Communication means that verbal communication. Verbal or non-verbal - what is it and which type of communication is more important

2.1. Speech, or verbal means of communication Speech is the process of using language for the purpose of communication between people, it is speaking. Language is a collection of sound, vocabulary and grammatical means of expressing thoughts. In different languages ​​(English, German, Russian, etc.), these

2.2. Non-verbal means of communication Non-verbal means of communication are gestures, postures, facial expressions and other motor actions. Non-verbal means of communication were given great importance in ancient Greece. For example, great importance was attached to posture. Man

Other non-verbal means of communication Communication by actions includes: 1) showing motor actions during learning; 2) movements expressing attitude towards the interlocutor (for example, applause); 3) touching: patting the interlocutor on the shoulder or on the back as a sign of his approval

Non-verbal means of ethnic communication In Chapter 1 of this work, non-verbal information was considered in the aspect of its perception and assessment of the personal and business qualities of the interlocutor (ethnophore). Here it is analyzed from the standpoint of various human capabilities,

Contextual means of communication In the Russian scientific literature, information on the contextual means of communication of ethnophores is almost absent. There are publications on this problem in English. Contextual means of communication include

Task 2b. Non-verbal characteristics of effective and problematic communication between adults and children The observation procedure in this task generally repeats task 2a, so we will focus only on the differences. As an object for observation, one should

33. Functions and means of communication Communication functions are the roles and tasks that communication performs in the process of human social life: 1) information and communication function is the exchange of information between individuals. The constituent elements of communication are:

Use Non-Verbal Means of Self-Affirmation Get into a comfortable, closed position. Make eye contact with the other person (with a confident, but not fixed gaze). Straighten up, straighten your shoulders and chest, but do not strain. Position yourself straight facing

We tend to communicate with each other. A conversation is a process of exchanging opinions that arouse mutual interest. It is impossible to imagine our life without it. There are verbal and non-verbal communication tools. In this article, we will dwell on the first view in more detail.

If non-verbal communication is carried out through facial expressions and gestures, then with verbal communication it is much easier. With him, a person uses only words to exchange information with an interlocutor. So, verbal communication in a broad sense is a process of information exchange between people, we carry out speech means.

People understand the meaning of verbal communication as opposed to non-verbal communication. After all, there is nothing complicated here. A person makes sounds from which words are derived. If these words are interconnected in meaning, and the interlocutor understands the thought of his comrade and answers him in the same way, then this is communication in a verbal way. There is nothing difficult here, is it?

Let's take a closer look at verbal and non-verbal communication, or rather, one of the myths that says that non-verbal contains much more information than verbal. There is some truth in this, but more often it is not. There are times when people do not talk to each other. However, they show dissatisfaction or something else to the interlocutor with the help of an uncomplicated gesture or facial expressions.

In this case, this myth is justified. But for the most part, people communicate through conversation. As examples, a boss assigns a task to his subordinate or junior supervisor. In this case, do not pay attention to his gestures or facial expressions. Here you need to catch the words, they are important sources of information. Such communication does not represent an expression of one's own feelings, nor does it represent an affiliate communication. So we looked at verbal and non-verbal communication.

Communication rules

Verbal communication implies the observance of certain rules. Clarify the conversation. It is necessary that the interlocutor understands you as best as possible, what you said to him and what you want. But this does not always work. Many people cannot immediately formulate a proposal clearly and clearly, which will contain the main idea. Such verbal communication is unpleasant for the interlocutor.

He, in turn, ceases to perceive this information, begins to get distracted and "ignore" what has been said. Therefore, you need to constantly improve the quality of communication in a verbal way. You need to strive for the perfect conversation. Here are some guidelines to help you become a good conversationalist:

• Learn to speak correctly and as little as possible, but at the same time, without changing the meaning of the information conveyed. Speak clearly, clearly. The main idea must be correctly formulated.
• Follow the conversation of the other person. And most importantly, listen to it carefully. Do not pretend that you are not listening to the person. In this case, he will lose interest in such communication and it will not lead to anything outstanding. Support him in different ways and do not leave the conversation, do not be distracted. This is important to us.
• Be able to fully understand what you have been told. Not only the ability to listen correctly, but also to hear correctly. Understand that not all of us can clearly and briefly express the necessary thought, and immediately start from the main thing. People do not always know how to communicate correctly, they begin to do it from afar, and sometimes they miss the necessary thought. This is what you need to catch. Help such a person himself to understand what he has said, help him to understand his own words. This is important for the conversation.
• Rebuild what the interlocutor said in your head for yourself. That is, try to take these words personally for yourself.

More on verbal communication

Let's go back to verbal communication. So, the verbal means of communication include speech and voice. We write a speech on a piece of paper, and sometimes we speak to a friend out loud, we can read a magazine without voicing it, or we can just think about tomorrow and make a plan in our head. All this is speech.

It turns out that verbal communication is not only a conversation with an interlocutor, but also reading a book, speaking in front of an audience, and even your own thoughts expressed in words.

At the present stage of development of the psychology of communication, we understand that it is not always possible to understand a business person during verbal communication. As examples, relatives from South America or some other country have come to visit you. They can learn Russian and more or less orientate in it, but they will not be able to understand some words with diminutive suffixes. For this purpose, experts have created some rules that relate to business verbal communication.

So, in modern Russian there are 5 styles of text. These are such types as formal business, scientific, colloquial and so on. All information transmitted by us to the interlocutor refers to a particular style of speech. In a scientific style, speech should be logical and generalized, and in spoken language, this is the dialogue of two people, ordinary everyday conversations. Try to speak with your foreign guest in a scientific language, without any interversions and diminutive words.

Communication barriers

In communication between two business people, the verbal form is more often used. This is due to the fact that such people express their main thoughts concisely and clearly, using simple Russian, and not using any emotions and feelings. In the process of such a business conversation, it would be ridiculous not to know the rules of the Russian language, to make speech and stylistic mistakes. This is not the level where it is allowed. However, there are other problems, which are called communication barriers:

• The barrier of logic. People have different types of thinking. One is highly intelligent, and the second has a lower level of intelligence development. In this case, a logical barrier is obtained. People stop understanding each other.
• Common sense barrier. The bottom line is the misunderstanding of people from different countries. Indeed, in different areas, the same words may have a different meaning, the problem is in the different tolerance of people and their understanding of the same word. For some, it may seem ordinary, while others will consider it hostile towards themselves.
• Phonetic barrier. Such a barrier is most common, since it is due to the defiant diction of the interlocutor, for example, or some kind of business accent. Try to eliminate this barrier from communication. Speak straightforwardly and clearly.

Communication levels

Verbal communication, like non-verbal communication, has its own characteristics, which we will now talk about. When talking to a person, pay attention to the distance at which you are from each other. We will look at some of the main communication layers:

• Intuition (or, intuitive level). We are talking about a person who somewhere did not fully hear any news or misunderstood the essence of the information read. He transforms it the way he wants it. Such a person will not always correctly understand a hint in his direction, especially a very subtle hint.
• Ethical level. Here we are talking about non-verbal means of communication. If a business person has a well-developed intuition, then he can easily understand any gesture or facial expression of his interlocutor. This means that he will understand what is really at stake.
• Physical layer. It appears only when the distance between communicating people is small enough. It is carried out through any kind of touch. It is enough to pay attention to a frequent heartbeat or the manifestation of any emotions in a person, and you can understand a lot from this information.

Features of communication at the verbal level

The most important feature of verbal communication is that it is peculiar only to a person. The condition for such verbal communication is language acquisition. Due to this, with the verbal way of communication, much more information is transmitted than with the non-verbal one. But it will not be possible to completely eliminate the non-verbal component in everyday life, no matter how much they want it. During a conversation, some feelings, emotions still appear, facial expressions change. It is impossible to do without it.

In the process of even a short business communication, it is easy to find out what level of intelligence the interlocutor has. This is followed by the definition of his position in society. Through communication, we affect other people in a direct way. Imagine that in most cases, career growth, that is, the career of a business person, depends on communication. And in this case, it is almost impossible to express yourself with gestures or facial expressions. Know how to speak, use verbal, not verbal methods. We do not pay attention to other types.

Sometimes we meet new people whom we haven’t encountered in our life before. And it doesn't matter if this is a scheduled meeting or an accidental one. The first thing we pay attention to is the appearance of a business person. What he looks like, what he is wearing, what perfume and how he behaves.

The next stage of acquaintance is already associated with communication. And often at this stage, the idea of ​​a person changes. Before that, everything could have been good, but after hearing his speech, it immediately becomes clear, the desire to continue such communication disappears, the negative is realized. The main thing is that you yourself do not find yourself in such a situation, in the place of this person. Watch your speech, speak correctly and understandably for others.

It is no secret that gestures, facial expressions, postures, views are full-fledged means of communication. After all, all of them, along with speech and writing, allow people to exchange information with each other. But, alas, not every one of us is able to recognize and correctly interpret such signals.

Definitions

Verbal communication- a type of interpersonal speech communication. It can be oral and written. The main requirements are clarity of content, clarity of pronunciation and accessibility of expressing thoughts. Language as an information coding system is the most important communication tool. With its help, a person describes various things and events, expresses his own opinion, demonstrates feelings and emotions. However, this communication tool makes sense only when it is included in any activity. That is, all kinds of signs that increase the effectiveness of interaction are a mandatory addition to words. It is worth noting that dactyl speech used in the "conversation" of two deaf and dumb people also belongs to the category of verbal communication. After all, gestures in it act as a substitute for letters.

Non-verbal communication- a type of communication interaction without the use of words. It is a process of transferring information through images, facial expressions, gestures, postures, touches, etc. That is, the human body acts as an instrument of such communication. It has a wide range of methods and means of messaging, including any form of self-expression. It is quite obvious that the most important condition for effective non-verbal communication is the correct interpretation of signals. Knowledge of body language not only helps to better understand the interlocutor, but also allows you to predict his reaction to the next statement. According to the conclusions of scientists, non-verbal communication accounts for more than 50% of all transmitted information. Whereas words are allocated about 7%. The intermediate link between them is occupied by sound means (timbre of voice, intonation). By the way, handshakes, hugs, touches also act as means of communication interaction.

Comparison

As follows from the definitions, the main difference between the types of communication lies in the way of transferring information. Verbal communication involves the use of spoken or written speech. That is, the interlocutors exchange information, putting it into words. This type of interaction is typical only for people. Non-verbal communication is based on body language. The main communication tools in this case are gestures, postures, facial expressions, and touch. With their help, a person can say a lot, even without connecting speech. At the same time, the language of facial expressions and gestures is inherent in both humans and animals. For example, by wagging its tail, a dog expresses its joy, while a cat, on the contrary, expresses its irritation. An animal grin is a warning signal, and a guilty glance from under the brow is a sign of remorse. And there can be many such examples.

Surprisingly, non-verbal communication is much more truthful than verbal communication. The fact is that often we are simply not able to control our gestures and facial expressions. They seem to come from within and become a reflection of our true feelings and experiences. Oral and written speech can be deliberately deceitful. It is much easier to deceive a person while talking on the phone or online than talking to him in person. Indeed, in the latter case, it is possible to trace the facial expressions and gestures of the opponent and notice their discrepancies with speech. For example, if the interlocutor expounds his version of events without looking into your eyes and nervously fiddling with an object in his hands, then he has something to hide. Thus, deceiving with words is much easier than with facial expressions and gestures.

Another difference between verbal communication and non-verbal communication is the perception of information. For example, in order to correctly grasp the meaning of the interlocutor's speech, we need to connect the mind and logic. Whereas when recognizing gestures and facial expressions, intuition comes to the rescue. Another point: if during verbal interaction between people a speech barrier may arise in the form of cultural or national differences, misunderstanding of the meaning of certain terms, then in the case of non-verbal communication this rarely happens. Indeed, regardless of the location of a person, his open wide smile will be perceived as a sign of cordiality and friendliness, and a wave of the hand will become a symbol of greeting. Of course, it can be very difficult to overcome the speech barrier at times. But once in a foreign country, we will always be able to communicate with the locals with the help of gestures, which indicates the high efficiency of such communication.

To summarize, what is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication- This is a communicative mutually directed action performed between one individual, several subjects or more, which involves the transmission of information of various directions and its reception. In verbal communicative interaction, speech is used as a communication mechanism, which is represented by language systems and is subdivided into written and oral. The most important requirement for verbal communication is clarity of pronunciation, clarity of content, accessibility of presentation of thought.

Verbal communication can elicit positive or negative emotional responses. That is why each individual simply needs to know and correctly apply the rules, norms and techniques of speech interaction. For effective communication and success in life, any person should master the art of rhetoric.

Verbal and non-verbal communication

As you know, the human being is social. That is, the subject can never become a person without society. The interaction of subjects with society occurs through communication tools (communication), which can be verbal and non-verbal.

Verbal and non-verbal means of communication provide the communicative interaction of individuals around the world. Although a person's thought is primary, but for its expression and understanding by other individuals, such an instrument of verbal communication as speech is needed, which denounces thoughts into words. Indeed, for an individual, a phenomenon or concept begins to exist only if he acquires a definition or name.

The most universal means of communication between people is language, which is the main system that encodes information and an important communication tool.

With the help of words, a person makes clear the meaning of events and the meaning of phenomena, expresses his own thoughts, feelings, positions and worldview. Personality, language and consciousness are inseparable. However, at the same time, the vast majority of people treat language as they treat air, i.e. uses it without noticing. Language quite often overtakes thoughts or does not obey them.

During the communication interaction of people at every stage, barriers arise that impede the effectiveness of communication. Often on the way to mutual understanding is the use of the same words, gestures and other communication tools to define completely different phenomena, things, objects. Such barriers appear due to socio-cultural differences, psychological and other factors. Individual differences in human needs and their value systems often make it impossible to find a common language even when discussing universal topics.

Violations of the process of communication of human interaction cause errors, blunders or failures in encryption of information, underestimation of ideological, professional, ideological, religious, political, age and gender differences.

In addition, the following factors are incredibly important for human communications: context and subtext, style. So, for example, an unexpected familiar address or cheeky behavior can nullify the entire informational richness of the conversation.

However, most of the information about a communication partner is transmitted not through verbal instruments, but through non-verbal means. That is, the subjects get an idea of ​​the true feelings of the interlocutor and his intentions not from his speech, but from direct observation of the details and manner of his behavior. In other words, interpersonal communication interaction is mainly carried out thanks to a whole range of non-verbal tools - facial expressions and gestures, symbolic communicative signs, spatial and temporal boundaries, intonation and rhythmic characteristics of speech.

As a rule, non-verbal communication is the result not of a conscious demeanor, but of subconscious motives. Verbal communication mechanisms are quite difficult to fake, which is why they should be trusted more than verbal formulations.

Verbal and non-verbal means of communication in the course of communication interaction of people are perceived simultaneously (simultaneously), they should be considered as a single complex. In addition, gestures without the use of speech are not always consistent, and speech without facial expressions is empty.

Types of verbal communication

Verbal communication includes externally directed speech, which in turn is subdivided into written and oral, and internally directed speech. Oral speech can be dialogical or monologic. Inner speech manifests itself in preparation for oral conversation or, especially, for written speech. Written speech can be immediate and delayed. Direct speech occurs when exchanging notes, for example, at a meeting or lecture, and deferred speech occurs when exchanging letters, when it can take quite a long time to receive an answer. The communication conditions in written speech are strictly mediated by the text.

Also, dactyl speech is considered a peculiar form of verbal communication. This includes the manual alphabet, which is a replacement for oral speech and serves for the interaction of deaf or blind persons with each other and people familiar with dactylology. Dactyl speech marks replace letters and resemble the letters of the printed font.

Feedback affects the accuracy of the person who perceives the information, the meaning of the statements of the speaker. Feedback is established only on the condition that the communicator and the recipient alternately swap places. The task of the recipient is to make the communicator understand with the help of his statements how he perceived the meaning of the information. It follows that dialog speech is a sequential change in the roles of the communicative interaction of the speakers, in the process of which the meaning of the speech utterance is revealed. And a monologue speech, on the contrary, can last for quite a long time without being interrupted by the remarks of other conversations. It requires preliminary preparation from the speaker. Monologue speech includes lectures, reports, etc.

An important component of the communicative aspect of communication is the ability to accurately, clearly express one's own thoughts and the ability to listen. Since the fuzzy formulation of thoughts leads to a misinterpretation of what is said. And inept listening transforms the meaning of the transmitted information.

Verbal communication also includes a well-known type of interaction - a conversation, an interview, a dispute and discussion, a dispute, a meeting, etc.

A conversation is called a verbal exchange of thoughts, opinions, knowledge, information. A conversation (conversation) involves the presence of two or more participants, whose task is to express their own thoughts and thoughts on a given topic in a relaxed atmosphere. The participants in the conversation can ask each other questions in order to familiarize themselves with the position of the interlocutor or to clarify the incomprehensible points that arose during the discussion. Conversation is especially effective when there is a need to clarify a question or highlight a problem. An interview is a specially organized conversation about social, professional or scientific topics. A dispute is a public discussion or dispute on a socially important or scientific topic. A discussion is called a public dispute, the result of which is the clarification and correlation of various points of view, positions, the search and identification of the correct opinion, the finding of the necessary solution to the controversial issue. A dispute is the process of exchanging opposing views. That is, it denotes any clash of positions, disagreements in beliefs and views, a kind of struggle in which each of the participants defends their own righteousness.

Also, verbal communication is divided into verbal and interpersonal. carried out between several individuals, the result of it is the emergence of psychological contact and a certain relationship between communicating. Verbal business communication is a complex multilateral process of developing contacts between people in the professional sphere.

Features of verbal communication

The main feature of verbal communication is that such communication is characteristic only of a person. Verbal communication as a prerequisite involves language acquisition. Due to its communicative potential, it is much richer than all types of non-verbal communication, although it is not able to completely replace it. The formation of verbal communications is initially necessarily based on non-verbal means of communication.

The main component of communication is words that were taken by themselves. Verbal communication is considered the most versatile way of transmitting thought. Any message built using a non-verbal sign system can be deciphered or translated into verbal human language. For example, a red traffic light can be translated as "no entry" or "stop."

The verbal aspect of communication has a complex multi-level structure and can appear in different stylistic variations: dialect, colloquial and literary language, etc. All speech components or other characteristics contribute to the successful or unsuccessful implementation of the communicative act. A person in the process of communication from a wide range of all kinds of tools for speech interaction selects those tools that seem to him the most appropriate for the formulation and expression of his own thoughts in a particular situation. This is called a socially significant choice. This process is endless in its variety.

Words in speech communicative interaction are not ordinary signs used to name objects or phenomena. In verbal communication, whole verbal complexes, systems of ideas, religions, myths, characteristic of a certain society or culture, are created and formed.

The way the subject speaks can form an idea for another participant in the interaction about who such a subject really is. This is more common when the communicator plays an established social role, for example, the head of the company, the head of the school, the team captain, etc. Facial expressions, appearance, intonation will correspond to the status of the speaker's social role and his idea of ​​such a role.

The choice of verbal instruments contributes to the creation and comprehension of certain social situations. So, for example, a compliment will not always indicate that a person looks good, it may simply be a kind of "communicative move".

The effectiveness and efficiency of verbal interaction is largely due to the level of mastery of the communicator in public speaking and his personal qualitative characteristics. Today, competent language skills are considered the most important component of the professional realization of an individual.

With the help of speech, not only the movement of messages takes place, but also the interaction of the participants in the communication process, which in a special way influence each other, direct, orient each other. In other words, they strive to achieve a certain transformation of behavior.

Despite the fact that speech is a universal instrument of communicative interaction, it acquires meaning only when it is included in the activity. Speech must be complemented by the use of non-speech sign systems for the effectiveness of interaction. The communication process will be incomplete without the use of non-verbal means.

Each of us uses verbal and non-verbal behavior in communication. We communicate information not only through speech, but also through a variety of means. In this article, we'll take a closer look at verbal and non-verbal behavior. You will learn many interesting facts about communication, as well as a number of valuable tips.

Verbal behavior

Verbal behavior involves communication through words. From early childhood, we are taught to express our thoughts logically, so an adult usually does not have problems expressing them. Ornate speech and eloquence are acquired with experience. However, only 7% of what we say is perceived by others through the meaning that is contained in words. The rest is through non-verbal reactions and intonation. In business communication, oddly enough, the most important factor is the ability to listen, not speak. Unfortunately, not many of us have learned to be attentive to what the interlocutor says.

Listening to emotions and facts is listening to the message to the fullest. By doing so, a person increases the likelihood that the information conveyed to him will be understood. It also shows that he is respectful of the message conveyed by the speakers.

Keith Davis' Rules for Effective Communication

Professor Keith Davis outlined the following 10 rules for effective listening.

1. It is impossible to take in information when you speak, so stop speaking.
2. Help your interlocutor to be liberated. It is necessary to make the person feel freedom, that is, to create a relaxed atmosphere.
3. The speaker should show that you are willing to listen. You should act and look interested. When listening to the other, try to understand him, and not look for reasons for objection.
4. The annoying moments must be eliminated. Avoid tapping on the table, drawing, shifting papers while communicating. Perhaps the information will be perceived better with the door closed?
5. The speaker should empathize. To do this, try to imagine yourself in his place.
6. Be patient. Do not interrupt the interlocutor, do not save time.
7. Restrain your character. If a person is angry, he gives the wrong meaning to his words.
8. Avoid criticism and controversy. This forces the speaker to become defensive. He may also become angry or shut up. No need to argue. In fact, you will lose if you win the argument.
9. Ask your interlocutor questions. This will cheer him up and show him that he is being listened to.
10. Finally, stop talking. This advice comes first and last, as all others depend on it.

In addition to the ability to effectively listen to your interlocutor, there are other ways to improve the art of communication. Before communicating ideas, you need to clarify them, that is, you should systematically analyze and reflect on the questions, ideas or problems that you plan to communicate to the other. If you want to achieve success in your career or personal life, it is very important to consider the various characteristics of interpersonal interactions. Researchers say that, along with verbal (verbal) communication, it is necessary to take into account the non-verbal language that people use.

Non-verbal language

It should be noted that this concept implies not only control of one's behavior, the ability to interpret facial expressions and gestures of a partner, but also the zone of a person's personal territory, its mental essence. In addition, this concept includes the national characteristics of the behavior of the interlocutors, their mutual arrangement in the process of communication, the ability of partners to decipher the meaning of using such aids as cigarettes, glasses, lipstick, an umbrella, a mirror, etc.

Non-verbal behavior

When we think about communication, we mean first of all language. However, it is only part of the means of communication, and perhaps not the main one in such a process as communication. Non-verbal behavior is often even more important. When communicating, we use many ways to convey our feelings, thoughts, aspirations and desires to the people around us. Such means of communication are called non-verbal. This means that words or sentences are not used in them. Communication, considered in a broad sense, is not only verbal.

Non-verbal communication channels

They can be divided into two categories. The first is non-verbal behavior, and the second is non-verbal characteristics.

Non-verbal behavior includes all types of behavior (except for the pronunciation of words) that take place in the process of communication. It includes:

• posture, orientation and body tilt;
• gestures and movements of the legs;
• pitch, tone of voice and its other vocal characteristics, intonation and pauses, speed of speech;
• touching;
• communication distance;
• look as well as visual attention.

Thus, non-verbal behavior includes both what we usually associate with active self-expression, and what relates to more subtle and less vivid manifestations.

As far as non-behavioral is concerned, it encompasses many signals and sources of messages that cannot be inferred directly from behavior. Interestingly, interpersonal communication is influenced by such little things as the type of clothing used, the time, the architectural structures where we work and live, the cosmetic adjustments we make to our appearance. All this is defined as hidden. Such non-behavioral moments in the process of communication convey information to the interlocutor along with non-verbal behavior and language. When we perceive a person, verbal and non-verbal communication form a single whole.

Non-verbal behavior is a rather complex and deep topic in psychology. However, some points are not at all difficult to remember and take into account in everyday life. Below are some of the features of non-verbal behavior, the ability to interpret which is very important for

Gestures and postures

Body and hand movements convey a lot of information about a person. In particular, they show the direct emotional reactions of the individual and the state of his body. They allow the interlocutor to judge what kind of temperament a person has, what his reactions are (strong or weak, inert or mobile, slow or fast). In addition, body movements and various postures reflect many character traits, the degree of a person's self-confidence, impetuosity or caution, relaxedness or stiffness. The social status of the individual is also manifested in them.

Such expressions or "standing on bent ones" are not just descriptions of poses. They determine in what psychological state the individual is. It should also be noted that gestures and posture are non-verbal human behavior, in which the cultural norms assimilated by the individual are manifested. For example, if a man is brought up, he will not talk while sitting if his interlocutor is a woman and she is standing. This rule applies regardless of how a man evaluates the personal merits of a given woman.

Signs that are transmitted by the body are very important at the first meeting, since aspects of the person's character of the interlocutor do not appear immediately. For example, if you are applying for a job, you should sit up straight during the interview. This will demonstrate your interest. You should also look the other person in the eye, but not too persistently.

The following is regarded as an aggressive position of the body: a person is in tension, he is ready to move. The body of such a person is moved slightly forward, as if he is preparing to throw. This pose seems to signal that aggression is possible on his part.

Gestures play a very important role in communication. Attracting attention, you can wave your hand invitingly. You can make a dismissive irritable gesture, twist your hand at your temple. Applause means gratitude or greeting. A clap or two is a way to get attention. Interestingly, claps were used to attract the attention of the gods in a number of pagan religions (before sacrifice or prayer). Actually, the modern applause came from there. The arsenal of meanings that were transmitted and transmitted by claps in the palm of your hand is very wide. This is understandable, because this gesture is one of the few that produce a sound, and quite loud.

Facial expressions

Mimicry is the non-verbal behavior of a person, which consists in using a person's face. We are able to isolate and interpret the most subtle movements of the facial muscles. Signature functions have the position or movement of various facial details. For example, we raise our eyebrows in surprise, fear, anger, or greeting. It is known that even Aristotle was engaged in physiognomy.

Facial expressions in animals and primitive people

It should be noted that not only humans, but also higher animals have facial expressions as non-verbal communicative behavior. Although the grimaces of the great apes are similar to those of humans, they often express other meanings. In particular, a grin, which people might mistake for a smile, is a threat in monkeys. The animal lifts its gums to show its fangs. Many mammals (wolves, tigers, dogs, etc.) do the same.

By the way, this sign of threat, apparently, was once peculiar to a person. This confirms that a grin among a number of primitive peoples is not only a smile, but also a sign of bitterness or threat. For these peoples, fangs subconsciously still serve as a military weapon. By the way, in modern culture, the memory of this meaning of such a grimace has been preserved: there is a phraseological unit "to show teeth", the meaning of which is "to demonstrate a threat or resistance."

Signals sent by the eyes

The signals sent by the eyes are also related to facial expressions. It is known that women shoot their eyes, flirting. You can say yes by blinking your eyelashes. An open, direct look into the eyes of the interlocutor is considered a sign of a free and strong person. This view has its own biological roots. Among primitive peoples, as well as in the animal kingdom, it is often a challenge. Gorillas, for example, tolerate people near them, but at the same time a person should not look into the eyes of the leader, since the latter will regard this as an encroachment on his leadership in the herd. There are cases when a cameraman was attacked by a male gorilla, as the animal thought that the flashing camera lens was a challenge, a direct look into the eyes. And today in human society, such non-verbal behavior is considered courageous. It is known that when people are not sure of themselves, when they are timid, they avert their eyes.

Tactile communication

It includes patting, touching, etc. The use of such elements of communication indicates status, mutual relations, as well as the degree of friendship between the interlocutors. The relationship between loved ones is expressed in stroking, hugging, kissing. Relationships between comrades often involve patting on the shoulder, shaking hands. Teenagers, like baby animals, sometimes imitate fights. So they fight for leadership in a playful way. Similar relationships between teenagers are expressed in kicks, jabs, or grabs.

It should be noted that the signs that convey non-verbal means of communication (touch, posture, facial expressions, etc.) are not as unambiguous as the words we pronounce. Most often they are interpreted taking into account the situation, that is, the conditions in which they are observed.

Clothing as a way of non-verbal communication

In communication between people, some other methods of non-verbal communication are also known. For example, these include jewelry and clothing. For example, if an employee came to work in smart clothes, we can assume by this sign that today is his birthday or he has an important meeting. The use of clothing as a means of communication is often practiced in politics. For example, the cap of Luzhkov, the former mayor of Moscow, announced that he was a mayor "from the people", a "hard worker" mayor.

Thus, the non-verbal behavior of a person in psychology can be considered in many aspects. This phenomenon is of interest not only to scientists, but also to ordinary people. It is not surprising, because the culture of non-verbal behavior, like the culture of speech, is used in everyday life. The ability to correctly interpret words and gestures is useful to everyone. A deep understanding of the meaning of verbal / non-verbal behavior of people contributes to effective communication.