Introduction
Nonverbal communication is defined as the form of communication done without the use of voice or contemporaneously with the use of voice. Nonverbal communication can be done consciously or unconsciously as well as actively or passively (Mouawad et al., 2015). It includes dressing styles, waling styles, the use of make-up and jewelry, how close people stand together and the tone and volume of communication. Research has shown that non-verbal communication varies between genders with men being generally more forceful and unskilled while women are more subtle and circumspect (Burgoon et al., 2016). By observing from a distance, it is possible to carefully assess the nonverbal communication of a group and guess with a level of certainty what is being discussed.
Description of the Topic
The three people in the conversation are undergoing and absolute dissonance in their conversation. Indeed, this conversation might easily result in a crisis. The first lady (F1) came prepared not for a date but rather a mating ritual. From her makeup, she is determined to be attractive and sensual due to the excess make up on her face. However, the dress and heels to a restaurant where everyone else is dressed casually is an indication of some intended plans of a private moment after the date. From her body language and also the reaction of lady number 2 (F2), she is making forwards and perhaps naughty talks to the man. She may also be getting a bit desperate seeing that she is not succeeding in getting his attention.
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How Posture and Movement shows attitude
The posture of F1 is that of leaning forward towards the table, her eyes and face are moving a lot seemingly to catch the attention of the man. This posture shows very controlled aggression but aggression nonetheless. Something seems to be going wrong and although it would be wrong to overreact, she is at the very edge of her nerves. F2 is slouched away and playing with her hair. She is either bored or feeling out of place. It is also possible that she is embarrassed based on her eye movements. The man is engaged but not moving much with his eyes fixed on F2. It is also clear that he is actively avoiding the attention of F1. Either he is interested in F2 or he is using her to annoy and/or discourage F1.
Nonverbal Signals that Show Feelings
F1 is smiling flirtatiously which combines to her posture that seems seductive, her voice is also high pitched. This shows that she is excited in an anticipatory way. This excitement and anticipation when staring at a man, helps create the impression that this is not a family or formal meeting and some romantic overtures are involved. F2 is biting her lips, rolling her eyes and engaging in a distractive activity. This shows that she neither supports nor agrees with F1 and helps create and understanding that the date is not going well. The man is however, devoid of emotions and the lack of any emotion under the circumstances is very telling as it shows that he is reacting negatively to the advances made.
Noticeable Gender Nonverbal Signal Differences
The ladies are seated together while the man is seated alone. Further, both ladies are making emotional expressions with their faces. The first lady is also expressing emotions through the high pitch of her voice. Further, F1 is moving toward the person from whom she desires attention, the man. The man seem to be seeking the attention of the lady but instead of making a gesture or a move, he is simply staring and can only be noticed when she looks at him in turn. This means that the two ladies are more expressive that the man. F2 is not even talking but she is communicating as comprehensively as if she is talking. This means that the women are more skilled in non-verbal communication than the man. Indeed, the man’s little nonverbal signals are more confusing than communicative.
Comparison between the Observation and Research Made
Research shows that men require and demand more space and will aggressively avoid any form of crowding (Keogh, 2014). Women normally take less space and are comfortable with sharing. Further, men will interpret any form of physical contact as sexual flirtation while women might consider it as part of the conversation. With regard to expression of emotions, women are better at expressing delicate emotions and can do it more accurately. Men can express forceful emotions accurately through jerky movements but will mostly only be able to express delicate emotions with their voices (Keogh, 2014).
The observation seems to clearly agree with the research as the behavior of the man and F1 clearly adhere to what is outlined in the research done. The man desires more space and, therefore, sat alone while the ladies are seated together. Further, it is difficult to tell what is going on in the mind of the man by looking at him alone. His body movement and facial expression is extremely passive yet he is seated in front of a very excited lady who is addressing him. But even without factoring any words, it is possible to deduce the conversation just by looking at the two ladies. Their nonverbal communication in conveying delicate emotions is, therefore, accurate (Tidwell, 2016).
Inconsistency between Communications
There are two inconsistencies in the conversation one; between verbal and nonverbal communications and the other between two nonverbal communications. F1 is saying some seemingly lewd things. Such talk is normally made in a calm and sonorous tone of voice. She is however, doing it in a high pitched tone of voice since she is also trying to catch the attention of the man. This contradiction clearly distorts the message. F2 is slouched away and acting disinterested in the entire conversation yet she is busy rolling her eyes at F1. Clearly she is more interested in this conversation than she allows to be seen (Tidwell, 2016).
Type of Observation
This was an onlooker type of observation as I was seated in the adjoining booth at the restaurant where I had full view of the conversation and the entire group but was not in any way participating in the conversation. The parties were also not aware of my presence and/or observation.
The most Challenging part of the Conversation
Reading the man was perhaps the hardest and the most challenging part of the conversation. He seemed to be somehow detached from the extreme emotions that were being expressed right in front of him and perhaps because of him. He neither positively nor negatively reacted in any way to F1. Further, he seems to be seeking the attention of F2 but not really working hard at it. His face does not also reveal any emotion that could explain whether he is interested in F2 or just trying to avoid F1 (Tidwell, 2016).
Conclusion
It is clear from the totality of the foregoing that it is possible to read nonverbal communication and have a clue about what is being verbally shared by a group as well as what is actually going on. Further, the observation also confirms the contention that women are better at nonverbal communication than men. Not only do they express themselves more but also their nonverbal communication is easier to interpret. The dressing, the posture, facial expression and pitch of voice are among the observed means of nonverbal communication by women. Men however, also engage in nonverbal communication but their expressiveness is lower hence it is harder to understand them.
References
Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K., & Floyd, K. (2016). Nonverbal communication. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
Keogh, E. (2014). Gender differences in the nonverbal communication of pain: A new direction for sex, gender, and pain research?. Pain , 155 (10), 1927-1931
Mouawad, P., Desainte-Catherine, M., & Rouas, J. L. (2015). Multilabel Classification of Non-Verbal Communication of Emotions. MML 2015 , 25
Tidwell, C. (2016). Non Verbal Communication. Retrieved March 09, 2017, from https://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/bsad560/NonVerbal.html
