Is nonverbal communication the primary way people communicate with each other?

Communication is the act of interacting and exchanging ideas with other people. There are two primary forms of communication: verbal and nonverbal. With verbal communication, people express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings through spoken or written language. Nonverbal communication uses other methods, such as body language including facial expressions, gestures, and more. We are going to discuss both of these forms of communication to help you understand them better.

People use verbal communication to express themselves in many ways during discussions, speeches, and everyday conversations. Just how effective this style of communication is can vary. It will depend on the volume of your voice, the tone you use, the clarity of your speech, and the caliber of the words you use. You’ll probably get some idea of how effective your communication is through the feedback you receive.

You can help improve the effectiveness of your communication by considering your target audience and how you can adjust your message to help them understand you. With verbal communication, you have a lot of control over adapting your message if you feel it is not effective.

In order to do this, you should first ensure that you have expressed your intended message. It’s possible for the people to whom you are trying to communicate to misunderstand your words or the intention behind those words.

Whether or not your communication is effective depends on the listener as well as yourself, and you can’t control the listener—but you can try to make your message as clear as possible. To do this, you also need to consider nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is a way of communicating without using words. Although nonverbal communication can emphasize spoken words, it can also contradict them.

The three main aspects of nonverbal communication are tone of voice, body language, and eye contact, each of which has an impact on how people receive your message.

• Tone of Voice: The volume, pitch, and pace of your voice displays your feelings. It can help other people determine whether you’re upset, confident, angry, etc.
• Body Language: Body language is probably the clearest type of nonverbal communication. It can tell a person a lot about how you feel. If someone sees that your arms are folded while speaking to you, they will likely feel you are not very receptive to what they have to say, whereas if you face the speaker with your arms at your sides, you will appear more interested.
• Eye Contact: Making eye contact lets a speaker know you are interested in their message. It can also help you stay engaged in the conversation and better understand the speaker.

Do these verbal and nonverbal communication examples make sense to you?

Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills

Nonverbal communication skills are a crucial part of articulating your message. People often rely primarily on nonverbal cues to derive the meaning of the message. This makes it vital that you work on improving your nonverbal communication skills.

Conclusion

Communication skills are critical in all aspects of life. Improving your communication skills requires understanding the differences between verbal and nonverbal communication. Simply understanding cues such as maintaining eye contact and using body language that shows you are interested in what the speaker has to say can go a long way toward achieving effective communication.

We all rely on nonverbal communication. This is true whether playing a game of charades with your family or trying to show confidence during an important interview.

There’s a reason many of us prefer face-to-face communication over phone calls. Without seeing someone’s facial expressions, posture, and body language, it can be hard to read how they are feeling. 

Nonverbal cues are just as important as verbalization. Nonverbal actions are key for communicating with and understanding everyone in your life. 

Mastering non-verbal communication can also help your career. You can show your confidence, passion, and expertise through small nonverbal communication cues. This is true whether leading a team meeting or attending an important job interview. 

What is nonverbal communication?

There are two primary forms of communication: verbal and nonverbal.

Verbal communication uses words to convey a message, whether that’s orally or in writing. 

Your posture, facial expressions, and eye contact are examples of nonverbal communication methods. We all use these cues in daily conversation, even involuntarily. 

Austrian-American author and educator Peter Drucker had it right when he said that, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” 

We all perform and respond to nonverbal communication — and what we understand that no one says — daily. 

Why is nonverbal communication so important?

Nonverbal signals are far more subtle than uttered words, but they’re no less important. These cues reveal the meaning behind what someone is saying, their true feelings, and if they’re listening to your half of the conversation. 

Outside of conversational cues, nonverbal behaviors are crucial to bridge language gaps. Even when two people don’t speak the same language, body language can help foster knowledge and understanding. 

Nonverbal communication skills can also help create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. For example, some people with physical disabilities might struggle with their nonverbal cues. Plus, possessing the skills to communicate with nonverbal individuals is vital. 

According to some studies, it’s also clear that non-verbal communication skills can help your career. 

For example, teachers with these skills see more success with their students. When talking with your boss, coworkers, and clients, you can use non-verbal communication to gain a competitive edge.

Finally, your ability to use nonverbal communication can affect many areas of your life, including how you connect with others. This is why understanding the types of nonverbal communication is so important. 

8 types of nonverbal communication

Experts have identified nine major types of nonverbal communication. They are:

1. Facial expressions

The look on an individual’s face is often the first thing we see. A smile, frown, or grimace tells a lot about their mood and how the subsequent conversation will go. Expressions of happiness, sadness, anger and fear are universal emotions and a key form of nonverbal communication.

2. Kinesics

Kinesics, or gestures, are conscious body movements like waving, pointing, and giving a thumbs up or down. One's culture typically determines what gestures are socially acceptable and which are rude. 

For example, in Westernized countries, glancing at your watch suggests, “I need to be somewhere.” In contrast, many Middle Eastern populations consider this rude. They are more likely to believe a conversation should continue until it ends naturally.

3. Paralinguistics

Paralinguistics — also known as vocalics — refers to the aspects of verbal communication that aren’t the words themselves. Your tone of voice, loudness, and pitch are common aspects of paralanguage. 

This type of communication is powerful since altering your voice changes the meaning of a sentence. Think about all the ways you can use the phrase “I’m fine.” If you say it quietly, you might be feeling dejected, but if you say it forcefully, someone might detect your defensiveness.

4. Body language and posture

Crossing your legs or arms, a head nod, slouching, or sitting up straight are all examples of true body language. For example, you may have seen crime films focus on body language to further the narrative. It can also hint at what isn’t included in the dialogue. 

However, this type of nonverbal communication is complex and quite subtle. Just because you observe a movement doesn’t guarantee you understand the meaning.

5. Proxemics

Proximity references how near something is. Human beings take personal space seriously. They also interpret physical distances in interactions differently.

Social and cultural expectations, personal preferences, and your relationship with someone all determine what proximity is suitable. 

For example, if you’re in a relationship with someone, you’d expect to sit close together on the couch. On the other hand, you likely wouldn’t sit that close to your mom’s best friend when she comes over for her weekly book club.

6. Gaze

It may sound cliche, but it’s true that “The eyes are the windows to the soul.”  Our eyes are a massive factor in nonverbal communication because they give away how we feel. 

When we’re scared, our pupils dilate due to a surge in adrenaline. When something excites us, we blink rapidly. Maintaining eye contact generally means that someone is comfortable and telling the truth. In contrast, avoiding eye contact might suggest that they’re nervous or hiding something.

7. Haptics

Communication by touch is called haptics. Touch is powerful because our emotions drive it. Our social class, gender, and, of course, our upbringing all determine how we respond to touch. Women generally use touch to convey care and concern, while men are more likely to convey control. 

Psychologist Harry Harlow made a career in studying the impacts of touch or lack thereof on rhesus monkeys. Monkeys who were raised without a touch from their mothers struggled with social interactions.

8. Appearance

Your appearance is another thing people notice immediately. Your hairstyle, clothing, tattoos, piercings, and even body shape give off cues. This can encourage snap judgments from other people. There’s a reason your mother always told you to “dress to impress” for a presentation at school or a job interview.

3 tips for understanding nonverbal communication

The more you practice reading cues, the better you’ll become. Some things you can do include:

1. Pay attention to inconsistencies.

Nonverbal communication can either reinforce or discourage what someone is saying. Does a person’s facial expressions match their words? Their tone of voice? If they do, then great. They’re most likely being honest about whatever they’re saying. If it’s the opposite, they may be trying to hide how they truly feel. 

2. Look at nonverbal signals as a whole.

If you’re only paying attention to someone’s posture, you might miss a whole bunch of other clues. Nonverbal signals work in tandem to generate a complete picture of another human being.

3. Trust your instincts.

Go with your gut. Your instincts are there to help guide and protect you about what someone is saying and what they truly mean.

How to improve nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is a necessary factor at home, work, and beyond. Often, these signals occur rapidly. Interpreting or noticing all of them can be challenging during a single conversation.

Fortunately, there's always room to improve upon these skills. To do so, try focusing on the below.

Managing stress at the moment.

When we’re stressed, we can’t communicate as effectively. How you’re feeling rubs off on others, too. Take some deep breaths to relax and refocus. You’ll feel better, and you’ll be able to read people more accurately.  

Develop your emotional awareness.

Emotional intelligence, or EI, is a significant part of navigating relationships. Being emotionally aware helps you understand people more accurately. In addition, it improves relationships and lets others know that you understand their feelings. 

The bottom line

Nonverbal communication undeniably plays a prominent role in personal and professional life. Person-to-person interaction will almost always involve some kind of non-verbal communication.

Is nonverbal communication is the primary way people communicate with each other?

Is verbal communication the primary means of communicating your emotions?

Which of the following is most true about nonverbal communication?

What is the most primitive form of human communication?