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Issue Analysis

What Role Does Body Language Play in Improving Communication?

Syeda Zahra Hasan

Department of Electrical Engineering, Habib University

CORE 101: Rhetoric And Communication

Professor Uswa Ali Memon

December 1st, 2023

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Issue Analysis

WHAT ROLE DOES BODY LANGUAGE PLAY IN IMPROVING COMMUNICATION?

A definition of communication is "any act by which a person gives or receives

information from another person about the needs, perceptions, desires, knowledge or

affective states of that person". It is the meaningful exchange of information between

two or a group of people. Body language refers to those non-verbal cues, like facial

expressions, gestures, and posture that enhance communication by improving

understanding and conveying emotions with one another. Body language is

subjectively dependent on every individual, making it challenging to improve

communication. People can misinterpret nonverbal cues which can lead to

misunderstandings, as every individual has different cultural and personal aspects of

communication. To enhance communication skills, it is essential to work on both

nonverbal and verbal communication. Nonverbal communication holds an important

role in conversations and can greatly impact social interactions, good non-verbal cues

can clear misunderstandings of viewers by showing that the person trusts themselves.

Mastering the art of communication through body language can be a transformative

journey that can help us make genuine and deep connections with others and make

meaningful relationships with others.

 Detailed History:

#detail about the origin of the relationship between body language and

communication:-

Since the initial evolutionary era, communication between humans has had a

dramatic difference, which leads us to the insights of the behavior, and patterns that

humans have used to convey what they think and feel. These include cave paintings,

symbols, and behavior that historians are still finding meaning behind.
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Issue Analysis

Nonverbal communication dates back to the late 1800s, when Charles Darwin argued

that animals and humans openly and often unintentionally show some level of

emotion. He believed that animals could only communicate non-verbally, and

humans as direct descendants shared many of these characteristics. As a result, so

much of what is being said is a result of haptic communication. The concept of body

language which was then used by anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell in 1952, works on

the idea that bodily gestures contain meaning and can be analyzed in a manner that is

similar to spoken language. According to Birdwhistell, spoken words account for

only 30–35% of the meaning of a conversation. Later, in 1967, Dr. Albert Mehrabian,

an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at UCLA, lowered this figure to 7%. The

perception of communication, when verbal and nonverbal communication

disconnects, depends on 38% vocal elements (tone of voice), 7% uttered words, and

55% nonverbal elements (body language). Unfortunately, because this 7 percent/38

percent/55 percent formula was developed with two different studies conducted under

specific conditions it has been widely misunderstood.

#Stakeholders and their perspective:

Volunteers, Helpers, Assistants:
volunteers are a greater advantage with the help of body language as they are able to make
people feel comfortable, non-verbal cues can help them express themselves positively and
empower them to express empathy and support, but if they misuse it, this might lead them to
neglect communicating verbally which might cause ineffective information exchange
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Issue Analysis

Young Leaders:
young leaders can enhance their confidence with body language which is crucial for effective
leadership. It can help them understand the team and using non-verbal cues can help them
connect better with their team members and misunderstanding the body language could result
in disagreements and miscommunications among team members. Over-reliance on nonverbal
cues can undermine the value of vocal clarification in leadership.
Employers:
Being optimistic with just body language might help employees make a good impression at
work. If Leadership traits gets communicated nonverbally, it can create a good impression
among staff members. When it comes to reading body language, cultural variations can cause
miscommunications between employers and employees. It's possible that a focus too much on
nonverbal clues may obscure the value of clear verbal communication in leadership.
Students:
Having confidence via body language may help students make a good impression in
classroom. Their ability to interact with peers can easily be improved through nonverbal
clues. Although, Differences in culture may influence how body language is viewed, which
might result in miscommunication. In academic discussions, relying too much on nonverbal
cues might hinder in expressing ideas through speech.
Researchers:
Research workers can explain their findings more persuasively by using body language
effectively. They can better convince their audience. Though, if a presenter's body language
is misread, it might damage their research's credibility.
Instructors:
A welcoming learning atmosphere can help teachers build deeper connections with students
with appropriate body language. body language which is built with cultural differences and
personal biases can affect the connection between a teacher and student.

References:

 Team, K. (2022, January 24). Evolution of Communication from Ancient to Modern

Times. Kalam Time Blog. https://www.kalamtime.com/blog/evolution-of-

communication/
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Issue Analysis

 Beattie, G. (2003). Visible Thought: The New Psychology of Body Language (1st

ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203500026

 The 25 best Jordan B. Peterson quotes. (n.d.). https://bookroo.com/quotes/jordan-b-

peterson

 Hennigan, K. (2018, February/march). Body Talk. The actuary magazine.

https://www.theactuarymagazine.org/body.

 Uzun, G. O. (2021). P 2833-2844. A review of Communication, Body Language, and

Communication conflict. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351057431_A_Review_of_Communication

_Body_Language_and_Communication_Conflict