Have you ever watched a television show with the sound turned off
or watched a couple across the room, without being able to hear what they are
saying? Are our assumptions correct? Is there a possibility of misunderstanding the intent? Does your familiarity with the character allow you to interpret the nonverbal cues for speech? In all cases - yes, but we must be cautious. There is a risk of jumping to the incorrect conclusions or responding in an incompatible fashion.
Our body language conveys more than we may realize. Subtle physiological factors such as flushing
of a face, tilting of a head, pursing of lips may illustrate interest, embarrassment
or thought. Much like verbal communication
physical actions can be misinterpreted if taken out of context. In addition to what we see with our eyes, we
must consider the cultural context of what is occurring. For example, certain gestures such a hand
shakes, which are common in North America may not exist or be inappropriate amongst
sexes.
Have there been times were you are deep in thought and
someone has asked you why you are upset?
Has there been times when you mother smiled at you and you knew that you
were in big trouble? We must be understand
that nonverbal communication makes up 55% of what we are saying. As a result, first impressions really do
impact our interactions with others.
Therefore, it is important to maintain an open mind when we are meeting
others and during our daily communications to ensure what we are hearing and
seeing are truly correlated. Relying
upon one mode of communication only will negatively impact our ability to send
and receive messages accurately.
Resources:
Group
reaction. Retrieved March 12, 2014 from http://www.dennisgingerich.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Non-Verbal-Communication-Chart-Transparent1.png
O'Hair, D.,
& Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York:
Bedford/St. Martin's.
Pie
Chart. Retrieved March 12, 2014http://www.dennisgingerich.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Non-Verbal-Communication-Chart-Transparent1.png
Nonverbal
Communication Web. Retrieved from https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_OnmZsGtpM8ya36bDQejc4TQeMCPK7hXbvP9-yJoQnF9cl4qo
I had to smile to myself when I read "Has your mother every smiled at you and you knew you were in big trouble". Some many times I got "the look" from my mother and I knew I better get myself together fast! It's amazing how much we can say without saying anything at all.
ReplyDeleteI can remember when my dad would give me that look and I knew just what to do and how fast. Our facial expressions can speak volumes when they are read correctly or they can cause confusion when they are misread. It is important to have the facts no matter what kind of communication is taking place.
ReplyDeleteJoyce Galloway