Non-Verbal Communication

By V P Bhagat

What is Non-Verbal Communication?

When

we communicate our thoughts without using words, Communication is called non-verbal. The popular aphorism Actions speak louder than words holds . Non-verbal is the way in which we express our feelings

Non-verbal Signifiers are Like Words

In

body language, there are : Single gestures like nod of the head are equivalent to single words like, yes or don't know. Cluster gestures like standing, talking using hands to make our point, are equivalent. For effective message : An angry Face may put off people A raised voice might suggest that you are either annoyed.

Non-verbal Signifiers are Like Words

In real life verbal and non-verbal communication cannot be separated. In written communication, the non-verbal communication signifiers are the use of white space, proper margins. A page that has matter condensed closely is usually skipped by the reader or it is rejected. A poor visual appearance of a proposal or a resume will prompt the reader to reject it.

Non-verbal Communication Sub- Disciplines

Scientific study has been made in the following sub-disciplines Kinesics (K) Occulesics (O) Paralanguage / Paralinguistics (P) Proxemics (P) Artifactics (A) Phonemics' (C) Tactilics (T) Registering the different kinds of body movements under the label KOPPACT

Kinesics
The different ways in which people move their bodies that include postures, gestures, head nods, and leg movements, are called Kinesics. Gestures have been classified in three categories: Emblems These have direct verbal translations, Illustrators These gestures naturally accompany our speech and accentuate what we say. Adaptors These are unconscious movements of body that originate from the nervous state of our mind.

OCCULESICS
This is the science of the movement/grammer of our eyes and of facial impressions. In the science of occulesics began with charles darwin when he published his scientific study Expression of the Emotions in the Man and Animals, in 1872. The Power of our eyes The study of facial expression begins with the eyes The dynamics of our eye movement have been labelled as EYE GRAMMER.

Eye Grammer
Staring eyes 2. Too little eye contact 3. Withdrawal of eye contact This is considered as a sign of subm. 4. Frequently looking away at people from a distance This is generally an extroverts behaviour. 5. Scarcely looking at a person when in close proximity An introvert shows this kind of behaviour, The face You can read his face like an open book, is common remark made about people. Emotional people have a demonstrative face that shows all type of feelings.
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Paralinguistics
This is the science of the vocal cues that accompany our speech. The science of paralinguistics refers to the volume, pitch, tone intonation modulation, and the rate of speech. Accent, stress, rate of speaking, pitch and volume help us to judge peoples age, A high speed of talking in interviews or presentations will not instill confidence in the interviewers or the audience. The raised voice, high pitch. and tone are exploited by politicians to earn quick applause. ,

Proxemics
It is the study of the distance between people and objects. Proxemics,. It was Edward Hall who first coined the term proxemics, and defined the four space zones as The intimate zone ( o-.5 m ) The personal zone ( .5-1.2 m ) The social zone ( 1.2-3 m ) The public zone ( 3 m ) The language of space is important in the context of business as we are always involved with human interactions of a high speed nature.

Artifactics
The non-verbal message signals that an individual sends across through appearance, clothing, perfume, personal objects like pens, cell phones, briefcases, etc. belong to the area of artifactics. These form apart of a your total personality. In interviews or presentations, your artifactics do influence The pressing demands for personal grooming and personal hygiene.

Chronemics
The concept of time its impact on people is the science of chronemics. Like proxemics, chronemics too is culture bound . Time keeping of course, does not mean looking at your watch and keeping time. It means several things like. The way we use time tells others about our personality like Unscheduled visits, long telephone chats, absence of time log books, long memos are major time robbers and reduce our efficiency at work and result into poor time management.

Tactilics
Tactilics is the science of touch language, it includes touching self, others, and objects. Research shows two kinds of touch language: Bodily contact - Refers to touches that are accidental and unconscious and any part of the body may be involved in it. Touching with hands - Touching implies that the actions are deliberate, conscious, and made primarily by hands. Various kinds of touch are..

Neuro- linguistic Programming

It is a science that deals with the way human beings think and process the outer world through their senses. The word neuro refers to our nervous system, the mental pathways of our five senses by which we. The word linguistic refers to our ability to use: Silent language of postures, gestures, and habits that reveal our thinking styles , beliefs, and opinions. The word programming is borrowed from computer science, suggests that our thoughts, feelings and actions are simply habitual programs ..,,,,,,,,