Every day a person communicates with other people: at school, at work, at home. A rare individual receives satisfaction from constant isolation, because communication allows you to learn something new, recharge your friends with energy, and defend their own opinions in a dispute with a colleague. Without it, life is boring and uninteresting. Verbal and non-verbal communication are two integral components of human socialization.
The content of the article:
What is verbal communication
Non-verbal communication of people
Psychologist's comment
Verbal communication
Verbal communication is speech. With it, a person can express his thoughts, it is the most common way of communication. It is difficult to overestimate the value of oral speech: information is not only transmitted, but also clarified, it stimulates a person to develop. As you know, truth is born in a dispute - this is one of the tasks that verbal communication solves.
This type of communication can carry a message function or motivation. If a person points to an object, then this is an indicative (indicative) function.
Expressing his thoughts, a person uses the function of expression (predicative). Another important task that verbal communication performs is to stimulate a person to action, decision, desire. This function is called the function of prompting.
A special feature is that emotional coloring of speech is of paramount importance. The same words, pronounced with different intonation, can cause a different reaction in the interlocutor: agreement or aggression, a desire to think. In the same way, the same thought can be conveyed using different words, thereby having a different impact on the opponent.
Non-verbal communication
This type of communication not only complements the verbal, but often is the main one for the interlocutor. Non-verbal communication is “body language”. And often he gives more truthful information about the feelings of someone who speaks to you. This type of communication can be expressed in several forms.
Kinesika - contains gestures (information is transmitted through the hands), facial expressions (facial expressions), pantomime (poses). Thanks to it, it can be explained even without words; the reaction of a person to any word or action becomes quite understandable.
The intensity of the gesticulation can talk about the emotional state of the opponent - a large number of sharp movements indicates overexcitement and a great desire to convey certain information to the interlocutor. However, it is necessary to take into account national peculiarities of character - representatives of some nations, for example, Finns, are not so actively gesticulating.
Facial expressions also help to understand the feelings of the interlocutor. It has been established that with a fixed face up to 10-15% of information is not transmitted. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to understand the mood of the interlocutor in a telephone conversation, or if he is in another room. The main “transmitters” of information are lips and eyebrows.
In addition, a certain sense is the visual contact of the eye in the eye. His duration can tell about the opponent's desire to communicate, as well as his attitude towards you. People who are interested in a conversation and are positive-minded look each other in the eyes, while when an unpleasant sensation arises I want to take my eyes off. In addition, when a person is deceiving, he tries to look away. A long look may also indicate an aggressive attitude.
Pantomimic includes gait. After all, even according to it one can characterize a person, determine his mood. A person in a bad mood often goes slouching, not looking up, looks at his feet. People in a state of anger move quickly and abruptly, they have a heavy gait, and confident people usually have a long stride.
The posture accepted during the dialogue can also prompt the interlocutor's reaction to what is happening.
The well-known moments include closed postures, which are expressed in the crossing of hands on the chest. The person who has adopted this position is closed for communication, he does not share your point of view.
Such nuances are important to know in order to apply, for example, in negotiations. Even if the interlocutor nods and agrees with you in words, this does not mean that he will support your project.
In addition, it was found that up to 1/3 of the information is not perceived by a person who is in a closed pose. The easiest way to fix the situation is to offer a person something to take in their hands.
If the body of the person is turned towards the interlocutor, and the arms and legs do not intersect, then he is open for communication and is set up complacently. Psychologists recommend to mirror the display to establish a contact, that is, to repeat the pose, gestures and facial expressions of the interlocutor. This way you tune in to one wave and it becomes easier to communicate.
Takesika is another form of non-verbal communication based on the role of touch. Their incorrect use (not in accordance with the difference in social status, age, gender) can provoke the emergence of conflict situations.
One of the most common takesic means is a handshake. It allows you to maintain or reduce the distance between opponents. A firm handshake can characterize a person as domineering and aggressive. If a person shakes only the tips of his fingers, then he is most likely not sure of himself.
Proxemics determines the radius of the communication zone. In the intimate (from 45 to 15 cm) a person allows only close people. Intrusion into it of a stranger can be regarded as a danger. Personal zone (45-120 cm) involves communication with friends and colleagues. Social and public zones imply a distance suitable for negotiating as well as public speaking.
Intonation, pitch, loudness of the voice (prosodika) and the addition of speech with pauses, laughter, sighs (extra linguistics) make it possible to assess the emotional state of a person.
Thanks to the information provided by the combination of non-verbal and verbal communication, a lot can be learned about a person. A qualified specialist can name the age, region of residence and temperament of the interlocutor. For an ordinary person, this information is also useful - knowledge of these nuances can help establish business and personal relationships.
Elena, Korolev
