Communication plays an integral role in how people interact with one another. Nonverbal communication shares importance equally with verbal communication. Nonverbal gestures and cues use occurs early in life, before speaking your first words, to convey specific needs to your parents. As you grow older, your facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and even your voice tone help you transfer messages to the recipient.
Significance
Nonverbal gestures are what your recipient sees, even before a single word is heard. These symbolic messages can be a visual representation of feeling, but your words convey a different message. Using nonverbal cues help express meaning, navigate difficult situations and build a better relationship for you at home and/or work, according to Nova Southeastern University.
A study in 2007 by the Department of Work and Organizational Psychology department at the University of Neuchatel concluded that nonverbal behaviors play an integral role in physician-patient relations. A physician who uses positive forms of nonverbal communication techniques increases patient satisfaction. However, the study did state that the physician's personal attributes plays a role in the process.
Types
Nonverbal communication is represented through voice and body language. Voice uses intonation, tone and vocally produced sounds. You use the pitch of your voice to differentiate whether the sentence is a question or statement, and tone and vocally produced sounds project expressions. When you are speaking, pausing is normal in a long-winded sentence to catch your breath. However, a pause can also portray a sign of hesitance or uneasiness in certain situations.
Your body posture and gestures reveal whether you are interested in the conversation. If you agree with the subject at hand, your body posture will be erect and confident, or you may give the recipient a "thumbs up" for approval. Your facial expressions and eyes are monitored when conversing and convey different attitudes and emotions to the recipient.
Interpretation
Another area to consider when you are communicating with nonverbal techniques is how the recipient receives the information. According to HelpGuide.org, the intensity, timing, pace and sounds that convey understanding are "read" by your recipient in addition to the words that you use. The recipient will decipher and analyze the visual observations, and combine those with the verbal words to see if there are inconsistencies.
Considerations
Nonverbal communication is a visualized conception of transferring information through face-to-face conversations. If you are conversing with someone over the phone, transmission of factual information, complex ideas and true interpretations may lack validity because you're not able to interpret the body language and gestures.
Misconceptions
Paul Ekman mentions in his "Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage," that vocal pitch generally tells the listener what emotion a person is portraying, but uncertainties exist in the validity of voice intonation. If you are in the middle of an interview and asked a surprising question, a normal pause and stuttering are normal, but some will decipher the pause as deceit. In addition, most individuals suggest that squirming and eye shifting are apparent signs of a person lying, but a pathological liar is able to maintain constant eye contact.
References
- Nova Southeastern University: Communication: The Importance of Nonverbal Cues
- Pub Med.gov: Patient Education and Counseling: On the Importance of Nonverbal Communication in the Physician-Patient Interaction
- Harvard Business School Working Knowledge: The Truth Behind the Smile and Other Myths - When Body Language Lies
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