Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesExamplesWhy Nonverbal Communication Is ImportantHow to Improve
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Types
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Why Nonverbal Communication Is Important
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Nonverbal communication means conveying information without using words.This might involve using certain facial expressions or hand gestures to make a specific point, or it could involve the use (or non-use) of eye contact, physical proximity, and other nonverbal cues to get a message across.
A substantial portion of ourcommunicationis nonverbal. In fact, some researchers suggest that the percentage of nonverbal communication is four times that of verbal communication, with 80% of what we communicate involving our actions and gestures versus only 20% being conveyed with the use of words.
Every day, we respond to thousands of nonverbal cues and behaviors, including postures, facial expressions, eye gaze, gestures, and tone of voice. From ourhandshakesto our hairstyles, our nonverbal communication reveals who we are and impacts how we relate to other people.
2:079 Types of Nonverbal Communication
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9 Types of Nonverbal Communication
Scientific research on nonverbal communication and behavior began with the 1872 publication of Charles Darwin’sThe Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Since that time, a wealth of research has been devoted to the types, effects, and expressions of unspoken communication andbehavior.
Nonverbal Communication TypesWhile these signals can be so subtle that we are not consciously aware of them, research has identified nine types of nonverbal communication. These nonverbal communication types are:Facial expressionsGesturesParalinguistics (such as loudness or tone of voice)Body languageProxemics or personal spaceEye gaze, haptics (touch)AppearanceArtifacts (objects and images)
Nonverbal Communication Types
While these signals can be so subtle that we are not consciously aware of them, research has identified nine types of nonverbal communication. These nonverbal communication types are:Facial expressionsGesturesParalinguistics (such as loudness or tone of voice)Body languageProxemics or personal spaceEye gaze, haptics (touch)AppearanceArtifacts (objects and images)
While these signals can be so subtle that we are not consciously aware of them, research has identified nine types of nonverbal communication. These nonverbal communication types are:
Facial Expressions
Facial expressionsare responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication.Consider how much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown. The look on a person’s face is often the first thing we see, even before we hear what they have to say.
While nonverbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures, the facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar throughout the world.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
The Dangers of Bottling Up Our Emotions
Gestures
Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning without words.Common gestures include waving, pointing, and giving a “thumbs up” sign. Other gestures are arbitrary and related to culture.
For example, in the U.S., putting the index and middle finger in the shape of a “V” with your palm facing out is often considered to be a sign of peace or victory. Yet, in Britain, Australia, and other parts of the world, this gesture can be considered an insult.
Nonverbal communication via gestures is so powerful and influential that some judges place limits on which ones are allowed in the courtroom, where they can sway juror opinions. An attorney might glance at their watch to suggest that the opposing lawyer’s argument is tedious, for instance. Or they may roll their eyes during a witness’s testimony in an attempt to undermine that person’s credibility.
Paralinguistics
Paralinguistics refers tovocal communicationthat is separate from actual language.This form of nonverbal communication includes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch.
For example, consider the powerful effect that tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. When said in a strong tone of voice, listeners might interpret a statement as approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a hesitant tone can convey disapproval and a lack of interest.
How to Develop a Strong Speaking Voice
Body Language and Posture
Posture and movement can also provide a great deal of information.Research on body language has grown significantly since the 1970s, with popular media focusing on the over-interpretation of defensive postures such as arm-crossing and leg-crossing, especially after the publication of Julius Fast’s bookBody Language.
While these nonverbal communications can indicate feelings andattitudes, body language is often subtle and less definitive than previously believed.
Understanding Body Language and Facial Expressions
Proxemics
People often refer to their need for “personal space.” This is known as proxemics and is another important type of nonverbal communication.
The amount of personal space needed when having a casual conversation with another person can vary between 18 inches and four feet. The personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of people is usually around 10 to 12 feet.
Eye Gaze
The eyes play a role in nonverbal communication, with such things as looking, staring, and blinking being important cues. For example, when you encounter people or things that you like, your rate of blinking increases and your pupils dilate.
People’s eyes can indicate arange of emotions, including hostility, interest, and attraction. People also often utilize eye gaze cues to gauge a person’s honesty. Normal, steady eye contact is often taken as a sign that a person is telling the truth and is trustworthy. Shifty eyes and an inability to maintain eye contact, on the other hand, is frequently seen as anindicator that someone is lyingor being deceptive.
However, some research suggests that eye gaze does not accurately predict lying behavior.
How to Overcome Eye Contact Anxiety
Haptics
Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal communication behavior. Touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity, sympathy, and otheremotions.
In her bookInterpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters, author Julia Wood writes that touch is also often used to communicate both status and power.High-status individuals tend to invade other people’s personal space with greater frequency and intensity than lower-status individuals.
Sex differences also play a role in how people utilize touch to communicate meaning. Women tend to use touch to convey care, concern, and nurturance. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to use touch to assert power or control over others.
Appearance
Our choice of clothing, hairstyle, and other appearance factors are also considered a means of nonverbal communication.Research oncolor psychologyhas demonstrated that different colors can evoke different moods. Appearance can also alter physiological reactions, judgments, and interpretations.
Just think of all the subtle judgments you quickly make about someone based on their appearance. Thesefirst impressionsare important, which is why experts suggest that job seekers dress appropriately for interviews with potential employers.
Researchers have found that appearance can even play a role in how much people earn. Attractive people tend to earn more and receive other fringe benefits, including higher-quality jobs.
Culture is an important influence on how appearances are judged. While thinness tends to be valued in Western cultures, some African cultures relate full-figured bodies to better health, wealth, and social status.
Factors That Affect Our Perception of Someone
Artifacts
Objects and images are also tools that can be used to communicate nonverbally. On an online forum, for example, you might select an avatar to represent your identity and to communicate information about who you are and the things you like.
People often spend a great deal of timedeveloping a particular imageand surrounding themselves with objects designed to convey information about the things that are important to them. Uniforms, for example, can be used to transmit a tremendous amount of information about a person.
A soldier will don fatigues, a police officer will wear a specific uniform, and a doctor will wear a white lab coat. At a mere glance, these outfits tell others what that person does for a living. That makes them a powerful form of nonverbal communication.
Nonverbal Communication Examples
Think of all the ways you communicate nonverbally in your own life. You can find examples of nonverbal communication at home, at work, and in other situations.
Nonverbal Communication at Home
Consider all the ways that tone of voice might change the meaning of a sentence when talking with a family member. One example is when you ask your partner how they are doing and they respond with, “I’m fine.” How they say these words reveals a tremendous amount about how they are truly feeling.
A bright, happy tone of voice would suggest that they are doing quite well. A cold tone of voice might suggest that they are not fine but don’t wish to discuss it. A somber, downcast tone might indicate that they are the opposite of fine but may want to talk about why.
Other examples of nonverbal communication at home include:
Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace
You can also find nonverbal communication in the workplace. Examples of this include:
Nonverbal Communication in Other Situations
Here are a few additional examples of nonverbal communication that say a lot without you having to say anything at all:
Nonverbal communication serves an important role in conveying meaning. Some benefits it provides include:
Nonverbal communication is important because it can provide valuable information, reinforce the meaning of spoken words, help convey trust, and add clarity to your message.
How to Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills
If you want todevelop more confident body languageor improve your ability to read other people’s nonverbal communication behaviors, these tips can help:
10 Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Communication
A Word From Verywell
Nonverbal communication plays an important role in how we convey meaning and information to others, as well as how we interpret the actions of those around us.
The important thing to remember when looking at nonverbal behaviors is to consider the actions in groups. Consider what a person says verbally, combined with their expressions, appearance, and tone of voice and it can tell you a great deal about what that person is really trying to say.
11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Nonverbal communication (NVC).Hull R.The art of nonverbal communication in practice.Hear J. 2016;69(5);22-24. doi:10.1097/01.HJ.0000483270.59643.ccFrith C.Role of facial expressions in social interactions.Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci. 2009;364(1535):3453-8. doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0142Goldin-Meadow S.How gesture works to change our minds.Trends Neurosci Educ. 2014;3(1):4-6. doi:10.1016/j.tine.2014.01.002Guyer JJ, Briñol P, Vaughan-Johnston TI, Fabrigar LR, Moreno L, Petty RE.Paralinguistic features communicated through voice can affect appraisals of confidence and evaluative judgments.J Nonverbal Behav. 2021;45(4):479-504. doi:10.1007/s10919-021-00374-2Abdulghafor R, Turaev S, Ali MAH.Body language analysis in healthcare: An overview.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(7):1251. doi:10.3390/healthcare10071251Mccall C, Singer T.Facing off with unfair others: introducing proxemic imaging as an implicit measure of approach and avoidance during social interaction.PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117532. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117532Wiseman R, Watt C, ten Brinke L, Porter S, Couper SL, Rankin C.The eyes don’t have it: lie detection and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040259Sekerdej M, Simão C, Waldzus S, Brito R.Keeping in touch with context: Non-verbal behavior as a manifestation of communality and dominance.J Nonverbal Behav. 2018;42(3):311-326. doi:10.1007/s10919-018-0279-2Bambaeeroo F, Shokrpour N.The impact of the teachers' non-verbal communication on success in teaching.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2017;5(2):51-59.Dilmaghani M.Beauty perks: Physical appearance, earnings, and fringe benefits.Economics & Human Biology. 2020;38:100889. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100889Additional ReadingDarwin C.The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.Wood J.Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters.
11 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Nonverbal communication (NVC).Hull R.The art of nonverbal communication in practice.Hear J. 2016;69(5);22-24. doi:10.1097/01.HJ.0000483270.59643.ccFrith C.Role of facial expressions in social interactions.Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci. 2009;364(1535):3453-8. doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0142Goldin-Meadow S.How gesture works to change our minds.Trends Neurosci Educ. 2014;3(1):4-6. doi:10.1016/j.tine.2014.01.002Guyer JJ, Briñol P, Vaughan-Johnston TI, Fabrigar LR, Moreno L, Petty RE.Paralinguistic features communicated through voice can affect appraisals of confidence and evaluative judgments.J Nonverbal Behav. 2021;45(4):479-504. doi:10.1007/s10919-021-00374-2Abdulghafor R, Turaev S, Ali MAH.Body language analysis in healthcare: An overview.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(7):1251. doi:10.3390/healthcare10071251Mccall C, Singer T.Facing off with unfair others: introducing proxemic imaging as an implicit measure of approach and avoidance during social interaction.PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117532. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117532Wiseman R, Watt C, ten Brinke L, Porter S, Couper SL, Rankin C.The eyes don’t have it: lie detection and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040259Sekerdej M, Simão C, Waldzus S, Brito R.Keeping in touch with context: Non-verbal behavior as a manifestation of communality and dominance.J Nonverbal Behav. 2018;42(3):311-326. doi:10.1007/s10919-018-0279-2Bambaeeroo F, Shokrpour N.The impact of the teachers' non-verbal communication on success in teaching.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2017;5(2):51-59.Dilmaghani M.Beauty perks: Physical appearance, earnings, and fringe benefits.Economics & Human Biology. 2020;38:100889. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100889Additional ReadingDarwin C.The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.Wood J.Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.Nonverbal communication (NVC).Hull R.The art of nonverbal communication in practice.Hear J. 2016;69(5);22-24. doi:10.1097/01.HJ.0000483270.59643.ccFrith C.Role of facial expressions in social interactions.Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci. 2009;364(1535):3453-8. doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0142Goldin-Meadow S.How gesture works to change our minds.Trends Neurosci Educ. 2014;3(1):4-6. doi:10.1016/j.tine.2014.01.002Guyer JJ, Briñol P, Vaughan-Johnston TI, Fabrigar LR, Moreno L, Petty RE.Paralinguistic features communicated through voice can affect appraisals of confidence and evaluative judgments.J Nonverbal Behav. 2021;45(4):479-504. doi:10.1007/s10919-021-00374-2Abdulghafor R, Turaev S, Ali MAH.Body language analysis in healthcare: An overview.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(7):1251. doi:10.3390/healthcare10071251Mccall C, Singer T.Facing off with unfair others: introducing proxemic imaging as an implicit measure of approach and avoidance during social interaction.PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117532. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117532Wiseman R, Watt C, ten Brinke L, Porter S, Couper SL, Rankin C.The eyes don’t have it: lie detection and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040259Sekerdej M, Simão C, Waldzus S, Brito R.Keeping in touch with context: Non-verbal behavior as a manifestation of communality and dominance.J Nonverbal Behav. 2018;42(3):311-326. doi:10.1007/s10919-018-0279-2Bambaeeroo F, Shokrpour N.The impact of the teachers' non-verbal communication on success in teaching.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2017;5(2):51-59.Dilmaghani M.Beauty perks: Physical appearance, earnings, and fringe benefits.Economics & Human Biology. 2020;38:100889. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100889
American Psychological Association.Nonverbal communication (NVC).
Hull R.The art of nonverbal communication in practice.Hear J. 2016;69(5);22-24. doi:10.1097/01.HJ.0000483270.59643.cc
Frith C.Role of facial expressions in social interactions.Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci. 2009;364(1535):3453-8. doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0142
Goldin-Meadow S.How gesture works to change our minds.Trends Neurosci Educ. 2014;3(1):4-6. doi:10.1016/j.tine.2014.01.002
Guyer JJ, Briñol P, Vaughan-Johnston TI, Fabrigar LR, Moreno L, Petty RE.Paralinguistic features communicated through voice can affect appraisals of confidence and evaluative judgments.J Nonverbal Behav. 2021;45(4):479-504. doi:10.1007/s10919-021-00374-2
Abdulghafor R, Turaev S, Ali MAH.Body language analysis in healthcare: An overview.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(7):1251. doi:10.3390/healthcare10071251
Mccall C, Singer T.Facing off with unfair others: introducing proxemic imaging as an implicit measure of approach and avoidance during social interaction.PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117532. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117532
Wiseman R, Watt C, ten Brinke L, Porter S, Couper SL, Rankin C.The eyes don’t have it: lie detection and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040259
Sekerdej M, Simão C, Waldzus S, Brito R.Keeping in touch with context: Non-verbal behavior as a manifestation of communality and dominance.J Nonverbal Behav. 2018;42(3):311-326. doi:10.1007/s10919-018-0279-2
Bambaeeroo F, Shokrpour N.The impact of the teachers' non-verbal communication on success in teaching.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2017;5(2):51-59.
Dilmaghani M.Beauty perks: Physical appearance, earnings, and fringe benefits.Economics & Human Biology. 2020;38:100889. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100889
Darwin C.The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.Wood J.Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters.
Darwin C.The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.
Wood J.Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters.
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