NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION I. INTRODUCTION: Communication refers to the dissemination of nonverbal and verbal messages from one person to another through a medium. It encompasses the sender, receiver, message, and medium of communication. Transmission of messages goes through a process where encoding and decoding of information occur in order for communication to be complete only when feedback received by the sender. Over the transmission process, interference occurs due to the presence of barriers in communication. Communication contributes to general knowledge gain on the reception of information conveyed. It entails the complete understandings of behavior in relation to the sender and receiver of the information. The barriers that may hinder the transfer of information include noise, language, emotional and perceptional barriers. The sender refers to the person encoding a piece of information into a transmittable format and sends it to the owner, while the receiver refers to the persona who decodes information from symbols to understandable form to make sense of it in order to provide feedback (Adair, 2003). Barriers affect the flow of information; for instance, language barrier entails transmission of information on a language that the receiver cannot understand and therefore cannot make sense to information being conveyed. Communication entails two forms in which verbal communication refers to the generation of spoken language that is sent to an intended receiver, while nonverbal entails the use of body movement to communicate information. Non verbal communication refers to the ways of communication and interpretation of information by any means other than language. Nonverbal communication includes the communication done through behaviours like facial expression, gestures, vocal tones, pitch etc. Both the listener and the speaker are liable to send nonverbal cues during the communication. This form of communication is unconscious and can not be controlled, therefore it is reliable and it expresses the person’s genuine feelings. It gives a great deal of information about the person’ semotional state at the moment. Nonverbal cues can be as important, or in some cases even more important, than what we say. Nonverbal communication reinforces or modifies what is said in words. For example, people may nod their heads vigorously when saying yes to emphasize that they agree with the other person, but a shrug of the shoulders and a sad expression when saying I’m fine thanks”, may imply that things are not really fine at all Nonverbal communication also reinforces the relationship between people. Nonverbal communication provides feedback to the other person and regulates the flow of communication, for example signaling to others that they have finished speaking or wish to say something. Therefore it makes sense to conclude that nonverbal communication gives insight to the rapy. A counselor who is attuned to the client’s nonverbal communication as well as verbal communication can easily identify if the client’s expressions are not congruent with what he is saying. The lack of body language also conveys a message) it suggests that the client is carefully monitoring his body language, therefore is trying to hide something. These kinds of cues will help the counselor to gain access to the deeper emotional issues that the client is not aware of. The nonverbal communication of the counselor is also important as it creates an impact on the client. It can affect the client’s adherence to treatment, client’s recovery and ultimately, the client’s survival. Clients are sensitive to the behaviours of the counselor as they feel nervous and insecure and want to discern the feelings of the counselor. So they pay close attention on how the counselor communicates rather than what is said. A subtle gesture, change in vocal tone or too little or too much eye contact can give the client a different interpretation. Therefore a counselor must be aware of these aspects. Certain forms of nonverbal communication have different meanings in different cultures. For example forming a circle by touching the thumb with the index means okay in western countries, in Japan it means money and in Arabian countries it means threat. Nonverbal messages are communicated through four basic channels namely: the face, body, gesture and voice. In this essay I will be discussing how these multiple channels can be used in a counseling setting.
HUE UNIVERSITY OPEN AND INFORMATICS INSTITUTE ASSIGNMENT ON CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION TOPIC: NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Lecturer: Nguyễn Văn Tuấn Student: Phạm Thị Tiên Class: Huế 2A Mục lục I INTRODUCTION: Communication refers to the dissemination of non-verbal and verbal messages from one person to another through a medium It encompasses the sender, receiver, message, and medium of communication Transmission of messages goes through a process where encoding and decoding of information occur in order for communication to be complete only when feedback received by the sender Over the transmission process, interference occurs due to the presence of barriers in communication Communication contributes to general knowledge gain on the reception of information conveyed It entails the complete understandings of behavior in relation to the sender and receiver of the information The barriers that may hinder the transfer of information include noise, language, emotional and perceptional barriers The sender refers to the person encoding a piece of information into a transmittable format and sends it to the owner, while the receiver refers to the persona who decodes information from symbols to understandable form to make sense of it in order to provide feedback (Adair, 2003) Barriers affect the flow of information; for instance, language barrier entails transmission of information on a language that the receiver cannot understand and therefore cannot make sense to information being conveyed Communication entails two forms in which verbal communication refers to the generation of spoken language that is sent to an intended receiver, while non-verbal entails the use of body movement to communicate information Non verbal communication refers to the ways of communication and interpretation of information by any means other than language Non-verbal communication includes the communication done through behaviours like facial expression, gestures, vocal tones, pitch etc Both the listener and the speaker are liable to send non-verbal cues during the communication This form of communication is unconscious and can not be controlled, therefore it is reliable and it expresses the person’s genuine feelings It gives a great deal of information about the person’ semotional state at the moment Non-verbal cues can be as important, or in some cases even more important, than what we say Non-verbal communication reinforces or modifies what is said in words For example, people may nod their heads vigorously when saying "yes" to emphasize that they agree with the other person, but a shrug of the shoulders and a sad expression when saying "I’m fine thanks”, may imply that things are not really fine at all' Non-verbal communication also reinforces the relationship between people Non-verbal communication provides feedback to the other person and regulates the flow of communication, for example signaling to others that they have finished speaking or wish to say something Therefore it makes sense to conclude that nonverbal communication gives insight to the rapy A counselor who is attuned to the client’s non-verbal communication as well as verbal communication can easily identify if the client’s expressions are not congruent with what he is saying The lack of body language also conveys a message) it suggests that the client is carefully monitoring his body language, therefore is trying to hide something These kinds of cues will help the counselor to gain access to the deeper emotional issues that the client is not aware of The non-verbal communication of the counselor is also important as it creates an impact on the client It can affect the client’s adherence to treatment, client’s recovery and ultimately, the client’s survival Clients are sensitive to the behaviours of the counselor as they feel nervous and insecure and want to discern the feelings of the counselor So they pay close attention on how the counselor communicates rather than what is said A subtle gesture, change in vocal tone or too little or too much eye contact can give the client a different interpretation Therefore a counselor must be aware of these aspects Certain forms of non-verbal communication have different meanings in different cultures For example forming a circle by touching the thumb with the index means okay in western countries, in Japan it means money and in Arabian countries it means threat Non-verbal messages are communicated through four basic channels namely: the face, body, gesture and voice In this essay I will be discussing how these multiple channels can be used in a counseling setting II CONTENT Channels of non-verbal communication Face The face is the most expressive channel to communicate information about our emotions Emotional expression through the face occurs primarily by the changes in the corners of the mouth, eyebrows, colouring of cheeks, eye muscles, dilation of pupils and amount and intensity of gaze However there are specific facial expressions for specific emotions across different cultures suggesting that facial expressions are universal Some cultures are more restrained than others and refrain from excessive displays of emotion in public Some cultures may also suppress facial emotion, believing that an animated face to shows a lack of control over one’s emotions Facial expressions such as happiness, sadness, fear, anger and disgust are readily communicated across all the cultures Facial expressions help the counselor to decode information about the client’s emotions as well as encode information such as empathy and positive regard 1ifferent facial expressions convey different meanings For example if a client blushes, we can interpret that this is because he or she feel embarrassed, shy, angry, shame or it can be due to physical exercise If a client lowers his eyebrow it is because he is thinking or concentrating, sometimes it can also be because of anger or displeasure If the client raises his eyebrows it gives a different meaning, it can be because of uncertainty, disbelief, surprise, or exasperation Lip compression and lip pout express negative feelings which could be disappointment, displeasure, sadness or uncertainty Lip purse expresses disagreement, scheming or calculated thought Even emotions of pain can be identified by the facial expressions Eye accessing cues-Eyes play a major role in expressing emotions through the face Eye contact determines whether a person is listening to your conversation The clients will be using this means to deduce whether the counselor is attentive to him So a counselor should maintain sufficient eye contact with the client This doesn’t mean the counselor should stare at the client as this would be interpreted as the expression of anger If the client is feeling uneasy to maintain eye contact with the counselor, this means the client is intimidated Thus the counselor should realize this and should respond by making the client feel more comfortable Besides using eye contact is the best way a counselor can connect with a client It conveys the counselor’s empathy and genuineness Eye cues also help the counselor to determine whether the client is lying about his feelings Gazing down and avoiding a person’s eye are reactions of a person who is lying When you observe that a client’s eyes are dilated we deduce that it is because of stress If the client shows flashbulb eyes this could be because of an intense emotion the client feeling like anger, surprise, and fear We should also understand that culture wise these meanings differ Eye contact is another aspect of nonverbal communication that differs across cultures In the United States, direct eye contact is generally considered to be a sign of trustworthiness and interest in an individual’s words However, in some instances, a prolonged gaze may be considered by some to be a sign of sexual interest or attraction In countries such as Africa and Japan, eye contact is generally avoided, as direct eye contact maybe considered to be disrespectful Yet in Arabic cultures, the opposite is true: eye contact is believed to show interest and honesty The counselor should be aware of the meanings lying behind these expressions in order have an understanding of the client’s emotions To detect these expressions in the client the counselor should pay close attention to the client’s face The counselor can also use these expressions to give a feedback about his or her feelings to the client The counselor should respond to the client through facial expressions like smiling in order to encourage the client to go on and to make the client feel his or her presence If the counselor does not respond with adequate facial expressions the client might think that he or she is not listening and may get discouraged or the client might think that the counselor is judging him If the counselor is distracted due to some personal issues he or she has to inform this to the client to avoid misinterpretations and misunderstandings from the client’s part Body Bodily expression occurs through arm and hand gestures, positioning of the trunk, positioning of the arms and legs, posture and the angle of the body Our body gives information about our personality, self-perception and mental disposition For example a slouched posture and slow movement, excessive fidgeting, and frequent use of adapters, such as scratching your head or picking lint off your shirt conveys sadness and anxiety When we are feeling confident, we tend to hold our heads high and walk with smooth, consistent strides When we are nervous, we tend to walk more timidly, often stealing glances at the people around us This shows how the body can reflect our self-perception Clients display simple “nervous habits,” through their body like playing with a tissue or objects on the desk in session or clasping the hands together, as well as behaviors designed to decrease anxiety or serve as self-soothing methods, including rubbing the forehead, crossing the arms across the body, or running the palms over the lap If the client keeps drumming his fingers on the table this conveys impatience Even the way the client is gripping the arms of the chair; whether it’s a power grip or precision grip conveys his mood A power grip would suggest that the client is angry The counselor’s posture has a large impact on the client as the posture often indicates his or her disposition in a conversation For instance if the counselor crosses his hands or legs or if he sits leaning away from the client during a session, the client will be discouraged as the counselor’s stance conveys that he is not interested in what the client has to say So the counselor should sit in close proximity facing the client, lean towards the client and adapt an open arm and open leg stance in order to create an open, warm environment and establish a positive, involved relationship with the client Here, proximity between the counselor and the client depends on how comfortable the client is feeling It is more appropriate to sit angular to the client as this will be close enough and still the client won’t feel uneasy A counselor should place his hand either palm up or palm down as this indicates that the counselor is listening Tilting the head to a side would give a friendly attitude 0owever at the beginning of counseling the counselor should mirror the posture and stance of the client to make the client feel that the counselor is similar to him Gesture Gestures can be an illustrator such as demonstrating the size of something while speaking, which clarifies or supplements speech or an emblem such as wave hello, which replaces speech and have direct verbal meanings When it comes to gestures there is vast difference across cultures For example the thumbs up gesture signals approval in English speaking countries but in some other countries like Greece, Italy and Middle East countries, using this gesture is offensive An American is likely to point with an index finger,” Japanese people will more likely gesture with a hand, as pointing with an index finger is considered to be rude in many Asian cultures An important cultural difference when it comes to non-verbal communication is the display of emotion Italians show excitement more explicitly than the British, they use a lot of hand waving and loud and excited shouting where as in UK this would be considered as been exaggerated Simple gesture like nodding the head and shaking the head is very important in a counseling session as it lets the counselor know if the client is agreeing or disagreeing with what the counselor is saying Nodding the head indicates agreement and shaking the head indicates disagreement The counselor could nod the head in order to encourage the client, show that he or she approves and to convey competence Shrugging the shoulders is also an important gesture as it conveys the client’s uncertainty, helplessness and resignation A counselor should be aware of these gestures in order to under what the client is exactly trying to convey Voice Voice is known as a paralinguistic channel which expresses feelings and emotions through pitch, intonation, speed, rhythm, pitch range, volume filler words (e.g "like," "um"), pronunciation (correct vowel and consonant combinations), articulation (clarity of speech), accent (pattern of pronunciation representative of a language or geographic area), and silence (the absence of sound) The voice is the controllable of the - channels and therefore is more likely to bring about a leakage of the client’s true emotions The rate of voice is the best way to detect if a person is having distortions in his self concept For an example if the client tends to speak more slowly than usual then the counselor can deduce that the client is uncertain of himself A faster than normal rate of voice would convey that the client is feeling scared, a slightly faster would convey anger, a slightly slower would convey sadness and much lower than normal, disgust Voice tends to become faster when excited and slower when expressing content If a client uses more filler words this can be because the client is less competent and less sociable But if an adult with normally good articulation begins to slur, this can be a sign of fatigue Change in pitch or voice cracking indicates that the client must be lying The pitch of the client can give us clues to how he or she is feeling Anger, surprise, happiness, fear, and affection tend to result in a higher than normal vocal pitch, while disgust, boredom, and extreme grief are marked by a lower vocal pitch The counselor should be aware of his pitch as it gives the client a cue of his mood For instance the counselor will sound dull and uninvolved when he feels low and sound relaxed and warm when he is in a good mood An impression of credibility can be conveyed by speaking loudly, quickly, and expressively, with a good deal of pitch variation and few filler words The counselor can use vocal nods such as “Mmhmm” and “Uh-huh” to show the client that he or she is following the counselor Silence is a very important aspect that should be understood by the counselor as it can have profound effects on the client during the counseling session Silence in counselor’s part is crucial because sometimes clients meet counselors just because they want to spill out all their feelings and thoughts to someone In that case the counselor should not interrupt the client A client would choose to remain silent when he does not wish to answer a question; this could be because he wants to avoid embarrassment or offense III CONCLUTION Although these channels are described separately, the information from all these channels is integrated to form an impression at a given moment For example throat clearing, fidgeting with hands, moving or leaning away from you, short breaths all taken together conveys uneasiness whereas leaning close to you , open hands, tilted head, vocal nods and smiling all together conveys comfort and relaxation Nonverbal behavior contributes significantly to all interpersonal communication but unfortunately it is often only a peripheral area of focus in the counseling setting While listening carefully to the client is obviously a fundamental aspect of counseling, there may be additional information that could be gained from watching the nonverbal behaviours expressed by the client Nonverbal signals can alert acounsel or to important affective states that may otherwise be overlooked or denied They can also help identify how comfortable a client is with a given topic of discussion This information can then be used to guide the counseling in a manner that is tolerable and therapeutic for the patient Being aware of our own nonverbal behavior and how it may impact interactions with client is central to improving our ability to establish rapport and maintain a strong therapeutic alliance ... information Non verbal communication refers to the ways of communication and interpretation of information by any means other than language Non-verbal communication includes the communication done... order for communication to be complete only when feedback received by the sender Over the transmission process, interference occurs due to the presence of barriers in communication Communication... fine at all' Non-verbal communication also reinforces the relationship between people Non-verbal communication provides feedback to the other person and regulates the flow of communication, for example