GE

111- PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

Lesson 4
Beyond Words: Visual & Non-Verbal
Communication
Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

o Differentiate verbal, nonverbal and visual communication and their sub-

forms;
o Craft purposive, multimodal messages using learning on effective
communication and communication ethics;

Time Frame: 2 Weeks

Introduction

“Nonverbal communication is an elaborate secret

code that is written nowhere, known by none and
understood by all.”
-Edward Sapir
Foremost American Linguist & Anthropologist

ACTIVITY

Examine the image above. What can be inferred from the picture? What
specific details in the picture allow you to confirm your inferences?

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ANALYSIS

o Why should we pay attention to a facial expression, tone of voice, body

language, eye movement when communicating?

o How do they subtle non-verbal cues help us in decoding a message?

ABSTRACTION

The Nature & Purpose of Nonverbal Communication

We have discussed in previous lessons that we are always communicating

and everything communicates. Much of your studies in communication in basic
education have dealt with the verbal aspect of communication- vocabulary
building, learning sentence structures, spelling and grammar among others.
However, verbal aspect only makes up a minor percentage of communication.
Majority of communication is in fact, nonverbal. This means that “what you say” is
not all there is to communication. There are many subtle cues that a
communicator gives while that accompany a message being communicated. The
tone of voice, posture, facial expressions, gestures and eye movement of a
person also hold meaning that could confirm or contradict what is being said.
These non-verbal signals can also give clues and additional information and
meaning over and above spoken (verbal) communication. Communication
scholars estimate that around 70 to 80% of communication is non-verbal.

As we participate in communicate interactions we give off unspoken cues,

conveying information on our emotional state and also clues pertaining to the
message. Nonverbal communication can reinforce or modify what is said in
words. They can repeat, emphasize or accent the message or they can also
contradict the message (validation). Nonverbal cues also define or reinforce the

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relationship between communicators and regulate the flow of communication.
Lastly, it can also substitute the message in case of interference.

Non-verbal communication can be done consciously or unconsciously. They

have a very high validity because they communicate feelings and attitudes most
effectively. We tend to believe nonverbal message more than spoken words.
However, nonverbal cues have implicit meaning and are therefore open to
various interpretations. In fact, it is usually not possible to interpret a gesture or
expression accurately on its own. Nonverbal cues are prone to misinterpretation
because it is influenced and driven by the context in which it occurs such as
lifestyle, culture and other factors. Misinterpretation usually happens in cross-
cultural settings where the communicators assign different meanings to
nonverbal cues. For example, placing the hand on somebody’s head denotes
fondness or respect in many cultures while in some it is seen as a grave insult.

Types of Nonverbal Communication

Paralanguage or vocalics, is a component of communication that refers

specifically to the qualities of voice. It focuses not on the words being said but
“how” the words are said.

This includes:
o the pitch of the voice (varying between low and high)
o length of sounds (varying between short and long)
o loudness, or prominence (varying between soft and loud)
o timbre or voice quality (quality of sound)

These qualities of the voice that accompany spoken word are able to modify
meaning or convey emotion. Paralanguage also extends to other non-phonemic
aspects of the voice like gasps, sighs, moans, and groans among others. For
example the deliberate clearing of one’s throat when interrupting a conversation
is a subtle means that someone has something to say. The same can also be
done to announce ones presence in a group or space.

Kinesics refers to the study of bodily movements. Particularly the field

deals with bodily movements coordinated with speech are hand movements (also
movement of body and legs, head nods and movements, gaze shifts and facial
expressions as well. The smallest kinesic signals are known as a kineme, which
is a slight shift or movement. Kinesics also focuses on posture and movement
while verbal communication is going on.

Facial Expression. The face is the most important channel of nonverbal

communication and bearer of a person’s identity and is considered an important
subcategory of kinesics. It is an organ of emotion and capable of containing
powerful cues. Researchers have found seven facial expressions found in all
cultures. These are facial expressions of happiness, sadness, anger, fear,
surprise, disgust and contempt. They based the Seven Universal Facial
Expression of Emotion on the commonalities on how the face is composed when
these emotions are expressed. When a person is happy, for example the mouth
is curved upward into a smile or laugh pulled upward by the cheeks, the eyes are

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alight with the emotion as well. Though there are only 7 universal facial
expressions, the human face is able to express an infinite number of expressions
based on the nuances and slight shifts of the eyes, eyebrows, the forehead, the
lips, nose and jaw.

Body Language. Another subcategory of kinesics refers to gestures, or

the movement of the hands, feet and other parts of the body that can convey a
wide array of concepts and feelings. Gestures often occur in clusters or series of
movements that reinforce each other to confirm meaning. We have a limited
range of gestures and we use these gestures to signify certain feelings. Some
gestures indicate positive concepts (open) while some indicate negative concepts
(closed).

Photo 1. Closed gestures often indicate negative meanings like anger, doubt and contempt while
open gestures indicate openness, and friendliness.

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Oculesics. Another subcategory of kinesics is Oculesics, which is the

study of eye behaviour and movement. It is concerned with eye related nonverbal
communication. It focuses particularly on eye contact (direct or indirect),
voluntary and involuntary eye movement including changes in eye direction or
focus. Oculesics is also concerned with voluntary or involuntary dilation that takes
place when the human eye perceives objects. Lastly, oculesics is also concerned
with gaze direction, which deals with communicating feeling such as intense
desire with the eyes.

Haptics also known as tactile communication is another subcategory of

kinesics. It is the study of touching as non verbal communication. Tactile clues
can supplement or reinforce a verbal message through the medium of physical
touching. Touch not only facilitates the sending of the message but the emotional
impact of the message as well. In some cases, words can even be absent when
communicating through touch. Tactility or touch is coded; humans create rules of
conduct for touching, these touch codes vary with age, between genders and by
situation. Holding hands in public for example is not appropriate in some cultures.
Another good example of the codedness of touch is in sexual harassment cases
wherein instances of harassment is done through overt touch, causing the victim
extreme emotional distress. The exact same overt touches can be done in
romantic intimate situations and not be interpreted in the same manner.

Other Nonverbal Communication

Proxemics. This refers to the study of peoples appreciation and use of

space. The term was coined by researcher Edward T. Hall during the 1950’s &
60’s and has to do with the study of our use of space and how various differences
in that use can make us feel more relaxed or anxious. Proxemics is concerned
with the use of personal territory. The way we utilize space shows our
relationship to people we are communicating with and is also telling of the state
of the relationship. One example is how couples tend to sit closely to one another
in conversation but sit apart when they have had an argument.

Figure 1 Edward Hall's Four Areas of Personal Territory

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Chronemics refers to the nonverbal study of time. The way we treat time
communicates something to others and at the same time shows how we view our
own status and power in relation to others. The higher the status of a person, the
more control that person has over his/ her own time. In a work setting for
example, a lower ranking employee waits for the availability of a direct superior. A
higher ranking person does not wait for subordinates. Tardiness is frowned upon
in most societies because they communicate disrespect.

Object Communication. This refers to messages or concepts conveyed

by objects and things, serving to either complement or reinforce the verbal
messages. Clothing, ornaments, body piercings and specific symbols have
assigned or associated meanings in different cultures, and are capable of getting
a reaction from people. The logo of a particular luxury brand for example, may be
associated with status and wealth. Object communication is also context driven
like other types of nonverbal communication. The crown on the head of an
individual, for example, denotes royalty and nobility in some cultures but is not
recognized in others. Not all cultures use the crown as a symbol to communicate
the concept of royalty and nobility but instead use other objects.

Silence. Silence refers to the absence of sound. It can be a positive or

negative influence in the communication process and is an important
communication tool. By using silence at strategic times, the sender can
sometimes get the receiver to reveal certain feelings and attitudes that may be
hindering effective communication. Silence or what is not said can be just as
important as what is said.

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Visual Communication

Visual communication another type of non- verbal communication. It

is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be seen. Visual
communication in part or whole relies on eyesight. It can involve words as well
but is generally comprised of images and other graphic devices. Visual
communication is a broad spectrum that includes signs, typography, drawing,
graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, color, and
electronic resources. Visual communication goes back to ancient civilizations
where public areas had visual messages of all kinds: trade signs of merchants
advertising their products and services, public service announcements, even
personal want ads poste by citizens. Grafitti was also a common way of
expressing protests against the government.

Photo 2. A tablet signage found above the shop of a produce trader found preserved in the volcanic
ruins of Pompeii.

We are surrounded by various materials or texts consisting of words and

images. These come in the form of visual organizers, pictures, pictures, signs,
advertisements and many others. Examples of Visual Organizers include info
graphics, mind maps, Gantt Charts, and Organizational Charts.

Visual Messages as Multimodal Text

Visual messages are very good examples of multimodal texts. A text is

anything that can transmit an informative message that are transmitted through
one or more modes. The text can be written, spoken and other patterns od
meaning achieved through visual, audio, gestural, tactical and spatial means. The
advent of globalization and the digital age is also characterized by the
proliferation of multimodal texts, which are texts that transmit meaning through
two or more modes, like audiovisual messages, which transmit meaning through
auditory and visual means.

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Multimodal texts require the processing of more than one mode and the
recognition of the interconnections between modes. This process is different from
the linear reading of print-based texts.

Visual Messages, like most multimodal texts, transmit meaning in two

layers.

Literal Transmission. A literal message transmits meaning based on

what the text (words and images) show. The reader elicits the meaning based on
what is conveyed explicitly.

Subliminal Transmission. Another layer is the subliminal message,

which contains underlying meaning. A text does not express this explicitly. It may
be argued that only a receiver who is aware of certain meanings that are
associated with specific images and words may understand a subliminal
message.

Every piece of text carries a message and every message carries a

meaning that may be true or false. As a regular consumer and producer of text
and receiver of information, you need to be more aware and critical about what
these messages mean and how they form your consciousness of the world
around you. As we move around a world shaped by various texts, they play an
important role in shaping the way we think. Examples of multimodal texts include
info graphics, advertisements and editorial cartoons.

In evaluating and composing texts with words and images, here are some
questions you should ask:
o What is the message?
o What is the purpose of the message?
o How is the message conveyed by the text and/ or image?
o Who is the target audience of the message?
o What is the effect of the message being conveyed in this manner to the
receiver?

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Look at the given picture. How do the words and the image work together
to make up the meaning of the message?

When crafting and evaluating visual messages or any multimodal

messages, pay attention to the total composition of the message because they
are meant to be “read” not only in part but as a whole as well. Colors for example
on a text lend to the meaning of a text. Even Font sizes and typography (choice
of fonts) lead your eyes to decipher between important and minor details.

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APPLICATION

Learning Evidence 1: Cause Oriented Poster

Student Name: ______________________________ Score: ____________

Course/ Year/ Section: _______________________________

Your teacher will provide you with all the specifications for your Cause
Oriented Poster. Use the space below to draft the concept of the final poster you
will be submitting. Once you have submitted this draft, you can no longer change
your poster concept.

Submitting Your Work. If you do not have Internet Connectivity, neatly detach this page
from your module and submit via University Drop Box or by courier/ mail together with
your other Learner Activity Worksheets once you reach the prescribed Learning
Checkpoint. If you have Internet connectivity, you may answer directly on the online
version of this worksheet through the University Virtual Environment.

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CLOSURE
Well done! You have just finished the Lesson 4 for this module.

If you have questions or need to make clarifications take note of them in

the space provided below to ask your Course Professor through direct messaging
or through the University Virtual Environment (UVE).

Notes from this Lesson

Now that you have completed Lesson 4, let us move on to the next lesson
in this module.

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