The Importance Of Nonbal Communication

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.

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 interactions I observed between these two women are examples of non-verbal communication. According to Adler, Rosenfeld, and Proctor (2013), non-verbal communication entails “messages expressed by nonlinguistic means” and is an important aspect of communication because “what we do often conveys more meaning than what we say. (p. 177).

As critical as individual behavior impacts society, there are hazards with the overuse of technology when applied to how youths communicate to one another and those around them. In 2012, it was noted by the Pew Research Center how adolescents greatly prefer instant messaging, otherwise known as texting, with 75% admitted using texts over other digital communication like the telephone and electronic mail (Swick & Jellinek, 2014). Without any visual interpretation of non-verbal behavior or tone when using text messages, it raises a concern with adults on how adolescents use this form of digital dialogue.

Problems in businesses conducted across cultures often arise when individuals from one culture are not able to understand culturally determined differences. The most common difference is the language barrier if individuals are not fluent in the language. With individuals, who don’t speak the same language, the use of nonverbal cues can explain what is trying to be communicated. Nonverbal cues and behaviors vary from one culture to another. For example, people from the U.S. are taught to use direct eye contact when communicating; in many

As Yang (2015) has researched, eye contact is considered important when communicating with another person in English speaking countries; however, in some Asian, Indian and Pakistani cultures, people may not use eye contact with others as a sign of respect, especially if the person they are communicating with is of higher status. This could create challenges in a diverse classroom, as teachers in western classrooms will need to learn and understand that students may not use eye contact when communicating as a sign of respect, or because of their cultural beliefs. When communicating with people from different cultures that use no eye contact, citizens from the United States may perceive people to be uninterested in the conversation or preoccupied when communication. This may be due to the lack of eye contact used in these cultures. The use of gestures can also create challenges in a culturally diverse classroom, as gestures can mean different things among cultures. Yang (2015) has studied how teachers could potentially insult an international student from China or the Philippines for using a single-upright-finger gesture in order to beckon them over. This could be offensive to the students, as the Chinese and Philippines culture find this gesture insulting. Jandt (2007), and Yang’s (2015) research has shown how eye contact and the use of gestures

Last Fall, I took an Interpersonal Communication class from Josie Wood at Chemeketa. While I enjoyed most of the class, I remember one project in particular which I initially rejected as not applicable to myself. We discussed in class that men and women generally physically carry themselves differently and interact in the world in differing ways using non-verbal cues. Our text explained the non-verbal communication we use is often influenced by gender. The list for women seemed submissive and yielding. This is not how I saw myself; I expressed as much to Josie. She encouraged me to become more aware of my actions as I likely had internalized more female traits than I realized. I came to understand that through subconscious

Furthermore, Eye contact is yet another big deal in the business industry. According to bizmove.com, “It can convey emotion, signal when to talk or finish, or aversion. The frequency of eye contact may suggest either interest or boredom.” This means that eye contact is very important when speaking to someone, listening to a speaker, or showing interest. When it comes to business never lose eye contact. According to professor Macphail, “Eye contact tells a lot about the speaker” (Macphail). In the Western cultures looking directly into someone’s eyes shows respect. But in Japan, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East to show respect one has to avoid eye contact with the elders.

Nonverbal Communication Tips Nicole Schmidt Tara Lynn Schmidt Interpersonal Communications 103 Chelsa Budd DATE \@ "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy" Wednesday, November 8, 2017 Your nonverbal communication is a very important aspect when making a first impression. That’s the thing with a first impression, you don’t get a do-over. You want to be convincing of your confidence and know how during a job interview; as to why the employer should choose you, over anyone else. It’s important that the messages you send with body sync with the verbal message you send. If they do not match, then that is where you get confusion and miscommunication between people. Below is a list of ten effective nonverbal communication tips. Review them before your interview and you should do just fine! Eye contact: The amount of eye contact you use with the person you are speaking with will determine to them how interested or involved you are in the conversation. Eye contact is a huge part of nonverbal communication and social behavior. Eye contact can be a form of confidence, respect, and social communication. It’s important to remember that eye contact can be a sign of disrespect in some cultures, the opposite of what we are used to in North America. Facial Expression: The human face is very expressive when it comes to communicating nonverbally. Your face is able to express countless emotions and facial expressions without saying a word. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures. Facial expressions can be misread very easily without even knowing that its happening. Space (SPATIAL MESSAGES) This is the study of the way in which people use space to communicate varied meanings. We can examine this broad area by looking at the messages communicated by proxemics distance and territory. Intimate distance - this space would be from actual touching to 46cm (this distance is so close that people done usually do this in public. Personal distance - this space often ranges from 46 cm to 1.2 meters; this distance often referrers to the personal bubble, this defines your personal space. Social distance - this space often ranges from 1.2 to 3.6 meters; you lose the visual detail you have at

Two people are having a conversation in which one person is talking and asking questions while the other remains silent or gives her/him the “silent treatment.”

Non-verbal communication is an essential form of expression; it can support a verbal context or merely be the only method of relying on an idea or thought. Interpersonal and Group Dynamic textbook states “non-verbal communication is the primary way we communicate feelings, attitudes and emotions” (p.159). This manifestation can be transmitted through body language, facial expression to murmuring, thus understanding this form of communication is crucial since it can open or close a dialogue. Whereas, someone who is non-expressive, or has closed body language, it can be interpreted to be arrogant or not willing to exchange in a conversation. In this section of the course, I came to realize my non-verbal communication style is both negative and positive. The negative aspect is my body being restless or closed while distracted by other

“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.

As with many of the challenges that we have encountered, dealing with your feelings about what is happening and recognizing them and expressing them is key, as is communication with others. In this paper, I will discuss how I would communicate in different scenarios, verbally and non-verbally.

Non –verbal communication comes under the purview of social interaction in sociology. Nonverbal communication affects how the words one says is perceived and understood . This type of communication includes gestures, touch, body language, posture, facial expressions, and eye contact. Nonverbal communication can also include messages communicated through material items. For example, clothing or hairstyle is a form of nonverbal exchange that communicates something about the individual. As a general rule, nonverbal communication can be studied based on the location or context of communication, the physical characteristics of the interlocutors, and the behaviors of the interlocutors in the course of the interaction