Nonverbal communication is made up of the signals a speaker sends with his face, body and voice. It often conveys just as much meaning as our words, if not more. According to Edward Wertheim, Ph.D., nonverbal communication serves one of five purposes: it repeats, contradicts, substitutes, complements or accents the verbal message. Awareness and control of body language and other nonverbal components of communication can improve your skills in both public speaking and interpersonal conversations.
Vocal Components
The way your voice sounds contributes to the meanings of your words. There are several vocal components to nonverbal communication. Intensity is conveyed by volume, tone, pitch and inflection. Pace and timing are conveyed by the speed of your speech as well as when and how frequently you choose to speak. Nonverbal sounds such as “hmm” or “umm” can convey understanding, confusion, agreement or disagreement.
Facial Expression and Eye Contact
Facial expressions convey emotion and may be obvious or subtle. According to the website DataFace, the muscles of the face react according to cognitive processes in the brain. Facial expressions for most emotions are almost universal among humans. For example, a grimace conveys disgust in almost all parts of the world. Some human facial expressions even have the same meaning in the animal kingdom, particularly among primates.
Eye contact is a crucial component of nonverbal communication that can convey a number of meanings. Too little eye contact implies that the speaker has something to hide; too much eye contact can come across as aggression. The direction of the gaze has a number of implications as well. For example, looking up usually signifies recalling information, while looking down can show respect or submission. Etiquette for acceptable eye contact also varies throughout cultures; in some Asian countries, direct eye contact is considered rude.
Body Language and Proximity
Posture, stance and other types of body movements and poses make up body language. Almost every part of the body conveys information. For example, crossing the arms can signify reluctance or doubt. Crossing and swinging one leg is often associated with boredom or nervousness. Your body language can convey aggression, attraction, submission or a dozen other emotions.
Proximity is the physical distance between the speaker and the listener. Acceptable proximity varies by situation and by culture. Standing close can be interpreted as either threatening or friendly behavior, depending on other aspects of communication. Standing far away may indicate disinterest or wariness. Wertheim divides proximity into zones depending on the speaker’s relationship to the listener. These include intimate, the shortest zone, as well as personal, social and public, the longest zone.
Gestures and Touch
Gestures are hand movements that often serve as emphasis. They may also convey disgust, dismissal or greeting. Gestures are not universal and a benign gesture in one culture may cause offense in another. For example, the North American “okay” symbol of the index finger touching the thumb is an obscenity in some Latin American cultures.
Touch is often used in a romantic, reassuring or dominant manner. Touch should be used with respect to the relationship between speaker and listener, as touching can cause discomfort or distrust.
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