated dangerous to interpret in and of
itself.
Therefore consider the gesture in the light
of everyhing else that is going on around
Eyes
Windows of the soul, excellent indicators of feelings.
Honest person has a tendency to look you straight in
the eye when speaking.
At least listeners accept it like that. People avoid eye
contact with other person when an uncomfortable
question asked.
Try to reduce tension and build trust rather than
increase tension.
The raising of one eyebrow shows disbelief and two
shows surprise.
People are classified as right lookers and leftlookers.
Right lookers are more influenced by logic and
precision, left lookers are found to be more
The Face
The face is one of the most reliable indicators of a
person’s attitudes, emotions & feelings
By analysing facial expressions, interpersonal
attitudes can be discerned and feedback obtained.
Some people try to hide their true emotions.
Common facial gestures are:
Frowns: unhappiness, anger
Smiles: happiness
Sneers: dislike, disgust
Clenched jaws: tension, anger
Pouting lips: sadness.
The Hands
Tightly clenched hands usually indicate that the person is experiencing
undue pressure.
It may be difficult to relate to this person because of his tension and
disagreement.
Superiority and authority are usually indicated when you are standing
and joining your hands behind your back.
Cupping one or both hands over the mouth, especially when talking,
may well indicate that the person is trying to hide something
Putting your hand to your cheek or stroking your chin generally portrays
thinking, interest or consideration.
Fingers bent across the chin or below the mouth most often shows
critical evaluation.
Rubing gently behind or beside the ear with the index finger or rubbing
the eye usually means the other person is uncertain about what you
are saying.
Leaning back with both hands supporting the head usually indicates a
The Arms and Legs
Crossed arms tend to signal defensiveness. They
seemingly act as a protective guard against an
anticipated attack or a fixed position which the
other person would rather not move.
Conversely, arms open and extended toward you
generally indicate openness and acceptance.
Crossed legs tend to seem [Link] who
tightly cross their legs seem to be saying that
they disagree with what you are saying or doing. If
the people have tightly crossed legs and tightly
crossed arms, their inner attitude is usually one of
extreme negativity toward what is going on
around them. It may be difficult to get agreement.
Posture: Sitting and
Walking
Sitting with your legs crossed and elevated foot
moving in a slight circular motion indicates
boredom or impatience.
Interest and involvement are usually projected by
sitting on the edge of the chair and leaning slightly
forward.
Generally, people who walk fast and swing their arms
freely tend to know what they want and to go after
that. People who walk with their shoulders hunched
and hands in their pockets tend to be secretive and
critical. They don’t seem to like much of what is
going on around them.
Dejected people usually scuffle along with their hands
in pockets, heads down, and shoulders hunched
over.
Interpreting Gesture
Clusters
Certain combinations of gestures are especially reliable
indicators of a person’s true feelings. These
combinations are clusters.
Each gesture is dependent to others, so analysis of a
person’s body language is based on a series of
signals to ensure that the body language clearly and
accurately understood.
All the individual gestures fit together to project a
common, unified message.
When they do not, this means a incongruity.
For example: A nervous lough.
A laugh generally signal of relaxation. But if there are
nervous signals in body language that means the
Common Gesture Clusters
Openness:
Several gestures indicate openness and sincerety
Open hands,
unbuttoned coal or collar,
leaning slightly forward in the chair,
removing coat or jacket,
uncrossing arms and legs, moving closer.
When people are proud of what they have done, they
usually show their hands quite openly.
When they are not often put their hands into their
pockets, or hide back
When people show signals of openness that means they
are generally beginning very comfortable in your
presence which is good.
Common Gesture Clusters
Defensiveness:
People who are defensive usually have
a rigid body,
arms or legs tightly crossed,
eyes glancing sideways or darting occasionaly.
minimal eye contact
lips pursed, fists clenched and downcast head
Common Gesture Clusters
Nervousness
Whistling,Jingling pocket change , Fidgeting, Twitching
lips or face Clearing one’s throat,Chain smoking.
Covering the mouth with hand,
Tapping fingers
Common Gesture Clusters
Evaluation:
Evaluation gestures say that the other person is being thoughtful
or is considering what you are saying. Sometimes in a friendly way
sometimes in an unfriendly way.
Typical evaluation gestures include
tilted head,hand to cheek, leaning forward and chin stroking
Sometimes evaluation gestures take on a critical aspect.
The body is more drawn back
The hand is to the face but the chin is in the palm of the hand with
one finger going up the cheek and the other fingers positioned
below the mouth.
This is generally an unfavorable gesture.
To gain time for evaluating the situation people use cigarette or pipe
smoking habits, removing eyeglasses.
A final negative evaluation gesture is dropping his eyeglasses to the
lower bridge of noise and peering over them.
This gesture usually causes a negative emotional overreaction in
other people.
Suspicion, Secrecy,
Rejection, and Doubt:
These negative emotions are communicated typically by:
Sideways glances
Minimal or no eye contact
Shifting the body away from the speaker
Touching or rubbing the nose.
When a person do not want to look at you it could mean he is
being secretive, has private feelings in opposition to what
you are saying or hiding something.
A sideway glances means suspicion and doubt.
Shifting your body from someone means you wish to end the
conversation, meeting etc.
Touching nose may indicate doubt or concealment
Common Gesture Clusters
Readiness
Readiness is related to the goal-
oriented high achiever with a concern
for getting things done.
It communicates dedication to a goal
and is usually communicated by
sitting forward at the edge of a chair.
This may negatively give the
appearence of being overly anxious
also.
Common Gesture
ClustersBoredom or
Impatience
These unproductive feelings are usually conveyed by the
Drumming of fingers
Cupping the head in the palm of the hand,
Foot swinging
Brushing or picking a lint
Looking at your watch or the exit
Common Gesture ClustersEnthusiasm.
This is an emotion hat you love to see in other people and
they in you. It is conveyed by
A small upper or inward smile,Hands open and arms
extended outward,Eyes wide an alert, A lively and bouncy
walk,A lively and well-modulated voice.
Words & Phrases That Usually
Annoy and Hurt People
You should
have known Avoid absolutes
better….. unless you mean
I can see no them.
point in .. Avoid putting the
You must other person down.
realize that.. Avoid superior
I find it difficult sounding
to believe…. judgements.
Don’t be
Saying What We Really
Mean
The price we pay for
not saying what we
mean - or saying
something we didn’t
mean can cause
guilt, anger, loss of
self esteem.
Accusation,
screaming, and
aggressiveness can’t
prove our point.
Informing Without Hurting
First try listening
to others.
Acknowledge
Others’ views and
feelings.
Inform without
hurting.
Avoid the word
‘never’ and the
use of ‘You -
messages’ e.g.