Aspects of nonverbal communication
Introduction
Nonverbal communication is the passing of information through nonlinguistic means. Research has shown that people communicate more effectively through nonverbal communication than verbal means. Nonverbal communication occurs on body platforms such as eyes, the face, vocal sounds, posture, gestures, intonation, and many others. However, sign language is not an aspect of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is the reason why some people appear to be more popular or charismatic. How one behaves while talking plays a role in how much the other person is receptive to the conversation. By reading nonverbal cues, a person can tell what the other person is thinking even though they are not talking. Therefore, it is essential to master the right nonverbal skills if you wish to be more convincing, for instance, during a debate or a negotiation.
There are several aspects of nonverbal communication that everyone should be able to use and interpret. They include body movements, posture, facial expressions, proxemics, paralanguage, physiological changes, and eye contact. Each of these aspects communicates vital attitudes and emotions that words cannot sufficiently capture. Body movements, also known as kinesics, include posture, hand gestures, and body orientation. Body orientation is “the degree to which we face toward or away from someone with our body, feet, and head.” (pg. 225) It communicates how much interest one has in the current conversation. People tend to lean towards the other person if they are interested in that conversation. Facing the person also shows interest. The degree to which one depends forward is directly proportional to their interest. For instance, when two people who like each other take a photo, they tend to lean in towards themselves. However, if a person is not interested, then he or she will lean outwards or turn their body away from the other person. This can be illustrated by two people who just met at a social gathering talking. For example, Mary is at a birthday party, and a stranger approaches her and starts flirting with her. The man notices that Mary keeps turning her head away from him as he talks. He concludes that she is not interested, excuses himself and leaves. In this case, the man interpreted the body movement as disinterest in the conversation. Hand gestures are also part of body movements. Signals can be used to communicate either independently or with words fully. Historically, they are some of the earliest means of communication for early humans before we developed linguistic means. Illustrations are gestures that are used together with words to pass information. For instance, people give directions by accompanying words with hand gestures. Some signals happen unconsciously. For example, when people are excited, they tend to move their hands about very fast. Nodding is also another gesture that shows enthusiasm. On the other hand, some unconscious signals show anxiety. For example, clearing the throat or fidgeting during a job interview shows the person is anxious or scared, causing them to be disqualified. Posture refers to how one sits or stands. By looking at people’s postures, we can interpret what they are thinking or feeling. People appear to be relaxed and comfortable if they sit upright with their heads held high. This shows confidence and strength. On the other hand, uncertain and under-confident people usually maintain a closed posture. When they sit, they slouch forward or tilt their head down. People who fold their hands across the chest typically appear to be unapproachable. We should be aware of both conscious and unconscious body movements since they can be interpreted for various meanings by those we interact with.
Facial expressions are one of the most important aspects of nonverbal communication. Human beings are capable of making thousands of facial expressions that match their feelings. They can be easily noticed by anyone we interact with. People find themselves making facial expressions unconsciously all the time. However, they are difficult to interpret since they change rapidly.
Furthermore, there are several combinations of facial expressions, making it challenging to differentiate their meanings. That is why there are people who are specifically trained to read facial expressions. Such trained personnel include police detectives and interrogators. Their job is to cross-examine liars to find out if they are lying or withholding information. For example, a detective asks a captured drug trafficker whether or not he was working with someone else. The trafficker says no, but the detective realizes that he is lying when his eyes crinkle around the corners. Highly trained individuals can only detect such micro-expressions. However, some regular facial expressions can be seen by anyone. People frequently use these expressions during their day to day interactions, such as eye contact. Maintaining direct contact with a person across the room means that you are interested in. The person may then come over to talk to you. A fleeting eye contact implies disinterest. Failing to maintain eye contact could also mean that one is not sure of what they are saying. It is advisable to maintain eye contact during an interview as it shows confidence in oneself. People need to learn how to interpret and manipulate facial expressions to communicate effectively.
Paralanguage includes all aspects of the human voice that accompany actual words. How we manipulate the intonation of our voices as we speak affects the general message. Changing intonations give different meanings to the same word. Other aspects of paralanguage include tone, pitch, and, volume and rate of speaking. People need to watch how fast and loud they speak, particularly when addressing a large audience. A student mumbling quickly during a presentation could imply that she is nervous and ill-prepared. Talking too loudly is also discouraged. The ideal way to talk is calmly and just loud enough to be audible. The most common example of the use of paralanguage in communication is sarcasm. This is where the spoken words have a different meaning from their literal interpretation due to how they were said. Poor listeners and children usually have a difficult time detecting sarcasm in a statement. For example, Marty accidentally pours coffee on Tina’s shirt. She responds, saying, “thanks a lot!” although her tone suggests she is annoyed instead of grateful. All listeners should be able to detect and interpret different aspects of the human voice for other meanings of the message.
Conclusion
Nonverbal communication refers to the passing of information through nonlinguistic means. It is more effective than verbal communication—there are several aspects of nonverbal communication, including body movements, facial expressions, and paralanguage. Everyone should learn how to use and interpret each element of nonverbal communication.
Word Count: 1077
Question 1
Managing Online Identity
Impression management involves the techniques that people use to influence how others perceive them. People like to have attractive identities; therefore, they continuously try to improve them. There are two main identities that people have. First, there is the private self. This is who you perceive yourself to be upon self-reflection. It is an identity that includes personal details that you would not otherwise reveal to others. The second identity is the public self. This is the identity that people present to the public. They show what they believe to be accepted by society. The public self is the identity that people shape and manage. One can manage their identity either face to face or online. Online impression management has become particularly important in this era of technology. Human activities are increasingly being carried out across digital platforms.
Online identity management is essential in this era due to the heavy use of digital communication. Forms of digital communication include texting, video calling, streaming, and blogging. These forms of communication have one main disadvantage; they cannot communicate nonverbal cues that are usually a considerable part of the face to face communication. Nonverbal verbal cues are essential to communicate effectively. However, online communication gives people the power to manage their impressions as they please. With face to face communication, people can immediately create an image of you. With online communication such as texting across a network, one can manage impressions to create perceived identities. For instance, texting gives you time to read the message and consider the right response. The receiver can take time to reply if they do not have an immediate response. The final answer is usually structured to be pleasant and satisfying to the other party. Shy people also benefit from online communication since the other person cannot see them blushing or stuttering.
People can manage their online impressions over time to create an image that society approves. They create profiles and fill in details that may not be completely accurate. This results in an attractive and impressive persona. Identity management is a massive part of online dating, where people misrepresent their true selves to get matches. A middle-aged man on an online dating platform is more likely to change their actual age, appearance, and personality to what is more acceptable. For example, he may claim to be forty years old when he is forty-five. He may also declare that he is surfer when he has not surfed in twenty years. He may again say that he is funny and charming when he is a bit dull. In this case, this middle-aged man is more likely to get matched with a managed online impression than with his real identity.
The challenge of online identity management is maintaining honesty. Most users struggle with balancing their real identity and their managed identity. It is quite easy to lie to create an image that will be more acceptable. This is the case with online dating, where users tend to present a combination of honest and dishonest information depending on their goals. Many people lie on their profiles to give a more attractive image for their prospective dates. For exams, a lady uses a picture taken five years before because it shows her as athletic even though she gained a few extra pounds over the years. A prospective date who prefers athletic body types sees that profile and matches with it. Even though people present some false information, they also offer some truth. They reveal some personal details because they want to create intimacy. Therefore, online users who wish to form intimate relationships are likely to give more honest information. Balancing honesty and dishonesty is the main challenge when managing online impressions. Too much truth may cause a break in the communication process, while too much deception may destroy the existing relationship. For instance, in the online dating examples, when the two people eventually meet in person, and the lady finds out that the guy is no longer a surfer or the guy finds out that the lady is not athletic, they may feel betrayed. It is, therefore, essential to find the right balance between honesty and dishonesty. With online impressions, it is difficult to refer to a situation as either honest or dishonest. Lies can easily be referred to as part of managing impressions to create an acceptable digital identity. Therefore, online images can be classified as subjective instead of objective.
The following are ways of managing online identities. First, ensure that your online profile is clean. This can be done by googling your identity online. The results should be clean and free of any negative information. Any negative information associated with a person’s profile can create the wrong impressions when other people, such as prospective employers, search their name online. Negative information includes angry rants or racist comments on twitter or under someone else’s post. It may also include photos and videos that misrepresent one’s personality. You should delete all the information that you do not want to be associated with your profile. A Google search should return an impressive online profile. Secondly, people should customize their online identities. Customizing online identities is vital in avoiding mistaken identity. Mistaken identities occur when there are several people with similar names online. One person may have a clean profile but ends up getting mistaken by potential employers with someone with a bad profile. Online profiles can be customized by using unique user names that are hard to replicate. It is also possible to pay $10 a year to own the rights to a URL. Thirdly, people should create captivating online identities. One should ensure that their existing profile represents them in the best way possible. This is particularly important for business owners who need to promote their products online. Only high-quality content should be found on their websites, which should already be personalized. Also, they should have a LinkedIn profile since this is the social media platform where most reputable business profiles are found. It is also important to keep posting messages that maintain the quality of one’s online identity. For instance, messages in business profiles should have an official tone.
Conclusion
Managing online impressions has become increasingly important since people are increasingly shifting from face to face communication to online communication. Managing online impressions has allowed people to control how others view them. Online dating is an example of interactions where the managing of online impressions is applied. Some ways of managing online identities include cleaning one’s profile, customizing it, and posting high-quality content on one’s page.