Types of
Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is
mainly of three types
a)
Kinesics
b)
Para language
c)
Proxemics
Kinesics
The word kinesics
literally means body movement. It stands for the way the body communicates
without words, and through various movements of its parts.
Importance
of Kinesics:
1.
The importance of kinesics can be put brought forward by the words of
famous psychologies Paul Ekman who says, “We talk with our vocal cord but we
communicates with our facial expression, tone and pitch of voice, our whole
body.”
2.
The importance of body language lies in the fact that one can play
fast and loose with words but body language speaks truth.
3.
When managers consciously read what others are conveying by body
movement, they can easily deal with issues before their become problem.
4.
Non-verbal communication is also important because it is efficient. A
message can be very well transmitted more economically than any other means of
communication.
Role
of different parts of body in Communication:
1. Head: Head occupies a very important place
in our body. Similarly it also plays a very important role in communication.
The way we hold our head conveys a lot. The movement of head is very important
in face to face communication. Posture of head conveys:-
i. A head held up:
Sign of honour, self respect and self confidence.
ii. A head bent
low: Sign of modesty, politeness, or guilt.
iii. A stiffly
head, held or drawn back words: Sign of pride, or naughtiness.
2. Face: A popular
states „the face is the index of mind‟ i.e. the face is the mirror of mind. The
face is indeed the primary site for expressing emotions. It reveals both the type
and intensity of the feeling. Facial expression conveys a lot without speaking
a single word. A manager can very well practice to interpret these signals by
first observing his own expression in a mirror.
3. Eye Contact: Eye
command particular attention as a source of non verbal communication. Eyes
communicate our deepest feeling. In face to face communication eye contact is
of great importance. They are especially effective for indicating attention and
interest, influencing others, regulating interaction and establishing
dominance. Eyes adopt different position in different situations such as:-
i. Fixed eye: Show
concentration.
ii. Raised eyes:
Indicate fear or surprise.
iii. Smiling eyes:
Reflect happiness.
iv. Long fixed
gaze: Show interest.
v. Evasive eyes:
Nervousness or lack of interest.
4. Gestures: The
physical movement of arms, legs, hands, torso and head are called gestures.
They also play a very important role in conveying meaning or messages without
using words, examples:-
i. Pounding fist on
the table shows „anger‟
ii. Arms spread
apart means wide.
iii. Shuffling from
one leg to another means nervous or restlessness etc.
5. Body
shape and postures: Behaviourial scientists have studied the shape of the human
body and have broadly put there in the following three types:-
i. Ectomorph: thin,
youthful and tall.
ii. Mesomorph:
strong, athletic and muscular.
iii. Endo morph:
Fat round and soft.
A person can make
both positive and negative impression of himself or others through his body
posture. Therefore we should make efforts to ensure that our body does not send
out wrong or negative signals especially during interview, meeting and other
formal or informal interactions.
Advantages
of Kinesics:
1. Body language
communication is easily visible. It helps the receiver of the message in
decoding the message.
2. It adds
intensity to the process of communication.
3. People are for
the body language so it goes a long way to improper the overall atmosphere.
Disadvantages
of Kinesics:
1. No one can
totally rely upon the body language because it is non verbal. It cannot be
taken seriously.
2. There are
chances of misinterpretation because people belonging to different cultural
backgrounds send different body signals.
3. If the listener
is inattentive, these body languages become ineffective.
Para Language
Para‟ means „like‟.
Para language means „like language‟. It is non-verbal communication which is
closely related to verbal communication. It is non verbal communication because
it does not comprise words.
It is „like‟ verbal
communications because it is related to way the words are spoken. Without it
words do not convey their intended meaning. While verbal communication consists
of „what‟ or the contents of words, paralanguage involves the „how‟ of a
speaker’s voice or the ways in which the speaker speaks. Example of
paralanguage is voice, words stress etc.
Elements
of Para Language:
1. Voice: Voice is
the most important element of Para language. Voice tells us about the speaker’s
sex, age, background, education; temperament etc. voice conveys the message in
a more effective way. However these points have to be considered.
i. Pitch variation:
Pitch means highness or lowness of sound i.e. quality of sound. Wide variation
in pitch should be made during a speech. This is essential and helps in
catching the attention of the listener and maintaining the interest in the
speech.
ii. Speaking speed:
The speaking speed should neither be too fast nor too slow. The speed should be
such which ensures fluency. As a rule the easy parts of the messages should be
delivered at a brisk pace as it is likely to be understood easily. On the other
hand, the difficult complicated, technical part of the message should be
delivered at a slower rate.
iii. Pause: Pause
is an important aspect of speech. One cannot and should not go on speaking
without pause. But pause have to be at the right moment. A pause at the right
moment can be very helpful in emphasizing the upcoming subject. Where as an
arbitrary pause or unnecessary frequent pauses spoils the speech.
iv. Variation in
volume: an efficient speaker varies his volume while delivering his speech.
Volume means loudness of voice. Volume variation puts life into one’s speech.
However the loudness of voice should be adjusted according to the size of the
audience. While speaking one should be loud enough to be audible but not too
loud to put the audience off.
v. Non fluencies:
speech is not always a continuous string of meaningful words. There are pauses
scattered at intervals. These pause are very often inserted with sounds or
utterances like „ah‟, „oh‟, „uh‟, „hum‟, „you know‟, ok etc. These sound or
utterances are called „Non fluencies‟. These non fluencies if used carefully
and sparingly add to the fluency of the speaker, gives him time to breathe or
relax and makes the listener more alert and gets the message conveyed overtly
or covertly.
2. Proper word
stress: Proper word stress is at most important in communication. A speaker can
change the meaning by putting stress on a word here or a word there in the same
sentence.
A good speaker
should put stress on words or parts of words. One should also improve one’s
word stress by listening the good speakers and participating in discussion.
ADVANTAGES
OF PARA LANGUAGE
a)
No oral communication is complete without Para language.
b)
A speaker education and background can be judged from his way of
speaking
c)
Para language of a person indicates his place in hierarchical
structure of the organization.
d)
Knowledge of person’s Para language is helpful in dealing with him.
e)
One can improve his Para language by listening to good speakers.
LIMITATIONS
OF PARA LANGUAGE
a)
Para language is like a language nut not a language we cannot rely on
it.
b)
Unless the listener is open minded, voice quality, speaking speed,
pitch, etc may prejudice him, causing poor listening. Voice quality and
speaking speed etc cannot be a substitute for intellect or wisdom. They can
only complement it.
c)
Speaker belongs to different speech communities due to which it is
difficult to maintain uniformity in Para language.
d)
It is difficult to blend what is said and how it is said. Therefore,
extra care is required to get to the exact content of the language.
Proxemics or
Space Language
Non verbal
communication involves not only body language and Para language but also the
space around us Proxemics is the study of how we communicate with the space
around us. The space here means the distance between the sender and receiver of
the message in oral communication. This distance is called proximity.
Edward T. Hall has
done very useful and interesting work in his idea. Placing ourselves in the
centre he has presented the space around us in the form of the following
concentric circles: - Distance wise it can be stated as below: - Intimate:
Physical contact to 18 inches. Personal: 18 inches to 4 feet. Social: 4 feet to
12 feet. Public: 12 feet to as far as one can see or hear.
1. Intimate space language: In this very
close contact is maintained within the space of 18 inches. It is most suitable
for the use of body language as most of our body movement originate within this
area. Only very special people like our family members, relatives and close
friends enter into this area intimate space is very suitable for highly
confidential talks and decision concerning sensitive matters.
2. Personal space language: Personal space
extends from 18 inches to 4 feet. People have normal conversation with close
friends, colleagues and visitors. The nature of communication is more or less
personal and is generally relaxed and casual. It permits informal spontaneous talking.
Some important decisions are also taken in this.
3. Social space language: Social space
extends from 4 feet to 12 feet. It is used for formal and official
relationship. Most of the communication in the organization takes place in this
space. Communication here is dominated by reason and planning rather than by
emotion and feeling.
4. Public space language: public space
extends beyond 12 feet. Communication in public space is highly formal and
objective. Public address system may have to be used. Public announcement and
election rallies are best examples of public space language.
Proxemics is also concerned
about the use of space by groups of people. Different people make use of space
around them in different ways. The way a group uses the space assigned
determines their respective position and interaction pattern. For example:
people seated in front are considered to be bold and are the ones who initiate
the conversation. Fixed and semi fixed spaces have important implication in
communication. Let us analyse it further.
a)
Fixed spaces: Fixed spaces refer to permanent features like room, walls, and
buildings and its total capacity, length, breadth etc. These features determine
who interacts with whom, why, how and for what purpose.
b)
Semi Fixed Species: Semi fixed spaces refer to physical features
which are not permanent and can be changed or re-arranged. For example,
furniture decor etc. In other words semi fixed spaces are flexible that permits
the use of a variety of spaces to conduct different types of communication. For
example, some furniture can be arranged or rearranged as per the need of
communication.
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