What is Nonverbal Communication

Non-verbal communication occurs without using any oral or written word. Instead of written or oral words, it relies
on various non-verbal cues like physical movements, tasks, colors, signs, symbols, signals charts, etc. to express
feelings, attitudes or information. Although no word is used in non-verbal communication, it can effectively
communicate many human feelings more accurately than verbal methods of communication.

10 TYPES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

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. The face is an important communicator. It is commonly said that face
is the index of the mind. It expresses the type of emotions or feelings such as joy, love, interest, sorrow, anger,
annoyance, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, hatred surprise, and uncertainty. Facial expressions are indicated through
the mouth (open, wide or closed), eyelids (raised or lowered), nose (wrinkled or relaxed), cheeks (drawn up or
back) and the forehead (lowered or raised). Within the facial area, eyes are especially effective for indicating
attention and interest. However, interpretations of facial expressions differ from culture to culture. The human
face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of
nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger,
surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures.

Gestures

Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning without words. Common
gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numeric amounts. Other gestures are arbitrary and
related to culture. Gestures are movements of the arms, legs, hands, and head. Some authors opine that gesture is
the deliberate body movement as because they express specific and intentional meaning. Gestures are woven into
the fabric of our daily lives. You may wave, point, beckon, or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly,
often expressing yourself with gestures without thinking. However, the meaning of some gestures can be very
different across cultures. While the OK sign made with the hand, for example, conveys a positive message in
English-speaking countries, it is consider offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and Brazil. So, it’s
important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid misinterpretation.

Paralinguistics

This facet of nonverbal communication includes such vocal elements as tone, pitch, rhythm, timbre, loudness, and
inflection. For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your voice. One of the major
criticisms is of instructors who speak in a monotone. Listeners perceive these instructors as boring and dull.
Students report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to teachers who have not
learned to modulate their voices. Paralinguistics refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual
language. This includes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch. 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 approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a hesitant tone of voice might convey disapproval and
a lack of interest. Consider all the different ways that simply changing your tone of voice might change the
meaning of a sentence. A friend might ask you how you are doing, and you might respond with the standard "I'm
fine," but how you actually say those words might reveal a tremendous amount of how you are really feeling. A
cold tone of voice might suggest that you are actually not fine, but you don't wish to discuss it. A bright, happy
tone of voice will reveal that you are actually doing quite well. A somber, downcast tone would indicate that you
are the opposite of fine and that perhaps your friend should inquire further.

Body Language

Body language is another widely recognized form of non-verbal communication. Body movements can convey
meanings and message. Body language may take two forms of unconscious movements and consciously controlled
movements. For example, when a person is bored, he may gaze around the room rather than look at the speaker
or he may shift positions frequently. When a person is nervous, he may bite his nails or mash hair. These are
usually made unconsciously. On the other hand, leaning forward toward the speaker to express interest is the case
of conscious body movements.

Haptics

Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. There has been a substantial amount of
research on the importance of touch in infancy and early childhood. Touch is a widely used form of non-verbal
communication tool. By touching, one can express a wide range of emotions. However, the accepted modes of
touch vary depending on the gender, age, relative status, intimacy and cultural background of the persons. For
example, in the context of our culture, when one touches you from the back of the examination hall, your
understanding is that he wants to know something. We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the
very different messages given by a weak handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing pat on the head, or a
controlling grip on the arm, for example.

Eye contact

The eyes play an important role in nonverbal communication and such things as looking, staring and blinking are
important nonverbal behaviors. When people encounter people or things that they like, the rate of blinking
increases and pupils dilate. Looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions including hostility, interest,
and attraction. People also utilize eye gaze as a means to determine if someone is being honest. 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. Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type of
nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can communicate many things, including interest,
affection, hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for
gauging the other person’s interest and response. Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal
communication, helps regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others. Furthermore, eye
contact with audiences increases the speaker’s credibility. Teachers who make eye contact open the flow of
communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.
Space and Distance or Proxemics

Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing too close and
invading your space? We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture,
the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space to communicate many different
nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance. Space and distance are
significant non-verbal tools in the case of organizational communication. A spacious and well-decorated room
indicates a person’s position in the organization hierarchy and external people gets a message about his
importance and authority only by visiting his room. Distance is another communication tool, which expresses the
degree of intimacy and individual acceptance.

Appearance

Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a means of
nonverbal communication. 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 his or her appearance. These first impressions
are important, which is why experts suggest that job seekers dress appropriately for interviews with potential
employers. Researchers have found that appearance can play a role in how people are perceived and even how
much they earn. One 1996 study found that attorneys who were rated as more attractive than their peers earned
nearly 15 percent more than those ranked as less attractive. Culture is an important influence on how appearances
are judged. While thinness tends to be valued in Western cultures, some African cultures relate full-figured bodies
to better health, wealth, and social status.

Artifacts

Objects and images are also tools that can be used to communicate nonverbally. On an online forum, for example,
you might select an avatar to represent your identity online and to communicate information about who you are
and the things you like. People often spend a great deal of time developing a particular image and surrounding
themselves with objects designed to convey information about the things that are important to them. Uniforms,
for example, can be used to transmit a tremendous amount of information about a person. A soldier will don
fatigues, a police officer will wear a uniform, and a doctor will wear a white lab coat. At a mere glance, these
outfits tell people what a person does for a living.

Visual Communication

When communication occurs by means of any visual aids, it is known as visual communication. Thus,
communication that occurs through facial expression, personal appearance, gesture, posture, printed picture, sign,
signal, symbol, map, poster, slide, chart, diagram, graph, etc. is called visual communication. For example, to
indicate ‘danger’, we use red sign; to mean ‘dangerous’, we use a skull placed between two pieces of bone put in
crosswise fashion; to indicate ‘no smoking’, we use an image showing a lighted cigarette with a cross mark on it.