NON-VERBAL

COMMUNICATION
INTRODUCTION

Non-verbal communication can bridge the gaps in intercultural communication.

When there is indifference and one culture is perceived superior to the other,
wrong judgement may occur. On verbal gestures can help in solving problem by
providing another way of letting people from other culture to connect
In non-verbal communication, intentions for sending and receiving messages or
cues, during the interaction are
classified or regulation.
CLASSIFICATION OF NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
1. Reinforcement – the support of verbal image with non-verbal.
Example: when saying I am good…a thumbs up sign may back it up.
2. Substitution – replacement of the spoken image by non-verbal action.
Example: instead of saying hi… one might wave a hand on someone.
3.Contradiction – conflict between and non-verbal actions and verbal message.
Example: for instance when one says yes…his going to the party but his eyes is rolling or looking
down, it could actually mean no.
4.Accentuation – non-verbal message intensifying the verbal message.
Example if someone speaks louder with fierce eyes in saying get out!( intense communication is
emphasized.)
5.Regulation – helping regulate conversation by sending the cue when one will stop speaking or signalling.
Example: the used of hand gestures.
Example of non-verbal communication
Haptic communication is a branch of nonverbal communication that refers to
the ways in which people and animals communicate and interact via the sense
of touch. Touch or haptic, from the ancient Greek word haptikos is extremely
important for communication; it is vital for survival.
Hand shake – is a form of haptic communication which let people communicate
through the sense of touch. it is considered a proper etiquette when people are
introduced to other people for the first time. In Islamic country handshake is
discourage for men and women as the latter are considered chaste and should
not be touched. In Russia, it is rarely performed between opposite sexes as hand
kissing is preferred when greeting a lady.
1. OCULESICS (Haptic communication) – focuses on eye movement to convey
message. In Asian culture eyecontact shows trust between two people talking and
sharing of ideas. However in Nigeria, it is disrespectful to look at the persons in the
eye.

2. PROXEMICS – speaks of how people use space in the process of communication.

In Arab culture, women should walk a few meters away from men unless they are
related to each other. It shows high regards to their purity and chastity which is part of
the Islam tradition.
In dealing non-verbal communication… Cultural awareness is needed to promote understanding and to be
able to interpret even non-verbal gestures.
BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION
1. Assumption of Similarities – some people think that human are all alike, disregarding of the fact that
different people have different values, belief, and traditions. The solution to treat the diverse culture is by means
of non-judgmental attitude.
2. Language differences – understanding the language without referring to the connotation and context is
the challenge in inter cultural communication.
3. Non-verbal misinterpretation – understanding and developing coping mechanism are necessary to
understand different non-verbal styles in intercultural communication.
Different cultures can exhibit various non-verbal patterns such as gestures, postures, and other body
movements.
1. Pre-conceptions and stereotypes – when one culture is over generalized, stereotypes arise. In some instance
people judge other people based on stereotypical racial judgements. To solve this problem…culture should be
viewed objectively considering the complexity of intercultural situations.
2. Tendency to evaluate – similar to being judgemental in making statements regarding someone else actions.
3. High Anxiety – feeling of stress and tension affect how people behave
Role of Non-Verbal Communication with Culture
Nonverbal communication plays many important roles in intercultural situations. As
messages delivered within the verbal channel convey the literal and content meanings of
words, the nonverbal channel is relied upon to carry the undercurrent of identity ties and
relational meaning. Occurring with or without verbal communication, nonverbal cues
provide the context for interpreting and understanding how the verbal message should be
understood. As such, they can create either clarity or confusion. Usually, however, they
can create intercultural friction and misunderstandings for three main reasons.
(1) a single nonverbal cue can have different meanings and interpretations in different
cultures;
(2) multiple nonverbal cues are sent simultaneously;
(3) a high degree of display rules need to be considered, such as variations in gender,
personality, relational distance, socioeconomic status, and the situation.
Nonverbal messages are generally the primary means of conveying emotions, attitudes,
and our relationships with others, and we rely on nonverbal cues to “say” things that are
difficult to vocalize. A quick look away when one attempts to make eye contact with you
can be interpreted in myriad ways, from “I too busy” to “I dont want to talk to you” or
“I’m embarrassed”
Nonverbal cues are defined as those messages embedded in nonlinguistic and
paralinguistic cues that are expressed through multiple communication channels in a
particular social setting.
Nonlinguistic cues can be eye contact, smiles, touch, hand gestures, or silence.
Paralinguistic lies in your voice, and can be speed, volume, tone or pitch.
Multiple channels means that nonverbal cues are sent through multiple channels at once,
e.g. eye contact, facial expressions, and body movement. Sociocultural setting reflects the
importance of our cultural norms and expectations in evaluating appropriateness and
inappropriateness of a nonverbal message.