Essay on Nonverbal Communication and Cultural Differences

To me interpersonal communication describes the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages between two different people. Joseph DeVito states that “interpersonal communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable” due to these things effective communication is a necessary skill for us to function in our day to day lives (p. 20). Therefore, I have created a theory for interpersonal communication that goes as follows; To experience effective communication you must understand: your culture, the other person’s culture, and how to listen effectively. By knowing these three things you can consistently avoid misunderstandings and promote understanding in your interpersonal and intercultural relationships.

Non-verbal communication consists mainly of the things people do with their body language. There are times where words are expressed and non-verbal communication could help emphasize the message. A few examples of nonverbal communication are hand gestures eye contact, facial expressions as well as tone and volume. I was given this assignment to observe a situation and take note of the nonverbal communication that occurred. I also had to observe whether the non-verbals were able to execute the message and if the behavior was acceptable.

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

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

While communication across cultures relies on speech to convey the messages of those living in the same society, usually the unspoken language has a larger role to play in delivering these messages. Similar to the country’s language being specific to the region it surfaces from, body language and facial expressions also have individual characteristics within a particular region. There are shared attributes of nonverbal communication across the world but these are commonly divided into high and low context cultures. This results from different cultural beliefs and attitudes within such societies and impact on the social norms of communication. In Japan, the citizens communicate with actions and gestures to a larger percent in comparison to their speech, as they are able to understand each other’s meaning without additional words. Due to it being a high context culture Japan relies heavily on its nonverbal communication for its society to function efficiently and for adequate comprehension to be achieved.

Furthermore how would we be able to transfer all of our knowledge to the next person, better yet, how would we improve our capacity of knowledge as a whole. We

Every culture has a different way in communicating with one another, when no one is speaking. Nonverbal is a message that is sent from one person to another which does not include words, but body motions (Farb, 2017, textbook chapter 8, pg. 256). This is what it includes “eye contact, touch and vocal qualities; and the use of time, space, artifacts, dress, and smell” (Farb, 2017, textbook chapter 8, pg. 256). “Nonverbal communication is a key component to the steps of interaction, and many people rely on nonverbal cues to understand one another”. Nonverbal communication in use by people around the world without speaking a word, but using body motions and they still get messages out. The differences of verbal and nonverbal communications, is verbal uses symbols and nonverbal uses signals. In this nonverbal communication training-guide, it will explain the different body motions in the Muslim culture of what to do and what not to do, and what behavior is appropriate and what is not appropriate. These body motions will include Kinesics, Proxemis, Haptics, Paralanguage, Chronemics, Physical appearance/attire, Oculesics, and Olfactics.

Any communication interaction involves two major components in terms of how people are perceived: verbal, or what words are spoken and nonverbal, the cues such as facial expressions, posture, verbal intonations, and other body gestures. Many people believe it is their words that convey the primary messages but it is really their nonverbal cues. The hypothesis for this research paper was: facial expressions directly impact how a person is perceived. A brief literature search confirmed this hypothesis.

The spoken language, while endlessly useful, is only a recent invention in comparison to body language. Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s often quoted study found that 7% of a message is conveyed through words, 38% through vocal elements, and 55% through nonverbal elements. While these statistics and their meanings may not be so straightforward, the overall take away is clear; nonverbal communication heavily affects the way we receive and transmit messages.

Undeniably, presentations give individuals an opportunity to connect with your clients, colleagues, and other contacts. Presentations are a rich two-way communication environment. However, it is essential that you build credibility before, during, and after your presentation. In addition, authenticity is of the utmost importance; even if you plan and rehearse, authenticity must be maintained. With presentations, nervousness and fear can be overcome by numerous strategies to ensure that your presentation is effective. Moreover, it is crucial that your nonverbal behavior displays confidence, strength, and concern. Enhancing these strategies can assist you in delivering a spectacular presentation (Cardon, 2013).

In a romantic relationship, it is easy to have miscommunication between a man and a woman. “Most researchers agree that 70% or more of the meaning of any message is communicated through nonverbal channels like eye contact, facial expressions, posture, hand gestures, etc.” (Stinnett, 2015). Verbal and nonverbal messages are like a relationship, they work well together that way the message is sent and delivered appropriately and that there is no miscommunication. Women have their way of expressing themselves to their boyfriend, fiancé, and or husband and vice versa for men. This paper will focus on the varying behavior of gender in expressing the different type of emotions using nonverbal communication in a romantic relationship. Following

In every society nonverbal communication is one of the most powerful tools that a person can use to interpret the message that is being delivered. Even though verbal communication is fairly straightforward, nonverbal communication allows others to sense the true emotions of the person that is expressing them. For example even though a person may say that they are not irritated, their usage of voice may display otherwise. Nonverbal communication not only reveals hidden messages, but it also complements, substitutes, and exaggerates verbal communication.

One thing we all have in common is that we must all communicate in one form or another. Everyone communicates even if they know it or not. Both verbal and nonverbal communication is used during conversations. Using both forms helps convey and support the message you are trying to send.

Following proxemics, arises kinesics. “Kinesics are gestures, body movements, facial expressions, and eye contact behaviors” (Jandt, 2016). This type of nonverbal communication is very important to acknowledge when traveling as people perceive and interpret what is seen much quicker. Kinesics are globally understood differently. For example, a “thumbs up” or “OK” gesture in the United States could be a symbol of agreeance or good job and a symbol for money in Japan (Levine & Adelman, 1993), meanwhile, in Argentina it is considered a sign of crudity. Another example of kinesics is when one physically hits the left palm with the right fist, which in the United States it is an action of “rock, paper, scissors,” in Argentina is it interpreted as “I don’t believe what you are saying” or “that’s stupid” (“How to Use Effectively”, 2017). When greeting, it is common for people of the same gender to have frequent physical contact, that is a hug and kiss on both cheeks. A handshake or a nod is a sign of respect for others. Also, when speaking about an object or others, instead of pointing, “use your open hand rather than a finger,” as it is considered unpolite (Katz, 2007). When going out to have dinner or lunch at someone’s home or at a restaurant, always keep the hands visible when eating, and do not rest your elbows on the table, which is considered a sign of no interest (Argentina Guide, n.d.). When one is finished eating, it is expected to place the “knife and fork across the

“Systematic research on the role of nonverbal behavior in social interaction has been common only in the past 20 to 25 years.”(Edinger and Patterson, 1983, p. 30).because that statement was published in 1983, it is apparent that the study of nonverbal behavior has been around for roughly 50 to 55 years. However, that is still a relatively recent amount of time compared to research in other science fields such as chemistry or biology. Despite the fact that this field is relatively recent there are many theories about our interaction with others. This paper will discuss the nonverbal expectancy theory along with two other theories, and describe how these theories can work together.