Maddara, Benedict L. Ms.

Marnellie Aquino

STEM 4 August 02, 2017

Non- Verbal Communication

Definition:

Nonverbal communication (NVC) between people is communication through sending and

receiving wordless clues.

It includes the use of visual cues such as body language (kinesics), distance (proxemics) and
physical environments/appearance, of voice (paralanguage) and of touch (haptics).[1] It can also
include chronemics (the use of time) and oculesics (eye contact and the actions of looking while talking
and listening, frequency of glances, patterns of fixation, pupil dilation, and blink rate).

In many instances, what comes out of your mouth and what you communicate through your
body language are two totally different things. When faced with these mixed signals, the listener has to
choose whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal message. Invariably, they're going to choose the
nonverbal because it's a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts your true feelings and
intentions.

Nonverbal communication represents two-thirds of all communication. Nonverbal

communication can portray a message both vocally and with the correct body signals or gestures.

Why does it Matter?

The way you listen, look, move, and react tells the other person whether or not you care, if
youre being truthful, and how well youre listening. When your nonverbal signals match up with the
words youre saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they dont, they can generate
tension, mistrust, and confusion.

If you want to become a better communicator, its important to become more sensitive not only to the
body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own.

Cues

A cue is a type of communication used by an adult to let a child know what is expected of
him/her in a given situation. Cues are a type of receptive communication. Designing and using a
consistent routine is the beginning of teaching cues.

Nonverbal communication between people is communication through sending and receiving

wordless clues. It includes the use of visual cues such as body language (kinesics), distance (proxemics)
and physical environments/appearance, of voice (paralanguage) and of touch (haptics).
Examples

Examples of non verbal communication of this type include shaking hands, patting the back,
hugging, pushing, or other kinds of touch. Other forms of non verbal communication are facial
expressions, gestures, and eye contact. When someone is talking, they notice changes in facial
expressions and respond accordingly.

Nonverbal communication cues can play five roles:

Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally.

Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey.

Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a person's eyes can often convey a
far more vivid message than words.

Complementing: they may add to or complement a verbal message. A boss who pats a person on the
back in addition to giving praise can increase the impact of the message.

Accenting: they may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can
underline a message.

The many different types of nonverbal communication include:

Facial expressions

The human face is extremely expressive, able to express countless emotions without saying a
word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial
expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures.

Body movements and posture

Consider how your perceptions of people are affected by the way they sit, walk, stand, or hold
their head. The way you move and carry yourself communicates a wealth of information to the world.
This type of nonverbal communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and subtle movements.

Gestures

Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We wave, point, beckon, and use our hands
when were arguing or speaking animatedlyexpressing ourselves with gestures often without thinking.
However, the meaning of gestures can be very different across cultures and regions, so its important to
be careful to avoid misinterpretation.
Eye contact

Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type
of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can communicate many things, including
interest, affection, hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of
conversation and for gauging the other persons interest and response.

Touch

We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the messages given by the following:
a weak handshake, a timid tap on the shoulder, a warm bear hug, a reassuring slap on the back, a
patronizing pat on the head, or a controlling grip on the arm.

Space

Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing
too close and invading your space? We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs
depending on the culture, the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical
space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection,
aggression or dominance.

Voice

Its not just what you say, its how you say it. When we speak, other people read our voices in
addition to listening to our words. Things they pay attention to include your timing and pace, how loud
you speak, your tone and inflection, and sounds that convey understanding, such as ahh and uh-
huh. Think about how someone's tone of voice, for example, can indicate sarcasm, anger, affection, or
confidence.

Nonverbal communication cant be faked

You may be familiar with advice on how to sit a certain way, steeple your fingers, or shake hands
just so in order to appear confident or assert dominance. But the truth is that such tricks arent likely to
work (unless you truly feel confident and in charge). Thats because you cant control all of the signals
youre constantly sending off about what youre really thinking and feeling. And the harder you try, the
more unnatural your signals are likely to come across.

How nonverbal communication can go wrong

What you communicate through your body language and nonverbal signals affects how others
see you, how well they like and respect you, and whether or not they trust you. Unfortunately, many
people send confusing or negative nonverbal signals without even knowing it. When this happens, both
connection and trust are damaged.
 Verbal Communication

Definition:

Verbal communication is the use of sounds and words to express yourself, especially in contrast
to using gestures or mannerisms (non-verbal communication).

Effective verbal or spoken communication is dependent on a number of factors and cannot be

fully isolated from other important interpersonal skills such as non-verbal communication, listening
skills and clarification.

Clarity of speech, remaining calm and focused, being polite and following some basic rules of
etiquette will all aid the process of verbal communication.

Opening Communication

In many interpersonal encounters, the first few minutes are extremely important as first
impressions have a significant impact on the success of further communication.

Everyone has expectations and norms as to how initial meetings should proceed and people
tend to behave according to these expectations. If these expectations are mismatched, communication
will not be effective or run smoothly, and some form of negotiation will be needed if relations are to
continue.

At a first meeting, formalities and appropriate greetings are usually expected: such formalities could
include a handshake, an introduction to yourself, eye contact and discussion around a neutral subject
such as the weather or your journey may be useful. A friendly disposition and smiling face are much
more likely to encourage communication than a blank face, inattention or disinterested reception.

Reinforcement

The use of encouraging words alongside non-verbal gestures such as head nods, a warm facial
expression and maintaining eye contact, are more likely to reinforce openness in others.

The use of encouragement and positive reinforcement can:

Encourage others to participate in discussion (particularly in group work)

Signify interest in what other people have to say

Pave the way for development and/or maintenance of a relationship

Allay fears and give reassurance

Show warmth and openness.

Reduce shyness or nervousness in ourselves and others.

How to be a good listener?

Focus fully on the speaker. You cant communicate effectively when youre multitasking. If
youre daydreaming, checking your phone, or thinking about something else, youre almost certain to
miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment
experience. If you find it hard to concentrate on some speakers, try repeating their words over in your
headitll reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

Favor your right ear. As strange as it sounds, the left side of the brain contains the primary
processing centers for both speech comprehension and emotions. Since the left side of the brain is
connected to the right side of the body, favoring your right ear can help you better detect the emotional
nuances of what someone is saying.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns, by saying something
like, If you think thats bad, let me tell you what happened to me. Listening is not the same as waiting
for your turn to talk. You cant concentrate on what someones saying if youre forming what youre
going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your minds
elsewhere.

Show your interest in what's being said. Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and make sure
your posture is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like
yes or uh huh.

Try to set aside judgment. In order to communicate effectively with someone, you dont have
to like them or agree with their ideas, values, or opinions. However, you do need to set aside your
judgment and withhold blame and criticism in order to fully understand them. The most difficult
communication, when successfully executed, can lead to an unlikely connection with someone.

Provide feedback. If there seems to be a disconnect, reflect what has been said by
paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," or "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back.
Dont simply repeat what the speaker has said verbatim, thoughyoull sound insincere or unintelligent.
Instead, express what the speakers words mean to you. Ask questions to clarify certain points: "What
do you mean when you say..." or "Is this what you mean?"
Effective Listening

Active listening is an important skill and yet, as communicators, people tend to spend far more energy
considering what they are going to say rather than listening to what the other person is trying to say.

Although active listening is a skill in itself, covered in depth on our listening pages, it is also vital for
effective verbal communication.

The following points are essential for effective and active listening:

Arrange a comfortable environment conducive to the purpose of the communication, for example a
warm and light room with minimal background noise.

Be prepared to listen.

Keep an open mind and concentrate on the main direction of the speaker's message.

Avoid distractions if at all possible.

Delay judgment until you have heard everything.

Be objective.

Do not be trying to think of your next question while the other person is giving information.

Do not dwell on one or two points at the expense of others.

The speaker should not be stereotyped. Try not to let prejudices associated with, for example, gender,
ethnicity, social class, appearance or dress interfere with what is being said.

Questioning

Effective questioning is an essential skill. Questioning can be used to:

Obtain information. Draw someone into a conversation.

Start a conversation. Show interest in a person.

Test understanding. Seek support or agreement.

Closed Questions

Closed questions tend to seek only a one or two word answer (often simply 'yes' or 'no') and, in
doing so, limit the scope of the response. Two examples of closed questions are "Did you travel by car
today?" and "Did you see the football game yesterday?" These types of question mean control of the
communication is maintained by the questioner yet this is often not the desired outcome when trying to
encourage verbal communication. Nevertheless, closed questions can be useful for focusing discussion
and obtaining clear, concise answers when needed.

Open Questions

Open questions broaden the scope for response since they demand further discussion and
elaboration. For example, "What was the traffic like this morning?" or "What do you feel you would like
to gain from this discussion?" Open questions will take longer to answer, but they do give the other
person far more scope for self-expression and encourage involvement in the conversation.

Reflecting and Clarifying

Reflecting is the process of feeding-back to another person your understanding of what has been said.
Although reflecting is a specialised skill used within counselling, it can also be applied to a wide range of
communication contexts and is a useful skill to learn.

Reflecting often involves paraphrasing the message communicated to you by the speaker in your own
words, capturing the essence of the facts and feelings expressed, and communicating your
understanding back to the speaker. It is a useful skill because:

You can check that you have understood the message clearly.

The speaker gets feedback as to how the message is received.

It shows interest in, and respect for, what the other person has to say.

You are demonstrating that you are considering the other persons viewpoint.

Summarising

A summary is an overview of the main points or issues raised. Summarising can also serve the
same purpose as 'reflecting'. However, summarising allows both parties to review and agree the
communication exchanged between them up to that point in time. When used effectively, summaries
may also serve as a guide to the next steps forward.

Closing Communication

The way a communication is closed or ended will, at least in part, determine the way a
conversation is remembered.

A range of subtle, or sometimes not so subtle, signals are used to end an interaction. For
example, some people may avoid eye contact, stand up, turn their body away, or use behaviours such as
looking at a watch or closing notepads or books. All of these non-verbal actions indicate to the other
person that the initiator wishes to end the communication.
 Closing an interaction too abruptly may not allow the other person to 'round off' what he or she
is saying so you should ensure there is time for winding-up. The closure of an interaction is a good time
to make any future arrangements. Last, but not least, this time will no doubt be accompanied by a
number of socially acceptable parting gestures.

Cues

Speakers use non-verbal cues all the time through body language or tone, but they might also
deliver cues verbally. A verbal cue is a prompt that is conveyed in spoken language from one person to
another or a group of people.

How often do you think about the ways you communicate with others? We communicate with
people every day in various ways; yet for something that's so instinctual and basic, communication is
actually a very complicated process with a lot of nuances. For instance, how do you know when to laugh
when someone tells a joke? Usually it's because he or she has given you some kind of cue indicating that
the punch line has been delivered, and you are expected to laugh.

When it comes to communication, cues are prompts that people use to indicate that they
expect a response or reaction. Speakers use non-verbal cues all the time through body language or tone,
but they might also deliver cues verbally. A verbal cue is a prompt that is conveyed in spoken language
from one person to another or a group of people. For example, if you were listening to a lecture, the
instructor might say something like, 'Does anyone know why this happened?' In this case, the instructor
is obviously looking for one or more people to respond to the question with an answer.

Verbal cues are common when teaching children and, like the one in the previous example, are
usually pretty easy to spot because they are clearly articulated, such as, 'Does anyone know?' This,
however, doesn't mean they're always so apparent or direct. In fact, verbal cues can come in many
different forms, and a strong communicator knows how to recognize them all.

Direct & Indirect Cues

Broadly speaking, there are two main types of verbal cues under which other sub-types fall. The
first, direct verbal cues, are clearly articulated statements of instructions. These are probably very
familiar to parents, who often have to repeatedly give children directions like, 'Go clean your room' and
'Go brush your teeth.' Direct verbal cues are used to make very clear that the listener is expected to do
or say something in response.

The second of these types, indirect verbal cues, are prompts that tend to be less obvious about
what is expected and might come in the form of a question. For instance, the earlier example of being in
a lecture illustrates the use of an indirect prompt. In that case, the instructor has indicated that he or
she is looking for a response, but is not specific about what he or she wants to hear.

Direct verbal cues leave little doubt about what is expected because it is the responsibility of the
speaker to clearly state what he or she wants from the listener. Indirect verbal cues, on the other hand,
place considerable responsibility on the listener, who is to deliver the desired response based on the
prompt. That might sound complicated, but consider this: if the aforementioned child cleans his or her
room as requested, the parents might follow that by saying, 'Alright, then what else were you supposed
to do?' This is an indirect verbal cue because it implies that they expected something else, like 'Brush
your teeth,' requiring the child to think back over the other parts of the conversation to remember that
other expectation.