Non-verbal communication is communication that does not involve any words.
It includes everything that could be sense other than the spoken words.
Functions of Non-Verbal messages
- Integrating Non-verbal and verbal messages
- Forming and managing impression
- Defining Relationships
- Structuring conversation
- Influencing and Deceiving
- Expressing emotion
Integrating Non-verbal and verbal messages
integrates non-verbal messages and verbal message may help convey message more effectively
The following shows how non-verbal messages integrate verbal messages:
- accent/emphasis verbal message
- complement/add nuances of meaning to verbal message
- contradict verbal message
- regulate/control verbal message
- repeat/restate the verbal message in a non-verbal manner
- substitute verbal message
Forming and managing impression
non-verbal messages do affect one's impression to others in few ways. It may ensure someone
- to be liked
- to be believed
- to avoid failure
- to secure help
- to hide faults
- to be followed by others
- to confirm self-image and communicate it to others
Defining Relationships
We could define a relationship by identifying the non-verbal gestures used by different parties. This is because different non-verbal gestures and communications are used in different stages of relationship.
For example, people usually be polite and respectful to elder family members, such as parents, grandparents, parents' siblings, aunties and uncles etc. besides that, people also be polite and respectful to their boss. however, we can still differentiate ones' boss from their family members. what we had done is to identify the non-verbal messages used. People would be more friendly to their family members, but they usually keep a distance with their boss.
Structuring conversation
in a conversation, we the listener always give response to the speaker right after the speaker finish their speech. We seldom see both a listener speaks before the speaker ends his/her speech(unless they are quarreling/arguing for something). Why?
This is because people always give and receive cues that they are ready to speak, listen, comment non-verbally. This is called turn-taking cues. however, it might be verbal sometimes. for example, "don't you agree with that?"
Influencing and Deceiving
Non-verbal messages could influence others. For example, you would trust somebody who talk to you with a sincere and confident eye contact than a person who talks to you but does not look at you at all.
Non-verbal message could be deceiving too. This happens when you are trying to tell a white lie to someone with presence of third party who already knows that you are lying.
Expressing emotions
You cry when you feel sad, you laugh/ smile when you feel happy, you shout when you are angry, these are the examples that show the function of non-verbal message in expressing emotions
Channels of Non-Verbal Communication
The following chart shows the channels of non-verbal communication.
*Drawn by Lim Tao. Copyright Reserved.
1. Body messages
The figure below shows how body messages acts as a channel in non-verbal communication
*Drawn by Lim Tao. Copyright Reserved.
2. Facial communication
Indicates the degree of pleasantness, agreement and sympathy felt. It contains emotions such as happiness, surprise, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, contempt and interest. These expressions show higher physiological arousal than those who suppress these expressions.
Facial management
technique that enable people to communicate feelings to achieve the effect they want and act in socially acceptable ways, such as:
- intensifying: exaggerating surprise and happiness
- deintensifying: covering up happiness/joy
- neutralizing: covering up sadness
- masking: pretending happy when you are not
- simulating: expressing emotion that you do not really feel
Eye communication
one of the most important non-verbal cues. Eye movements have several functions:
- to seek for feedback
- to signal openness in communication channel
- to signal the nature of a relationship
- to change the psychological distance between speaker and listener
- to help others maintain privacy through civil inattention (eye avoidance)
- to signal lack of interest by avoiding eye contact
To be continued...
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