1009IBA Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Peter Drucker, Nonverbal Communication, Body Language
4 May 2018
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L7. Non-Verbal Communication (NVC) and Culture
Forms of Non-Verbal Communication
• Anything that is not said is non-verbal communication
o Can be more complex, but includes
• Hand gestures
• Body language
• Eye contact
• Written words and emoticons
• Tone
• Facial expressions
• Physical contact/touch
• Environment/where you choose to communicate
• How you carry yourself
• Personal space
• Smell/scent
Lecture Outline
• What is the significance of non-verbal communication?
• What are the functions and characteristics of non-verbal communication?
• Explain the influence of culture on non-verbal communication.
• Reading non-verbal communication from a sociological perspective
o Sign vehicles
"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said." - Peter Drucker
Significance of Non-Verbal Communication
• Mehrabian, 1982:
o 93% of meaning is carried through non-verbal communication, and 7% is carried through
words
• This is a contentious claim
o All agree that a very significant amount of communication is delivered non-verbally
• I.e. 65-93%
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▪ Variation lies in culture
• E.g. Words tend to be more important in the western world
o Verbal and non-verbal communication are often simultaneous and inextricably linked
• Cognitive content
▪ Conveyed through the verbal part of a message
• Affective content
▪ Conveyed through the nonverbal component
▪ Most meaning is derived from this
o If the non-verbal message contradicts the verbal message, the non-verbal message is
given greater credence
• This is because non-verbal messages are perceived as less conscious and therefore
more honest
▪ I.e. Body language is more natural than explicit language, and is therefore
harder to fake
o Non-verbal communication can be interpreted differently in different cultures
• E.g. Thai people smile in several emotional situations (embarrassed, happy, etc.)
'Actions Speak Louder Than Words'
• Most non-verbal communication is learned and learned subconsciously
o 'Presentation of self'
o Make judgements of others
• First impressions
▪ 'Impression management'
• E.g. Interview
o This makes non-verbal messages more accurate?
o Intentional and unintentional messages
o Unconscious or involuntary messages
• CAUTION
o Consider aspects of non-verbal communication in clusters
• Beware of premature judgements
What exactly is non-verbal communication?
• Non-verbal communication involves all those non-verbal stimuli in a communication setting
that are generated by both the source and his or her use of the environment
o This has a potential message value for the source or receiver
Functions of Non-Verbal Codes (Knapp and Hall, 1997)
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