Non-Verbal Communication

A touch, making eye contact with someone, or the tone of voice you take when saying something. All of these things make up a big part of how you communicate and interact with other people. These ways of communicating all fall under the category of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is, “those aspects of communication, such as gestures and facial expressions, that do not involve verbal communication but which may include nonverbal aspects of speech itself, (accent, tone of voice, speed of speaking, etc)” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nonverbal communication) as defined by Dictionary.com. Non-verbal communication makes up most of the ways that we communicate with someone. Non-verbal cues are vital in a conversation. “One study at UCLA indicated that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues. Another study indicated that the impact of a performance was determined 7 percent by the words used, 38 percent by voice quality, and 55 percent by the nonverbal communication.” (http://humanresources.about.com/od/interpersonalcommunicatio1/a/nonverbal_com.htm) A person’s tone of voice plays a big part when giving non-verbal cues. If something is said with a strong tone a voice, the audience may perceive enthusiasm or confidence. Also, that same exact thing could be said in a hesitant tone of voice and the audience could perceive that the speaker is intimidated or nervous. If you were to say something in a positive or soothing tone, then that could promote motivation or a sense of safety in the person you are speaking to. My cousin Stephanie was always a key part in my life and I was a key part in her life as well. We grew up together in the same household so we were always together. We both grew up as an only child, but I considered her more of a sister rather than my cousin. If something went wrong I knew that I could always run to Stephanie. Being that she was about 4 years older than me, I started to look up