NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION (NVC)

Definition – NVC refers to the wide variety of message sources people perceive and assign

meaning to apart from verbal communication.

 NVC includes those actions and attributes of people other than words that convey

meaning.

 Every day we perform a wide range of NVCs without even thinking about them. Eg.

The use of hands while talking, smiling or frowning at someone etc.

Types of NVC

1.Kinesics (body motions) this refers to and deals with communicating by means of

movement of our hands, arms, feet, legs, face, eyes and or the posture or movement of the

body as a whole.

Categories of kinesics

(a) Emblems – these are body motions that can be directly translated into words or

phrases . e.g. hand sign for power, peace, farewell.

(b) Illustrators – these are body motions that reinforce or emphasise an accompanying

verbal message, e.g. the act of underlining a word for emphasis.

(c) Regulators – these are body motions that control, monitor or maintain the interaction

between speakers and listeners, e.g. eye contact, nodding of head, a shift in posture.

(d) Affect displays- these are body movements that express emotions and feelings e.g.

jumping up and down to express excitement.

(e) Adaptors – these are body motions that make us to feel at ease in communication e.g.

smoothening one’ s hair, tossing a coin up and down while communicating.

2. Proxemics (space) - this is concerned with the way in which we use space as part of our

communication behaviour.
  Intimate space is reserved for intimate activities which include confidential

conversations and passing of secrets

 Personal space – reserved for discussing personal subjects with people you relate with

closely.

 Social and public space – reserved for impersonal conversations and small group

meetings e.g. business meetings.

3. Chronemics (time)- this is concerned with the use of time such as planning according to

pre-scheduled appointments, e.g. class timetables. examination timetables, work shop

timetables etc.

 In some cultures, time is linear, that is punctuality is emphasised and exactness of

time is significant.

 In other cultures, time is circular that is approximate or round about times are used,

for instance come in the morning or around half past ten.

4. Para-language (voice) – this is the study of all cues which include sound or silence other

than the content of words themselves.

 Sounds such as groans, yawns, coughs, laughs, crying and yelping are included as

paralanguages.

 Vocal feelers such as umm, ahh, hah, ok, you know are also part of paralinguistics.

 Silence is also considered as part of paralinguistics. One cannot not communicate.

Question

1. Outline any five messages that silence may communicate

2. Describe situations in which silence is preferable in your field of specialisation.

5. Haptics (touch) it refers to our sense and use of touch. The messages that touch

communicates depend on how, where, and by whom you are touched

  Slight variations in touch can communicate great differences of emotions, for

example, professional touch (a functional touch performed by a specialist, such as an

artisan touching a piece of woodwork can differ significantly from a touch by a non-

specialist.

 Touch is used in technical and vocational education to determine correctness of

structures, check level of buildings etc.

6. Artefacts - these refer to and include fixed features such as static architectural structures,

and semi-fixed objects such as furniture and the clothes we wear.

 The classrooms we use for teaching and learning purposes, the workshops or

laboratories that we use to conduct experiments or demonstrations, the furniture that

we use n the classrooms and or workshops and the clothes or work suits we wear

communicate specific information about the social and economic condition of the

students and the Polytechnic. For example, broken furniture communicates negligence

and lack of maintenance, inadequacy of desks and chair communicates over

enrolment etc

Question

Examine any four types of artefacts that you use in Civil Engineering and show their

effectiveness in communication

Effects of NVC on verbal communication

1. Complements verbal behaviour ( may modify or elaborate verbal behaviour)

2. Repeats verbal behaviour-expresses the same meaning or message as verbal behaviour

3. Regulates verbal behaviour-controls the flow of communication

4. Substitutes verbal behaviour-substitution is often common when speaking is impossible,

undesirable or inappropriate

5. Deceiving others-purposefully disguise, mislead or create false impression