Nonverbal and verbal communication. Verbal and non-verbal means of communication

Every person is a social being. We cannot live without communication. At birth, the child already finds himself in a social group consisting of medical staff and mother. Growing up, he communicates with family and friends, gradually acquiring all the necessary social skills. It is impossible to live a quality life without communication. But this is not as easy a process as it seems at first glance. Communication has a multi-level structure and features that must be taken into account when transmitting or receiving information.

Communication as a way to carry out life activities for a person

Well-known psychologists have determined that a person makes two types of contacts in his life:

With nature.
With people.

These contacts are called communication. There are many definitions for this concept. Communication is called:

a special form of interaction between people and their interpersonal relationships;
a friendly or business relationship between a person and another person;
interaction of a group of people (starting from 2 people) for the exchange of information, knowledge of the surrounding world, which can be of an affective-evaluative nature;
process of conversation, conversation, dialogue;
mental contact between people, which manifests itself through a sense of community, performing joint actions, and exchanging information.

How does communication differ from the concept of communication?

Communication covers all aspects of human contacts. These include contacts with nature, with neighbors, and at work. Communication is subject to certain requirements and rules. This concept presupposes specific goals for communication that at least one of the parties to the communication process has. Verbal communication (speech is its main means) is subject to strict rules, depending on its type. The communicator (a person who takes an active part in the communication process) has specific tasks that are designed to influence the other participant in the conversation. This process is more appropriate in business communication. That is why there is the concept of “verbal business communication,” which is applicable only in official communication and involves verbal exchange of information.

Two main types of communication

The process of exchanging information and influencing all participants in communication is divided into two large groups. All functions of communication must be carried out in these groups, otherwise it will not be productive.

Verbal communication involves the verbal transfer of information. In this process, someone speaks and someone listens.

Nonverbal communication occurs through the implementation of an optikokinetic system of signs. Gestures, facial expressions, pantomime are appropriate here, special attention is paid to tone and intonation, and eye contact occurs. This method of communication outwardly expresses the inner world of a person, his personal development.

Verbal communication - what is it?

We use verbal communication almost every minute of our interaction with people. We constantly exchange information, teach someone, listen to the flow of words ourselves, and so on. Verbal communication involves listening and speaking. In the process of such communication, its own structure is determined, and the following take part in it:

"What?" - message.
"Who?" - communicator.
"How?" — specific transmission channels.
"To whom?" - object of communication.
"What effect?" - the influence of interlocutors on each other, who pursue certain goals for communication.

Means of this type of communication

Verbal means of communication include speech, language, and words. Language, as a way for people to communicate and transmit information, appeared a very long time ago. It is a communication tool. A word in a language is a symbolic symbol that can have several meanings at the same time. Verbal communication cannot do without speech, which can be oral and written, internal and external, and so on. It should be noted that inner speech is not a means of transmitting information. She is not accessible to the people around her. Therefore, verbal speech communication does not include it in its system of means.

Speech helps a person encode certain information and transmit it to the interlocutor. It is through it that the informant influences his interlocutor, instilling in him his point of view. While the interlocutor can perceive it in his own way. This is where the basic functions and verbal means of communication begin to work.

Her forms

Forms of verbal communication include oral and written speech, as well as such forms of interaction as monologue and dialogue. Depending on the development of events, oral speech may acquire the characteristics of a dialogue or monologue.

Forms of verbal communication include different types of dialogues:

factual - exchange of information with the recipient for only one purpose - to support the conversation, sometimes this is perceived as a ritual (for example, when the question “how are you” does not involve listening to the answer);
informational - an active process of information exchange, speech or discussion of any important topic;
discussion - occurs when there is a contradiction in two or more points of view on the same problem, the purpose of such dialogue is to influence people to change their behavior;
Confessional is a confidential type of dialogue that involves the expression of deep feelings and experiences.

Monologues in everyday life are not as common as dialogues. Verbal and nonverbal communication can be present in a monologue, when during a report or lecture a person not only provides information, but also accompanies it with facial expressions, gestures, a raised tone and changing intonation. In this case, both words and gestures become a specific code for the transmitted message. To effectively perceive these codes, it is necessary to understand them (it is difficult for a Russian person to understand a Chinese person, just as certain gestures are incomprehensible to the average person).

What are verbal and nonverbal communication?

The listed types of communication are not homogeneous. In turn, they are divided into many subspecies, each of which plays its own role. Some of them are perceived on an intuitive level, others become accessible in the process of socialization, when a person regularly practices dialogue with the outside world. Ideally, when a person learns nonverbal and verbal communication, mastering all the nuances of communication.

This helps you better position yourself and correctly perceive your interlocutor. Well-established communication plays a positive role in any cooperation, from military operations to business. The better the understanding among the team, the faster and better quality any work is done. In the process of communication, everything is important; there is nothing secondary in it.

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Types of Verbal Communication

This type of communication is divided into external and internal speech. The first is aimed at dialogue with the outside world, and the second - with oneself. External verbal communication consists of oral and written forms. Their principle is similar, it’s just that in one case the information is distributed through acoustic vibrations, and in the other - through some surface (sheet of paper, rock, sand, fence, monitor).

The essence does not change - a person uses speech structures that reflect his thoughts. This can happen in the format of a monologue or dialogue, depending on the role of the interlocutor, as a listener or an active participant in the conversation.

Internal verbal communication is reflection or self-referral. In most cases, this type of communication takes the form of a monologue. If someone begins to respond from within, and this is clearly not intestinal bacteria, then it is better to consult with specialists in time.

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Types of nonverbal communication

“Body language” is more subtle and varied. Verbal and nonverbal means of communication are fundamentally different. While speech structures are typically straightforward and convey specific meaning, interpreting nonverbal speech requires experience. Instruments of nonverbal communication include gestures, posture, facial expressions, distance, intonation and other acoustic features of the voice (rhythm, timbre, pauses between words), and touch.

All this signals the hidden intentions of the interlocutor, his experiences, emotions, thoughts. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule when “body language” does not match the context. There may also be national characteristics. The same Chinese word, spoken with different intonation, can carry a completely different context. This non-verbal means of communication, if used ineptly, can provoke an unpleasant situation. For example, “hemp” and “horse” sound the same – “ma”, but are pronounced with different tonality.

Unlike oral or written speech, which are not the same among different peoples, many ordinary people consider non-verbal communication to be universal. Gestures, facial expressions and posture seem to be something generally accepted for them. This is also where the error lies. In different countries, these forms of communication can take on completely opposite meanings. The thumbs-up gesture, which we associate with agreement, in Greece means a request to be silent, and in Iran it even means an insult. It follows from this that non-verbal methods of communication need to be studied no less than language.

Pros and cons of verbal communication

Depending on the situation, the effectiveness of a particular communication method can either decrease or increase. Verbal communication is indispensable in the business sphere, when it is necessary to quickly and efficiently convey an array of information. Oral speech is no less important in public speaking. Writing is generally one of the greatest achievements of civilization, which made it possible to preserve and transmit accumulated experience.

But in personal life, verbal communication is noticeably inferior to gestures, facial expressions, and emotions. On a date, you can think about lofty topics as much as you like, but even one awkward touch can ruin everything. In those areas where the influence of the subconscious is especially noticeable, it is “body language” that serves as the main conductor of thoughts and feelings.

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Pros and cons of nonverbal communication

As one of the communication tools, nonverbal communication is a reliable ally of a person who understands it. But “body language” cannot replace a rich vocabulary and broad erudition. It’s one thing to meet a tipsy girl in a nightclub, but completely different to give a presentation at a conference. It all depends on the location and audience.

Of course, facial expressions and posture are important even on stage, demonstrating the confidence of the speaker, but that is not what the audience comes for. The audience is interested in personal benefit, and not in the speaker’s “peacock tail.” So, the mastery of nonverbal communication must be supported by useful and high-quality information.

In addition to the ability to control your own body, it is very important to learn to “read” other people’s behavior, recognizing lies, cunning, and hypocrisy. This helps you avoid swindlers and swindlers, and also not make mistakes in choosing a partner. Girls understand what is on the mind of a potential gentleman, and men avoid mercantile passions.

Nonverbal communication can be both a helper and a betrayer, revealing details that a person prefers to remain silent about, such as fear, anxiety and uncertainty. So, the main advantage of nonverbal communication is recognizing other people’s disadvantages and hiding your own. If you learn this, then “body language” will be a real ally, if not, then it will be an enemy.

Types of Verbal Communication

Speech communication has its own types. We have already listed the main ones - speech in all its manifestations, dialogue, monologue. The peculiarities of verbal communication are that it also includes private types of communication.

A conversation is a verbal exchange of opinions, thoughts, and knowledge. This process can involve two or more people who communicate in a relaxed atmosphere. Conversation is used when an issue is highlighted or an issue is clarified.
An interview is a little different from a conversation in that it is formal. The topics of the interviews are narrow professional, scientific or social issues.
Dispute is a dispute on scientific or any socially important topics. This type is also included in the concept of “verbal communication”. Communication within the framework of a dispute between people is limited.
The discussion, in turn, is also public, but the result is important in it. Here different opinions on a specific issue are discussed, different points of view and positions are presented. As a result, everyone comes to the same opinion and solution to the controversial issue.
A dispute is a confrontation of opinions, a kind of verbal struggle in order to defend one’s opinion.

What is verbal communication?

Verbal communication is the oral exchange of information between people using words. A logical continuation of this type of communication can be considered written speech, which helps to transfer thoughts onto paper or electronic media. Their nature is the same and is associated with the use of speech structures that are either voiced or recorded.

Verbal communication is used when information needs to be conveyed. Its significance is clearly demonstrated in the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. The essence of this story is the desire of people to rise to the skies, thanks to the construction of a gigantic building. Their plans were not destined to come true, due to the fact that different languages appeared and the builders ceased to understand each other. This division nullified the coordinated work of the masters, who could no longer communicate.

Study, work, business communication and many other forms of interaction between people are possible solely thanks to words. Verbal means of communication provide the following functions:

Accumulative – preservation and accumulation of knowledge;
Appellative – encouragement to action, motivation of the interlocutor;
Communicative – transfer of information;
Constructive – the ability to formulate thoughts;
Cognitive – the ability to acquire knowledge;
Emotional – decoding your feelings and emotions;
Ethnic – national identity.

The last aspect is extremely important from the standpoint of statehood. The fact is that each nation has its own language, the use of which forms a specific mentality. Verbal communication, unlike non-verbal communication, helps a person identify himself by belonging to a certain community - Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, etc.

Features of speech communication processes

Processes of verbal communication may occur with certain difficulties. Since two or more people take part in such communication, with their own interpretation of the information, unforeseen tense moments may arise. Such moments are called communication barriers. Both verbal and nonverbal means of communication are subject to such barriers.

Logical - a barrier at the level of logic of information perception. It occurs when people with different types and forms of thinking communicate. The acceptance and understanding of the information provided to him depends on a person’s intelligence.
Stylistic - occurs when the order of the information provided is violated and its form and content do not correspond. If a person starts the news from the end, the interlocutor will have a misunderstanding of the purpose of its presentation. The message has its own structure: first the interlocutor’s attention arises, then his interest, from there comes a transition to the main points and questions, and only then a conclusion from everything said appears.
Semantic - such a barrier appears when people from different cultures communicate, there is a discrepancy between the meanings of the words used and the meaning of the message.
Phonetic - this barrier arises due to peculiarities of the informant’s speech: unclear speaking, quiet intonation, shift in logical stress.

The role and importance of communication means for humans

Communication itself is one of the main attributes of human life. And all means are important: both verbal and non-verbal communication. Each means expresses its “share” of information, and the ability to read different “codes” helps to assess the situation as a whole.

Non-verbal communication, in particular, becomes necessary when verbal mutual understanding is impossible. For example, if the interlocutors speak different languages or one of them is deaf and dumb. Various sign languages have been developed for such purposes. Interestingly, in New Zealand the local sign language has the status of an official language; In this language, the English-speaking white population communicates with the Maori, an indigenous people whose representatives do not always agree to learn English.

As for ordinary situations, the importance of the non-verbal “part” of a conversation was shown by the Austrian writer Alan Pease; he states that only seven percent of information we receive from the verbal component of communication, and the rest we perceive through non-verbal signals. Researchers have also noticed that in recent years the role of non-verbal communication has increased significantly. One of the reasons for this may be caution: the interlocutor may well lie, hide information, and his true intentions can only be established by “reading” gestures and facial expressions. Increased tolerance also prevents people from using emotionally charged expressions in speech, and then nonverbal signals come to the rescue.

Detecting lies is one of the most important skills. The effect is based on the fact that most people do not control their emotions, so they may not correspond to the words spoken. Words can deceive, but their gestural “accompaniment” is not capable of this. Unless, of course, the interlocutor has learned to control himself and use facial expressions and gestures to further confuse the one with whom he is talking.

Learning to recognize non-speech information can take quite a long time. After all, there are not only well-known and understandable signals that are reflected even in phraseology (“head drooping,” “standing with mouth open,” etc.), but also rather subtle and non-obvious signs.

American writer Julius Fast once described an interesting incident. At one school there was a girl from Puerto Rico, whom the principal once found among a group of her peers smoking. All of these girls were arrogant and undisciplined, except for this Puerto Rican girl. Nevertheless, the director decided to punish her because he caught her in what he considered “suspicious behavior”: when talking, she diligently averted her eyes. The girl was saved by a local Spanish teacher, who explained to the director that in Puerto Rico, well-mannered girls never look adults in the eyes, which is a sign of respect.

It is obvious that the language of gestures, facial expressions, and intonations has a more ancient origin than “ordinary human” language. Indeed, articulate speech is a rather complex phenomenon, requiring not only a developed speech apparatus, but also the necessary level of abstract thinking. But nonverbal communication is widely available to animals. From them, apparently, we got most of the extra-speech signals.

In animals, postures, intonations of vocal cries, facial expressions express relations of superiority and submission, the choice of a partner for mating, friendship or enmity, and other information. Often, exchanging threatening postures and shouting can help avoid a fight, which may be disadvantageous to both parties. Primates, of course, have the richest system of gestures, postures and facial expressions, but many other animals also have their own sets of signals.

Non-verbal communication even allows us to contact our smaller brothers. The position of a cat or dog's tail can tell a lot about the animal's mood at the moment. Staring is an ominous signal for dogs and cats, especially if you look directly into their eyes.

Means of nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is an external form of manifestation of a person’s inner world. Verbal and nonverbal means of communication are correlated in one message to varying degrees. They can complement each other, accompany, contradict or replace. It has been proven that the transfer of information is carried out using words only 7%, sounds occupy 38%, and non-verbal means occupy 55%. We see that nonverbal communication occupies a very important place in people's communication.

The main means of communication without words are gestures, facial expressions, pantomime, eye contact systems, as well as a certain intonation and tone of voice. The main means of nonverbal communication also include human postures. For those who know how to interpret them, postures can say a lot about a person’s emotional state.

What is nonverbal communication?

Nonverbal communication is “body language” that conveys information without words, through gestures, facial expressions, posture changes and other non-verbal elements. It is believed that in personal communication the non-verbal component is more important than the spoken words. People have what is called emotional intelligence, which helps them detect the smallest changes in behavior. This skill, together with social intelligence, helps to achieve success even more than professional knowledge and experience.

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Nonverbal means of communication perform the following tasks:

Focus on certain details;
Supplement oral speech;
Strengthen words with emotions;

By the way, nonverbal communication, unlike verbal communication, is more useful not to the person who produces the information, but to his interlocutor. The fact is that “body language” treacherously reveals many secrets that people prefer to remain silent about. It is very important to learn to recognize the hidden desires and emotions of others, which nonverbal communication helps with. Human psychology contains many patterns that can be used to understand interlocutors.

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For example, in the science fiction film Total Recall, the main character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, while on Mars, almost fell into a trap when they tried to convince him that everything that was happening was a dream. An unknown person, introducing himself as an employee, almost convinced the hero to take a pill, but he was unable to hide his excitement and the drop of sweat running down his cheek played a cruel joke. As a result, in the best traditions of the genre, the villain received a bullet in the forehead, and the miraculously saved hero set off for new adventures.

Although this is a fictitious situation, in real life, the peculiarities of nonverbal communication, if not taken into account, can unexpectedly change the course of events, turning into an unsuccessful date, a failed job attempt, or a lost client. You can sing praises and compose fables as much as you like, but it is almost impossible to hide the truth for a long time in facial expressions, posture or gestures. Therefore, comparing verbal and nonverbal communication, the decisive role of the latter in making the final decision by the interlocutor is clearly visible. But oral speech is also important in the process of dialogue, it can simply be compared to the tip of the iceberg, the underwater part of which is “body language”.

Features of nonverbal communication

In communication without words, everything is important: how a person holds his back (posture), at what distance he is, what gestures, facial expressions, postures, glances he has, and so on. There are certain areas of nonverbal communication that determine the effectiveness of communication.

Public - more than 400 cm from the informant; such communication is often used in classrooms and during rallies.
Social - 120-400 cm distance between people, for example, at official meetings, with people we don’t know well.
Personal - 46-120 cm, conversation with friends, colleagues, there is visual contact.
Intimate - 15-45 cm, communication with loved ones, you can speak quietly, tactile contact, trust. If this zone is forcibly violated, blood pressure may increase and the heart rate may increase. This phenomenon can be observed in a very full bus.

Verbal and nonverbal communication are processes that will help achieve effectiveness in negotiations if these zones are not violated.

Features of communications in men and women

As a result, nonverbal cues may be less clear and accurate, and may be misinterpreted. According to Western scientists, the reliability of a message received through nonverbal communication does not exceed sixty percent. At the same time, it is believed that women tend to focus their attention more strongly on non-verbal signals in communication situations, and this explains why they are rightfully considered better listeners than men. Men often focus their attention on words.

Conclusion

Based on this, we can conclude that the growth of interpersonal communications using e-mail and faxes is more beneficial for men, and the strengthening role of video conferencing can become an advantage for the female part of employees.

Sign language

Gestures are usually called socially practiced movements that can convey a person’s emotional state. There are a very large number of gestures, and they are all classified according to the purpose of transmitting information by a person and his internal state. Gestures are:

illustrators (complement the message);
regulators (the person’s attitude is visible);
emblems (common symbols);
affectors (transmission of emotions);
assessments;
confidence;
uncertainty;
self-control;
expectations;
denial;
location;
dominance;
insincerity;
courtship.

By how a person behaves during a conversation, one can determine his internal state, how interested he is in the exchange of information, and whether there is sincerity.

Human facial expressions

Human facial expressions are also a way of informing. When the face is immobile, 10-15% of all information is lost. If a person is deceiving or hiding something, then his eyes meet the eyes of the interlocutor less than a third of the time of the entire conversation. The left side of a person's face is more likely to show emotions. Accurate messages about a person's condition are conveyed through the eyes or the curvature of the lips. This occurs due to the behavior of the pupils - their contraction and dilation is beyond our control. When we experience the emotions of fear or sympathy, the pupils characteristically change.

Rhetoric: Workshop

The concept of verbal means of communication. No matter how important feelings, emotions, and relationships of people are, business communication involves not so much the transfer of emotional states as the transfer of information.

The content of information is transmitted using language, i.e. takes a verbal or verbal form.

In addition, the exchange of messages does not happen “just like that,” but in order to achieve the goals of communication, so you need to take into account the personal meaning put into the message. In communication, we do not just transmit information, but inform, exchange knowledge about the difficulties of solving a problem, complain, etc. This means that successful communication is possible only taking into account the personal background against which the message is transmitted.

In verbal communication it matters:

► what you say (and what you don’t say),

► what words do you use to express your thoughts?

► in what sequence do you convey information to the interlocutor (where do you start, how do you continue, how do you end),

► what arguments you give, whether you express your thoughts briefly or in detail, and much more. etc.

Sometimes it seems to us that it is not as important as to say: the main thing is the content of the speech. The content, of course, is very important, but the same content, expressed verbally by different people and in different linguistic forms, often produces completely different impressions - one will be believed, but not another, the request of one person will be fulfilled, but the same request of another person will be fulfilled. No. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the verbal side of the expression of thoughts.

Effective verbal speech influence presupposes adequate (that is, correct, optimal, effective in a given situation) use of rules and techniques of communication: taking into account with which interlocutors, in what communicative situations the communication is conducted, what is the purpose of communication in this case, etc.

Among the rules and techniques of verbal speech influence, the following groups of factors can be distinguished.

1. Factor of compliance with the communicative norm:

► follow the norms of speech etiquette, as this ensures that we maintain communicative balance - one of the most important conditions for the effectiveness of speech influence.

If we speak politely, follow the rules of speech etiquette accepted in society, we will always maintain normal relations with our interlocutor - after all, we show respect for him, show that we want to maintain relations in the future. This endears the interlocutor to us, and therefore makes it possible for us to successfully influence him.

A person who observes the norms of speech etiquette is noticed in society and distinguished from others, they listen to him more willingly, and they show more attention to him as a person, as well as to what he says.

Compliance with the norms of speech etiquette is an effective means of verbal influence on the interlocutor. As the great Cervantes wrote, “Nothing is so cheap and valued so dearly as politeness.” A person’s etiquette behavior in communication endows him with a number of positive qualities in the eyes of others;

► follow the norms of speech culture. For effective verbal influence, it is very important to have correct, cultural speech. It is necessary to place stress correctly, speak at an average pace, do not increase the volume of speech, use words in the correct meanings, do not use rude words, and much more. etc.

Cultural, etiquette speech inspires confidence in its content. If a person speaks culturally and competently, we think that he studied well, has a good education, which means he is smart enough, apparently, he understands what he is talking about. The speech of such a person tells us exclusively positive information about him, we become imbued with confidence in such a person.

2. The factor of establishing contact with the interlocutor.

This factor is associated with the self-presentation mechanism: in order to establish contact with the interlocutor and maintain this contact, you need to please the interlocutor.

To establish and maintain contact with your interlocutor, it is especially important to follow the following rules of conflict-free communication:

► make a favorable external impression;

► talk less yourself, let your interlocutor talk about himself;

► enlarge the interlocutor;

► lower yourself in the eyes of your interlocutor (the rocker principle: it is not necessary to pull your interlocutor up, lower yourself a little in his eyes);

► personalize the interlocutor;

► give compliments;

► identify your interests with the interests of your interlocutor;

► be interested in the problems of your interlocutor;

► remember positive experiences you have had together.

Naturally, our communication with the interlocutor must be polite and comply with socially accepted standards of behavior.

3. Speech content factor.

This factor combines rules that recommend what and in what situation should be talked about, and what should not be talked about:

► talk about a topic that interests or should interest your interlocutor;

► provide more positive information;

► minimize negative information;

► do not give advice unless asked (if you still need to give advice, put it in the form of concern);

► address your interlocutor more often (“the law of the name”);

► give arguments, do not be unfounded;

► give examples from life;

► use techniques that increase the persuasiveness of the information being conveyed.

4. Factor of language design.

This group of rules is associated with the choice of certain words when expressing thoughts:

► diversify the words you use, use synonyms, words and phrases that are similar in meaning;

► use words that evoke images: this means that you need to use more concrete words (denoting actions, objects) instead of abstract, generalizing ones;

► use colloquial speech, do not overuse bookish words;

► vary your intonation, do not speak monotonously;

► keep the same pace as your partner (normal pace is about 120 words per minute);

► Give few numbers and round them.

5. Communication style factor. Showcase:

► friendliness, sincerity;

► inspiration;

► moderate emotionality;

► physical vigor, mobility.

6. Message volume factor. Be brief. Speak less than your interlocutor and in short sentences.

7. Information location factor. Give important information at the beginning and at the end; repeat several times in different places in your speech in different words.

8. The addressee factor suggests that it is necessary to take into account the type of interlocutor or audience and address them taking into account the characteristics of their perception, level of knowledge, and interests. You need to talk to different people and convince them in different ways. “Speech should be tailored to the listener’s measurements, like a dress - to the customer’s measurements” [71].

Nonverbal means of communication. Communication, being a complex socio-psychological process of mutual understanding between people, is carried out through two main channels: verbal (speech) (from the Latin verbalis - oral, verbal) and non-verbal (non-speech).

Nonverbal communication is the same means of transmitting information from person to person as verbal communication, only nonverbal communication uses other means. Nonverbal means of communication accompany, complement speech, and in some cases replace it (in such cases they say “it is clear without words”).

Nonverbal signals perform the following functions:

► convey information to the interlocutor;

► influence the interlocutor;

► influence the speaker (self-influence).

In all three of these functions, nonverbal cues can be used consciously or unconsciously by the speaker.

A person’s nonverbal behavior is inextricably linked with his mental states and serves as a means of their expression. In the process of communication, nonverbal behavior acts as an object of interpretation not in itself, but as an indicator of individual psychological and socio-psychological characteristics of a person that are hidden for direct observation. On the basis of non-verbal behavior, the inner world of the individual is revealed, the mental content of communication and joint activity is formed. People quickly learn to adapt their verbal behavior to changing circumstances, but body language is less flexible.

Nonverbal communication includes more than seven hundred thousand facial and gestural movements of the hands and body, and this is significantly more than words in our native language. Moreover, the richest “alphabet” of non-speech “words” speaks about the true state of a person, since it is of a reflex nature.

In the process of communication in general, verbal and nonverbal factors of speech influence are closely interconnected, but there is also a certain asymmetry in their role at different stages of the act of communication.

Thus, according to most linguists, non-verbal communication factors play the most important role at the stage of people getting to know each other, at the stage of the first impression and in the process of categorization (that is, assigning the interlocutor to any category of people - smart, cunning, sincere, etc. .d.).

According to E. A. Petrova, when meeting people in the first 12 seconds of communication, 92% of the information received by the interlocutors is non-verbal. According to her data, the main information about people’s relationships is transmitted by interlocutors to each other in the first 20 minutes of communication.

The number of nonverbal signals is very large. A. Pease, in his book “Body Language,” cites data obtained by A. Meyerbian, according to which the transfer of information occurs through verbal means (words only) by 7%, sound means (including tone of voice, intonation of sound) by 38%, and through non-verbal means - by 55%.

Professor Birdwissl came to the same conclusions, who found that verbal communication in a conversation takes up less than 35%, and more than 65% of information is transmitted through non-verbal means. There is a peculiar division of functions between verbal and nonverbal means of communication: pure information is transmitted through the verbal channel, and the attitude towards the communication partner is transmitted through the verbal channel.

A. Pease also notes that the nonverbal channel carries approximately five times more information than the verbal one.

Congruence is the correspondence of the meaning of verbal and accompanying nonverbal signals, incongruence is the contradiction between them. It has been found that under conditions of incongruence, if the meaning of a nonverbal signal contradicts the meaning of a verbal signal, people tend to believe the nonverbal information. So, if a person punches the air with his fist and passionately says that he is for cooperation, for finding common agreement, then the public will probably not believe him because of an aggressive gesture that contradicts the content of verbal information.

Nonverbal cues have multiple meanings, just like words. For example, the nonverbal signal “nodding your head,” depending on the context of use, can mean agreement, attention, recognition, greeting, appreciation, gratitude, permission, encouragement, etc.

According to the observations of E. A. Petrova, during official communication, gestures approach national-cultural norms; during informal communication, their individuality is revealed. Nonverbal communication is most active in humans in childhood and adolescence; as the age of the native speaker increases, it gradually weakens.

In socio-psychological research, various classifications of non-verbal means of communication have been developed, which include all body movements, intonation characteristics of the voice, tactile influence, spatial organization of communication (see Diagram 5).

Basic nonverbal means of communication. The most significant non-verbal means are kinesics. These are visually perceived movements of another person that perform an expressive-regulatory function in communication. Kinesics includes expressive movements manifested in facial expressions, posture, place, gaze, and gait.

A special role in the transmission of information is given to facial expressions - movements of the facial muscles, which is not without reason called the mirror of the soul. Studies, for example, have shown that when the lecturer's face is motionless or invisible, up to 10–15% of information is lost.

Scheme 5. Classification of non-verbal means of communication

The main characteristic of facial expressions is its integrity and dynamism. This means that in the facial expression of the six main emotional states (anger, joy, fear, suffering, surprise and disgust), all movements of the facial muscles are coordinated, which is clearly seen from the diagram of facial codes of emotional states developed by V. A. Labunskaya (Table 1 ).

Research has shown that all people, regardless of the nationality and culture in which they grew up, interpret these facial configurations as expressions of corresponding emotions with sufficient accuracy and consistency. And although each mine is the configuration of the entire face, nevertheless, the main informative load is carried by the eyebrows and the area around the mouth (lips). Thus, the subjects were presented with drawings of faces in which only the position of the eyebrows and lips varied. The consistency of the subjects' assessments was very high—the recognition of emotions was almost one hundred percent. The best recognized emotions are joy, surprise, disgust, and anger; more difficult are the emotions of sadness and fear.

Very closely related to facial expressions is gaze, or visual contact, which constitutes an extremely important part of communication. When communicating, people strive for reciprocity and experience discomfort if facial expressions are absent.

Visual contact indicates a willingness to communicate. We can say that if they look at us a little, then we have every reason to believe that they treat us or what we say and do badly, and if too much, then this is either a kind of challenge to us, or a good attitude towards us .

With the help of the eyes, the most accurate signals about a person’s condition are transmitted, since the dilation and contraction of the pupils cannot be consciously controlled. With constant lighting, the pupils can dilate or contract depending on your mood. If a person is excited or interested in something or is in high spirits, his pupils dilate four times their normal size. On the contrary, an angry, gloomy mood causes the pupils to constrict.

Table 1. Mimic codes of emotional states (according to V. A. Labunskaya)

Parts and elements of the face	Emotional states
	Anger	Contempt	Suffering	Fear	Astonishment	Joy
Mouth position	Mouth open	Mouth closed		Mouth open		Mouth is usually closed
Lips	The corners of the lips are downturned			The corners of the lips are raised
Eye shape	Eyes open or narrowed	Eyes narrowed		Eyes wide open		Eyes squinted or open
Eye brightness	Eyes sparkle	Eyes are dull		The shine of the eyes is not expressed		Eyes sparkle
Eyebrow position	Eyebrows are shifted towards the bridge of the nose			Eyebrows raised
Eyebrow corners	The outer corners of the eyebrows are raised up			The inner corners of the eyebrows are raised up
Forehead	Vertical folds on the forehead and bridge of the nose			Horizontal folds on the forehead
Mobility face and his parts	Face dynamic			Frozen face		Dynamic face

!	Not only facial expression carries information about a person, but also his gaze.

Although the face is generally agreed to be the main source of information about a person's psychological states, it is in many situations much less informative than the body, since facial expressions are consciously controlled many times better than body movements. Under certain circumstances, when a person, for example, wants to hide his feelings or conveys deliberately false information, the face becomes low-information, and the body becomes the main source of information for the partner. Therefore, in communication, it is important to know what information can be obtained if you shift the focus of observation from a person’s face to his body and his movements, since gestures, postures, and style of expressive behavior contain a lot of information. Information is carried by movements of the human body such as posture, gesture, and gait.

Posture is the position of the human body, typical for a given culture, an elementary unit of human spatial behavior. The total number of different stable positions that the human body can assume is about 1000. Of these, due to the cultural tradition of each nation, some positions are prohibited, while others are fixed. The posture clearly shows how a given person perceives his status in relation to the status of other persons present. Individuals with higher status adopt more relaxed postures than their subordinates.

One of the first to point out the role of human posture as one of the nonverbal means of communication was psychologist A. Sheflen. In further research conducted by V. Schubz, it was revealed that the main semantic content of the pose consists in the placement of the individual’s body in relation to the interlocutor. This placement indicates either closedness or a willingness to communicate.

It has been shown that “closed” poses (when a person somehow tries to close the front of the body and take up as little space as possible; “Napoleonic” pose, standing: arms crossed on the chest, and sitting: both hands resting on the chin, etc. .p.) are perceived as poses of distrust, disagreement, opposition, criticism. “Open” poses (standing: arms open, palms up, sitting: arms outstretched, legs extended) are perceived as poses of trust, agreement, goodwill, and psychological comfort.

There are clearly readable poses of reflection (the pose of Rodin's thinker), poses of critical assessment (hand under the chin, index finger extended to the temple). It is known that if a person is interested in communication, he will focus on the interlocutor and lean towards him; if he is not very interested, on the contrary, he will focus to the side and lean back. A person who wants to make a statement, to “put himself out there,” will stand straight, tense, with his shoulders turned, sometimes with his hands on his hips; a person who does not need to emphasize his status and position will be relaxed, calm, and in a free, relaxed position.

Almost all people can “read” poses well, although, of course, they don’t always understand how they do it.

Just as easily as posture, the meaning of gestures can be understood, those various movements of the hands and head, the meaning of which is clear to the communicating parties.

Quite a lot is known about the information that gestures convey. First of all, the amount of gestures is important. No matter how different cultures differ, everywhere, along with the increase in a person’s emotional arousal, his agitation, the intensity of gestures increases, as well as with the desire to achieve a more complete understanding between partners, especially if for some reason it is difficult.

The specific meaning of individual gestures varies across cultures. However, all cultures have similar gestures, among which are:

► communicative (gestures of greeting, farewell, attracting attention, prohibitions, satisfactory, negative, interrogative, etc.);

► modal, i.e. expressing assessment and attitude (gestures of approval and dissatisfaction, trust and distrust, confusion, etc.);

► descriptive gestures that make sense only in the context of a speech utterance.

In the process of communication, one should not forget about congruence, i.e. coincidence of gestures and speech statements. Speech statements and gestures accompanying them must match. The contradiction between gestures and the meaning of statements is a signal of lies.

And finally, a person’s gait, i.e. style of movement, by which one can quite easily recognize his emotional state. Thus, in studies by psychologists, subjects with great accuracy recognized emotions such as anger, suffering, pride, and happiness by their gait. Moreover, it turned out that the heaviest gait is with anger, the lightest - with joy, a sluggish, depressed gait - with suffering, the longest step length - with pride.

When trying to find a connection between gait and personality quality, the situation is more complicated. Conclusions about what gait may express are made by comparing the physical characteristics of gait and personality traits identified through tests.

The following types of non-verbal means of communication are associated with the voice, the characteristics of which create an image of a person, contribute to the recognition of his states, and the identification of mental individuality.

Characteristics of the voice are classified as prosodic and extralinguistic phenomena.

Prosody is the general name for such rhythmic and intonation aspects of speech as pitch, volume of voice tone, voice timbre, stress force.

Extralinguistic system - the inclusion of pauses in speech, as well as various kinds of psychophysiological manifestations of a person: crying, coughing, laughter, sighing, etc.

The flow of speech is regulated by prosodic and extralinguistic means, linguistic means of communication are saved, they complement, replace and anticipate speech utterances, and express emotional states.

Enthusiasm, joy and distrust are usually conveyed in a high-pitched voice, anger and fear are also conveyed in a fairly high-pitched voice, but over a wider range of tonality, strength and pitch. Grief, sadness, and fatigue are usually conveyed in a soft and muffled voice with a decrease in intonation towards the end of the phrase.

The speed of speech also reflects feelings: fast speech - excitement or concern; slow speech indicates depression, grief, arrogance or fatigue.

You need to be able not only to listen, but also to hear the intonation structure of speech, to evaluate the strength and tone of the voice, the speed of speech, which practically allow us to express our feelings, thoughts, and volitional aspirations not only along with the word, but also in addition to it, and sometimes in spite of it.

A well-trained person can determine by his voice what movement is being made at the moment of pronouncing a particular phrase, and vice versa, by observing gestures during speech, you can determine what kind of voice a person speaks in. Therefore, we must not forget that sometimes gestures and movements may contradict what the voice communicates. Therefore, it is necessary to control this process and synchronize it.

Tactical means of communication include dynamic touches in the form of a handshake, patting, and kissing. Dynamic touch has been proven to be a biologically necessary form of stimulation, and not just a sentimental detail of human communication. A person’s use of dynamic touch in communication is determined by many factors. Among them, the status of partners, age, gender, and the degree of their acquaintance are of particular importance.

Handshakes, for example, are divided into three types: dominant (hand on top, palm facing down), submissive (hand on bottom, palm facing up) and equal.

A pat on the shoulder is possible under the condition of close relationships and equal social status of those communicating.

Takesic means of communication, to a greater extent than other nonverbal means, perform in communication the functions of an indicator of status-role relationships, a symbol of the degree of closeness of the communicators. Inappropriate use of tactical means by a person can lead to conflicts in communication.

!	Communication is always spatially organized.

One of the first to study the spatial structure of communication was the American anthropologist E. Hall, who coined the term “proxemics,” the literal translation of which means “proximity.” Proxemic characteristics include the orientation of partners at the moment of communication and the distance between them. The proxemic characteristics of communication are directly influenced by cultural and national factors.

E. Hall described the norms of approaching a person to a person - distances characteristic of North American culture:

► intimate distance (from 0 to 45 cm) - communication between the closest people;

► personal (from 45 to 120 cm) - communication with familiar people;

► social (from 120 to 400 cm) - preferable when communicating with strangers and in official communication;

► public (from 400 to 750 cm) - when speaking in front of various audiences.

!	Violation of the optimal communication distance is perceived negatively.

Orientation and angle of communication are proxemic components of the nonverbal system. Orientation, expressed by turning the body and toe of the foot in the direction of the partner or away from him, signals the direction of thoughts.

The positions of the communicating parties at the table are determined by the nature of the communication (see Fig. 1):

Rice. 1

If communication is competitive or defensive, then people sit opposite; during an ordinary friendly conversation, they take a corner position; in case of cooperative behavior, they take a position of business interaction on one side of the table; an independent position is expressed in a diagonal position.

Nonverbal behavior of a person is multifunctional:

► creates the image of a communication partner;

► expresses the relationship of communication partners, forms these relationships;

► is an indicator of current mental states of the individual;

► acts as a clarification, changing the understanding of the verbal message, enhancing the emotional intensity of what is said;

► maintains an optimal level of psychological intimacy between communicating;

► acts as an indicator of status-role relations.

Nonverbal means of strengthening the speaker’s communicative position allow him to strengthen his communicative position, that is, to increase the effectiveness of communication. Among these nonverbal signals, several factors can be identified that combine similar signals.

Appearance factor:

1.1. Cloth. A person’s communicative position is enhanced by dark traditional clothing, high-quality material, and the contrast of dark and white tones. High hats, heels, and dark horn-rimmed glasses enhance the effect. Clean, neat clothes look great. Rich colors of clothing characterize a person as enjoying life and being successful. The moderate fashionability of his clothes enhances the speaker’s communicative position.

1.2. Hairstyle. A high hairstyle increases the status of its wearer. It is interesting that blondes are usually perceived as more attractive, but at the same time superficial, shallow in their judgments, while brunettes are perceived as more serious, intelligent, and competent. A man’s short hairstyle speaks of his efficiency and low intelligence; long hair speaks of his creativity and intellectuality.

1.3. Silhouette. A rectangular silhouette of clothing strengthens a person’s position (and, conversely, a spherical silhouette, raglan sleeves, soft sweaters, jeans weaken the speaker’s communicative position). The closer a person's silhouette is to a rectangle, the more effective the impression it makes. A suit for a man, a traditional English suit for a woman (with shoulder pads) create the impression of an authoritative, competent, reliable person.

1.4. Addition. Tall height and athletic build enhance a person’s communicative position. Tall people enjoy great authority.

1.5. Physical attractiveness. People associate physical attractiveness with positive human qualities. Physically attractive people are perceived by others as sociable, popular, successful, persuasive (able to persuade), happy, and have many friends.

2. Look factor.

It is necessary to maintain eye contact with the interlocutor(s). You need to look at your interlocutor for about half of the conversation, then this is considered as maintaining contact. If we look kindly at our interlocutor 60–70% of the time, he understands that we like him.

A friendly, smiling, brief glance into the eyes is seen as a signal of a positive attitude, interest, sympathy, and desire for contact.

During prolonged communication, etiquette requires looking not into the eyes, but into the face, without fixing attention on the eyes of the interlocutor. Staring into the eyes is seen as a sign of hostility—don't look too closely at anyone.

When solving business issues, you need to use a business look - aimed at the eye-nose triangle, this creates the impression of seriousness of intentions.

When communicating in a friendly manner, it is better to lower the gaze lower - to the “eyes-mouth” triangle; such a gaze demonstrates a friendly attitude and a desire to communicate. The look below, from the eyes to the chest, is called intimate, it shows personal interest.

A sideways glance usually indicates either interest or hostility. When paired with slightly raised eyebrows or a smile, it indicates interest. If it is combined with lowered eyebrows, frowning eyebrows, or the corners of the mouth downturned, then this indicates a suspicious or ironic attitude.

If the interlocutor is unpleasant to you, trying to put pressure on you, look into his “third eye” - at the bridge of his nose. By doing this, you strengthen your communicative position and weaken the communicative position of your interlocutor.

3. Physical behavior factor.

This is the language of facial expressions and body movements. This factor involves the correct use of facial expressions, gestures and postures.

The most effective and efficient facial expression is friendliness, the core of which is a smile.

A smile in communication performs many functions: it characterizes the person smiling as a bearer of positive characteristics, as a good person; evokes a positive response from the interlocutor and is easily mirrored; lifts the mood of the speaker himself; stimulates continued contact; trains about 40 facial muscles, prevents premature wrinkles; reduces pain.

A sign of a sincere smile is the mobility of the eyebrows at the moment of smiling, but if the eyebrows are motionless and the person smiles with just his lips, the smile is insincere.

Among the gestures and postures, the following are the most effective. Firstly, signals of positive assessment and goodwill towards the interlocutor. These are signals such as the “opening” of the chest, movement of the hands towards the interlocutor, demonstration of the palms, any gestures of the speaker near his face (if his interlocutor is in a closed position), tilting the head, moving the hands up, bending forward, moving the body forward. Secondly, the use of correct rhetorical gestures, first of all, intensifying ones (rhythmic movements of the hand, hands, pointer in time with speech). Pointing gestures should be made with the palm of your hand, not your finger, otherwise it looks like a manifestation of aggressiveness. Thirdly, for effective communication, postures should be open, legs and arms should not be crossed, the chest should be open, the chin should be slightly raised. Also, your posture should be relaxed, your back should not be slouched (a sign of insecurity), and your spine should be straight. It is best to sit without crossing your legs, sit on the entire seat (moving to the edge of the seat during communication means demonstrating interest), do not spread your legs wide (this is usually perceived as indifference, indifference), and do not put your hands on your stomach. The head is slightly forward, the mouth is slightly open - a sign of attention to the interlocutor.

Movement in the communication process must also be used correctly. When speaking in front of an audience, it is recommended to lean towards the audience, extend your hands towards the listeners, come out to them from behind the podium, and walk around the audience.

Gait also performs symbolic functions. A moderately energetic gait and vivacity of movements make a positive impression. You should not keep your hands in your pockets while walking - this is perceived as a manifestation of secrecy and uncertainty.

Manipulating objects (glasses, pens, pencils, cigarettes, drawing abstract patterns on paper, jingling keys, etc.) is not recommended in the process of communication; they reveal a person’s negative attitude, his difficulties, indecision, that is, something that cannot be demonstrated costs.

4. Factor in organizing the communication space.

This factor combines signals associated with the significant location of the interlocutors relative to each other.

Communication distance: the closer, the more effective, but coming closer than 40–50 cm is not recommended - this is a person’s intimate zone, and he considers the intrusion of others into it as an attack on his own freedom and integrity. In general, it has been observed that people tend to communicate with those who are closer spatially. If people want to communicate, they approach each other; if they don’t want to, they don’t approach or even move away.

Those who easily change their communication distance have a strong communicative position: they easily approach different interlocutors, freely move away and approach again, etc.

Moderate spatial expansionism (that is, the desire to reduce the distance to the interlocutor, to take up more space) also increases the effectiveness of speech influence: stretch your legs forward a little, put your hand on the back of the adjacent chair on which the interlocutor is sitting, take up a lot of space at the table, accidentally touch things, those around the interlocutor.

Horizontal arrangement of communication participants: people at the round table are involuntarily friendly, across the table opposite each other - on the contrary, they are prone to argument and confrontation. The most effective position for a business conversation is across the corner of the table, facing each other or half-turning towards each other. It has also been noticed that when people are sitting next to each other, it is easier to persuade from left to right (towards the right hand) than from right to left.

Vertical arrangement: the higher, the more effective (“the law of vertical dominance”). Tall people always seem more authoritative; it is no coincidence that kings sit on thrones and wear crowns. Therefore, it is better to speak while standing, and it is also better to stand up if you want to say something important. It is beneficial to sit slightly higher than your interlocutor.

The effectiveness of communication is also influenced by the place of communication: there is the “law of the dark corner”: it is easier to convince in a dark, cramped room with a low ceiling than in a large and bright one. If you limit the mobility of the interlocutor and talk to him, “squeezing him into a corner,” the communicative position of the interlocutor will be weakened.

Affects the effectiveness of communication and territory ownership - it is easier to convince a person by appearing on his territory (for example, to his home). If a boss calls a subordinate to him for a conversation, this is a demonstration of strength, distance, and pressure on him. If the conversation takes place on neutral territory - this is a demonstration of equality, then it is better to discuss those problems that have already been previously discussed and there is a mood for solving them. Conversation on the interlocutor’s territory is effective when coming to him is unexpected, without warning [71].