Psychology of Non-Verbal Communications - Report Example

Psychology of non-verbal communications Introduction Communication is one of the single most influential phenomena in the lives of human beings. Through communication, a level of understanding is derived. It is critical to note that there are two forms of communication. In the first instance, there is verbal communication. In this case, communication is through the spoken word. In other words, communication has to be through some specific sounds that are meaningful. On the other hand, we have non-verbal communication. In this communication style, no words are used to express meaning whatsoever. The features of non-verbal communication help in derivation of meaning. In the is speech ladies and gentlemen, I will focus on how non-verbal communications, such as hand gestures, facial features, body movements, and punctuation, are perceived by the listeners. Most of us are aware of the famous quote that goes ‘actions speak louder than words’. This is the essence of non-verbal communication. Some people have complained about non-verbal communication to a large extent. Some people argue that there are numerous obscurities that engulf non-verbal communication. These uncertainties, distinguished audience, should be understood based on the fact that not all non-verbal actions mean the same things to the people or culture. People come from different backgrounds, hence it is expected that a number of differentials in so far as non-verbal gestures be expected. Consequently, it should be noted that different people perceive the signs differently (Krueger, 2008). Listeners in particular may perceive the non-verbal communication totally different ways. This can be attributed to the fact that people use the signs to mean different things and as such disparities are to be expected. To start with ladies and gentlemen, will endeavor to show through this speech how listeners perceive individual no-verbal communication elements. Facial features Facial expression is a communication hub in its own right. A number of first hand communication received from the facial expression. In every conversation or where listening is required, the face will always do the talking without one having to utter a single word. Based on what the speaker is saying or discussing, the audience becomes a critical point of reference based on what the facial expression suggests. For instance, when listeners are amazed or feel jittery about something that has been communicated, the response is gotten through either frowning, rolling of the eyes or even movement of the eyebrows. The listener in this context would always provide commentaries concerning the speech or conversation based on the reaction from the face. It is critical for everyone to always check what the faces of the audience or listeners are suggesting (Devaraj & Antonysamy, 2009). Devaraj argues that a speaker should be able to look at the face or faces of individuals in order to come up with a determination on whether there is some form of interrelatedness. In the event that one is not able to examine appropriately the facial expressions of listeners, no interrelationship is established. The connection between the mind of the speaker and that of the listener or listeners is established when there is a proper facial agreement of both of the parties. For instance, when there is an element of a smile either from the speaker a listener may perceive that as an act of amusement and in some cases pleasure. The smile can have varied meanings to different people. In a country such as the United States, people smile extensively even to the strangers. The case is very different in the Former Soviet Union nation where smiling at strangers is seen as a despicable and unwarranted act. Yet smiling may mean politeness, affections or even hide the exact meaning of how one feels. Consequently, facial expression can show attitude change or to some extent display of emotions. Listeners perceive non-verbal communication differently in so far as facial expression is concerned. When one communicates to the audience, the facial expression acts as a measurement point through which the people get to know what is within the self. Listeners have a tendency of looking at the face of the speaker to search for information. Some of the information that the audience sometimes seeks to derive from the speaker’s facial expression includes the level of sincerity and the general attitude towards delivering the message (Devaraj & Antonysamy, 2009). A number of psychological research works have suggested that audiences are capable of determining the speaker’s well-being. Some of the things that a listener can derive include disbelief, confusion and even happiness. Before one can present self before an audience, it is critical for one to do away with facial expressions that are uncharacteristic the self. In this case, tendencies search as being nervous and expressions of fear are done away with and enhance the performance of the speaker. Hand gestures Ladies and gentlemen listeners can perceive non-verbal communication with respect to hand gestures differently. Hands can be powerful tools of non-verbal communication. Yet some speakers are never aware of how they can use their hands to make their speech effective. In different instances, some speakers have been spotted pocketing during a presentation while others, even hold their hands close to their chest (Wood, 2011). Consequently, other people perform some actions with their hands that do nothing but distract the audience. Listeners perceive the use of hands very different, and therefore, a speaker should be careful in the use of hands as a communication element. Some people have argued that the use of the hand as a non-verbal item works the same way as facial expression though that idea is still subject to debate. When one makes a fist, listeners can ordinarily think about a fight or an expression of anger. When a speaker or anyone conversing with someone crosses hands close to the chest area, it can be perceived to be an attitude of a defensive nature. Consequently, letting hands in the air can be perceived to show disgust in a given process. When one puts a hand on the hips, the display is that which signifies confidence towards a given process. Conventionally, handshakes are perceived to be polite ways, showing acceptance or agreement. People positions of authority great people differently. For instance, some people great their counterparts with their hand hanging down to some angle. This is a display of social stratification. This means that person greeting somebody with the hand hanging at a certain angle is of a higher social class than the other. When one greets with the palm facing up, the perception is that of general acceptance and an open heart. This means that the attitude is a little bit different in the sense that it displays a welcoming attitude. Moreover, some people put their hands up with the palm facing the audience, this can mean two things. One is that hands up with the palm facing the audience can mean open defiance to a given process or idea. Secondly, the display can mean that the person may not like the idea of being challenged by someone (Wood, 2011). All these hand gestures carry a lot of weight in so far as perception is concerned. How speakers or people use their hand gestures determines how well the listeners perceive the message being portrayed. Perhaps the reason as to why the hand has been compared to facial expression has all to do with the numerous gestures that make up the hand as an element of non-verbal communication. Body movement Body position can mean a number of different things. Communicators have also always received an advice that they should be able to move around during a speech. This is the most visible of all the non-verbal communication that a speaker can portray. Yet this gesture can be of critical importance and the worst. Listeners become keen when one begins to move up and down during a speech. Experts in non-verbal communication have argued that when one is able to move up and down purposefully without causing any destruction, a number of things become eminent. Body movement can aide in driving the point home in a precise manner. Consequently, when one is able to move purposefully during a conversation, the attention of the audience is captured to a greater extent. Lastly is that movement helps in discarding excessive pressure and tension to the extent that one feels as though the audiences are a familiar person (Butterfield, 2010). These components make body movement essential. However the same elements can be destructive. To ensure that body movement works for you, make the movement purposeful. Any moving object ordinarily consumes listeners. This can be attributed to the sensitive nature of the eyes. In essence, when a speaker is able to move, the listeners become attentive to what the speaker has to say about a given issue. Moderation is essential during body movement. When unnecessary body movement comes into effect, destruction ensues and the listeners might become board to some extent. Body movement can mean a number of things to the audiences. Body movement helps to a large extent in supplementing the speech. When a speaker moves, a number of the listeners can establish some derivations. For instance, breaking away from a conversation and moving a step forward can be understood to mean getting ready to deliver a point with much weight. Moving some steps back from the original position can mean winding up a given point and preparing to start another one. This can also mean that giving the listeners a break to conceptualize the details communicated to them so far. When there is tangential movement, it means that the speaker is getting ready to deliver a totally new point. All the aspects of body movement can mean different things to the listeners. The conventional body movements are given prominence in this context. It should be noted that body movement could be used to dramatize some aspects of the speech. Acts of dramatization are sometimes very effective because they help the listeners visualize the points of discussion (Butterfield, 2010). For instance, the speaker throwing an object in a certain manner can be essential in visualizing a given element of the discussion. The most critical factor to consider is that the movements in all instances should be with relative ease, smooth and to a large extent natural. In making different points, there should be movement to signify to the listeners that a change has been effected. This makes the listeners to perceive the body movement without undue prejudice of the activity. Punctuation in written communication In every written work, there must be punctuations that communicate different things to the listeners. Punctuations are found in virtually every written work (Poyatos, 2002). This is perhaps the only area where everyone has to directly or indirectly has to capture the element of non-verbal communication. Though it should be noted that different cultures use the punctuations for different meanings. It cannot be expected that the same punctuations would have the same meaning to people. Using punctuations can either changer the meaning of a text or give more meaning. For instance, period means that a text has been concluded. In the same breath; an exclamation mark would display shock or amazement. A comma may be used to show a pause or indicate a preparation to expound on a given text. The punctuations are non-verbal communication elements that carry precise meaning to the extent that they inform the basis of the listener’s perception. Conclusion In winding up this speech distinguished listeners, it is critical to note that the perceptions non-verbal communications have on listeners cannot be over emphasized. Listeners ordinarily perceive the non-verbal elements based on the manner in which they are used. How effective the different elements of non-verbal elements are used determines how best understanding is derived. The listeners perceive non-verbal communications, such as hand gestures, facial features, body movements, and punctuation differently depending on how they are made effective. References: Butterfield, J. (2010). Verbal communication. United States of America: Course Technology. Devaraj, A., & Antonysamy, K. S. (2009). Executive communication. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education Private Ltd. Krueger, J. (2008). Nonverbal Communication. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH Poyatos, F. (2002). Nonverbal communication across disciplines: 3. Amsterdam [u.a.: Benjamins Wood, Julia. (2012). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters. Cengage Learning. Read More