Nonverbal Communication
During previous lessons, we have established that communication is a dynamic and complex process. We have discussed the importance of using the right words at the right time with appropriate tone and register. We might feel like we now have everything we need for seamless communication, but we’d be wrong.
When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nonverbal communication is exactly as it sounds; communication that is exchanged without speaking. Nonverbal communication refers to a wide range of physicalized clues that portray emotion and emphasis. The speaker may be conscious of the clues they are providing, or they could be produced subconsciously.
In 1967, researcher Albert Mehrabian produced two research papers that were to change the way the world thought about communication. His work found that 93% of all communication signals were nonverbal and only 7% were through the use of words. Mehrabian is frequently credited with this simplified concept but his findings were more extensive.
The research (Mehrabian and Ferris,1967) identified that the intent of an exchange is communicated,
- 55% through body language
- 38% through tone and register
- 7% through words
Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.