Nonverbal communication | Description, History, Characteristics, & Variations (2024)

nonverbal communication, transfer of information from one person to another without the use of words or spoken language. Nonverbal communication can occur in a variety of ways, including through facial expressions, gestures, and body posture or position.

History

Studies on nonverbal communication became widespread in the 1960s, with extensive research categorizing nonverbal behaviours. As the understanding of nonverbal communication and its role in interpersonal dynamics expanded, psychologists increasingly explored how nonverbal communication impacts specific areas, such as doctor-patient relationships, business negotiations, and law enforcement. The importance of the subtle nuance provided by nonverbal communication has been credited as motivating certain modern Internet communications systems to expand on what originally were simple word-based systems. Most notably, in the absence of traditional in-person nonverbal communication signals, communication via texting, instant messaging, e-mailing, and similar systems now regularly includes options for incorporating nonverbal emoticons and memes in order to better express context and emotion.

Characteristics of nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is the production and perception of any type of signal, excluding speech, that is made in order to convey information to another person. Most descriptions of nonverbal communication include speech modification tactics, such as adjusting the tone or rate of speaking, but do not include explicit coding and syntax that are present in spoken language. Both production and perception of nonverbal behaviours are considered to be key parts of the communication process.

Communicating nonverbally can occur through many types of behaviours. Some psychologists categorize nonverbal signals according to the sensory modalities they require, which are primarily auditory or visual, although tactile and olfactory signals may also be used. Auditory nonverbal communication includes nonverbal emotive sounds, such as laughter or screams, as well as speech modification behaviours, such as the insertion of sarcasm into a story, changing one’s tone, or inserting a dramatic pause into a sentence. These speech modification behaviours are sometimes called voice quality cues or paralanguage. Visual nonverbal communication is a broad category of behaviours that includes facial expression, eye contact, and gestural, postural, and positional cues.

Different types of information may be contained in nonverbal communication signals. For example, a few signals act as emblems that have a specific meaning within a culture, such as crossing one’s fingers for good luck. But most nonverbal communication is used for subtlety as part of a suite of signals. Such signals may be used for emphasis, to express emotion, and to regulate the coordination of interpersonal behaviours, such as whose turn it is to speak. Nonverbal communication signals can also reveal attitudes or opinions, build general impressions of one’s self, express a present condition, or exert dominance and influence. Nonverbal communication is a powerful tool for achieving many kinds of influence, including perceptions of power, attraction, empathy, deceit, and rapport.

Cultural and evolutionary factors

Research demonstrates that people produce and understand nonverbal communication signals related to facial expressions in a universally shared manner across cultures. Thus, these signals do not appear to require learning, implying that there is an instinctive evolutionary origin to nonverbal communication involving facial expressions. Many other components of nonverbal communication appear to be learned and may depend upon where an individual lives. For example, types of nonverbal communication such as gestural emblems with specific meanings, expressions of emotion or pain, and cues about personal space vary across cultures and are easily misinterpreted by persons outside of a given culture.

Evolutionary biologists who study nonverbal communication in animals have gained significant insight into the evolutionary origins of human nonverbal communication. Studies have revealed the existence of patterns of nonverbal communication behaviours that are shared by many species of animals. An example is the principle of antithesis, by which certain signals, including head and body posture, show opposite extremes to reflect opposite intentions. Aggressive postural signals are conveyed by leaning toward an opponent, whereas submissive postures involve leaning away. Some ethologists focus on ways in which facial expression behaviours vary across taxa. For example, chimpanzees produce and respond to diverse facial expressions, many of which resemble those of humans.

Individual variations

Individual differences in the ability to accurately produce and perceive nonverbal communication signals are well established. Accuracy in nonverbal communication production and interpretation appears to be a skill that is separate from traditional IQ. In general, women score higher than men on several nonverbal communication tasks.

Some behavioral disorders are associated with severe limitations in nonverbal communication abilities. For example, deficits in nonverbal communication skills may be present as early as age two in children with autism spectrum disorder. Young children with autism are less likely to point and make eye contact in order to coordinate the attention of other people. Often, such deficits in nonverbal communication behaviour can be addressed with occupational therapy.