Nonverbal Communication, Kinesics, Essay Example

Kinesics can be defined as the study of messages conveyed by the human body motion. It includes variable such as eye movement, walking speed, postures and gestures. All valuable communicators subconsciously use facial and eye expression to convey their messages. An eye gaze or aversion express both positive and negative messages of intimacy, friendliness, credibility, anxiety, disappointment and much more (Mehrabian 29). For example, picture yourself in the following situation:

• You come home late from work, when you promised otherwise. Your wife meets you at the door. As you approach her, your eyes focus on hers.
• A close family member just had an operation. When you meet the doctor to discuss the results, you stare at the doctor’s face, looking for clues of good or bad news.

Almost immediately, the eye expression of your spouse or the doctor in each scenario could put you at ease, frighten you or cause you to cry.

Eye behaviors are a vital part of interpersonal communication since we use our eyes to start, maintain and terminate a conversation. The three key functions of eye emotion are revealing the extent of interest and emotional involvement, regulating interpersonal interaction and influencing our perceptions of dominance/ submissiveness (Manusov, Valerie & Miles, pg. 160). For instance, when we are interested in what someone is saying, our pupils dilate and our blinking rate decreases. The same happens when we go through a positive emotional moment.

Moreover, persuasive people tend to refrain from blinking too much and often maintain a steady gaze (Collier 185). In the American culture, when someone averts their gaze in a conversation, we are more likely to assume that they are shy, hiding something or unknowledgeable in the topic of conversation. While in southern Europe and Latin American culture, a more direct eye contact will give you credibility and honesty. In addition, looking at interactions between opposite, increased eye contact correlates with visual dominance whereas averted eyes imply submissiveness (Jain & Ajay 522). A perfect example of this assertion is displayed in the movie ’50 Shades of Grey’.

Work Cited

Manusov, Valerie L, and Miles L. Patterson. The Sage Handbook of Nonverbal Communication. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2006. Print.

Jain, J N, and Ajay Bhola. Modern Organisational Behaviour: Principles and Techniques. New Delhi: Regal Publications, 2010. Print.

Collier, Gary. Emotional Expression. New York: Psychology Press, 2009. Print.

Mehrabian, Albert. Nonverbal Communication. Nueva Jersey: Aldine Transaction, 2010. Print.