Non-Verbal Communication

Non-Verbal Communication
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Non-Verbal Communication
Introduction
Non-verbal communication refers to the conveyance of emotions, feelings and emotions using actions and expressions as opposed to the use of words. In the daily human life, non-verbal and verbal communications complement each other. In some cases, expressions and the body language provides an effective mechanism of expressing emotions. The facial expressions are the commonest ways or methods of non-verbal communication (Aghayeva, 2005). In this regard, non-verbal communication is central to communicating, or sending and receiving visual cues. Other people refer to non-verbal communication as body language, commonly known as kinesics. However, non-verbal communication entails the use of touch, haptic, and distance, proxemics. Overall, non-verbal communication comprises the important but unspoken signals, exhibited by people, mainly through body language, hand gestures and facial expression (Hans, & Hans, 2015). For the essay, the focus is on kinesics, which is a common aspect of non-verbal communication.
Kinesics
The term kinesics is derived from the word kinesis, which means movement. As such, kinesics is the study of hand, arm, body and face movements. There are common aspects or elements under kinesics, which include gestures and under gestures, there are adaptors, emblems, and illustrators.
1 Gestures
The main form of gestures includes adaptors, emblems and illustrators. Adaptors refer to the touching behaviors and movements, which often reflect internal conditions such as arousal or anxiety. It is possible to direct adaptors toward the individual, objects or other people. In most cases, adaptors emerge due to uneasiness, anxiety or a feeling of being inferior or not in control of the setting. Some known self-touching habits include scratching, twirling the hair and fidgeting using the fingers or hands. In this technological era, phones, mainly the smartphones have become common object adaptors (Schmidt-Fajilik, 2006).
Most people often fiddle with their phones as a way of easing anxiety. On the other hand, emblems refer to gestures, which have an accepted or agreed upon meaning. Although the emblems have an agreed-on meaning, they are not included or they do not qualify as formal sign systems such as the American Sign Language. Typical examples of the known emblems include a hitchhiker’s raised thumb, the OK sign with the thumb. Another emblem is the raising of the middle finger.
Illustrators, on another hand, are the commonest form of gesture. Illustrators help in illustrating the verbal message they accompany. A typical example is the use of hand gestures to notify or indicate the size of an object. Unlike the emblems, illustrators lack meaning when they are used alone; hence, they are used in a subconscious manner, when compared to the emblems. In addition, illustrators are often described as involuntary and natural b...