Non-Verbal Communication: Meaning, Types, Functions, Advantages & Disadvantages

Non-Verbal Communications

Nonverbal communication is the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless (mostly visual) cues between people. It is also seen as the non-linguistic transmission of information through visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic channels. Mistakenly referred to as body language (kinesthetic), nonverbal communication encompasses much more, such as use of voice (paralanguage), gaze (oculesics), touch (haptics), distance (proxemics), time (chronemics), and physical environments/appearance. Only a small percentage of our total brain processes verbal communication, as an infant we learn nonverbal communication from our social-emotional communication, making our face, not our words the major organ of communication. As we become verbal communicators, we begin to look at facial expressions, vocal tones, and other nonverbal elements subconsciously.

Definitions

1. Behavior and elements of speech aside from the words themselves that transmit meaning. Non-verbal communication includes pitch, speed, tone and volume of voice, gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, and proximity to the listener, eye movements and contact, and dress and appearance. Research suggests that only 5 percent effect is produced by the spoken word, 45 percent by the tone, inflexion, and other elements of voice, and 50 percent by body language, movements, eye contact, etc.
2. Transmission of messages by a medium other than speech or writing.
3. Non-verbal communications include facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, gestures displayed through body language (kinesics) and the physical distance between the communicators (proxemics). These nonverbal signals can give clues and additional information and meaning over and above spoken (verbal) communication
4. Communication without words; a process by which an individual stimulates meaning in the mind of another person through intentional and unintentional messages through use of the body and voice

What is non-verbal communication?

nonverbal communication involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by both the source [speaker] and his or her use of the environment and that have potential message value for the source or receiver [listener] (Samovar et al). Basically, it is sending and receiving messages in a variety of ways without the use of verbal codes (words). It is both intentional and unintentional. Most speakers / listeners are not conscious of this. It includes — but is not limited to:

Common types of nonverbal communication:

1. Facial expressions. Unlike most communication, facial expressions are universal.
2. Body movements and posture. The way we move and carry ourselves can tell a lot about us.
3. Gestures. We often use gestures without thinking about it. Since gestures are so different across cultures it is important to be careful when interpreting someone's gesture to avoid misinterpretation.
4. Eye contact. This is a very important piece of nonverbal communication since the visual sense is dominant for many of us.
5. Touch. A firm handshake during an interview goes a long way.
6. Space. Personal space has to do with how close we like to be when communicating with people. This varies greatly by culture.

Broadly speaking, there are two basic categories of non-verbal language:

1. Nonverbal messages produced by the body;
2. Nonverbal messages produced by the broad setting (time, space, silence)

Why is non-verbal communication important?

Basically, it is one of the key aspects of communication (and especially important in a high-context culture). It has multiple functions:

1. Used to repeat the verbal message (e.g. point in a direction while stating directions.
2. Often used to accent a verbal message. (E.g. verbal tone indicates the actual meaning of the specific words).
3. Often complement the verbal message but also may contradict. E.g.: a nod reinforces a positive message (among Americans); a “wink” may contradict a stated positive message.
4. Regulate interactions (non-verbal cues covey when the other person should speak or not speak).
5. May substitute for the verbal message (especially if it is blocked by noise, interruption, etc) — i.e. gestures (finger to lips to indicate need for quiet), facial expressions (i.e. a nod instead of a yes).

Note the implications of the proverb: “Actions speak louder than words.” In essence, this underscores the importance of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is especially significant in intercultural situations. Probably non-verbal differences account for typical difficulties in communicating.

Cultural Differences in Non-verbal Communication

1. General Appearance and Dress - All cultures are concerned for how they look and make judgements based on looks and dress. Americans, for instance, appear almost obsessed with dress and personal attractiveness. Consider differing cultural standards on what is attractive in dress and on what constitutes modesty. Note ways dress is used as a sign of status?
2. Body Movement - We send information on attitude toward person (facing or leaning towards another), emotional statue (tapping fingers, jiggling coins), and desire to control the environment (moving towards or away from a person). More than 700,000 possible motions we can make — so impossible to categorize them all! But just need to be aware the body movement and position is a key ingredient in sending messages.
3. Posture - Consider the following actions and note cultural differences:
• Bowing (not done, criticized, or affected in US; shows rank in Japan)
• Slouching (rude in most Northern European areas)
• Hands in pocket (disrespectful in Turkey)
• Sitting with legs crossed (offensive in Ghana, Turkey)
• Showing soles of feet. (Offensive in Thailand, Saudi Arabia)
• Even in US, there is a gender difference on acceptable posture?
4. Gestures - Impossible to catalogue them all. But need to recognize:
• Incredible possibility and variety and That an acceptable in one’s own culture may be offensive in another. In addition, amount of gesturing varies from culture to culture. Some cultures are animated; other restrained. Restrained cultures often feel animated cultures lack manners and overall restraint. Animated cultures often feel restrained cultures lack emotion or interest. Even simple things like using hands to point and count differ.
• Pointing: US with index finger; Germany with little finger; Japanese with entire hand (in fact most Asians consider pointing with index finger to be rude)
• Counting: Thumb = 1 in Germany, 5 in Japan, middle finger for 1 in Indonesia.
5. Facial Expressions - While some say that facial expressions are identical, meaning attached to them differs. Majority opinion is that these do have similar meanings world-wide with respect to smiling, crying, or showing anger, sorrow, or disgust. However, the intensity varies from culture to culture. Note the following:
• Many Asian cultures suppress facial expression as much as possible.
• Many Mediterranean (Latino / Arabic) cultures exaggerate grief or sadness while most American men hide grief or sorrow.
• Some see “animated” expressions as a sign of a lack of control.
• Too much smiling is viewed in as a sign of shallowness.
• Women smile more than men.
6. Eye Contact and Gaze - In USA, eye contact indicates: degree of attention or interest, influences attitude change or persuasion, regulates interaction, communicates emotion, defines power and status, and has a central role in managing impressions of others.
• Western cultures — see direct eye to eye contact as positive (advise children to look a person in the eyes). But within USA, African-Americans use more eye contact when talking and less when listening with reverse true for Anglo Americans. This is a possible cause for some sense of unease between races in US. A prolonged gaze is often seen as a sign of sexual interest.
• Arabic cultures make prolonged eye-contact. — believe it shows interest and helps them understand truthfulness of the other person. (A person who doesn’t reciprocate is seen as untrustworthy)
• Japan, Africa, Latin American, Caribbean — avoid eye contact to show respect.
7. Touch – 
• Question: Why do we touch, where do we touch, and what meanings do we assign when someone else touches us?
• Illustration: An African-American male goes into a convenience store recently taken over by new Korean immigrants. He gives a $20 bill for his purchase to Mrs. Cho who is cashier and waits for his change. He is upset when his change is put down on the counter in front of him.
• What is the problem? Traditional Korean (and many other Asian countries) doesn’t touch strangers, especially between members of the opposite sex. But the African-American sees this as another example of discrimination (not touching him because he is black).
• Basic answer: Touch is culturally determined! But each culture has a clear concept of what parts of the body one may not touch. Basic message of touch is to affect or control — protect, support, disapprove (i.e. hug, kiss, hit, kick).
• USA — handshake is common (even for strangers), hugs, kisses for those of opposite gender or of family (usually) on an increasingly more intimate basis. Note differences between African-Americans and Anglos in USA. Most African Americans touch on greeting but are annoyed if touched on the head (good boy, good girl overtones).
• Islamic and Hindu: typically, don’t touch with the left hand. To do so is a social insult. Left hand is for toilet functions. Mannerly in India to break your bread only with your right hand (sometimes difficult for non- Indians)
• Islamic cultures generally don’t approve of any touching between genders (even handshakes). But consider such touching (including hand holding, hugs) between same-sex to be appropriate.
• Many Asians don’t touch the head (Head houses the soul and a touch puts it in jeopardy).
• Basic patterns: Cultures (English, German, Scandinavian, Chinese, and Japanese) with high emotional restraint concepts have little public touch; those which encourage emotion (Latino, Middle-East, Jewish) accept frequent touches.
8. Smell
• USA — fear of offensive natural smells (billion dollar industry to mask objectionable odours with what is perceived to be pleasant) — again connected with “attractiveness” concept.
• Many other cultures consider natural body odors as normal (Arabic).
• Asian cultures (Filipino, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, and Indian) stress frequent bathing — and often criticize USA of not bathing often enough!
9. Paralanguage
• Vocal characterizers (laugh, cry, yell, moan, whine, belch, yawn). These send different messages in different cultures (Japan — giggling indicates embarrassment; India – belch indicates satisfaction)
• Vocal qualifiers (volume, pitch, rhythm, tempo, and tone). Loudness indicates strength in Arabic cultures and softness indicates weakness; indicates confidence and authority to the Germans,; indicates impoliteness to the Thais; indicates loss of control to the Japanese. (Generally, one learns not to “shout” in Asia for nearly any reason!). Gender based as well: women tend to speak higher and more softly than men.
• Vocal segregates (un-huh, shh, uh, ooh, mmmh, humm, eh, mah, lah). Segregates indicate formality, acceptance, assent, uncertainty.

Classification of Non-Verbal Communication 

Kinesics, proxemics and time languages Paralanguage and physical context

1. Kinesics: Kinesics is the study of body physical movements. It is the way our body communicates without words and it’s occupying a major aspect of nonverbal communication process. When we communicate our thought process and attitude is transmitted in the form of body movements by which our inner state of mind is reflected in our movements. Thus, you can realize these expressions by face and eyes, gestures, posture and physical appearance.
• Facial expression is the first way to communicate particularly eyes and eye movement. We can express happiness, surprise, fear, anger and sadness everything through our eyes.
• The gesture is our body parts especially arms, legs, hands and head convey meaning. All these movements are made rationally along with our speaking and not made with any intention.
• Body shape is related to our biological factor and it is natural but poster is how we stretch our body in different styles. Body shapes are classified in to three they are ectomorph which is thin, youthful, and tall then the mesomorph is muscular fit body and finally endomorph which is fat, round, and soft.
• Appearance includes clothes, hair style, jewellery, cosmetics and such styles which we include in our daily life by which we communicate how we want to project our self.
2. Proxemics: It involves how we arrange personal space and what we arrange in it. They create meaning in your mind and others mind as well. They are also called personal space language which involves how we are maintaining relationship with a person with intimate space, personal space, social space and finally public space. All these things are typical example of our relationship space with our father, friend, boss and a stranger.
3. Time languages: Time language is all about the meaning we convey through time. In western countries time equates money because their business culture is like that. The same thing apply may differ for other cultures. Therefore, time language is associated with culture as well.
4. Paralanguage: It involves how we say something in different pitch, tone and voice modulation such as slow or fast. Based on voice language we infer people background and personality.
5. Physical context: It refers to our surroundings, colour, layout and design of our physical environment. For example, colour of the building and room, design of table and chairs etc. All these things communicate a lot to our feelings and emotions.

To conclude Nonverbal communication is an art as well a skill. We communicate through letters, reports, mails but they are all one-way communication but daily we communicate with people which is a two-way process. This interpersonal communication requires a lot of care in nonverbal cues through which we can improve our relationship better and increase a chance of good business dealings which again is an essential ingredient in face-to-face communication.

Functions of Nonverbal Behavior

1. Repeat: Nonverbal message conveys the same idea as the verbal; can take either verbal or nonverbal message away and it still gives the same message Examples: saying “Hello” while waving or saying “Be quiet” while holding index finger up to your mouth
2. Substitute: Nonverbal message replaces verbal message Examples: waving to say hello, thumbs up for “good job,” clapping at a concert, hitchhiker thumb
3. Contradict: Nonverbal goes against verbal; they do not match up Examples: Nodding yes while shaking head no, saying “I’m fine” when your head is hanging down with slumped shoulders, etc.
4. Complement: Nonverbal supports verbal; used to show how to do something, show sizes, or emphasize emotional feelings; we complement the verbal message with the nonverbal message when demonstrating something or giving directions & pointing Examples: “The fish was this big” while holding hands out to indicate size or “I’m so frustrated!” while shaking fists
5. Accent: Use of gestures & facial expressions to emphasize or punctuate spoken words Examples: yelling “That’s it!” while pounding fist, emphasizing words through tone of voice, saying “My first point…” while holding up one finger
6. Regulate: Nonverbal cues that control or regulate the interaction of flow of communication between ourselves and another person Examples: nodding head and saying “uh huh,” giving eye contact, opening mouth to speak, leaning forward, raising eyebrows, or raising index finger.

Areas of Study in Nonverbal Communication

1. Vocalics - Communication through voice (vocal cues other than words = paralanguage) such as…
• Tone of voice/ pitch
• Volume
• Rate
• Accent/ dialect
2. Kinesics - The study of human movement and gesture, including facial expression & eye contact
3. Affect displays - Nonverbal behaviours used to communicate emotions Examples: hugging someone to express love or shaking fist at someone to show anger
4. Adaptors - Nonverbal behaviours that help us to satisfy a personal need and adapt to the immediate situation; not really intending to communicate meaning Examples: scratching mosquito bite, adjusting glasses, combing hair, pulling hanging thread of clothing, etc.
5. Proxemics - Communication through the use of space
• Territoriality - fixed area that is occupied, controlled and defended by a person or group as their exclusive domain; regulates social interaction; can be source of conflict; indicates ownership (permanent or temporary)
• Zones of Space:
• Intimate: 0- 1 and ½ feet
• Personal: 1 and ½ - 4 feet
• Social: 4-12 feet
• Public: Beyond 12 feet

Advantages of non-verbal communication

1. You can communicate with someone who cannot hear.
2. You can communicate in places where you have to avoid talking audibly.
3. You can communicate without others around you hearing what is being communicated.
4. You can communicate when a person is too far away from you to hear you (for example, by gesturing)
5. Non-verbal communication is brief.
6. You can communicate with someone who is hard of hearing of deaf.
7. You can communicate at place where you are supposed to maintain silence.
8. You can communicate something which you don't want others to hear or listen to.
9. You can communicate if you are far away from a person. The person can see but not hear you.
10. Non-verbal communication makes conversation short and brief.
11. You can save on time and use it as a tool to communicate with people who don't understand your language.

Disadvantages of non-verbal communication

1. Long conversations using non-verbal communication are usually not possible.
2. Non-verbal communication varies from culture to culture.
3. Particulars of messages using non-verbal communication cannot be discussed in detail.
4. It is not useful as a public tool for communication
5. It cannot be used everywhere and is less influential than verbal communication.
6. You cannot have long conversation.
7. Cannot discuss the particulars of your message
8. Difficult to understand and requires a lot of repetitions.
9. Cannot be used as a public tool for communication.
10. Less influential and cannot be used everywhere.
11. Not everybody prefers to communicate through non-verbal communication.
12. Cannot create an impression upon people/listeners.

Practical Insight: Well nonverbal communication is as important as verbal communication because there is a famous proverb saying that “Actions Speak louder than words", so your gestures, postures, eye contact....each play a major role.

FAQ's

There are five characteristics of nonverbal communication that help explain why it is so important in our daily lives

1. Nonverbal communication is present in most interpersonal conversations, including cyberspace communication with the use of emoticons. 
2. Nonverbal communication often conveys more information than verbal communication. It is possible that up to 93% of what we say is translated by nonverbal clues. However, it is more realistic that only 65-70% of translation is due to nonverbal communication. (That is still a lot higher than I would have ever thought!) 
3. Nonverbal communication is usually believed over verbal communication. This could be due to the fact that it is harder to hide or fake our nonverbal clues such as our facial expressions. 
4. Nonverbal communication is the primary means of communicating emotion. Think of what someone's facial expressions look like when they are overjoyed or extremely sad. You can usually tell how they are feeling without them saying a word. 
5. Nonverbal communication is meta communicative, for example, a wink for sarcasm or covering

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Sandeep Ghatuary

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