The importance and meaning of non-verbal communication

Question 1 

There are numerous situations where some non-verbal behaviors have not met my expectations. Most people are unaware of their non-verbal behaviors; however, for professionals, it is an expected trait. I visited a local clinic on a family trip. The physician in charge repeatedly winked at me and entered what I perceived my personal space. The experience was uncomfortable; therefore, the first reaction was to leave the examination room. Considering the physician was almost at retirement age, it would be best to assume that he thought his actions were calming. During his early practice years, such gestures distracted patients during medical exams allowing for better cooperation. However, today, that culture has already been replaced, hence, the shocked reaction.

Question 2 

The meaning of silence in communication from a personal perspective is highly dependent on the situation. Firstly, silence assists in developing better hearing skills. The outcome is simplified and directed responses to the situation, enabling efficacy. Secondly, silence in communication paves the way for non-verbal communication, whereby the respondent has to pay attention. Lastly, silence is the key to a faster resolution. The directive of communication is to allow for faster decision making (Burgoon et al., 2016). By allowing each party to pass information directly without outside obstruction, the decision-making process is faster. According to Hall’s concept of cultural patterns, my culture utilizes silence in line with high-context communication. According to Edward T. Hall, high context cultures primarily rely on implicit meanings and relations compared to words (Yoo & Noyes, 2015). Low context cultures alternatively almost wholly rely on the use of words and, therefore, explicitly is cortical.

Question 3 

After self-analyzing my nonverbal encoding and decoding competence, the process identified numerous strengths as well as some weaknesses. In nonverbal communication, to be understood, the message has to be simple; therefore, simplicity was the first strength (Mehrabian, 2017). The messages were easy to encode and transmit. Additionally, depending on the recipient, various strategies were available for passing information. The second strength was adherence to cultural norms. New changes in cultural nonverbal behavior concerning new communication signals and strategies allow for more accessible communication with peers. The weaknesses, on the other hand, included, firstly, the majority of the nonverbal communication strategies had more than one meaning. Therefore, it had to be used with the situation. Secondly, they were easily decoded by others watching. When addressing nonverbal encoding competence, the first strength was my high affinity to any changes in nonverbal behaviors across my culture. Secondly, the high ability to interpret nonverbal communication in multichannel. Multichannel communication refers to the sending of information using nonverbal communication to prevent unwanted interception and interpretation. The main weakness is the effects of nonverbal behaviors to my interactive position. AS previously identified, unwanted nonverbal behavior causes adverse reactions. Finally, I cannot intercept and interpret messages from multiple senders in overlapping periods.

Question 4 

It is essential to be observant of intentional and unintentional communication because nonverbal behavior depicts the thoughts and feelings of the sender. Therefore, without proper considerations, people may misinterpret or perceive more than initially anticipated (Eaves & Leathers, 2018). For example, I once asked my mother if she was okay with getting a tattoo; she was refused. However, the uninterested expression I gave when accepting her response did not convince her. Though I was just curious about her response, my expression created doubt. However, when I saw my father repairing the car, my curious look towards everything he did was an attempt at asking for lessons on what he did. The latter example is a clear demonstration of intended nonverbal communication.

Question 5 

Nevertheless, from the lessons, I would state that facial expressions are the most important non-verbal communication mechanisms. Facial expressions are both very expressive and able to convey emotions. These are critical for sending messages with additional emotional meanings.

References 

Burgoon, J., Floyd, K., & Guerrero, L. (2016).  Nonverbal communication. Routledge.

Eaves, M., & Leathers, D. (2018).  Successful nonverbal communication . Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.

Mehrabian, A. (2017).  Nonverbal communication . Routledge.

Yoo, S., & Noyes, S. (2015). Recognition of Facial Expressions of Negative Emotions in Romantic Relationships.  Journal Of Nonverbal Behavior ,  40 (1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-015-0219-3