Non verbal Communication: Meaning, Characteristics, Types, Advantages, and Disadvantages

What is Non verbal Communication?

Non verbal communication is expressed through nonlinguistic means. It is the actions or attributes of humans, including their appearance, use of objects, sound, time, smell, and space, that have socially shared significance and stimulate meaning in others.

To put it in simple words, non verbal Communication involves The use of gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, body movements touch, etc. to share information with others.

Although non verbal communication may be deliberately or accidental, its meaning depends on how they are interpreted. Consequently, they fulfill meta-communicative functions, and communicate about communication, clarifying both the nature of our relationship and/or the meaning of our verbal messages.

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Characteristics of Non verbal Communication

The important characteristics of non-verbal communication are as follows:

• No Use of Words
  
• Different Meaning
  
• Vague and Imprecise
  
• Shows Feelings and Attitudes
  
• Unconscious
  
• Culturally Determined

No Use of Words

Non-verbal communication is communication without words or language like oral or written communication. It uses gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, physical proximity, touching, etc. for communicating with others.

Different Meaning

Non-verbal symbols can many meanings. Cross-culture aspects give various meanings to the same expression in respect of non-verbal communication.

Vague and Imprecise

Non-verbal communication is quite vague and imprecise. In this communication, there is no use of words or language which expresses clear meaning to the receiver.

Shows Feelings and Attitudes

Facial expressions, gestures, body movements, and the way you use your eyes – all communicate your feelings and emotions to others.

Unconscious

Non-verbal communication is unconscious in the sense that it is usually not planned or rehearsed. It comes almost instantaneously

Culturally Determined

Non-verbal communication is learned in childhood and passed on to you by your parents and others with whom you associate. Through this process of growing up in a particular society, you adopt the taints and mannerisms of your cultural group.

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Types of Non verbal Communication

We have discussed 6 types of non verbal communication:

• Posture and Body Movements (Kinetics)
  
• Appearance
  
• Face and Eye Movement
  
• Gestures
  
• Proxemics
  
• Paralanguage

Posture and Body Movements (Kinetics)

Our shape and postures affect how we behave and show the attitude of a person towards others. We cannot do much about the shape of our body because a lot depends on heredity, but we can, no doubt put our bodies into effective use. Both our body shapes and postures affect what we think about ourselves, how we relate with others, and how others relate to us or respond to our actions and emotions.

Appearance

Psychologists tell us that our appearance, the type of clothes we wear, the colors we choose, etc. convey a lot about our attitude and personality. It is said that a man is known by his dress and address ‘ By address‘ one means the way a person communicates orally and by the dress‘ one means the type of clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, and hair a person uses.

Face and Eye Movement

Facial expressions display our emotions like anger, happiness, jealousy, sadness, love, frustration, shyness, arrogance, etc. Also, eye contacts its type and duration mean a lot. A casual glance, looking at somebody for a long period, avoiding eye contact, or taking off the eyes of a person quickly leaves different impressions on others.

Gestures

The physical movement of arms, legs, hands, torso, head, etc are the gestures that have a significant effect on the other person Roger Axtell has this to say, Without gestures, our world would be static, colorless. We see gestures daily almost instinctively from beckoning to the waiter or punctuating a business presentation with visual signals to airport ground attendants guiding an airline pilot into the jetway or parents using a whole dictionary of gestures to teach {or preach) a child.

Proxemics

It is the personal space language‘ in the same way as Kinetics‘ is the language of the movements of body parts. The distance between two interacting persons is called a close phase‘ or a far phase‘, the former moves towards greater closeness, and the latter moves towards lesser closeness.

Paralanguage

Paralanguage is the manner in which one says something rather than the word involved in saying it, it is the how‘ of the speaker‘s voice, tone, pitch, emphasis, volume, etc. rather than the what of the spoken word. The speed or rate at which one speaks is also part of paralanguage.

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Advantages of Non verbal Communication

The advantages of non verbal communication are discussed below:

• Complementary to Verbal Message
  
• Easy Data Presentation
  
• Help Illiterate People
  
• Help Handicapped People
  
• Attractive Presentation
  
• Minimize Wastage of Time
  
• Fast Expression of Message

Complementary to Verbal Message

Non-verbal cues complement a verbal message by adding to its meaning. You can pat someone you offended on the back as you say sorry to him or her.

Easy Data Presentation

Information of data can be easily presented in non-verbal communication by using visual, audio-visual, and silent means of non-verbal communication.

Help Illiterate People

This form of communication uses gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, proximity, touching, etc., and without using any spoken or written words. So, it is very much helpful for illiterate people.

Help Handicapped People

Non-verbal cues of communication greatly help handicapped people, especially deaf people. Deaf people exchange messages through the movements of hands, fingers, eyeballs, etc.

Attractive Presentation

Non-verbal communication is form of communication which involves visuals, pictures, graphs, signs,s, etc. that can be seen as very much attractive. Even someone’s appearance, attitude, and behavior can be very effective in conversation.

Minimize Wastage of Time

The message of non-verbal communication reached the receiver very fast. For this reason, it minimize the wastage of valuable time of the communicator.

Fast Expression of Message

Non-verbal cues of communication like signs and symbols can also communicate some messages very fast than written or oral messages.

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Disadvantages of Non verbal Communication

The disadvantages of non verbal communication are listed below:

• Vague and imprecise
  
• Multi-channel
  
• Detailed Discussion are Not Possible
  
• Hard to Understand
  
• Expensive
  
• Distortion of Data

Vague and imprecise

Non-verbal communication sometime can be vague and imprecise. In this communication, there is no use of Spoken words which expresses clear meaning to the receiver. No dictionary can accurately classify them. Their meaning varies not only by culture and context but by the degree of intention.

Multi-channel

while watching someone’s eyes, you may miss something significant in a hand gesture. Everything is happening at once and therefore it may be confusing to try to keep up with everything.

Detailed Discussion are Not Possible

In non-verbal communication, detailed discussion and necessary explanations are not possible. No party can discuss the particular issues of the messages.

Hard to Understand

Non-verbal communication is hard to understand and requires a lot of repetition. Since it uses gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, touch, etc. for communicating with others which may not be understandable for simple and foolish people.

Expensive

In some cases, non-verbal communication can be very expensive. For example, neon signs, PowerPoint presentations, cinemas, etc are very much expensive compared to other types of communication.

Distortion of Data

Since it uses gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, touch, signs, sound, paralanguage, etc. for communicating with others, there is a great possibility of distortion of data in non-verbal communication.

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Impact of Non Verbal Communication

We have discussed the impact of non verbal communication in conversation:

• Reinforce or modify Verbal Massage
  
• Convey Feelings
  
• Define Relationship
  
• Non-verbal Communication Provides Excellent Feedback
  
• Regulate the Flow of Communication

Reinforce or Modify Verbal Massage

When you are accepting something and nod your head vigorously to mean -yes‖, it reinforces your acceptance. Or when you want to decline something and want to convey that you are not interested, you may shrug your shoulders to mean, -No, thank you.

Convey Feelings

When you are upset about some issue and do not want to interact with others and someone approaches you, a motion with the hand will convey much more than words.

Define Relationship

You meet a friend after a long time, a warm handshake or a tight hug is more than anything else to convey the warmth of the relationship.

Non-verbal Communication Provides Excellent Feedback

When the audience or the participants don‘t look into your eyes, look left and right, look at their watches again and again and shuffle in their seats, it is a sure sign that you have no rapport with them.

Regulate the Flow of Communication

After putting across your point of view when you have finished saying what you wanted to say, you may signal with your hand or even with the movement of your eyebrows for the other person to take over. Or when you want to say something you raise your finger to convey that you have something to add at that particular stage.

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