Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication includes all

unwritten and unspoken messages,
both intentional and unintentional.

Functions of Nonverbal
Communication
To complement and illustrate

To reinforce and accentuate

To replace and substitute
To control and regulate
To contradict

Using non-verbal communication to your

advantage

Become aware
Dont contradict your words with body language
Know what your face says
Use direct eye contact
Use smiling and head nodding for appropriate
impact.
Gesture with purpose

Nonverbal can include:

Shaking hands
Posture
Facial expressions
Appearance
Voice, Tone, Hairstyle, Clothes
Expression in your eyes, smile,
How close you stand to others, how you listen
Confidence, your breathing, the way you move, the
way you stand, the way you touch people
Color choice
Silence.

NON VERBAL CUES

Physical environment
Proxemics
Chronemics

Movement and body position

Kinesics
Posture
Gesture
Haptics
Eye Gaze

Paralanguage

 Proxemics
use of physical space between the sender and the
receiver
Chronemics
Use of time; punctuality and willingness to wait, the
speed of speech and how long people are willing to
listen

Kinesics
is the study of body movements, facial expressions,
and gestures

Haptics
the study of touching as nonverbal communication

PROXEMICS
DISTANCE ZONES
Intimate distance-no more than 18 inches apart
Mum and baby
Personal Distance-18 inches to 4 feet
Casual and personal conversations
Social distance-4-12 feet
impersonal, business, social gatherings
Public distance-More than 12 feet
Public speaking

Nonverbal Codes
The Voice (paralinguistic/vocalic cues)

volume
pitch
rate
vocal variety
pauses
articulation
pronunciation
dialect

A FEW GESTURES
AND
THEIR MEANINGS

A hand over the mouth whilst talking indicates deceit. A

desire to try and stop the words coming out of the mouth. It
can be a quick touch to the mouth, or a sustained rubbing
across the mouth.
Move the hand away from the mouth, lower down the face,
under the chin, and this would be positive evaluation.

The finger across the top of the lip

can be seen with the hand in many
positions around the face.

They all indicate critical analysis.

Shall I? Shan't I? Will he? Won't he?

Stroking of the beard.

Normally seen on men!
Seriously, irrespective of
the beard, the gesture is
an evaluation signal.
Generally a positive
evaluation. It's a time for
thought process.
Women generally stroke
the bottom of the chin
with a thumb and
forefinger.

People, who are long sighted and need

their glasses for reading, will hold their
glasses like a baton if they are in the habit
of putting them on to read, and taking
them off to look at you.
Sucking the stem of the glasses is an
evaluation gesture, rather than stroking
the beard. It is generally a positive
evaluation of your ideas, suggestions,
information or requests.

Many people misunderstand folded arms. She may feel

comfortable with her arms folded. She may be cold.
Considering the rules, if you've just said something she
dislikes, or disagrees with, and she sits back, folds her
arms and puts her chin down, you have a very negative
signal, even if she is smiling.

SHAKING HANDS

WET FISH from a man this normally means an introvert,

or a weak character, someone who is easily persuaded and
likes to fit in.

THE BONE CRUSHER handshake is used by macho

dominant men. It's a show of strength and dominant
character to the extreme.
Often a case of, "Don't mess with me, I'm a hard man."

A NEUTRAL handshake should use the same pressure

to hold say a hammer, a bat or a racquet. The hand
should be 'neutral' neither palm up nor palm down.

A sequence of handshakes indicating degrees of warmth and

passion. Please be aware that the hand is the third least
erogenous zone to be able to touch. The least erogenous zone
on a man is the lower arm, and the upper arm on a woman.
The double handshake shows great warmth and passion. You
would only do this with close friends, and people with whom
you have deep sincere gratitude.

Anyone who gives you a handshake with two hands,

when first meeting you, is likely to be insincere and
overwhelming, or even deceitful.
The last picture with the hand on the shoulder, could
also end with the arm over the shoulder-it indicates
further warmth and feeling.

The lowered steep-ling of the hands indicates

listening, and can also be a negative confidence
gesture.

The scratch to the back of the neck indicates either

the neck itches or uncertainty or even lying.

Pulling the ear can be an ear itch. It can mean nervousness

or deceit.
It can mean a desire to shut out the words they are
hearing, or the words aren't 'going in'.
It may also indicate they've heard enough.

Hot under the collar!

People touch their face 10 times more than normal when
they feel uncomfortable.
When you lie, you feel a tingling sensation around your face
and neck, and feel you need to touch or relieve the area.

Hand clasping at a desk or in a chair

on

its

own

may

indicate

nervousness, insecurity or anxiety.

Loosely clasped would be more like anticipation and the

more tightly clasped they are, the more the anxiety.

Clasped hands in front of the body

are

barrier

signal,

seeking

reassurance.
If the thumbs were steepled it
would be a confidence gesture.

Here's the mother of all confidence gestures,

even arrogance.

Men, when evaluating and responding to women's

ideas will often go into this position. The reply
may even start with the arrogant little cough.
The most supreme will be when the chair is tilted
back onto two legs.

When sat back, arms folded and the legs are

crossed tightly, this is extremely negative. You may
walk in and see this negativity, indicating prior
feelings to you arriving, or you may say
something, which affects this negativity.
Crossed legs can be comfort, but often
indicate negativity. Holding a clipboard in
front of the chest at the same time will
indicate negativity, a barrier signal, seeking
reassurance, pushing you away.

Sat back with an arm over the chair will

indicate lethargy. They maybe don't want to be
there, and aren't giving you much attention.

Leg cocked over the chair will indicate

indifference.
The attention they are giving you is minimal.

It can be on the positive route.

It normally indicates mild confrontation and
stubbornness at that point.
This is blatant territorial ownership.
Claiming territory. It could easily be
disregard of other people's territory if it
were say your feet on someone else's desk.

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing nose,
rubbing eyes, drawing away
Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

6 Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

6 Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

4 Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

6 Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

4 Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
2 Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

6 Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

4 Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
2 Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
3 Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

6 Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

4 Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
2 Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
3 Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
5 Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails

Nonverbal Behavior and Perception

A Matching Quiz

1. Insecurity
4. Confidence

2. Defensiveness
5. Nervousness

3. Cooperation
6. Frustration

6 Short breaths, tsk sound, clenched hands, wringing hands

4 Steepled hands, hands behind back, hands on lapels of
coat, broad gestures
2 Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
3 Open hands, upper body in sprinters position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
5 Clearing throat, whew sound, whistling, smoking,
fidgeting, tugging ears
1 Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails