Communication involves non verbal communication elements (like symbols, expressions, etc.) to share your information and not include any spoken or written piece.
Some of the examples of non verbal communication are
- An individual nodding his head or giving expressions through hands interprets some meaning.
- The honking of the horn, again and again, shows the person’s aggressive behavior.
- Traffic light signals denote the meanings of each light.
Types of Non Verbal Communication
Signs and Symbols types
Signs are something that has universal meaning. The colors used to represent its meaning by using it for different purposes. You will be more apparent by this example.
- Like traffic lights have three colors: red, green, and yellow denotes Stop, Go, and Ready, respectively. In some places, the red-colored board used to show danger.
- Different arrows at the street sides used to give directions, such as the Left hand will provide left advice, suitable for proper order, etc.
- Siren of the ambulance, fire brigade portray the sirens’ meaning to give them away to go and reach the desired destination quickly in less time.
Symbols something that limited to a specific group of people. These may have different meanings for different people used as logos, alphabets, flags, which define their meanings. Again we make it more clear by giving an example.
- Different icons used to portray different meanings in our electronic devices like the bucket used for recycle bin, a disk is used for saving purpose.
- Also, other political parties have their logos, like BJP with Lotus flower and congress with the symbol of the hand.
- Different letters have different meanings in musical notation, and those same letters give other meanings in other areas depending upon the purpose they will be used.
Types of Body Language
- Kinesics
- Haptics
- Proxemics
- Paralinguistics
- Sign Language
- Chronemics
- Physical appearance
Kinesics
The study of kinesic communication termed Kinesics which another name given to body language. Our facial expressions, gestures, and movement of various body parts are the significant elements of Kinesics.
- Our posture, hand movements, how a person is standing, everything matters a lot in communication.
- One should be very confident in what he speaks, and that done by acknowledging the self.
- Making others feel acceptable to you by nodding your head shows your interest in you.
Haptics
Haptic word originated from the Greek word, which means “I TOUCH.” This mode of communication is the strongest one of all other modes of communication. Touch probably used in expressing the hidden emotions. Greeting people can be done differently in different cultures like in western culture. Handshaking preferred. In middle eastern areas, a hug considered the way of meeting each other, and in some places, gentle kissing over both cheeks considered, which might not be acceptable in different cultures.
You can also learn about Verbal Communication
Proxemics
It is the use of proper space and distance between the two parties while communicating. Majorly it defines the comfort or discomfort, respect or this respect, anger of the person involving with you.
- Firstly, Like people in western culture, they come closer to each other, showing their comfort and willingness to carry on with the talk.
- Secondly, While talking with our seniors, one should maintain a desirable gap in-between, showing your respect towards them.
- Thirdly, Getting closer to the other when he not interested shows your disrespect to the one, making him uncomfortable.
- Fourthly, Keeping more distance from our loved ones shows our anger towards them.
Paralinguistics
It is studying proper voice, tone, pitch, speed, and pacing in communication. Paralinguistic provides the quality of the shared information.
- Giving a pause in communication means the person wants to know your opinion or response, but if a person is speaking spontaneously, he doesn’t want any interruption.
- Sticking to the proper speed essential in communication, which should be decided to keep the listener’s ability.
- One should be audible to the listener to obtain the desired output.
Physical appearance
Physical appearance includes proper dress-up, expressions, clothes, the way you groomed yourself, your hairstyle, etc. Because somewhere, these attributes define your interest and the purpose for which you are interacting with the other person. It is equally important as your knowledge and words are.
- The dressing sense of a person varies with the purpose of the meeting. Like in official meetings, conferences, interviews, and seminars, formal areas, these all require traditional dress-up or can say decent one.
- Your expressions should be like you are pretty enthusiastic doesn’t matter how your personal life is going, but you should be very keen on what you are saying. A gentle smile on your face soothes every person coming to your contact.
Chronemics
Chronemics is the study of the role of time in communication. Being organized with time management necessary for every relationship, whether your family, friends, or colleagues.
- Firstly, Allowing someone to wait for long makes him clear about your interest in attending them.
- Taking a lot of time in expressing your views and sharing your whole idea, especially in conferences, in other words giving less value to others time
- In our personal life, time management helps us achieve our goals with less effort, less stress and will make you feel more energized by providing you with leisure time.
Functions of Non Verbal Communication
- Providing Information
- The spontaneous flow of communication
- Showing emotions
- It gives more clarity to our conversation
- Completes our verbal communication
Providing Information
When your body ultimately gets involved in bestowing information, it can be your facial expressions, your hand movements, your style of talking. Moreover, Everything completes your communication by providing a complete and clear meaning to the listener. moreover, If a person is in a situation that they cannot speak or write, this mode is quite effective.
Spontaneous flow to communication
Non verbal communication provides us an opportunity to understand a listener’s attitude towards a speaker. If they not interested, it can be seen on his face, therefore, which helps the speaker mold the conversation as per his understanding of that reaction, thereby giving a spontaneous flow to the communication.
Showing emotions
Non verbal communication attributes like love, care, dislike, anger, ego, happiness, etc., however, make the situation relatively easy to understand and get tackled a way better. Moreover, These emotions can be easily understood, thereby making the discussion more effective.
It gives more clarity to our conversation.
Using body language and facial expressions, one can express the message more attractively, therefore giving more clarity to the receiver. On the whole, it how the message delivered which influences the receiver.
Completes Our Verbal Communication
When you get attached to the non verbal communication elements, our words and speech can be your facial expressions, tone, high pitch, etc., the verbal message gets more meaningful. Moreover, Keeping a gentle smile on the face gives the sender or speaker the receiver cue that he is a lively man, thereby providing more transparency to the message.
Advantages of Non Verbal Communication
- Providing feedback
- Reliability
- Credibility
- Understanding
- Helpful to special people
Providing feedback
Both sender and receiver are there to share a piece of information, and feedback is a thing that matters for both parties because that is the only thing that lets the person know the value of his discussion and let him know whether his communication worked.
Reliability
Non verbal communication considered the most reliable source of communication. Because how the message delivered becomes a benchmark to the receiver, which he holds for an extended period with him, proving its reliability.
Credibility
The message which cannot be verified through verbal communication, non verbal communication creates the platform for being trusted by the receiver, therefore helping in achieving the targeted objective. However, Our body defines the actual being of any message.
Understanding
It helps the listener clearly understand the message. Our personality speaks everything, whether we are fake or fundamental to our words, and a person has all these qualities of understanding non verbal communication behavior since his birth.
Helpful to special people
Exceptional people, especially the deaf, cannot get your words and find it challenging to get into the communication; therefore, for such people, non verbal communication provides a great advantage to their lives by providing sign language to interact, which is a part of non verbal communication.
Disadvantages of Non Verbal Communication
- Not suitable for lengthy messages
- No Secrecy
- Only used in Face To Face Communication
- No written Proof or Evidence
- Incomplete communication
- Not effective in some areas
- The necessity of cultural knowledge
Not suitable for lengthy messages
Non verbal communication is not suitable for lengthy messages, as a bit of misunderstanding can change the whole meaning of the conversation. However, there might be few more obvious things by the verbal, written mode of communication.
No Secrecy
However, As the message to be delivered can be presented by non verbal communication cues. Hence, it gives liability to every receiver to get through the news, thereby lacking the secrecy of the message.
They only used in Face To Face Communication
Moreover, As we know that this mode gives a whole meaning to the physical appearance of the person. Therefore, it is reliable only in face to face communication
No written Proof or Evidence
When portrayed as signals or other ways by including body language, the complete message doesn’t create any proof or evidence because these symbols might be taken differently as their meanings.
Incomplete communication
Firstly, If the non verbal communication taken into account as the only mode of communication, the information interpreted can be incomplete for some reasons like misunderstanding by the sender
Not effective in some areas
This mode only effective when a receiver can view the sender’s expressions like face-to-face, video conferencing, etc., but in few areas such as telephonic talks where the person not physically seen, non verbal communication doesn’t make any sense.
The necessity of cultural knowledge
As we know, culture varies from country to country. In other words, the same demonstrations to any message can interpret the variant meaning and disturb the concept of communication. So one should have thorough knowledge about the non verbal elements.
