Interpersonal Communication: Non Verbal Communication

Non Verbal Communication.
Blanca Rodriguez
Grantham University

Crystal Sears
Interpersonal Communication
February 18, 2013

Non verbal communication is more commonly known as body language.
Heptics communication is the sense of touch. Haptic communication is an important part of effective communicating for example when you touch someone to emphasize something that you are saying. Or for instance when a mother hugs their child to show them love or for something good that they have done.
Physical appearance is described as a nonverbal communication which is the use of gestures, facial expressions, and other no audible messages that are being transmitted. A person physical characteristics has a way of impacting on communications because people tend to be
highly visual creatures because visual data is the most immediate information we get from others. Although sometimes we are not fair because we tend to stereo type and judge others before we know them.
Artifacts are objects and possessions we use to decorate the physical appearance. With artifacts there are cultural and gender influences when it comes to physical appearance. There are many different clothing styles that signify masculinity and femininity within a culture. Women’s clothing tends to be more decorative while men’s clothing is more masculine.
Environmental factor can influence the outcome of communication.
Environmental factors can play a role in shaping interpersonal encounters. For example features that are fixed are stable and cannot be changed, like walls, ceilings, and doors this all define the size of the environment. Fixtures that are semi fixed are not permanent and can usually be moved, like furniture and lighting. Restaurants have soft lighting this is associated with active environments..
Proxemics is the study of personal space. This would be the amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us. For instance as a law enforcement officer you would like a certain amount of distance between you and the other person your interviewing for whatever reason. Also if you are having a casual conversation with another person you want to have distance between each other.
Chronemics is the study of time usage. For example chronemics is used by doctors like psychiatrist where time is used for punctuality, the amount of time spent with the person and waiting time. This can mean that if you have a doctor that spends more minutes with you and is patient, then he is sending a signal that you are
important.
Paralanguage is the study of the cue of the voice which consists of the sound level, the tone, the volume which all consists of how loud we speak which is a filter that we use like hey, yo or you. This helps the speaker when they are unprepared or do not have a knowledge of what to talk about.
Silence is not what we say or even how it is said, silence is communicated our feelings. It’s when we pause before responding. Sometimes silence can speak volume. For example when we give someone the silent treatment, this can be very powerful because whomever the person using silence may be refusing to participate in speaking with the person that they are mad with.

Reference
Lee Hopkins, Design: Luka Cvrk –(2002-2011) Solucija & Lee Hopkins
Andersen, Peter. (2007). Nonverbal Communication: Forms and Functions (2nd ed.) Waveland Press.
Segerstrale, Ullica., & Molnar, Peter (Eds.). (1997). Nonverbal Communication: Where Nature Meets Culture. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ISBN 0-8058-2179-1