CATEGORIES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: HOW TO IMPROVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS. Professor Cecilia L. Calub, Ph.D. Asst. Professor Francelle L. Calub, M.Ed. Tarlac State University, P [email protected] | fcalubia April 21, 2023 INTRODUCTION ‘What is non-verbal communication? If non+ means “no”, and verbal means “words,” then it seems logical that nonverbal communication means communication that does not use words. Acually, this definition is “not totally correct.” (Adler & Elmhorst 2002, p. 90). As_you will soon learn, every spoken message has a vocal element coming not from what we say but from how we say it. Que warking definition of nonverbal communication in this lesson, then, is those messages expressed by other than linguistic means. Vercerber (1999) describes nonverbal behaviors as “those bodily actions and vocal qualities that typically accompany a verbal message and are usually interpreted as intentional (p. 77). We communicate nonverbally even when we aren't speaking; our nonverbal behaviors are seen as well as heard, And because our nonverbal behavior is often reactive, it may be used as a guide tothe nature and depth in our feelings. In fac, itis often our nonverbal behavior that others regard asthe (cue measure of our feelings, They have agreed-upon interpretations among members of or speech community a given culture ‘The real value of nonverbal communication lies in the insight it can give to your own behavior, It is impossible 10 discuss oral communication without taking noaverbal communication into account because “only up to one-third of a message in a person-to-person situation is conveyed by words alone (Beisler F, Scheeres H, & Pinner D. 1990, p, 38). Even silence and absence can be considered as nonverbal messages. ‘This poper discusses and describes the different categories of nonverbal communication or messages(e.g., eculesics, paralanguage, proxemics, haptics, chronemics, head movements and postures, gestures, personal presentation, environment, artifacts, olfactics, silence, absence, color) as interpreted in other cultures and communities which most students have not studied in depth, A. MAJOR CATEGORY: KINESICS Kinesics is the study of how we use body movement and facial expressions, Iti the body movement and gestures regarded as a form of nonverbal communication, ‘We interpret a great deal of meaning through body movement, facial expressions, hand gestures, and eye contact. In the United States, engaging in consistent eye contact makes you appear confident, at ease, and interested. Use a relaxed, steady gaze and be careful not to stare at the other person. Looking directly at someone with sincerity reveals that you are open and engaging in your communication style. Facial expressions are a primary method of sharing, emotions and feelings. For example, imagine ‘yourself ata party and you see someane across the room you are attracted to. What sort of nonverbal behaviors do you engage in to let that person know? B. SUB-CATEGORIES 1. Oculesies - Eye Contact It is subcategory of Kinesics. Ic is completely the study of eye movement in nonverbal communication. It involves eye contacts, eye movements, pupil dilation( change in the size of pupil), gaze directionWe communicate through eye behaviors, primarily eye contact, While eye behaviors are often studied under the category of kinesics, they have their own branch of nonverbal studies called oculesics, which comes from the Latin word aculus, meaning “eye.” The face and eyes are the main point of focus during communication, and along with our ears our eyes take in most of the communicative information around us. The saying “The eyes are the window to the soul” is actually accurate in terms of where people typically think others are “located,” which is right behind the eyes (Andersen, 1999). Certain eye behaviors have become tied to personality traits or emotional states, as illustrated in phrases like “hungry eyes,” “evil eyes,” and “bedroom eyes. People's eyes can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility, interest, and attraction. People also often utilize eye gaze cues to gauge a person's honesty. Normal, steady eye contact is often taken as a sign that a person is telling the truth and is trustworthy. Shifty eyes and an inability to maintain eye contact, on the other hand, is frequently seen as an indicator that someone is lying or being deceptive. 2. Paralanguage - Vocalics ‘We learned earlier that paralanguage refers to the vocalized but nonverbal parts of a message. Vocalics is the study of paralanguage, which includes the vocal qualities that go along with verbal messages, such as pitch, volume, rate, vocal quality, and verbal fillers (Andersen, 1999). + Pitch helps convey meaning, regulate conversational flow, and communicate the intensity of a message. Speaking rate refers to how fast or slow a person speaks and can lead others to form impressions about our emotional state, credibility, and intelligence. As with volume, variations in speaking rate can interfere with the ability of others to receive and understand verbal messages. A slow speaker could bore others and lead their attention to wander A fast speaker may be difficult to follow, and the fast delivery can actually distract from the message. Speaking a litle faster than the normal 120-150 words a minute, however, can be beneficial, as people tend to find speakers whose rate is above average more credible and intelligent (Buller & Burgoon, 1986). As regards vocal quality, voices vary in terms of resonance, pitch, and tone, and some voices are more pleasing than others. People typically find pleasing voices that employ vocal variety and are not monotone, are lower pitched (particularly for males), and do not exhibit particular regional accents. Verbal fillers are sounds that fill gaps in our speech as we think about what to say next. They are considered a part of nonverbal communication because they are not like typical words that stand in for a specific meaning or meanings. Verbal fillers such as “um,” “uh,” “like,” and “ah” are common in regular conversation and are not typically disruptive. 3. Proxemics — Distance, Space and Territoriality Proxemics is a form of nonverbal communication in which you maintain distance. We all have varying definitions of what our “personal space” is, and these definitions are contextual and depend on the situation and the relationship. a. Distance. Following are the types of proxemics that describe the distance and the possible reason for observing such distance. + Intimate: physical contact to 18 inches. Reserved for only the closest friends, family, and romantic/intimate partners. It is impossible to completely ignore people when they are in this, space, even if we are trying to pretend that we're ignoring them. A breach of this space can be comforting in some contexts and annoying or frightening in others.+ Personal: 18 inches (1.5. feet) to 4 ft, Personal and intimate zones refer to the space that starts at our physical body and extends four feet. These zones are reserved for friends, close acquaintances, and significant others. Much of our communication occurs in the personal zone, which is what we typically think of as our “personal space bubble” and extends from 1.5 feet to 4 feet away from our body. Even though we are getting closer to the physical body of another person, we may use verbal communication at this point to signal that our presence in this zone is friendly and not timate, Even people who know each other could be uncomfortable spending too much time in this zone unnecessarily. * Social: 4 ft. to 12 fi, typically in the context of a professional or casual interaction, but not intimate or public. This distance is preferred in many professional settings because it reduces the suspicion of any impropriety. The expression “keep someone at an arm’s length” means that someone is kept out of the personal space and kept in the social/professional space. Public: 12 ft. o as far as one can see or see. Public and social zones refer to the space four or more feet away from our body, and the communication that typically occurs in these zones is formal and not intimate. Public space starts about twelve feet from a person and extends out from there. b. Territoriality is an innate drive to take up and defend spaces. This drive is shared by many creatures and entities, ranging from packs of animals to individual humans to nations. Whether it’s a gang territory, a neighborhood claimed by a particular salesperson, your preferred place to sit in a restaurant, your usual desk in the classroom, or the seat you've marked to save while getting concessions at a sporting event, we claim certain spaces as our own. 4. Haptics It is a branch of nonverbal communication in which people interact or communicate by touch without using words. Think of how touch has the power to comfort someone in moment of sorrow when words alone cannot, This positive power of touch is countered by the potential for touch to be threatening because of its connection to sex and violence. We probably get more explicit advice and instruction on how to use touch than any other form of nonverbal communication. 5. Chronemics Nonverbal communication in terms of time is called chronemics. It differs from culture to culture. ‘Time can be classified into several different categories, including biological, personal, physical, and cultural time (Andersen, 1999). logical time refers to the chythms of living things. Humans follow a circadian rhythm, meaning that we are on a daily cycle that influences when we eat, sleep, and wake. When our natural rhythms are disturbed, by all-nighters, jet lag, or other scheduling abnormalities, our physical and mental health and our communication competence and personal relationships can suffer. + Personal time refers to the ways in which individuals experience time. The way we experience time varies based on our mood, our interest level, and other factors. Think about how quickly time passes when you are interested in and therefore engaged in something. + Physical time refers to the fixed cycles of days, years, and seasons. Physical time, especially seasons, can affect our mood and psychological states. Some people experience seasonal affective disorder that leads them to experience emotional distress and anxiety during the changes of seasons, primarily from warm and bright to dark and cold (summer to fall and winter). + Cultural time refers to how a large group of people view time. Polychronic people do not view time as a linear progression that needs to be divided into small units and scheduled in advance. Polychronic people keep more flexible schedules and may engage in several activities at once. Monochronic people tend to schedule their time more rigidly and do one thing at a time. Apolychron with other 6. Head Movements and Posture or monochronic orientation to time influences our social realities and how we interact Head movements and posture are often both used to acknowledge others and communicate interest or attentiveness. In terms of head movements, a head nod is a universal sign of acknowledgement in cultures where the formal bow is no longer used as a greeting. There are four general human postures: standing, sitting, squatting, and lying down (Hargie, 2019). Within each of these postures there are many variations, and when combined with particular gestures or other nonverbal cues they can express many different meanings. 7. Gestures There are three main types of gestures: adaptors, emblems, and illustrators (Andersen, 1999). Adaptors are touching behaviors and movements that indicate internal states typically related to arousal or anxiety. Adaptors can be targeted toward the self, objects, or others. In regular social situations, adaptors result from uneasiness, anxiety, or a general sense that we are not in control of our surroundings. Many of us subconsciously click pens, shake our legs, or engage in other adaptors during classes, meetings, or while waiting as a way to do something with our excess energy. b. Emblems are gestures that have a specific agreed-on meaning. These are still different from the signs used by hearing-impaired people or others who communicate using American Sign Language (ASL). Even though they have a generally agreed-on meaning, they are not part of a formal sign system like ASL that is explicitly taught to a group of people. A hitchhiker’s raised thumb, the “OK” sign with thumb and index finger connected in a circle with the other three fingers sticking up, and the raised middle finger are all examples of emblems that have an agreed- on meaning ot meanings with a culture. Emblems can be still or in motion; for example, circling the index finger around at the side of your head says “He or she is crazy,” or rolling your hands ‘over and over in front of you says “Move on.” ¢. Mlustrators are the most common type of gesture and are used to illustrate the verbal message they accompany. For example, you might use hand gestures to indicate the size or shape of an object. Unlike emblems, illustrators do not typically have meaning on their own and are used more subconsciously than emblems. These largely involuntary and seemingly natural gestures flow from us as we speak but vary in terms of intensity and frequency based on context. 8 Facial Expressions Our faces are the most expressive part of our bodies. Think of how photos are often intended to capture a particular expression “in a flash” to preserve for later viewing. Even though a photo is a snapshot in time, we can still interpret much meaning from a human face caught in a moment of expression, and basic facial expressions are recognizable by humans all over the world. Much research has supported the universality of a core group of facial expressions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust. The first four are especially identifiable across cultures (Andersen, 1999). However, the triggers for these expressions and the cultural and social norms that influence their displays are still culturally diverse. If you’ve spent much time with babies you know that they’re capable of expressing all these emotions. Getting to see the pure and innate expressions of joy and surprise on a baby’s face is what makes playing peek-a-boo so entertaining for adults. As we get older, we lear and begin to follow display rules 4for facial expressions and other signals of emotion and also learn to better control our emotional expression based on the norms of our culture. 9. Personal Presentation and Environment Personal presentation involves two components: our physical characteristics and the artifacts with which we adom and surround ourselves. Physical characteristics include body shape, height, ‘weight, attractiveness, and other physical features of our bodies. Physical characteristics play a large role in initial impression formation even though we know we “shouldn't judge a book by its cover.” Although ideals of attractiveness vary among cultures and individuals, research consistently indicates that people who are deemed attractive based on physical characteristics have distinct advantages in many aspects of life. This fact, along with media images that project often unrealistic ideals of beauty, have contributed to booming health and beauty, dieting, gym, and plastic surgery industries. The environment in which we interact affects our verbal and nonverbal communication, This is included because we can often manipulate the nonverbal environment similar to how we would manipulate our gestures or tone of voice to suit our communicative needs. The books that we display on our coffee table, the magazines a doctor keeps in his or her waiting room, the placement of fresh flowers ina foyer, ora piece of mint chocolate on a hotel bed pillow all send particular messages and can easily be changed. The placement of objects and furniture in a physical space can help create a formal, distant, friendly, or intimate climate. In terms of formality, we can use nonverbal communication to convey dominance and status, which helps define and negotiate power and roles within relationships. Fancy cars and expensive watches can serve as symbols that distinguish a CEO from an entry-level employee. A room with soft lighting, a small fountain that creates ambient sounds of water flowing, and a comfy chair can help facilitate interactions between a therapist and a patient. Artifacts are objects and images are also tools that can be used to communicate nonverbally. On an online forum, for example, you might select an avatar to represent your identity and to communicate information about who you are and the things you like. These are what you also use to adom the body, such as jewelry, piercings, and necklaces, Even the automobile you drive is a form of nonverbal communication. Your choices express meanings about what you value and the image you wish to put forth. As with most communication, our choices for personal appearance, objects, and artifacts occur within cultural contexts, Consider the recent trendiness and popularity of tattoos. While once associated primarily with prison and armed services, tattoos have become mainstream and are used to articulate a variety of personal, political, and cultural messages. People often spend a great deal of time developing a particular image and surrounding themselves with objects designed to convey information about the things that are important to them. Uniforms, for example, can be used to transmit a tremendous amount of information about a person. 10. Olfactics ~ Smell Nonverbal communication comes in many forms and odor is one of those. While less explored it still matters. Itis the olfactics of nonverbal communication, The sense of smell is an important but poorly understood factor in human communication. It is hard to define smells and to talk about them, but they can send important chemical cues to those around us.Although smell is an invisible element of non-verbal communication, it is very powerful, First of all, smell may be used for increasing the perception of attraction between two people. At the same time, smell is also an element of attraction about foods. Other areas of nonverbal communication like movements, distance and facial expressions are well covered in literature and on the internet. The matter of smell and scent is less covered, and less dlistinct too. But there are some interesting findings to share: “A nauseating odor is repulsive; while a cinnamon aroma is inviting to many.” If someone uses too much perfume or cologne, it sends a “notice me” message. If someone's odor is unpleasant, it implies that his or her physical hygiene is not good, or it suggests the kinds of food that he often eats. The study of smell in humans is called olfactics. In some cultures (in Africa and the Middle East, for example) there's a preference for standing close enough to a person in conversation to be able to detect body odor. Odor is used in such cases to categorize people according to status, power, or social class. 11. Use of Silence and Absence a. Silence Itis impossible for us to not communicate even when we're silent. Our body is always sending a message. Refraining from speech quite often leads to misunderstanding. If we see one of our co-workers sitting at his or her desk in silence but is frowning, even if they are not saying anything we clearly understand there is something bothering them. Sometimes we can say something and the way our body behaves sends an entirely different message than what we intended. In ‘western society silence is used as a mark of respect. This is emphasized in schools and at home —~ children may not speak while the teacher/parent is speaking. Westerners dislike gaps, or silence, in formal proceedings, and the ‘silent treatment’ is used as a means of showing opposition to individuals. There have been instances where married couples living together unhappily have not spoken to one another for years! b. Absence The impossibility of not communicating means that we send messages even by our absence, Failing to show up at an event or leaving the room suggests meanings to others. 12. Color Color talks both to and about us. The colors we surround ourselves with and the colors we wear affect us both physically and emotionally. Colors do not evoke the same meanings in all cultures. For example, whereas in the United States and European countries brides routinely wear white, in Asian countries white is the color of mourning and so not considered suitable for weddings. In India, if a bride wears white, at least a touch of another color is usually added. In Ghana blue signifies joy; in Iran it has negative connotations. In the United States yellow suggests caution or cowardice; in China it represents wealth. Korean Buddhists reserve the color red for writing a person’s name upon his or her death. What meanings do different colors have for you? C. HOW TO IMPROVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS If you want to develop more confident body language or improve your ability to read other people's nonverbal communication behaviors, these tips may help:Pay attention to your own behaviors: Notice the gestures you use when you're happy versus ‘when you're upset. Think about how you change the tone of your voice depending on the emotions ‘you are feeling, Being aware of your own nonverbal communication tendencies is the first step 10 hanging the ones you want to change. Itcan also give you insight into how youte feeling if you're having trouble putting it into words. 2. Become a student of others: It can also be helpful to consider how others around you communicate nonverbally. What do their facial expressions say? What type of gestures do they use? Becoming familiar with their nonverbal communication pattems helps you recognize when they might be feeling a certain way quicker because you're actively watching for these cues. It can also help you recognize nonverbal behaviors you may want to adopt yourself (such as standing tall ‘hen talking to others to display self-confidence). 3, Look for incongruent nonverbal cues: Do you say that you're fine, then slam cupboard doors to show that you're upset? This can give those around you mixed messages. Or maybe when someone is speaking with you, they are saying yes while shaking their head no. This is another example of incongruent behavior. Both can be signs of feeling a certain way but not yet being, ready to admit or discuss it 4. Think before you act: If your middle finger seems to automatically fly up when a car cuts you off —even if your young child is in the back seat, causing you to regret it as soon as it happens—you can work to stop this reaction. Train yourself to stop and think before you act. This can help you eliminate o replace nonverbal behaviors that you've been wanting to change, 5. Ask before you assume: Certain types of nonverbal communication can mean diferent things in different cultures. They can also vary based on someone's personality. Before assuming that a person's body language or tone means something definitively, ask. “I notice that you won't look me in the eye when we speak. Are you upset with me?" Give them the opportunity to explain how they are feeling so you know for sure. CONCLUSION Nonverbal communication carries a great deal of meaning, but where words normally express ides, nonverbal messages conveys attitades and emotions, .. Nonverbal messages are always available, since it is impossible to avoid communicating nonverbally. These messages should be interpreted with caution, however, since they are usually ambiguous and are often culture-bound. Nonverbal messages can be expressed vocally, through appearance (physical stature and clothing), and through the face, eyes, posture, gesture, distance, and time. Since communication is unavoidable, even our silence and absence in a situation tend to send messages to individuals. ‘Monitoring your ewn nonverbal behavior isa critical component of interpersonal goal attainment. By engaging in self-reflection, you will be better able to judge if you are using nonverbal cues to project the message you hope to send, REFERENCES Andersen, Peter A. (1999). Nonverbal communication: Forms and functions. Ilinois: Waveland Press Incorporated. Adler, R.B. & Elmborst, .M. (2002). Communicating at work. Boston: McGraw Hill Barrot, J.S. & Sipacio, P.J.S. (2016). Communicate today: English for academic & professional purposes. ‘Quezon City: C& Publishing Inc. Beisler F, Scheeres H, & Pinner D, (1990). Communication skills. Australia: Pitman Publishing.Bovee, C.L., Thill, 1.0., & Schatzman, B.E.(2003). Business communication essentials. N.J. : Prentice Hall Buller, Dasvid & Burgoon, Judee. (1986). “The Effects of Vocalics and Nonverbal Sensitivity on Compliance A Replication and Extension.” Human communication research, Volume 13, Issue 1. De Vito, J.A. (1993). Messages: Bullding interpersonal communication skills. New York: Harper Collins ‘College Publisher. Grothe, Tom, (2022). “Types of Nonverbal Communication”. Retrieved from hutps:/ socials. ‘org/Courses/Butte_College/Exploring_Intercultural_Communication_(Grothe) Hargie, Owen. (2019). The handbook of communication skills (4 Ed). UK: Routledge. Sage Publication. (2023) Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved from https:// www. sagepub. comvsites/default files/upm-binaries/53604_Gamble_(IC)_Chapter_6.pdf Verdderber, R.F. (1999). Communicate. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company