Non-Verbal Communication In this talk, we are going to talk about the definition of non-verbal communication, dimensions of

Non-Verbal Communication
    Good morning, everyone. Today, I am going to give you a brief introduction of non-verbal communication. My lecture is composed of three parts. Definition of non-verbal communication, dimensions of non-verbal communication and impression formation and management of nonverbal communication.
    Now, first of all, how do you define non-verbal communication? Communication is generally defined as having both a verbal and nonverbal component. Whereas verbal communication often refers to the words we use in communication, nonverbal communication refers to communication that is produced by some means other than words: eye contact, body language, or vocal cues, for example. The five primary functions of Non-verbal Behavior are:
    1. Expression of Emotion—emotions are expressed mainly through the face, body, and voice.
    2. Communication of Interpersonal Attitudes—the establishment and maintenance of relationships is often done through nonverbal signals(tone of voice, gaze, touch, etc.).
    3. Accompany and Support Speech—vocalization and nonverbal behaviors are synchronized with speech in conversation(nodding one’s head or using phrases like "uh-huh" when another is talking).
    4. Self-Presentation—presenting oneself to another through nonverbal attributes like appearance.
    5. Rituals—the use of greetings, handshakes or other rituals.
    Secondly, let’s talk about traditional dimensions of nonverbal communication. There are mainly six dimensions of nonverbal communication.
    No.l Physical Appearance—Appearance messages are generally the first nonverbal messages received and can be used to develop judgments about people based on how they look, what they wear, and their level of attractiveness, among other things Physical attractiveness impacts how people perceive others as similar to themselves and is used to evaluate credibility and general attractiveness.
    No.2 Territory and Personal Space—Personal space refers to the space an individual maintains around him or herself, while territory is a larger area an individual controls that can provide privacy—for example, an office or a specific chair in the conference room. Invading another’s territory may cause that person discomfort and the desire to defend his or her space by turning away or creating a barrier, for example. Culture can influence the way that individuals use space. Individualist societies like the United States emphasize personal rights and responsibilities, privacy, and freedom, whereas more collectivist societies emphasize community and collaboration.
    No.3 Facial Expressions—The most important non-verbal channel for expressing attitudes and emotions to other people is the face. Researchers have attempted to categorize facial expressions that express emotion and typically agree on six: happiness, surprise, fear, sadness, anger, disgust/contempt.
    No.4 Gestures and Postures—Gestures and postures are frequent and continuous movements of the body that reflect individual thought processes and regulate communication. For body language to be interpreted as positive and genuine, it is important that it appear to be natural. Lewis suggests individuals stand erect and walk with shoulders back and stomach in. This helps communicate a message of self-confidence, awareness, and enthusiasm.
    No.5 Touch(Tactile Communication)—People believe that the most basic meaning of touch is that an interpersonal bond is being offered or established. While touch can be used for consolation, support, and congratulations depending on the relationship, touch is often culturally regulated in organizations meaning it may be regulated to behaviors such as handshakes. Touch, like any other communication message, may elicit negative and positive reactions depending on the configuration of people and the circumstances.
    No.6 Time—The way an individual talks about or uses time can communicate much nonverbal information about him or her. Individuals may view time as the location or duration of events, the interval between events, or as patterns of intervals, routines or cycles of behavior. Individuals may also have differing psychological time orientations that influence how they think about and perceive time in their daily lives. Individuals may be more past-oriented, using the past to shape the present, or future-oriented, working towards tomorrow. Individuals can also be present-oriented, living mostly for today. Culture can play a role in determining time orientation, so it is important to be aware of these differences and their potential impact on communication.
    The third part of my talk is about impression formation and management of nonverbal communication. Impression management is an individual’s conscious attempt at control over communication behaviors and cues for the purposes of making a desired impression often with nonverbal communication. There are two functions important for impression management: 1)Presentational function, which means consciously trying to control the impression he/she makes on the person with whom he/ she is communicating with, and 2)Affect management, which means consciously controlling your e-motional response. The impressions we make on others are subsequently defined by four dimensions: credibility—how competent and trustworthy you are, likeability—that another will judge you likable, interpersonal attractiveness, and dominance—showing power and assertiveness. The kind of person you are judged to be is influenced more by nonverbal than verbal cues. When we make judgments about others we typically give disproportionate weight to nonverbal behaviors and cues than to their actions, for example, looking at their posture to judge their level of self confidence. Factors that influence the impressions we form about other people: a)Stereotypes that we hold about individuals that belong to certain groups: b)First impressions that might affect all subsequent perceptions and may be resistant to change: c)Selective perceptions whereby we pay attention to things that are consistent with our own past experiences and concerns: and d)Last impressions in which we disproportionately weigh the influence of an individual’s most recent action or our last contact with the individual.
    OK. I have outlined the six aspects of non-verbal communication and how non-verbal communication affects our image and impression. In our next lecture, we shall discuss the micro-expression and macro-expression, two concepts central to decoding human behaviors.