Non-Verbal Communication, Essay Example

When my friend asked me about rules, he probably assumed that rules for effective nonverbal communication may be exact guidelines that anyone can follow equally effectively. In other words, he might have thought that rules for effective nonverbal communication are written in stonethat are equally applicable in any given situation. I would explain to my friend that rules for effective nonverbal communication are mere suggestions and the communicator would have to be an active observer in order to determine the rules suited to a given situation.

First of all, effective nonverbal communication requires learning about the audience such as ethnic and cultural background. This is because different cultures may have different norms and values and what may be an acceptable behavior in one culture could be perceived negatively in another culture. Similarly, effective nonverbal communication also takes into account the environment and the occasion. For e.g. funerals may require different behavior than formal parties. It is important to note that kinesics (facial and body motions), haptics (physical touch), and proxemics (personal space) etc.are also important part of nonverbal communication.Different cultures may have different expectations regarding body movements, physical touch, and personal space, thus, one should take the cultural background of the audience into account.

Verbal and nonverbal communication often takes place together andobserving nonverbal cues during verbal communicationresults in more effective communication.If we see a contradiction between verbal and nonverbal cues, it may be a sign that we should change our communication style.

An article in Psychology Today looks at the gender influence on nonverbal communication (Thompson). The findings in the article are the result of several independent research studies. As far as women are concerned, nonverbal cues such as smiling and nodding increase women’s influence when communicating with men. Women are also more emotionally expressive yet posses less control over emotions as compared to men. Women are also more likely to invest greater efforts in building rapport than men. When it comes to understanding nonverbal communications, women on the average perform better than men. Women are also more likely to engage in physical touch.

As far as men are concerned, they may be less proficient than women at understanding nonverbal cues, they can close the gap through training in nonverbal communication. Beard makes men appear dominant because it increases perceived head size. In addition, men also benefit from taller heights when it comes to career advancement opportunities, leadership opportunities, and income. Contrary to popular idea that women are better at picking up lies, the research shows that both genders are almost equally capable of catching lies. While attractiveness hurts women in career advancement opportunities, it tends to benefit men. Men also get preferential treatment when it comes to customer service and their chances increase with improved dressing while improved dressing doesn’t usually benefit women(Thompson). The article demonstrates that there are considerable gender influences on nonverbal communication which means gender stereotypes are still quite widespread in the society.

Reference

Thompson, Jeff. Are Man and Woman Equals in Nonverbal Communication? 12 Februaru 2012. 24 September 2012 <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beyond-words/201202/are-man-and-woman-equals-in-nonverbal-communication>.