4.2: Nonverbal Characteristics
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Nonverbal communication is impossible to avoid. “Even if you try not to send nonverbal cues – perhaps by closing your eyes or leaving the room – others may consider those behaviors” (Adler et al., 2019, p. 80).
Nonverbal communication is ambiguous. In the crying colleague example above, the person could be sad about missing a project deadline or happy about getting a promotion. Since we know that nonverbal communication can be ambiguous by having multiple meanings, it is important to ask questions or have a deeper conversation about what you are observing to clarify whether what you are perceiving, is true or not. The idea is to not make assumptions that may further complicate the situation or the communication encounter.
Nonverbal communication can help express relationships. If you see someone shaking hands, they may be business partners. Two men kissing in the mouth could mean, they are married. A man and a woman tongue kissing could mean, they are lovers. Three people can be in a meeting and two of them are not speaking to each other or looking at each other, which could mean they are enemies that happen to work in the same department. All of these situations are communicating something without saying one word.
As you can see, nonverbal communication is a vital part of communication and being a successful communicator. “People with good nonverbal communication skills are more persuasive than those who are less skilled, and they have a greater chance of success in settings ranging from careers to poker to romance” (Adler et al., 2019, p. 81).
Kinesics (body movements and gestures) serve as a form of nonverbal communication. There are many types of nonverbal body movements and gestures. However, seven types of body movements and gestures will be highlighted in this text: posture, fidgeting, smiling, eye contact, voice, facial expression, proxemics, and touch.
1. Posture. Growing up many of us listened to our parents telling us to “sit up straight” or “stand up straight.” Many parents believed that good posture is indicative of confidence. Adler et al (2019) state that “good posture suggests to the world that you are confident and capable. Some evidence indicates that good posture can also make you feel confident” (p. 84).
2. Fidgeting. During this class, you are required to deliver two speeches. Fidgeting is something that some presenters do during their delivery. Some people fidget with objects they have in their hands, hair, and clothing when communicating in dyads, interpersonal settings, and during speeches. Fiddling could be a sign of communication apprehension, which was/will be discussed in chapter 8. Fidgeting may communicate to an audience discomfort or that one is not very knowledgeable of their topic. Therefore, if you want your audience to see you as a confident and capable presenter or communicator, do your best to avoid fidgeting. Fidgeting can also mean that some type of neurological condition could exist as well, so be careful and try not to pass too much judgment.
3. Smiling. When people smile they are perceived by most people as being friendly. Keep in mind that most people want to work with people who appear to be sociable and friendly and smiling can make co-workers and people outside of work want to connect with you more. Smiling “can be a powerful advantage when making friends and working on teams” (Adler et al., 2019, p. 84). People are also more likely to trust you when you smile as well. However, it is important to mention that smiling can also have a negative meaning. Dolan (2020) highlights “Though smiling generally increases trust, new research provides evidence that it can backfire for people with certain antisocial personality traits.” This connects back to nonverbal communication is ambiguous.
4. Eye contact. In the United States, we value eye contact. After surveying two Foundations of Communication courses at Prince George’s Community College in the Fall of 2021 and Fall of 2022, it was revealed that most students in these two classes preferred direct eye contact from their professors while learning and from their classmates, friends, and family. This became a discussion after a student brought up the topic of how one of her professors stared at the computer when lecturing throughout the entire semester. This instructor did not connect with her students because she did not look at them. Adler et al (2019) also state “the meaning people give eye contact varies by culture.
5. Facial expressions. We all know that facial expressions can go from very subtle to extremely dramatic. Adler et al (2019) state the influence of facial expressions and eye contact doesn’t mean that nonverbal messages are always easy to read. This is partly because of the sheer number of expressions people can produce – as many as five per second. Affect blends are combinations of two or more simultaneous expressions that show different emotions, such as fearful surprise or angry disgust. This is possible because people tend to display different emotions with different parts of the face: Happiness and surprise usually show in the eyes and lower face, anger in the lower face and brows and forehead, fear and sadness in the eyes, and disgust in the lower face. Again, facial expressions can go from very subtle to extremely dramatic and it is one of the most common types of nonverbal communication.
6. Voice. Adler et al (2019) state that “social scientists use the term paralanguage to describe nonverbal cues that are vocal. These include tone, speed, pitch, volume, number and length of pauses” (p. 85). Noise or paralanguage can also sound like: “ah, um, err, and rah”. These nonverbal cues may alter the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences to convey emotions. For example, if you are feeding a baby, you may put baby food on a spoon and as you moving the spoon toward the baby’s mouth and couple the movement with making the sound “um” to communicate to the baby that the food is good. You may also make the sound “ah” while you are on the phone with a friend to let your friend know that you are thinking about what you want to say.
7. Haptics. Haptics is the study of touch. Adler (2019) states “that physical contact is even more potent than you might think” (p. 85). Touch can be enjoyable and welcomed, irritating and uninvited. Touch can also support verbal messages. When couples say “I love you.” to each other and couple the words by grabbing that person’s hand or hugging, it reconfirms the verbal communication. On the other hand, touch can be irritating. When using public transportation, strangers sometimes put their hand on your leg if you are sitting beside them or touch your leg with their leg just a little too much. These examples can be irritating because these touches may not be intentional. However, they may become irritating. “Sometimes, touch is threatening” (Adler et al, 2019, p. 85). Unfortunately, people are physically hurt and abused. For example, romantic partners can become angry and hit each other. Family members can get into fistfights at cookouts during the summer and children can get mad and push each other on the playground at school. All of these nonverbal acts communicate something. As students and scholars, we must be in tune with these threatening nonverbal messages and cues. Someone’s safety or life could be in danger.
8. Proxemics. Proxemics is the way individuals use space. “Preferred spaces are largely a matter of cultural norms” (Adler et al, 2019, p. 87). Think about the last time you were in a checkout line in a store. If someone’s cart got too close to you or if someone was standing less than two feet away from you, you might inch up a little or give them a dirty look. Now, think about the pandemic. You might get annoyed and or afraid. “In mainstream North America culture, people typically converse at a distance of about 4 feet, but people from the Middle East stand much closer” (Adler et al, 2019, p. 87).
Expressing feelings is often the most difficult form of verbal expression. Lucas – emotion icon – CC BY-NC 2.0.
Just think about how difficult it is nonverbally.
Look at this video and think about how you can order food at a fast food restaurant without using words. https://youtu.be/0cIo0PkBs2c
Look at this video and write down what you think the two individuals are communicating to each other. https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-26910517-gay-love-silhouette-two-men-kissing-gentlyindoor
Clothing, jewelry, and tattoos can also convey messages. Look at the pictures and write a paragraph (at least three sentences) for each picture. Discuss what you think the people in the pictures are discussing or what you think their body language and or artifacts: clothing, tattoos, jewelry, etc. are communicating.
Adler, R. B., Rodman, G. R., & DuPré, A. (2019). Essential communication. Oxford University
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Dolan, E. W. (2020, July). A smile can increase or decrease how trustworthy you are perceived depending on your personality, a study finds. PsyPost. Retrieved
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