NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Nature, types and importance

What is NVC

All human communication events that are unwritten and unspoken

Bodily actions and vocal qualities that usually accompany a verbal message

According to some experts, more than 90% of our communication is non-verbal

Types

• Body motions ( Kinesics) Eye contact Facial expressions Gestures Posture

• Vocal qualities (Paralanguage) Pitch Volume Rate quality

• Management of personal space ( Proxemics)

• Self presentation Clothing and personal

grooming Touch Management of time

Body Motions

Every behaviour sends a message even if we don’t use words.

The eyes, face, and body can convey a world of meaning without a single syllable being spoken.

Body Motions

1. Eye ContactEye contact is the invitation to communicate!

Eyes are the windows to the soul

How and how much we look at the other person conveys many meanings

• Most of us cannot look another person straight in the eye and lie.

• Sustained eye contact shows admiration and trust

• Brief eye contact signals fear and stress.

• Good eye contact shows that you are paying attention, showing respect, responding favorably and so on.

Body Motions

2. Facial Expressions

Face can display over 10,000 expressions!

Most of us are unable to control our facial expressions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PFqzYoKkCc

Body Motions

3. GesturesThe movement of our hands, arms and fingers

They often accompany some words and can be used alone as well

Body Motions

4. PostureThe position and movement of your body

Changes in posture can also communicate!

Suddenly sitting upright and leaning forward shows ATTENTION

Standing up may signal ‘I am done now’

Turning one’s back to someone means’redirection of attention from that person’

Body Motions

Gender variations in body motions

• Women tend to have more frequent eye contact and hold it

longer

• Women tend to smile more, but their smiles are harder to

interpret

• Differences in gestures are most profound

• Women are better at decoding nonverbal messages

Allan Pease on body language in politics

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTl_y85wGw&feature=related

Paralanguage

Pitch:

The highness or lowness of vocal tone

People raise or lower their pitch to ask questions or to emphasize etc.

Paralanguage

Volume:

The loudness or softness of tome

Paralanguage

Rate :The speed at which a person speaks

Quality :The sound of a person’s voice

Self-Presentation

Choice of clothing

Personal grooming

Poise and self-confidence

Our use of touching

The way we treat time

Self-Presentation

Whether you intend to communicate or not, the way you present yourself SENDS a message

about you

Self-Presentation

Clothes: Your dress sends a silent message to others!

It tells people how fashionable you are, or how conservative or rebellious and so on

Tattoos, hairstyles and hair colors:

Glasses:

Self-Presentation

• Touch:How we touch can communicate our power, our

understanding and our feelings

We shake hands to be polite and sociableWe pat on the back for encouragementWe hug to show love

Self-Presentation

• Touch is used:

• To persuade or influence other people

• To gain control or attention

• To greet

• To show affection

• To show support, appreciation and physical attraction

Self-Presentation

• Touch:People differ in their touching behavior and their

reactions to touch!

Americans are noncontact oriented while Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis are contact oriented

Self-Presentation

• Management of time:

The study of how humans communicate through the use of their time is called Chronemics

• At what time in the evening is it too late to call someone?

• How many days in advance can a meeting be arranged?

• How quickly do you expect a reply to an e-mail?

Self-Presentation

Time:Conception of what is ‘late’ and what is ‘early’

differs from culture to culture

Americans tend to be busy people, and like to do things on their proper time; they are more punctual than people from Latin America, Arab or Southeast Asia

Proxemics

The study of how humans communicate through their use of space

Everybody has his/her own territory or personal bubble around them

Proxemics

• Have you ever been speaking with someone and became uncomfortable because the other person was standing too close to you?

• In an almost empty movie theatre, will you sit very next to a stranger, or leave a few seats empty?

• Do you like to mark your territory, e.g. a particular seat in the classroom, by putting your bag or coat on it?

Proxemics

Four types of distances between people

Intimate distance:

Upto 18 inches

Appropriate for close friends and family

Improper for public places

Proxemics

Personal distanceFrom 1.5 to 4 feetA small area or bubble that we make around

ourselvesFor casual talkAlso for close relationshipsAppropriate for public places

Proxemics

Social distanceFrom 4 to 12 feet

For impersonal interaction like job interviews

Most official interaction takes place at this distance

Proxemics

Public distance12 feet or more

Louder voice and more formal language

Usually used in public speaking situations

Home Assignment

Watch this video from the History Channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQENwD-QlRA&feature=related

Prepare a brief presentation based on the information in the video