NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

 

    Nonverbal communication is a communication process in which the message conveyed does not use words. Non-verbal communication is the process of communicating through sending and receiving wordless messages. Non-verbal communication can be divided into 4 parts namely body language (kinesics), eye contact (oculistics), touch (haptics), body distance (proxemics), paralanguage, and turn taking.

A. Body Language (Kinesics)

Body language is a significant aspect of modern communications and relationships. Body language can be defined as the conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated. It goes both ways: Your own body language reveals your feelings and meanings to others.

Other people's body language reveals their feelings and meanings to you. Body language, and more technically the study of body language, is also known as kinesics, which is derived from the Greek word kinesis, meaning motion. This includes body movement, body position, facial expression, as well as dress.

1. Body movement (gesture)

Body languages allow individuals to communicate a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt and

hostility to approval and affection, often together with body language in addition to spoken words. The most familiar categories of body language are the so-called emblems or quotable gestures. These are conventional, culture-specific body language that can be used as a replacement for words, such as the handwave used in theU.S. for "hello" and "goodbye". Body languages are a crucial part of everyday conversation such as chatting, describing a route, or negotiating prices on a market etc.

2. Body Position

In some cultures, travelers should be careful to avoid exposing certain parts of their body. In Arab cultures, for example, the sole of the foot is considered dirty, and should never be shown, so anyone can adopt the local custom of sitting on the floor, for instance, has to take care to avoid doing this.

3. Facial Expressions

Facial expressions usually communicate emotions.

The expressions tell the attitudes of the communicator. It's now generally accepted that certain basic facial expressions of human emotion are recognized around the world - and that the use and recognition of these expressions are genetically inherited rather than socially conditioned or learned. Researchers have discovered that certain facial areas reveal our emotional state better than others. This means that, as the receiver of a message, we can rely heavily on the facial expressions of the sender because his expressions are a better indicator of the meaning behind the message than his words. Facial expressions continually change during interaction and are monitored constantly by the recipient. The meaning of these expressions may be similar across cultures, such as: eyes, head, smile and etc.

B. Eye Contact (Oculistics)

Eye contact is the meeting of the eyes between two individuals. In humans, eye contact is a form of nonverbal communication and has a large influence on social behavior. The study of eye contact is sometimes known as Oculistics. Eye contact provides a way in which one can study social interactions, as it provides indications of social and emotional information. People, perhaps without consciously doing so, probe each other's eyes and faces for signs of positive or negative mood. In some contexts, the meeting of eyes arouses strong emotions. Eye contact can establish a sense of intimacy between two individuals, such as the gazes of lovers or the eye contact involved in flirting. Alternatively, avoiding eye contact can establish distance between people. When in crowds, people tend to avoid eye contact in order to maintain privacy.