Non-Verbal Communication

• Kinesics (body language): facial expressions, gestures, posture, body movement (term associated with Ray Birdwhistell).

  • Ekman and Friesen classified gestures as emblems (direct verbal translation, e.g., thumbs-up), illustrators (accompany speech), affect displays (show emotion), regulators (control flow of conversation, e.g., nodding) and adaptors (self-touching to release tension).

• Oculesics: eye contact and gaze.

• Haptics: communication through touch (handshake, pat on the back); its acceptability varies by culture, gender and context.

• Proxemics: use of space and distance, coined by Edward T. Hall. Hall's four zones for North American norms:

  • Intimate: up to about 18 inches (0 to 1.5 ft)

  • Personal: about 1.5 to 4 ft

  • Social: about 4 to 12 ft

  • Public: beyond 12 ft

• Chronemics: use of time (punctuality, waiting, pace). Hall also described monochronic cultures (one thing at a time, strict schedules) and polychronic cultures (multitasking, flexible time).

• Paralanguage / Vocalics: how something is said: pitch, tone, volume, rate, pauses, stress, fillers. It is vocal but not verbal.

• Appearance and artifacts: dress, grooming, objects, colour, hairstyle.

• Olfactics: smell.

• Silence: can show agreement, disapproval, thoughtfulness, respect or anger.

• Environment / physical setting: seating arrangement, lighting, decor.

• Sign language and signals: traffic signs, sirens, flags, symbols (sometimes called sign communication or object language).

Mostly unconscious, culture-dependent, continuous, harder to control than words, ambiguous in isolation (read cues in clusters), and highly influential for emotional meaning.

Eye contact with students, positive posture, purposeful movement, appropriate gestures, pleasant tone, a smile, and a calm manner help build rapport and attention. Negative cues (frowning, turning your back, folded arms, monotone) reduce participation.

• Kinesics: study of body movement, gestures, posture, facial expression.

• Proxemics: study of space and distance between people.

• Haptics: study of touch.

• Chronemics: study of time use (being punctual, making someone wait).

• Oculesics: study of eye behaviour and gaze.

• Olfactics: study of smell.

• Paralanguage / vocalics: study of voice qualities apart from words (pitch, tone, volume, speed, pauses).

• Artifactics / appearance: study of dress, objects, and grooming.

• Semiotics: study of signs and symbols and how they create meaning.

• Kinesics: a teacher's smile and nod when a student answers shows approval; slumped shoulders show tiredness or low confidence.

• Oculesics: steady, friendly eye contact signals honesty and interest in many cultures. In some cultures, long direct eye contact with elders can seem disrespectful, so context matters.

• Haptics: a firm handshake in a job interview, a pat on a child's back. Appropriate touch depends on culture, gender, age and relationship.

• Proxemics: in a crowded lift you stand stiffly because strangers are inside your personal zone. A teacher who walks among desks reduces distance and builds rapport.

• Chronemics: arriving late to an interview says "I do not value this" even if you never say it. Making a student wait outside can signal status.

• Paralanguage: the sentence "I didn't say she stole the money" changes meaning depending on which word is stressed. Shouting, whispering and a trembling voice carry emotion beyond the words.

• Artifacts: a police uniform, a lab coat, or a graduation gown signals role and authority.

• Silence: a pause after a question gives students time to think; a long silence after a rude remark shows disapproval.

• Repeating: saying "yes" and nodding.

• Contradicting: saying "I am fine" with a sad face (listeners believe the face).

• Substituting: waving instead of saying goodbye.

• Complementing: a warm smile with a warm greeting.

• Accenting: thumping the table to stress a point.

• Regulating: raising a hand or nodding to control who speaks next.

Congruence: when words and body language match, the message feels honest and credible. When they clash, people trust the body language.

Albert Mehrabian's "7-38-55" figures come from studies on how people judge a speaker's feelings or attitudes when the words, the tone and the face do not agree. They do not show that only 7% of all communication is verbal. If an MCQ states "93% of all communication is non-verbal" as a general fact, treat it with suspicion.