Non-verbal communication is generally the act of giving or exchanging information without using any spoken word. In general, non-verbal communication most often occurs through our sensory systems - sight, sound, smell, touch or taste. This form of communication is more to be presented as part of our behaviour than any other form of communications, sometimes even most of us fail to realise that a great portion of our daily communication is delivered through these non-verbal signals.
Since these signals are often so subtle that we are not consciously aware of them, research has discovered several different ways to classify the types of non-verbal communication and this has also inflicted some confusions among the readers from the information obtained from various different sources. From my point of view, the classifications of non-verbal communication should be based on the process of communication in any form presented by oneself, other than the use of word or language.
The followings are brief explanations of the common types of non-verbal communication that we can identify from our daily life.
Facial expressions are one of the most important attributes and the most direct way of non-verbal communication. A smile or a frown on the face can directly 'tell' our counterpart how we feel at a certain moment. Unlike other non-verbal signals, the facial expressions for happiness, sadness, fear and anger are universal, say an Asian and a Caucasian share a similar facial expression for happiness. Therefore, they prove to be very advantageous when it comes to language barriers.
Gesture is deliberate motion of the limbs or body made as an expression of thought or emphasis to improve on communications with or without words. Common gestures that you can find include rubbing chin, waving and waving arms. However, the meaning of gestures can be very different across cultures and regions, so it is important to be careful to avoid misinterpretation.
Paralanguage is the use of non-verbal cues of the voice in communication that is separated from the actual language spoken. Paralanguage may change the meaning of the words spoken and it may also the interpretations and perceptions of the person who listen to a different kinds of paralanguage used.
Posture is defined as the position of the body or of body parts. In a simple conversation, posture can be used to determine a person's degree of attention or involvement, the difference in status, and the level of fondness a person has for the other person. Posture could be studied during communication through the indicators as direction of lean, body orientation, arm position, and body openness.
Proxemic is the study of how people use and perceive the physical space around them. The space between two person communicating with each others influences the way the message is interpreted. The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us is influenced by a number of factors including social norms, situational factors, personality characteristics, and level of familiarity. Interestingly, the perception and use of space varies significantly across cultures
The study of the role of eyes in non-verbal communication is also known as "oculesics". Eye contact can indicate interest, attention, and involvement. Gaze comprises the actions of looking while talking, looking while listening, amount of gaze, and frequency of glances, patterns of fixation, pupil dilation, and blink rate. The different ways of looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility, interest, and attraction.
Haptics is the use of touching as non-verbal communication. Touches that can be defined as communication with another person include handshakes, holding hands, kissing, back slapping, high fives, a pat on the shoulder, and brushing an arm. Touching of oneself may include licking, picking, holding, and scratching. The information conveyed from touch is highly dependent upon the context of the situation, the relationship between communicators, and the manner of touch. Elements such as physique, height, weight, hair, skin colour, gender, odours, and clothing send non-verbal messages during interaction. Our choice of colour, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a means of non-verbal communication. Research on colour psychology has demonstrated that different colours can invoke different moods. Appearance can also alter physiological reactions, judgement, and interpretations.
Of course, there are more of the non-verbal types, other than those classified above, which are not very common to be noticed. We will look further into these communicaton signals as we go along for more upcoming posts.
More books about non-verbal communications
It would be helpful if we can spare at least 10 minutes a day and learn to pick up some gestures of other people, also developing a conscious awareness of our own gestures. A good place to start with could be somewhere that has plenty of human interactions taking place, for example at the airport. Such a place could allow us to observe many different types of gesture from the people around, expressing their happiness, sadness, eagerness, anger and other emotional reactions.
