Non-Verbal Communication And Its Importance

Written by: Roselyn Mathew / Communication / June 22, 2022 / 7 minutes read

When we think of communicating with another person, the first thought that comes to our mind is speaking, reading and writing. These are the forms of communication that uses words, or verbal communication. Humans are the only creatures that can communicate verbally. Communication also takes place without the use of words. This is called non-verbal communication. It is estimated that almost 70% of communication happens non-verbally. It is therefore important to learn

"It is estimated that almost 70% of communication happens non-verbally. It is therefore important to learn."

Types of non-verbal communication and their meanings

• Eye contact

  • Eye contact is looking at another person’s eyes and them looking back at the same time. Eye contact is an important type of non- verbal communication. It shows that the person is interested in communicating with the other person. It also shows trust as well as confidence. Having little or no eye contact while speaking often leads to conversations ending soon as the communication partner might feel that they are not interested or is feeling uncomfortable.

• Facial expression

  • Facial expression are the changes made by the facial muscles to convey the emotions of the speaker. It can be positive (smiling) or negative (expression of anger). It should be noted that the facial expression should match the content of the topic spoken about. (Eg. Saying I’m happy for you should be said with a smiling face, saying I’m sorry should be told with a sad face). Having positive facial expressions shows interest in speaking with the other person and encourages further conversation.

• Gestures

  • Gestures are the movements made with the body, mostly with arms and hands. They can help in communicating when words are not heard or understood. For eg. Showing a thumbs up sign from a distance shows that the speaker is encouraging or indicating that things are going well. Gestures are also commonly used when the speaker and listener are unable to understand each other’s speech. Although gestures are less commonly used when speech is clear and understandable, it enhances communication effectiveness

• Body posture

  • Even though body posture is often overlooked in communication, it gives some information to the communication partner regarding the personality of the person, their psychological state and also their interest in communication. A few examples are: when a someone stands erect, it shows that they are confident. If they droop their shoulders it can show lack of confidence or submissiveness. Leaning slightly forwards indicates interest in talking with the other person. Relaxed posture shows being comfortable whereas a stiff posture could indicate discomfort.

• Voice and speech pattern

  • Voice and speech pattern can communicate a person’s psychological state. A higher pitched voice with, slightly faster speech and larger variations in intonation indicates that a person is happy. A lower pitched voice, with slightly slower and monotonous speech indicates sadness. Tone of voice also changes while giving a sarcastic comment. It is important for the speaker to change the tone of voice and for the listener to understand the voice change while speaking with sarcasm. Word stress/emphasis is another important element to consider when communicating. Word stress can show what the speaker intends to communicate when stressing on particular words. For eg. A sentence “I went there” can be said as “I went there” which indicates that the speaker wishes to convey that it was the speaker who went there and no one else. The same sentence with a different emphasis “ I went there“ indicates that the speaker wishes to convey that they went to that particular place and not to any other place. Therefore, word stress can be quite helpful to indicate the speaker’s ideas. Intonation and rhythm of speech also plays a good role in showing the emotion or the psychological state of the person. A sentence “they won the game” can be imply 2 meanings when said. It can be said in a happy or a sad way depending on the intonation.

• Proxemics

  • Proxemics is the amount of personal space between 2 people. The closer and comfortable we are with someone, the lesser would be the personal space and vice versa.

• Appearance and Artifacts

  • Appearance plays quite an important role in conveying information. It shows the person’s lifestyle, personality, interests etc. It is the first thing that is noticed and judged even before the conversation starts. In other words, appearance creates first impression. It is important to maintain a good appearance while meeting someone. Here, artifacts refer to the objects used by the

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Non-Verbal Communication

Even though some people with no medical history have difficulties with non-verbal communication,

people who fall under autism spectrum disorder have a lot of difficulties in understanding and following

non-verbal cues. They are mostly unable to read cues given by speakers or provide non-verbal cues

themselves. Eg. they might take sarcastic comments literally when they can’t identify the tone of voice.

Conclusion

Non-verbal communication is an important aspect of communication. Many individuals especially people who fall under the ASD have difficulties with non-verbal communication. This can be achieved by undergoing training and practice.

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.