Introduction: Nonverbal Communication

Many people think that nonverbal behaviour – e.g. gestures and facial expressions – are universal and „natural“ and make it possible to communicate across language and culture borders without any difficulty. This assumption can be tricky and lead to intercultural misunderstandings because many nonverbal expressions are results of learning processes in a certain cultural setting.

Nonverbal expressions often, but not always go along with verbal conversation.

Typical aspects of nonverbal behaviour

  • Face expression
  • Eye contact
  • Gestures
  • Postures and movements
  • Proximity and distance
  • Physical contact
  • Looks

In every conversation, but especially when interacting in an intercultural context, it is helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

  • How do posture, gestures, face expression, looks of the other person appear to me?
  • How do my posture, gestures, face expression, looks appear to the other person?

The Importance of Nonverbal Communication

[weglot-image en=“/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/communication_model.png“ de=“/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/communication_model_de.png“ it=“/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/communication_model_it.png“ sl=“/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/communication_model_sl.png“ gr=“/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/communication_model_gr.png“ class=“alignleft“ caption=“Communications Model by Mehrabian“]

Communication research showed that nonverbal communication elements play a far bigger role than many people are aware of. Studies of the psychologist Albert Mehrabian (1967) showed that body language and voice in verbal messages are much more important than the content of the message itself.

Mehrabian postulated that 55% of a message is determined by body language, 38% by the vocal expression and only 7% by the content. Even if  these  numbers are debatable it can be assumed that nonverbal elements are of considerable importance in communication processes.

Bodylanguage
Vocal expression
Content

Anthropological and social research still discuss the issue if body language and nonverbal behaviour are universal or determined by the respective culture. Several studies show that there are many differences referring to how people from different cultural backgrounds act in a nonverbal way. Cultures have characteristical „nonverbal styles“, and communication between members of different cultures can lead to misunderstandings and irritations if the dialogue partners are not aware of these style variations.

In general, nonverbal signals in human communication can serve various functions
  • Expressing emotions
  • Showing attitudes towards dialogue partners (e.g. friendly/hostile, dominant/submissive)
  • Expression of the personality (How do I want to appear?)
  • Additional information in verbal communication
  • Social commitment (e.g. rituals in sports and cultural events)
  • Influence and manipulation