Non Verbal Communication - Haptics

Touch - Touch is the most used non-verbal communication. An example is when we shake hands at a first meeting. The way we handle individuals can be a positive way of communicating. We communicate when we lift an individual’s leg or move them.

Not all patients (or staff) are comfortable with using touch but I soon realised the boundaries with each individual patient.

When we look at new born baby, most of the time when they explore the new world, they will use their hand try to reach the object that they are interested in. To remember how that object feel through touching. When we grow up, when we meet someone, the first thing we will do is to give out our hand to greet other with a handshake, in fact this simple action can also reveal our personality. When we do not like or trying to protect ourselves, our hand will become a fist, ready to punch to express dislike. In a relationship, we often see couples holding hands, which can also explaining as they are fear to lose each other, besides they are willing to hand their life to their opponent. When we are holing other hands, we feel secure and someone to

Touch: touching another person can send signs of care, love, power or sexual interest. You should think before touching someone in a health and social care environment as it could come across as inappropriate. If you give a child a hug when they are upset in a nursery or hospital this shows that you are caring and trying to make them feel better, but if a adult hugged a teenager this may come across as too intimate. You can use this in health and social care when you are in a care home and a client is feeling lonely and upset and you give them a hug they would appreciate that and not feel offended by it , as long as it’s appropriate and you have their permission to touch them.

Chapter  4  –  Nonverbal  Communication 1. What  are  the  functions  of  nonverbal  messages? ● Substitute ● complement  verbal  messages:  adds  to  verbal  message,  improves  clarity  and  understanding ● contradict:  non  verbal  behavior  not  reflecting  verbal  message 2. Know  the  different  codes  (i.e.,  kinesics,  haptics,  proxemics,  vocalics,  chronemics,  and  self-­ presentation  cues). Code  1  -­  Kinesics  /  Use  of  the  body ● Gestures ○ Emblems  -­  gestures  with  explicit  meaning  and  dictionary  definitions ○ Illustrator  -­  gestures  that  accompany  verbal  message ○ Adaptors  -­  Touching  behaviors  that  reveal  internal  states  such  as  anxiety ■ self  adaptors ■ object  adaptors  -­  handling  of  objects ■ other  adaptors  -­  touching  other  people ● Eye  contact  /  Oculesics ○ both  people  are  looking  directly  into  each  others  eyes ● Functions ○ regulates  interaction ○ monitors  interaction ○ signals  cognitive  activity ○ expresses  involvement

In some cultures touching and hugging is a big part of their lives. How you touch someone says a lot about you. The way you touch someone says a lot if you touch them loving and comforting it shows you are kind. If you touch them too hard and hurt them, people are going to be afraid to touch you when they see you. In the United States we always shake hands with people when see them or meet someone a new person. That says you are friendly but not always in a good way. We shake hands with a lot of people and sometimes we don’t really want to see that person any more.

There are eight key forms of nonverbal communications used on a daily basis. These forms can affect the way people view another person; however, without understanding the forms of nonverbal communication there is certain to be a lot of misinterpretations. Cultural and language differences are a common reason for miscommunication. When communicating with people in different cultures, a person should be extremely aware of the hand gestures and nonverbal communication tools they are using. Many of the hand gestures used in the United States that mean good things, mean offensive and profane things to other cultures. Nonverbal communication is described as body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions. It is known that people reveal more information through nonverbal communication, than words alone to get a point across. There will always be some interaction between two or more people that everyone’s

The last group is kinesthetic communicators who learn through experiencing and through touch. Their interest is in how a message FEELS. They memorize by doing or by walking through something. They will often talk more slowly and softly. Often it will take a kinesthetic communicator more words to articulate what they are trying to say. When talking, their eyes may look down, and they’d like to touch others, or stand closer or huddle in groups. Their arms tend to wrap around their body. Kinesthetic communicators are people who find it hard to sit still. They love to experiment, to be challenged, to get their hands dirty. They are often high energy folks who have engaged in sport, or those chirpy people who are surrounded by others. Since they’re emotional and caring, it’s hard for them to say “no” when asked to

Clinically appropriate touch increases the client’s sense of trust, comfort and ease with the therapist. As a result touch is highly effective in enriching beneficial relationship between client and therapist. The meaning of touch can only be understood within the context of who the client is, the therapeutic relationship, and the setting. There are instances when the use of touch should be avoided for those clients who are highly paranoid, hostile, highly sexualized or who demand touch.

4. A male supervisor touches or pats a female subordinate on nonsexual parts of her anatomy.

Care experts are in an exceptional position with respect to touching other individuals. In numerous settings where individual care is given, the standard hindrances that confine where and how regularly we touch others in ordinary life are suspended. Care experts are for the most part permitted and anticipated that would touch others as a major aspect of their work. In this context, care providers can utilize touch as a method for imparting consolation, to do care systems and to show sympathy toward others; it is essential that touch isn't misconstrued or utilized as a method for conveying predominance or sexual yearning. Asking whether it is alright to hold a man's hand or to touch them in another way-and clarifying why this is vital can diminish

Touch: touch is a very powerful means of communication. Lightly touching a person’s hand can convey your concern and affection for them. But as with eye contact, the touch has to be appropriate, and there are important cultural issues around touch that need to be understood. It’s also important that patient/clients give permission for you to touch them, something we looked at in more detail in

I recently observed a young couple interacting while sitting in a coffee house. To begin with, the couple seemed awkward and unsure initially and became more comfortable with one another as the time passed. The couple used all types of nonverbal signals but I particularly noticed there was very little space between them, they often touched, and they almost always maintained eye contact. While I observed them, they sat side by side on a small couch, facing each other, and the female sometimes touched the male's arms and thighs. Based on what I witnessed, the nonverbal signals helped this couple to successfully correspond to one another and moved along their conversation. Although I could not make out their conversation it was very evident both

In the hospital, doctors and nurse are proficient in the kinesics. Doctors and nurses convey comfort, safety, power, and encouragement to help treat their patients, through facial motions, eye contact, and positive gestures. These are effective nonverbal communications because they make patients have confidence to fight disease.

Men, on the other hand, are more likely than women to associate touching with sexual intentions and therefore are much less likely to use touch during a conversation with another male. (Carnes) At the core, the reasons why men and women have different body language tendencies lies in accordance with each respective gender’s interpretations of signals he or she gives or receives. It is clear that they ways that men and women use nonverbal communication significantly differ from one another.