Nonverbal means of language. What do the poses say?

They learn to express their thoughts using words; at school they teach writing and literacy. But speech and text are not the only ways for us to convey information. The very first in our life, a natural and simple way of expressing thoughts is through gestures and body language. Throughout our lives, we successfully combine these two methods of communication: verbal and nonverbal communication.

What is verbal communication

- the most familiar way for a person to transmit and receive information through oral or written speech. Such communication occurs between two or more people. To reproduce speech, a person has clear diction, a certain vocabulary and knowledge of the rules of communication.

An important role in the process of human communication through verbal communication is played by vocabulary and syntax. The first implies a certain set of words belonging to a particular language. The second dictates the rules for the formation of thoughts.

Verbal interaction has two important functions:

1. Significative. With the help of words, a person can imagine any description and have an idea of ​​​​any information received. Vocabulary helps a person analyze the information received, build connections between the objects about which information is received, and distribute the degree of significance (main, secondary).
2. Communicative. Its task is to convey the attitude towards the information received or reproduced. When speaking, this is expressed through pauses, accents, and voice intonation. In a letter - neatness of writing, punctuation marks and direction of the text.

Despite greater degree importance of verbal communication in human life, it has a number of disadvantages:

• inability to formulate your idea clearly and convey it;
• difficulties in perceiving someone else's narrative;
• misunderstanding of the information received;
• polysemy of the same words;
• linguistic difficulties between speakers of different cultures, religions, ages, etc.

Scientists believe that verbal communication occupies a minimal place, in terms of importance, in human interaction skills. The quantitative utility rate is only 15% compared to non-verbal skills. Science has given them 85% importance.

How to explain the concept of “nonverbal communication”

Nonverbal communications are interactions between individuals without the use of words or linguistic means of communication. To convey thoughts and emotions, a person in this case actively uses body language: facial expressions, posture, visual influence. Nonverbal communications can be unconscious, these include the above methods of transmitting information and special ones. The second includes: language for the hard of hearing, the deaf and dumb, and Morse code.

Body language helps a person create a connection between interlocutors, give meaning to words and express emotions hidden in the text. The peculiarity of such communication is honesty. A person who does not know the psychology of such communication is not able to control his emotions and body language. All nonverbal signs have their own character: thoughtful, open, uncertain, friendly, belligerent, doubtful, and others.

Important! Understanding possible non-verbal signs gives a person an advantage over the interlocutor.

Possessing such knowledge, he can capture the attention of the public and attune to his point of view. Businessmen and managers in important negotiations, using the opponent’s body language, make decisions about his honesty and the correctness of the actions being performed.

In a conversation, posture, gestures, and body language are of paramount importance. Scientists have found that when there are differences between verbal information and visual information perceived by a person, it is the latter that will remain in the subconscious. With help, the interlocutor can convince that he is right or question his words.

Elements of visual relationship include:

• manner of behavior (movements, actions in a given situation);
• emotional overtones (hand movements, facial expressions);
• physical contact (touching, shaking hands, hugging);
• visual contact (change in pupils, gaze, duration);
• movements (gait, position when staying in one place);
• reactions (response to some events).

Types of verbal and nonverbal communication

Verbal and non-verbal communication refer to methods of transmitting information. Each of them, in turn, has a wide division into types.

Verbal communication involves presenting information using words, which is divided into oral presentation and written speech. Each of them, in turn, has subspecies. Oral speech includes:

1. Dialogue (exchange of information between one or more people). It includes:
   • conversation - exchange of information in the process of simply natural communication;
   • interview – a dialogue process with the aim of obtaining certain professional information;
   • dispute - verbal exchange of information in order to clarify the situation, discuss the conflict;
   • debate - reasoning in front of an audience in order to obtain a unified position on a particular difficult situation;
   • polemic – a dispute using different scientific opinions.
2. A monologue is a continuous speech by one person. This includes:
   • report – pre-prepared information based on journalistic and scientific materials;
   • lecture – comprehensive coverage of a specific problem by a specialist;
   • speech – a short presentation of pre-prepared information on a specific topic
   • message – a short analytical summary containing information supported by facts.

Written verbal speech is divided into:

• Instant (transmission of text information immediately after writing, followed by a quick response).
• Delayed (response information is received after a significant period of time or does not arrive at all).

Worth noting! A special category of verbal communication includes the tactile form of communication. This type of communication is typical for people who are deaf or blind. When transmitting information, they use the “manual alphabet.”

Both verbal and nonverbal communication are studied, allowing communication to be correctly assessed using specific categories. As a result of many years of research, there are generally accepted ways of interpreting certain forms of information transfer.

Nonverbal communication also has a number of its own types of communication. These include:

• kinesics - a set of body movements (gestures, postures, facial expressions, glances);
• tactile actions - ways of touching an interlocutor;
• sensory – perception of the interlocutor from the point of view of the senses (smells, tastes, color combinations, thermal sensations);
• proxemics – communication taking into account the comfort zone (intimate, personal, social or public);
• chronemics – the use of time categories in communication;
• paraverbal communication – the transmission of certain rhythms during communication (voice rhythm, intonation).

Features of verbal communication

The verbal method of communication is characteristic exclusively of human culture. Only people can express their thoughts with words. This is precisely the main distinguishing feature of such a relationship. In addition to this, we can highlight:

1. variety of styles (business, conversational, scientific, artistic and others);
2. exclusivity (words can describe any sign system);
3. the ability to tell about a person (culture, level of knowledge, upbringing, character);
4. assigning expressions and phrases to certain cultures, social groups(fascism, communism, nihilism, democracy);
5. a necessity for implementation in life (the lack of verbal communication skills can become an insurmountable obstacle to personal and professional growth).

Features of nonverbal communication

The main feature of nonverbal communication is the difficulty of controlling one’s own movements with the body, hands, facial expressions and other important elements of such communication. Other features of nonverbal communications include:

• duality of signals (there are body signs, facial movements that are accepted all over the world, others will differ depending on the culture of the population);
• truthfulness (it is impossible to completely hide all signals reflecting real emotions);
• creating a strong relationship between interlocutors (the overall picture helps people gather a complete picture of a person and form their attitude towards him);
• strengthening the meaning of words during verbal communication;
• the ability to explain a formed thought before suitable verbal descriptions appear.

How verbal and nonverbal communication helps in everyday life

Verbal and non-verbal interaction are integral parts of each other. Only the combination of these forms of communication gives us a complete picture of the information received. To interact effectively with others, you need to have skills in both of these areas.

Verbal and non-verbal communication give a brief impression of a person a few minutes after the start of communication. The level of proficiency in oral and written language will tell about the culture and level of intelligence of the individual. Gestures and facial expressions will let you know about your emotional state and attitude to the situation.

Not good enough for public speaking. The speaker must have the skills to influence the public. There are certain speech construction techniques that allow you to interest your audience. But words alone are not enough. The speaker must be able to behave in public, make certain gestures, perform movements that attract attention, and entice with voice intonations.

The integral knowledge of the top management of any company is verbal and non-verbal means of business communication. In many countries, not only company directors, but also ordinary managers must know how a person behaves during ordinary communication, during an interview, and when making important decisions.

With the help of gestures during a conversation, a person can try to explain things that are difficult to convey in words. The interlocutor most often understands perfectly well what they wanted to convey to him. Trying to talk with foreigners without having enough vocabulary, people actively gesticulate when communicating. In math classes, when explaining a function, the lecturer can accompany the words with a drawing in the air, for him this is a way to visualize the words, for the audience it is a little help in understanding.

In conclusion

Every day a person resorts to various forms and methods of communication. This is our natural need. Verbal and non-verbal means of communication briefly make it possible to form a definite opinion about the interlocutor, speaker or opponent from the first minutes of communication. It is impossible to single out one, most important way of transmitting information. Both forms of communication are informative and fully complement each other.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

The effectiveness of communication is determined not only by the degree of understanding of the interlocutor’s words, but also by the ability to correctly assess the behavior of the participants in communication, their facial expressions, gestures, movements, posture, gaze, i.e. to understand the language of non-verbal (verbal – verbal, oral) communication. This language allows the speaker to more fully express his feelings, shows how much the participants in the dialogue control themselves, and how they really relate to each other.

If you meet, for example, an arrogant and mocking look, you will immediately stop, the word will get stuck in your throat. And if there is also a contemptuous smile on the interlocutor’s face, then you will no longer want to share your secret. Another thing is a sympathetic, encouraging, interested look. He inspires confidence and encourages frank conversation. Your interlocutor hopelessly waved his hand, looked away to the side, and you understand without words that he does not believe you, considers the current situation hopeless. And no matter how hard some people try to control their behavior, monitor their facial expressions and gestures, this is not always possible. Nonverbal communication “gives away” the interlocutors, sometimes casts doubt on what was said, and shows their true colors.

Non-verbal means of communication include: kinesics, prosody and extralinguistics, takesics, proxemics (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Scheme of nonverbal means of communication

Kinesics. The study of an interlocutor (communication partner) by his gestures, facial expressions and postures belongs to the field of kinesics.

Kinesics – these are visually perceived movements of another person that perform an expressive-regulatory function in communication.

Facial expressions. 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. The main characteristics of facial expressions are its integrity and dynamism. This means that in facial expression there are six basic emotional states:

Facial codes of emotional states

2) fear,

3) suffering,

4) surprise,

5) contempt,

6) joy - all movements of the facial muscles are coordinated.

This is clearly seen from the diagram of facial codes of emotional states developed by V.A. Labunskaya.

Research by psychologists has shown that all people, regardless of the nationality and culture in which they grew up, interpret these mystical configurations with sufficient accuracy and consistency as an expression of corresponding emotions. And although each mine is an expression of the configuration of the entire face, nevertheless, the main information 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, anger, and more difficult are the emotions of sadness and fear.

Gaze and eye contact. Very closely related to facial expressions sight, or visual contact, forming an extremely important part of communication. When communicating, people strive for reciprocity and experience discomfort if it is absent. American psychologists R. Exline and L. Vintres found that gaze is associated with the process of forming a statement and the difficulty of this process. When a person is just forming a thought, he most often looks to the side (“into space”), when the thought is completely ready, he looks at the interlocutor.

If we are talking about difficult things, they look at the interlocutor less, when the difficulty is overcome, they look more. In general, the one who at the moment says, looks less at the partner - only to check his reaction and interest. The listener looks more towards the speaker and, as it were, sends him feedback signals.

Visual contact indicates a willingness to communicate. We can say that if we are looked at a little, then we have every reason to believe that we or what we say and do are treated poorly, and if we are looked at too much, then this means either a challenge to us or a good attitude.

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.

Eyes as a “mirror of the soul”, “a pledge of fidelity”, “a crater of hatred”, “a symbol vitality" and "shining stars" are especially often associated with mental states. The eye is truly a very important organ. A person receives about 80% of sensory impressions through the organs of vision. The eyes are also an important expressive organ. We instinctively immediately determine exactly which eyes are looking at us: soft, gentle, piercing, hard, piercing, empty, expressionless, glassy, ​​dull, sparkling, joyful, glowing, cold, absent or in love. A look can excite, captivate, delight. A look can express more than words, but it can also kill. Eyes that are far apart from each other should indicate a person who is cold as ice, sober in judgment and practical. Large and widely spaced eyes should characterize strong-willed, reliable, capable of languages ​​and energetic people, while small eyes can be judged that those to whom they belong are subject to influence, often unreliable and superficial people. We call bulging eyes those eyes that are open beyond the norm. The eye is, like the nose, mouth and ears, a sensory organ. The breadth of its disclosure thus indicates that they want more information than usual. Often, along with bulging eyes, an open mouth is noted. This pose reveals the desire not to miss anything when all senses are brought into optimal readiness for perception.

Fully open eyes. Fully open eyes (“all eyes”) speak of an exceptionally open nature with increased sensory receptivity and readiness for spiritual, intellectual perception, as well as general interest. A fully open eye indicates intellectual productivity (the eye perceives creative ideas), for example:

About ideas that are the result of imagination, in particular in dreamy children;

About innocence (many scammers use their eyes open to the limit to create trust in themselves).

Open eyes. Open eyes indicate an optimistic perception of the environment. The degree of openness of the eye itself is explained by its visual function. Open eyes indicate a state of normal interest, up to optimistic interest. If the upper eyelid is closed almost without tension and covers the upper part of the eye, then in this case they say that the gaze is downcast. As a facial form, downcast eyes indicate indifference, apathy, lethargy, emotional weakness, despair and arrogance. A person with great conceit seems to speak with such a position of his eyelids that it is of no interest to him to look at the world with normally open eyes. It is with this eye expression that it is important to take into account other postural cues. If the corners of the lips are turned down at the same time, it can suggest arrogant or dismissive behavior.

Eyes slightly open when the palpebral fissure is narrowed. On the expression scale, this is a position between downcast and squinted eyes. As an immediate reaction, narrowed eyes mean the concentration of mental processes, for example, comprehending an idea. At the same time, in order not to be distracted, one or another fictitious point in space is fixed and due to this, as it were, a critical processing of the idea itself is preceded. If this expression of the eyes is combined with their turning to the side, then it means a state of impatience and slyness.

Squinted eyes. This position of the eyes expresses an emphatically forced measure of protection and is caused in most cases by exposure to painful or burdensome irritations, for example, bright light, acrid smoke, if it gets into the eyes foreign body or substance (such as soap suds). In addition, squinting eyes serve as an expression of general discomfort, for example, physical pain, unpleasant thoughts, or the result of some unpleasant feeling.

Squinting one eye. Used mainly for secret explanations with someone. When squinting occurs with less tension, it is perceived as coquetry, especially if the head is tilted to the side and a corresponding smile appears on the lips. Winking, a form of squinting the eye, serves to establish a secret rapport. Such squinting is typical of crafty, roguish, dexterous, cunning and at the same time vain, obsessively impudent people, as well as swindlers.

Eyes closed without tension. During sleep and/or when there is an unwillingness to perceive any impressions, the eyes close without much strain. This expresses self-isolation from external impressions and withdrawal into oneself. The one who has closed his eyes does not want to be disturbed. The reason for this may be: thoughts and the desire to get pleasure (for example, at a concert). Casual closing of the eyes can be used to signal. Closed eyes express that there is no need for further orientation, that everything is clear.

Movement for centuries. The expressive scale of eyelid movements is very extensive. It becomes clear why many signals and reactions of the language of postures are associated specifically with the eyes. Men have at their disposal a larger set of signals transmitted through the eyes than women. This is explained by the fact that the eyes are a pronounced means of attracting attention.

Looking with a squinted (slightly open) eye. Serves for distrustful control, speaks of obsession and perhaps even expresses sadism and aggressiveness. Its background may lie in secret negative intentions, deceit or threat. At the same time, your own gaze is straightforwardly searching, and a slightly open eyelid prevents your partner from receiving the desired information. This view means that they want to find out the intentions of others and at the same time hide their own; he makes an unpleasant, prickly, cold impression.

The gaze of the eyes, parallel directed at a short distance. The parallel position of the eyes suggests that in front of you is a thoughtful person, immersed in the world of his own ideas, who only vaguely perceives what is happening around him. When meeting other people at random, he does not seem to notice them. This look is deliberately used in cases where you want to demonstrate to someone that he is an empty place for you.

Direct look. It is best suited for making eye contact with people you like. In human relationships, this look indicates interest and respect, especially if the face is turned towards the partner. In the case of mutual faces turning towards each other, the gazes meet at approximately the same height. This suggests that the interlocutors communicate as if on the same level, recognizing themselves as equal partners. Looking directly into another person's face with wide open eyes indicates a willingness to communicate openly and directly. Without any hidden reasons or subterfuge, such a look signals decency, self-confidence and straightforward character.

Looking from top to bottom. It may be due to the different heights of the interlocutors or the difference in the positions they occupy. This gaze increases the distance between partners and gives the owner of the gaze a feeling of superiority, and the one being looked at - a feeling of insecurity. It can arise from arrogance, pride, desire to dominate, arrogance and contempt.

View from below. May be due to short stature, appropriate posture, or lowered head. If such a direction of gaze is due to short stature, then often with the help of an appropriate posture or with the help of other aids An attempt is made to establish the direct direction of gaze. If the reason is the position taken, then the one who feels weaker will strive to take a position that makes a direct gaze possible.

The look from below, due to the bowed head, expresses a pose of submission or attack. In this case, complete submission, when eye contact would be broken, is not expected. Anyone who behaves this way, despite bowing his head, still wants to see his counterpart. Therefore, this pose still contains a certain amount of mistrust and readiness for action.

Sideways glance. Can be directed both from above and from below. In the first case, he expresses condescension and contempt, in the second he speaks of servility. They cast a sidelong glance so as not to get caught. An evasive glance can be considered a kind of transitional element between direct and oblique. Such evasiveness signals flight, stemming from a sense of subordination to someone. An evasive gaze is often observed in cases where one does not want to make eye contact with another person. A sidelong glance also serves for secret observation. A direct look, a full turn of the face would too clearly demonstrate what caused the interest. With your head tilted to one side, it is much easier to mislead. If you get caught, you can look away without changing the position of your head.

The true meaning of this look is revealed by facial expressions, body position, and tension.

This look helps to hide from optical irritations. This can explain, for example, the states expressed with the help of a sidelong glance: elation, religious goodness and sacrifice. Sideways glances are often used when talking on the phone to help you concentrate better on what is being said.

Wandering glance. Expresses either interest in everything at once, or its absence (outside the search situation). In accordance with the speed with which the gaze wanders, one can judge curiosity, a specific search for something, increased irritability caused by impressions, and a simplified experience or a painfully accelerated reaction. If the gaze wanders vertically along the surface of the face, when there is a rectilinear raising and lowering of the head up and down, then this signals increased interest. Combined with a smile, such a look means admiration. If the gaze is accompanied by purposefully “cool” facial expressions, then the impression of sober weighing, evaluation, even resentment is created.

Fixed gaze. With a fixed gaze, in most cases there is a narrowing of the orbicularis muscle and concentrated tension in facial expressions. This gaze, directed at the interlocutor, expresses awareness of one’s own strength and influence. People speaking in front of an audience tend to fixate their gaze on some point in space. So, when communicating, when turning the pupil to sides 1, 2, 3 (focusing on the clock dial), we are dealing with a memory of something, and when turning to sides 4, 5 and 6, we are dealing with the idea of ​​something.

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 much better consciously controlled than body movements. Under certain circumstances, when a person, for example, wants to hide his feelings or conveys deliberately false information, the face becomes uninformative, and the body becomes the main source of information for the partner. Therefore, in communication, it is important to know that if you shift the focus of observation from a person’s face to his body movements, then gestures, postures, gait, and style of expressive behavior can provide a lot of information.

Pose. This is the position of the human body, typical for a given culture, an elementary unit of human spatial behavior. The human body is capable of taking about 1000 stable positions. Of these, due to the cultural tradition of each nation, some poses are prohibited, while others are fixed. The pose clearly shows how this a 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 non-verbal means of communication was psychologist A. Sheflen. In further research carried out by V. Schyubts, it was revealed that the main semantic content of the pose is the individual’s placement of his body in relation to the interlocutor: it indicates either closedness or a disposition to communicate.

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

There are clearly readable poses thoughts (pose of Rodin's thinker), poses 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 name for himself "put yourself" will stand straight, tense, with shoulders turned, sometimes with hands on hips; a person who does not need to emphasize his status and position will be relaxed, calm, and in a free, relaxed position.

Gestures. 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 living parties.

Gestures are expressive movements of the head, arm or hand that are made for the purpose of communication and which can accompany thinking or a state. We distinguish between pointing, emphasizing (reinforcing), demonstrative and tangent gestures.

Pointing gestures are directed towards objects or people to draw attention to them. Emphasizing gestures serve to reinforce statements. Decisive importance is attached to the position of the hand. Demonstrative gestures explain the state of affairs. With the help of tangential gestures, they want to establish social contact or receive a sign of attention from a partner. They are also used to weaken the meaning of statements.

There are also voluntary and involuntary gestures. Voluntary gestures are movements of the head, arms or hands that are performed consciously. Such movements, if performed frequently, can turn into involuntary gestures. Involuntary gestures are movements made unconsciously. They are often also referred to as reflex movements. These gestures do not need to be learned. As a rule, they are congenital (defensive reflex) or acquired. All these types of gestures can accompany, supplement or replace any utterance. The gesture accompanying the statement is in most cases emphasizing and clarifying.

1. Different hand positions.

Palms up. This position of the hand is necessary when receiving something. Therefore, in pantomime it is used as a pleading movement. It is also a gesture of openly stating and communicating something. The further the arms are extended forward with the hands turned upward, the higher the degree of demand.

With closed fingers, the increased flatness of the palm seems to strengthen the demand (call) to put something into it. If the fingers are slightly bent in such a way that a semblance of a bowl appears, then the requirement (invitation) to put something into it is further symbolically strengthened.

A larger bowl and, accordingly, the expression of a pose of increased anticipation can be depicted using two hands. In this case, the edges of the palms can close together. Such elongated hands, with palms turned upward and slightly bent, can often be observed in speakers speaking to the public, inviting them to approve their speech. Showing palms and positively assessing this course of action can also be justified from the point of view historical development. The one who shows his palms seems to be saying: “I am going without weapons and with peaceful intentions.”

Palms facing inward. In this position, the palm serves as a tool with which to strike, including for the symbolic “destruction” of problems, confused thoughts and social relationships.

Palms down. With this position of the hands, their action is aimed at either crushing the sprouts of something making their way upward, or protecting against something unpleasant. When performed slightly tensely, this represents a cautionary and cautious gesture and expresses the need to “contain” the mood, to take control of it.

Fist. We clench our fingers into a fist, bending them towards the middle of the palm. This inward movement is produced with noticeable tension. Therefore, we can conclude that an active process of expression of will is taking place, during which a person seems to turn away from the outside world and turn to his own self. But the fist is also a kind of weapon. In the “fist” position, the hand is “folded” to its minimum size.

Whether a pose with clenched fists signifies concentration or aggression should be determined by the facial expressions that accompany it.

Unclasped hands. The hands, when something slips out of them, demonstrate that they are no longer able to hold it. Therefore, the final form that arises in this way expresses indecision. Together with limply hanging arms and drooping shoulders, one gets the impression of painful renunciation (of something), skepticism or despair. If the hand unclenches in a violent impulse and in the final position the fingers are spread out, this expresses a harsh and contemptuous attitude.

Grasping hand. This gesture means the desire to grab something, a symbolic desire to understand what it is and not miss your chance. The grasping brush can therefore serve as an expression of either stinginess and greed, or an effort to find words and not miss a thought. By grasping and holding something, the hand expresses a feeling of being in danger.

Hands clasped behind the back. Hands clasped behind the back indicate that their owner does not want to bother anyone. This is how expectant (restrained) behavior is expressed. Placing your hands behind your back, you seem to want to renounce the bustle of the world for a while or even altogether. Therefore, this pose, maintained for a long time, is often observed in people who are reserved, passive and prone to contemplation.

Hands in pockets. If your hands are stuck (hidden) in your pockets, then the interlocutor may feel a sense of danger. He is no longer able to keep track of possible preparations for an attack. The “hands in pockets” pose can also carry a compensatory load if you want to hide or overcome internal self-doubt. During a conversation, this course of action signals that the interlocutor no longer wants to listen to you and, acting as before, react to your intentions.

2. Fingers.

Fingers serve mainly to highlight gestures. Actually, the gesture acquires its meaning only after the fingers assume one position or another. But there are also purely finger gestures, when, apart from the fingers, nothing else is involved and the position of the hand does not matter. So, for example, the sign "V" (two fingers spread) means “victory”, and the thumbs up sign means “okay” (everything is in order). We see another variant of the use of fingers in the example of secret or symbolic languages, in particular in the language of the deaf and dumb. In it, with the help of fingers, individual letters are recreated or symbols are transmitted that can be understood by those who know the corresponding code.

Thumb. This "pressure" finger. As a symbol of power and strength, the thumb becomes the most important sign of demonstrating human superiority. A thumb lying freely at rest indicates the absence of any signal. The thumb held in the palm indicates that special activity is either suppressed at the moment or should not occur.

Index finger. Symbolizes will and proactive action. This is why it is used in most pointing signals. These include: turning the body, looking in the appropriate direction, nodding in one direction or another, and pointing with the thumb. If we want to point exactly at the target, then we use index finger.

A finger raised up and frozen in this position serves to indicate the “Attention!” sign. It has a kind of double effect. Its main meaning is a weapon, and its additional meaning is the lengthening of the raised arm, i.e., a threat and an increase in size are combined.

If someone beckons us by waving their index finger, then we are faced with its meaning, used in command form, as “finger - pointer.” If the index finger is raised up and shaken from side to side, then in this position it replaces the head, which is shaken when in denial, i.e., it seems to wave away this or that action.

Using multiple fingers. For example, by contact thumb with the index finger, with the little finger protruding, contact is established with the sense of touch and something small, elegant and valuable is expressed. We can observe such gestures in gourmets or sybarites.

If the fingers of both hands seem to form a pointed roof, then in this case something must be protected. If the thumb rises up and the index finger extends forward, then a “pistol gesture” appears, from which one can draw a conclusion about internal aggressiveness and arguments that have not yet been presented (“readiness to shoot”).

3. Hand-face gestures.

The palms of our hands are excellently suited for covering our faces. In many gestures "hand - face" there is a desire to hide something. If someone laughs into their palm, it means that they do not want their laughter to be noticed. They cover their face when they feel embarrassed or ashamed, or when they want to demonstrate their reaction, or when they need to protect themselves.

Number of gestures "hand - face" increases noticeably when someone lies or tries to lie. The most common movements among “liars” are: stroking the chin, covering the mouth, touching the nose, rubbing the cheek, touching or stroking the hair on the head, pulling the earlobe, rubbing or scratching the eyebrows, pursing the lips. Symbolically, these movements mean either self-punishment or calming.

Hand - ear. Targeted gestures of placing one or both hands on the ears serve to enlarge the auricles and should, as it were, help to catch more acoustic signals. The exact opposite of this is the case when someone puts his hands to his ears to hide from noise. Symbolically, covering your ears can also mean the desire to interrupt the person objecting to you, as if saying: “I don’t want to listen to what you’re saying at all.”

Hand - nose. In most cases, touching the nose is a sign of embarrassment, being caught off guard, or being afraid of being caught off guard. It is noteworthy that touching the nose and lying or attempting to lie very often occur simultaneously. Touching the nose occurs mainly in stressful situations, that is, when thoughts do not correspond to the externally maintained calm.

Hand - mouth. The hand-to-mouth gesture usually indicates a tendency towards restraint. Unconsciously they want to “hush up” something or hide this or that facial expression. Along with these closed postures, touching the lips can also be a symbol of the search for tenderness. This is especially emphasized by the fact that the knuckles or fingers themselves touch the lips.

Fingers stuck in mouth. If an adult puts a finger in his mouth or puts it to the corner of his mouth (a truncated version of this gesture), then we seem to return to early childhood. Presumably, we are dealing with the same meaning in those cases when the tip of a pen, pencil, glasses and other similar objects is taken into the mouth. If such behavior is observed quite often, this means that the final differentiation of the functions of the sense organs has not yet occurred.

This assumption is incorrect only if additional symptoms of concentration are observed. This is how, for example, surprise, confusion, surprise, incompetence, naivety, and confusion are expressed. Anyone who behaves this way expects that the situation will clear up on its own.

If the extended index finger is placed on the edge of the lip, then the sense of touch or taste is unconsciously called upon to help. This is a hint - I’m looking for help, I’m experiencing uncertainty and helplessness.

Hand - eyes. Raising your hands to your eyes (to your face) means expressing disgust, pain, but at the same time primitiveness. Rubbing your eyes (or ears) expresses awkwardness, annoyance, or mild timidity.

Hand - forehead . If the hand on the side touches the forehead, then in this way fencing (shielding) from unwanted stimuli should be ensured. This gesture is used to express concentration. An extended index finger touching your temple is a sign that “you’re crazy” or “your nuts are loose.” In the first case, the tip of the index finger lightly taps the temple, and in the second, the index finger makes circular movements. In both cases we are dealing with an offensive gesture.

Stroking your forehead with your hand means that you want to “drive out” painful thoughts or ideas. This sort of rubbing motion also serves to smooth out wrinkles.

4. Hand-to-hand gestures.

Reaching out to oneself is, in most cases, an unconscious imitation of touch from other people. If we touch our own body, it always gives us a peculiar feeling of confidence and security. In tense situations, we tend to reach out to ourselves, so to speak, by folding our hands, clasping them together, or wrapping them around each other.

The expression “wringing hands” conveys a desperate attempt to find one solution or another, carried out precisely with hand-wringing. When the hands seem to play with each other, the reason for this behavior may be nervousness, excitement, stiffness, or confusion and embarrassment.

If such gestures are used as a pose, then they are evidence of a lack of politeness. When movements are performed almost without tension, rhythmically, then in this case we can talk about superiority and just inattention. Rubbing hands can be done from internal tension, or to relax muscles, or as a tactile function. The gesture of rubbing one's hands together in joy comes from "stretching one's hand to oneself" and "congratulating oneself."

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

1) communicative (gestures of greeting, farewell, attracting attention, prohibitions, etc.);

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

3) descriptive, making sense only in the context of a speech utterance.

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

Gait. And finally, a person’s gait, i.e., the style of movement, by which it is quite easy to recognize his emotional state. Thus, in studies by psychologists, subjects recognized emotions such as anger, suffering, pride, and happiness by their gait with great accuracy. Moreover, it turned out that the most heavy gait when angry, the most light - with joy, lethargic, depressed - during suffering, the most long stride length - with pride.

When trying to find a connection between gait and personality quality, the situation is more complicated. Conclusions about what gait can express are made based on comparison physical characteristics gait and personality traits identified through tests.

Prosodic and extralinguistic means of communication. Prosodic and extralinguistic 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. Prosody is the general name for such rhythmic and intonation aspects of speech as pitch, volume of voice tone, voice timbre, stress force. The extralinguistic system is the inclusion of pauses in speech, as well as various kinds of psychophysical manifestations of a person:

crying

cough,

inhale,

laughter.

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.

The voice is important means expressions of a whole range of subjective feelings and meanings. The tone and pace of speech can say a lot about a person's emotional state. Generally speaking, speech rate increases when the speaker is excited, agitated, or anxious. One who is trying to convince his interlocutor also speaks quickly. Slow speech often indicates depression, arrogance or fatigue.

How loudly they are pronounced individual words, can serve as an indicator of the strength of feelings. This or that phrase, depending on the intonation, can take on different meanings. So, you can speak in a confident and whining, understanding and apologetic, jubilant and dismissive tone. Often people react to intonation, not words.

The partner’s reaction to the interlocutor’s words is largely related to the tone in which they speak to him. Therefore, the interlocutor must constantly strive to expand the range of intonation expressiveness and accurately, without double messages, express the main thing. The tone of voice should not only be friendly, it should correspond to what is being said. You shouldn't talk too loudly with your partner. A muffled voice is more conducive to a feeling of trust in the interlocutor.

One of the manifestations of voice is laughter. Laughter can sound soft and metallic, sincere and artificial. In some situations this is best way relieve tension or avoid immersion in painful feelings. Laughter and humor in general have great positive potential in counseling practice, and its presence in moderate doses is a sign of a good atmosphere, but too much laughter requires investigation (by psychiatry). Also, keep in mind that words like “mock” and “mock” reflect the negative aspect of laughter. It is very important that your communication partner does not perceive your jokes as ridicule of his qualities, so you need to be extremely careful when joking about your interlocutor.

Ability to endure pause is one of the most important professional skills of business communication partners. By observing a pause, the interlocutor gives the partner the opportunity to speak, stimulating dialogue. The presence of pauses creates a feeling of unhurriedness and thoughtfulness of what is happening, so you should not rush too much when asking questions or commenting on what the interlocutor is saying. A pause provides an opportunity to add something to what has already been said, to correct, to clarify the message. A pause emphasizes the significance of what has already been said, the need to comprehend and understand it. Silence emphasizes the opportunity given to the interlocutor to speak, and therefore, when the communication partner speaks in turn, there is reason to expect that he will be listened to attentively.

Pause time in a conversation is perceived in a special way. A minute's pause can feel like an eternity. It should be remembered that excessive pause causes anxiety and provokes aggression. The permissible duration of a pause depends on the state of the interlocutors. In fact, you should pause after any statement made by one of the interlocutors, except for those interactions that contain a direct question. At the first meeting, it is unlikely that you should delay the pause for more than 20 seconds. Subsequently, the normal pause does not exceed 30–40 seconds. And in a long course of conducting business conversations, the pause can last minutes.

For many beginning interlocutors, silence seems to be something threatening, focusing all attention on them, demonstrating their professional weakness. This is how novice conversationalists describe periods of silence. As a result, there is a desire to say at least something just to break the silence. Usually in such cases, not the best question is asked (often something stupid), which leads to minimal response. In such a situation, the interlocutor's answer is not so important, since the question was not thought out. The partner may not even listen to the answer. This situation arises whenever the interlocutors are of the opinion that they are responsible for the results of the negotiations. As if the result is the only evidence that they are working, and silence is just a waste of time.

Silence often has a similar effect on interlocutors. They also feel pressure to speak and feel the need to respond by filling in the gaps in the conversation. In this regard, an agreement may arise between the negotiating partners to fill the voids. Having realized this, they can correct the situation and, during the next pause, remain silent and focus on their internal experiences. Thus, silence takes on a different meaning. Focusing on internal experience (sensations, feelings, images, fantasies) takes time, and a pause in this situation is an adequate reaction of interlocutors.

Another reason for silence may be the desire of both participants to stop for a while to comprehend, summarize what happened earlier, and think about the consequences. In addition, interlocutors need a pause after periods of self-expression or after an insight has been achieved in order to assimilate the experience gained and integrate it into existing system internal representations. For some interlocutors, such periods of integrating silence are a previously unexperienced experience of human interaction, the interruption of which would be a serious mistake.

When speech uses a range of sounds from high to low tones, we speak of a wide voice range. If one tone predominates in speech, this is a narrow range. Such speech (mainly in medium tones) is called monotonous. The audience perceives this speech with reluctance, and classifies the people producing it as crackers, stubborn, soulless. The fact is that monotonous speech, using some limited spectrum of the auditory analyzer, causes an unpleasant sensation in people and soon tires them. Hence the gloomy colors of perception.

Resonance - this is the manifestation in the voice of such characteristics as hoarseness, hissing, “rumble”, “rolling”, etc. A humiliated personality and a subordinate position in life are usually consistent with a weak resonance; a powerful nature develops a rolling sound and a metallic tint in its voice. These are the stereotypes of life communication, that is, unconscious patterns of perception, when the real state of affairs may not coincide with what is perceived. But the listener doesn’t care about this; he perceives the speaker as is customary in his culture. Naturally, the latter should make appropriate corrections during the speaking process.

Pace associated with the speed of speech production: fast, medium, slow. Each person has a very specific rate of speech. Listeners tend to classify fast speakers as quick-witted and quick-witted, and slow speakers as slow-witted. However, listeners still classify people with a very fast rate of speech as talkers. The audience is more impressed by a speaker with an average speaking pace, which is associated with logic, reasonable prudence, and efficiency. The manner of speech control appears in three aspects: 1) manipulation of the lips; 2) articulation; 3)rhythm.

Manipulation gives speech smoothness or, on the contrary, abruptness; articulation manifests itself in the form of tension or free production of a sound stream; rhythm is the measured or uneven flow of speech. People like smooth, relaxed and measured speech. Any other manner usually does not attract them, and spasmodic, tense and jumping speech causes fatigue and undoubtedly repels them.

The speaker's vocal abilities also influence speech perception. Thus, intensity (loud or quiet speech) may indicate the degree of emotional state. Often a high degree of tension (for example, indignation) is expressed by shouting, and the initial stage of transition to tension is expressed in a whisper. Moreover, in the first case, the utterance is carried out in high tones while swallowing the endings of phrases, and in the second - in low tones with an extraordinary stretch of words. This is what Europeans usually do. In the East, they do the opposite: when irritated, they switch to a whisper and pronounce all sounds clearly, and when slightly agitated, they can scream and overly drag out endings.

As you can see, the speaker here has something to think about if he wants to present himself with dignity.

So, we must 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. to him. Moreover, 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, he can determine in what voice a person speaks. 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.

Takesic means of communication. 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 following are especially powerful:

Partner status

Age,

The degree of their acquaintance.

Handshake, for example, there can be three types:

1) dominant (hand on top, palm turned down);

2) submissive (hand from below, palm turned upward);

3) equal.

We talked above about how, by turning the palm, you can give a dominant, dominant meaning to a gesture. Let us now consider the meaning of the two palm positions for a handshake.

Let's say you meet someone for the first time and greet each other with a normal handshake. A handshake conveys one of three types of possible relationships. The first is superiority: “This person is trying to put pressure on me. Better to be careful with him." The second is humility, compliance: “I can put pressure on this person. He will do as I wish." The third is equality: “I like this person. He and I will get along well."

This information is transmitted unconsciously, but with some training in the targeted use of a particular handshake, you can have a direct impact on the outcome of your meeting with other people.

During a power handshake, your hand grips the other person's hand in such a way that your palm is facing down. It is not necessary that your arm be turned horizontally, but it is important that it be turned downward relative to the other person's arm. By doing this, you are telling him that you want to dominate the process of communicating with this person.

A dog shows submission by lying on its back and exposing its throat to the attacker, while a person uses an upward palm position to show submission. This is especially necessary in situations where you want to give the initiative to another person or allow him to feel like he is in control. However, there may be circumstances in which a palm-up position may not necessarily be interpreted as a sign of submission. For example, a person suffers from arthritis of the hands and therefore is forced to exchange a weak handshake, under these conditions it is very easy to force him to a submissive type of handshake.

Surgeons, entertainers, painters and musicians, for whom sensitive hands are professionally important, usually exchange a limp handshake to protect them.

To fully determine a person's intentions, observe his behavior after greeting: a compliant person will be characterized by gestures of compliance, and a domineering person will show his aggressiveness.

When two powerful people shake hands, there is a symbolic struggle between them, during which each tries to subjugate the other's hand. The result is a handshake in which both hands remain upright and both people feel mutual respect for each other.

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Use non-verbal means of self-affirmation. Take a comfortable closed position. Look into the eyes of your interlocutor (with a confident, but not fixed gaze). Straighten up, straighten your shoulders and chest, but do not tense up. Position yourself directly facing

Communication is much more than just the explicit meaning of words. It also includes implicit messages, intentional or not, and expressed through nonverbal behavior.

Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, tone and pitch of voice, gestures displayed through , and respect for personal space and physical distance. These signals can provide clues, hints, and additional information and meaning beyond the verbal message.

Thus, nonverbal communication helps people:

• to strengthen or change what has been said in words;
• convey information about your emotional state;
• define or strengthen relationships between people;
• provide feedback;
• regulate the flow of dialogue (for example, signaling that it is time to end a conversation or that you want to say something).

Nonverbal cues can serve five roles:

Role one: repetition. Nonverbal cues can “repeat” the message a person makes verbally.

Role two: contradiction. They may contradict the message the person is trying to convey.

Role three: replacement. They can replace a verbal message.

Role four: addition. A boss who pats a subordinate on the back in addition to praise increases the impact of the message.

Role five: emphasis. You can emphasize the verbal message. For example, hitting the table with your fist.

Types of Nonverbal Communication and Body Language

Different types of nonverbal communication include:

Body movements and postures

Think about how your perceptions of people depend on the way they sit, walk, stand, or hold their head. The way you move and behave is a process of exchanging information with the world.

This type of nonverbal communication includes posture, support, stance, and subtle movements.

Facial expressions

The human face is extremely expressive and capable of expressing countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal.

Facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear and disgust are the same across cultures. This means that by studying this topic, you will be able to apply this knowledge with almost everyone on the planet.

Eye contact

Since visual perception is dominant for most people, the role of eye contact in nonverbal communication cannot be overestimated. The way you look at someone can convey a lot of information, including interest, affection, hostility, or attraction.

Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and the other person's assessment and response.

Gestures

Gestures are tightly woven into the fabric of our everyday life. We wave, point, and use our hands extensively when we argue or speak animatedly. Often gestures are unconscious.

However, the meaning of gestures can vary greatly between cultures and countries, so it is important to be careful to avoid misinterpretation.

Personal space

Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing too close and invading your personal space?

We all have a need for physical space, although this may depend in part on culture, situation, and relationship intimacy.

You can use physical space to convey many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance.

Touch

We transmit huge amount information using touch. Think about the messages one person conveys to another through the following interactions: a weak handshake, a timid pat on the shoulder, a warm bear hug, a reassuring slap on the back, a patronizing pat on the head, or a controlling grip on the arm.

It's not just what you say, but how you do it. When we speak, other people “read” our voice in addition to making sense of the words.

Here's what your interlocutor pays attention to:

• timbre;
• pace;
• voice pitch;
• intonation;
• sounds that convey understanding: yeah, oh, ah.

How to evaluate another person's nonverbal cues?

Eye contact. Was he? If so, how intense?

Facial expression. What was the person's facial expression during most of the dialogue? Was it a mask, equanimity, emotional presence, interest, boredom?

Posture and gestures. Was the interlocutor's body relaxed or rigid and motionless? Are your shoulders tense, up, or relaxed?

Touch. Was there physical contact? How appropriate is this in this situation? Did you feel uncomfortable?

Tension. Was the person calm, relaxed, disinterested, or overly dramatic?

Timing. Was there a delay between the other person's responses and their nonverbal response?

This exercise is very useful because after the conversation it may become clear that everything is not really as it was said. Our senses read all the information, but our consciousness is unable to keep track of everything. And when you come home, pick up a pen and notepad and remember all the details, you can find in your memory moments that slipped past your consciousness. Of course, this is just the beginning. When gaining experience in profiling, you need to achieve reading directly in the process.

It is advisable to perform the same exercise on yourself. As we have already said, it is simply impossible to consciously control all the signals of your body, but you can focus on the most important ones in a given situation. Write down and analyze how you behaved during the dialogue, what you did wrong. Change your strategy to achieve maximum mutual understanding.

In this way, you can develop what is called emotional awareness. In order to give accurate nonverbal signals, you must know your emotions and how they affect you. And do the same with other people: recognize their true feelings behind their remarks.

Emotional awareness allows you to:

• Accurately read other people, including the emotions they experience and the unspoken messages they send.
• Build trust in your relationship by sending nonverbal cues that match your words.
• Respond in a way that shows others that you understand and care about them.
• Know whether the relationship meets your emotional needs, giving you the opportunity to either fix it or move on.

If we talk about observing yourself, then first of all, pay attention not to the inconsistencies between your words and nonverbal signals. After all, communication is not only about learning about your interlocutor, but also about your own personality. When you learn to be whole and harmonious, that is, when your words and non-verbal signals match each other, you will be able to build the best relationships.

When observing someone you are talking to, never ignore your sixth sense or the feeling that “something is wrong here.” Many people simply drown out this voice, and then find themselves drawn into unpleasant stories. It turns out that the interlocutor was actually hostile, not friendly. That you didn't want to buy this mobile phone. That in fact your friend does not want to go to the sea with you, but agrees under force.

How can you understand that “something is wrong here”? The point is precisely the discrepancy between words and non-verbal signals. The mouth says one thing, but the body says another. Don't delude yourself by wanting to hear only what you want. People often lie and say things they don't feel. And this is expressed on their face, body, voice, and eye expression.

Books

Since the topic of nonverbal communication is very extensive, you can continue to study the topic with the help of the following books.

• “Know a Liar by Their Facial Expression” Paul Ekman, Wallace Friesen.
• “Psychology of emotions. I know how you feel." Paul Ekman.
• “New body language. Extended version" Alan Pease, Barbara Pease.
• "I See What You're Thinking" by Joe Novarro.
• “Mentalist. Handbook for the development of superpowers of consciousness" George Kreskin.
• “How to read a person like a book. Body Language" Gerard Nirenberg, Henry Calero, Anton Stangel.
• "I Read Your Mind" by Lillian Glass.
• “Mind reading. Examples and exercises" Torsten Gavener.
• “Nonverbal communication. Experimental psychological research” Vladimir Morozov.
• “Nonverbal communication. Theories, functions, language and sign" Mauro Cozzolino.

Another option is to take ours, where the topic of nonverbal communication is considered in conjunction with the skills of reading a person, identifying lies, and manipulation.

We wish you good luck!

Introduction

1. Kinesic features of nonverbal communication

2. Proxemic features of nonverbal communication

3. Visual contact

4. Psychological and paralinguistic features of nonverbal communication

5. Cross-national differences in nonverbal communication

Conclusion

References

INTRODUCTION

People can exchange information different types on different levels understanding. It is known that communication is not limited to oral or written messages. In this process, emotions, manners of partners, and gestures play an important role. Psychologists have found that in the process, from 60 to 80% of communications are carried out through non-verbal means of expression and only 20-40% of information is transmitted using verbal ones. These data make us think about the importance of nonverbal communication for mutual understanding between people and draw special attention on the meaning of human gestures and facial expressions, and also generate a desire to master the art of interpreting this special language that we all speak without realizing it.

Feature non-verbal language is that its manifestation is determined by the impulses of our subconscious and the absence of the ability to fake these impulses allows us to trust this language more than the usual verbal channel of communication.

The success of any contact largely depends on the ability to establish trusting contact with the interlocutor, and such contact depends not so much on what you say, but on how you carry yourself. That is why special attention should be paid to the manner, posture and facial expressions of the interlocutor, as well as to the way he gestures.

Understanding the language of facial expressions and gestures allows you to more accurately determine the position of your interlocutor. By reading gestures, you provide feedback, which plays a decisive role in the overall process of business interaction, and the totality of gestures is important integral part such a connection. You will be able to understand how what you say is received: with approval or hostility, the interlocutor is open or closed, busy with self-control or bored.

Knowledge of body language and body movements helps not only to better understand the interlocutor, but also to foresee what impression what he heard made on him even before he speaks out on this matter. In other words, such wordless language can alert you to whether you should change your behavior or do something different to achieve the desired result.

All this allows us to conclude that if you want to achieve certain results in relationships with partners, interlocutors or simply colleagues, then you need to master at least the basics of non-verbal, i.e. wordless communication.

1. KINESIC FEATURES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

The study of an interlocutor (communication partner) by his postures, facial expressions, and gestures belongs to the field of kinesics.

All over the world, basic communication gestures are the same. When people are happy they smile, when they are sad they frown, when they are angry they look angry. Nodding your head almost everywhere in the world means “yes” or affirmation. The shrug gesture is good example a universal gesture that means that a person does not know or does not understand what is being said.

Just as verbal languages ​​differ from one another depending on culture, so the non-verbal language of one nation differs from the non-verbal language of another nation. It should be noted that the most common gesture is touch or tactile contact. Touch is considered, first of all, a sign expressing feelings towards a communication partner. Rough painful contacts accompany aggression and coercion.

Soft, non-painful contacts signal trust and sympathy for your partner.

An indispensable attribute of any meeting and farewell is a handshake. It can be very informative, especially its intensity and duration. A too short, limp handshake with very dry hands may indicate indifference. On the contrary, a prolonged handshake and too wet hands indicate strong excitement. A slightly longer handshake, along with a smile and warm gaze, demonstrates friendliness. When shaking hands, if your hand grips the other person's arm so that the palm is facing down, it is a power handshake. If they extend their hand with their palm facing up, this is a submissive handshake. Shaking with a straight, unbent hand is a sign of disrespect. Its main purpose is to maintain distance and remind of inequality. Shaking with your fingertips means a desire to keep your communication partner at a comfortable distance. A handshake with both hands expresses sincerity or depth of feeling. To convey the sincerity of feelings, the left hand is used, which is placed on the partner’s right hand.

A lot of information about a person is conveyed by the movements of the hands and body. Firstly, they reveal the state of the human body and direct emotional reactions. This allows you to judge a person's temperament. Secondly, reactions; body postures and movements express many character traits of a person, the degree of his self-confidence, tightness or looseness, caution or impetuosity. Thirdly, posture and gestures reveal the cultural norms a person has internalized. Fourthly, purely conventional symbolic meanings are attributed to gestures and posture. Thus, they are able to convey accurate information.

Gestures of openness indicate sincerity and a desire to speak frankly. This group of signs includes the “open arms” and “unbuttoning a jacket” gestures.

The “open hands” gesture consists of the interlocutor extending his hands forward towards you, palms up. This gesture demonstrates a desire to meet halfway and establish business contacts.

The gesture of “unbuttoning your jacket” is also a sign of openness. People who are open and friendly towards you often unbutton and even take off their jacket in your presence. The one who changes his mind favorable side, usually unclenches his hands and automatically unbuttons his jacket. When the decision on the issue under discussion becomes clear, those sitting unbutton their jackets, straighten their legs and move to the edge of the chair, closer to the table, which separates them from their interlocutors sitting opposite them.

Gestures of suspicion and secrecy indicate distrust of the interlocutor, doubt that he is right, and a desire to conceal or hide something from him. In these cases, the interlocutor automatically rubs his forehead, chin, tries to cover his face with his hands, but most often he tries not to look at you, looking away to the side. Another indicator of secrecy is inconsistency of gestures. If a person who is hostile or defensive towards you smiles, this means that he is deliberately trying to hide his insincerity behind an artificial smile.

Gestures and defensive postures are signs that the interlocutor feels danger or threat. The most common gesture of this group of signs is arms crossed over the chest. The hands here can occupy three characteristic positions.

Simply crossing your arms is a universal gesture that indicates a defensive or negative state of the interlocutor. In this case, you should reconsider what you are doing or saying, because the interlocutor will begin to move away from the discussion. True, this gesture may simply mean calm and confidence, but this happens when the atmosphere of the conversation is not of a conflictual nature. If, in addition to crossing his arms, the interlocutor also clenches his fingers into a fist, then this indicates his hostility or offensive position.

The gesture when the hands of crossed arms clasp the shoulders means restraining the negative reaction of the interlocutor to your position on the issue under discussion. This gesture appears when interlocutors try at all costs to convince each other of the correctness of their position, and is often accompanied by a cold, slightly narrowed gaze and an artificial smile.

The gesture of crossing your arms over your chest, but with your thumbs pointed vertically, is quite popular among business people. It conveys a double signal: the first is about a negative attitude (crossed arms), the second is about a feeling of superiority expressed by the thumbs. The gesture using the thumb also expresses ridicule or disrespect towards the interlocutor.

Gestures of reflection and evaluation reflect a state of thoughtfulness and the desire to find a solution to a problem. A thoughtful facial expression accompanied by a “hand on cheek” gesture indicates that your interlocutor is interested in something.

The nose-pinching gesture, which is usually combined with closed eyes, indicates deep concentration and deep thought. When the interlocutor is at the decision-making stage, he scratches his chin.

When the interlocutor raises his hand to his face, resting his chin on his palm, and extending his index finger along his cheek, this is eloquent evidence that he critically perceives your arguments.

Gestures of doubt and uncertainty are most often associated with scratching with the index finger of the right hand under the earlobe or the side of the neck.

Touching your nose or lightly rubbing it is also a sign of doubt. True, sometimes people rub their nose because it itches. True, those who scratch their nose usually do it vigorously, and those for whom it serves as a gesture only rub it lightly.

Gestures and postures that indicate a reluctance to listen and a desire to end the conversation are quite eloquent. If during a conversation your interlocutor lowers his eyelids, this is a signal that you have become uninteresting to him or are simply tired, or he feels superior to you.

The “ear scratching” gesture indicates the interlocutor’s desire to isolate himself from what he hears. A gesture associated with touching the ear or pulling the earlobe indicates that the interlocutor has heard enough and wants to speak out himself.

Nonverbal communication important element communication of people. Every day, when talking with family, friends, and work colleagues, we use basic techniques for transmitting information and extralinguistic means of communication. Nonverbal communication is body language and gestures that help express thoughts and feelings without the use of spoken language.

Body language and gestures, unlike other speech means, have the unique property of transmitting information by the subconscious. It accounts for up to 80% of the transmission of information to the interlocutor. Nonverbal means of communication are needed to find out a person's thoughts and intentions. To do this, just take a closer look at the way you speak and gesture.

Learning to understand nonverbal means of communication in practice is necessary for two reasons:

• Human oral speech conveys only specific knowledge. This is not enough to express an emotional state. Therefore, a person’s psychological state, experienced emotions and feelings are transmitted only through non-verbal communication.
• In conversational communication there is no ability to control oneself. Nonverbal communication helps to recognize the thoughts and feelings of the interlocutor, due to the spontaneous unconscious reaction of the subconscious.

Control over spoken words and feigned facial expressions will not give full results in hiding information. A person can give himself away accidentally by losing control of his intonation, the sound of his voice, or using incorrect gestures. People trust nonverbal communication because it is less controllable than spoken language.

Thanks to numerous psychological studies, a classification of nonverbal means of communication has emerged:

• Spatial means are the movement of the interlocutor in space, his placement relative to other people and objects, maintaining distance and orientation.
• Visual Aids– a person’s gaze, its direction and duration.
• Tactile means - these include tactile contact, hand touch, kiss, push.
• Expressive means - this can be facial expressions, gestures, body movements and other gestural communication techniques.

In nonverbal communication there is the concept of prosody and extralinguistics. Prosodic means help create the image of the interlocutor, his manner of speaking, expressing feelings and other elements of individuality. The concept of prosodic elements of communication includes the rhythmic and intonation part of colloquial speech, pitch, tone and stress.

The concept of extralinguistics is the use of pauses in conversational speech and other physiological tricks: laughter, crying, sighing. Prosodic and extralinguistic sciences study the speech flow, complement the conversation, expressing the psychological and emotional state of a person.

Most people don't pay enough attention to nonverbal communication. During a conversation, the attitude towards the interlocutor develops on an intuitive level, so discomfort or a feeling of anxiety may appear during the conversation. Some people regard this as intuition, although in fact such signals are sent to us by the brain when it observes a discrepancy between spoken speech and gestures.

Nonverbal communications can be conscious or unconscious. Conscious ones are controlled by a person, unconscious ones are not. It has long been known that the tongue can lie, but not the body, so psychologists and psychoanalysts pay attention to unconscious movements when working with patients. Nonverbal means of communication play an important role in human life, performing the basic functions of communication.

Body language and gestures perform the following functions:

• They help to understand one’s own or someone else’s behavior and serve as a guide in a person’s social life.
• They are a means of expressing a person’s mental state.
• Necessary for interaction between people, expressing attitudes towards each other, helping to solve and interpret everyday or business situations.
• Helps to add emotional coloring to the conversation and enhance the effect of the spoken speech.
• It is an indicator of a person’s status and shows his role in society.
• They perform the functions of creating a psychological portrait and image of the interlocutor.

Characteristics of nonverbal means of communication

When communicating with people, you need to pay attention to the following elements and techniques of nonverbal communication:

• Gestures.

Sign language is the oldest method of human communication and is the movement of the hands and head. Gestures can be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary movements include conscious movements of the hands, and involuntary movements include reflex or innate movements. These gestures function as replacements or additions to spoken language or to emphasize what is being said to the interlocutor.

The same gestures differ in meaning depending on the culture. The desire to convey information as quickly as possible, as well as a person’s heightened emotional state, leads to active gesticulation during a conversation. Gestures can be:

• Descriptive - gestures acquire meaning only during the interaction of speech and movement.
• Modal - they evaluate and express their attitude to current events. These are approving gestures, trusting or protesting.
• Communicative - gestures include gestures used in greeting, farewell, to draw the attention of others, to deny something.

Examples of gestures in practice

• Touching your ear during a conversation means not wanting to listen to your interlocutor; such behavior may be a consequence of boredom or disagreement with what was said.
• A slightly open mouth is interpreted as holding back thoughts when a person has something to say, but he does not know whether to do it.
• If the interlocutor is uncomfortable, he experiences emotional stress when communicating or talking on the phone, he touches his neck, clothes, twirls them in his hand small items, rings on hand.
• Facial expressions.

Facial expressions in nonverbal communication are used to convey feelings and represent the movement of facial muscles. Tests carried out in practice have shown that the absence of emotions on the face during a conversation leads to the loss of 15% of the spoken information. The main facial role is played by a person’s lips and eyebrows. To express anger, disgust, joy, fear, sadness, surprise, the facial muscles act harmoniously and holistically.

• Visual means of communication.

Visual interactions between people play an important role during the transfer of information. Gaze helps focus attention on talking man. During a conversation, people look into each other's eyes for an average of 10 seconds. Less time is seen as disrespectful and challenging. When speaking, the listening person looks at the interlocutor longer than the speaker. The gaze is associated with the formation of thoughts when transmitting information; when a thought is formed, a person does not look at the interlocutor; when he knows what he wants to say, he pays attention to him.

Visual contact is divided into the following categories, it can be:

• Social – the focus of the gaze fluctuates in the area of ​​the eyes and mouth.
• Business - during a business meeting, giving a report, or speaking to the public, the speaker looks at the forehead of the interlocutor, thereby showing respect and attention to him.
• Intimate - the interlocutor looks into the eyes or below the face.

A person’s face conveys the most accurate psychological state, even in a photo. But it is not so reliable, because it is subject to human control. With its help, it is easier to deceive your interlocutor by depicting the necessary range of feelings.

• Tactile aids.

Tactile means of communication include the concept of the science of Takeshiki. She studies touch while talking. Tactile means are necessary for normal communication between people and are determined by factors such as status, age, gender, and level of trust of people.

Incorrect frequent use of tactile aids leads to conflict situations between people and hostility.

• Pose.

Pose is the position of the human body. There are many poses that show people's attitude towards others. It has been noticed that high-ranking people take a more relaxed posture. The adopted pose is interpreted depending on its semantic content. It speaks of a person’s closed nature or willingness to engage in dialogue.

Crossed hands indicate a reluctance to let your interlocutor get close. When communicating with a person who has taken such a position, you should speak briefly and to the point. The closed position of the hands indicates the obstacle that they symbolize during conversation. This is not a position of trust; you can get out of it by offering to take something in your hands or support it.

A posture with uncrossed arms and legs is considered trusting and friendly. An attentive interlocutor's body is directed towards the speaker, his hands are free and not clenched into fists. A person interested in a conversation gradually approaches or leans towards the conversation; if there is no desire to listen, then, on the contrary, he leans back and moves away. A reliable way to attract attention is to repeat the gestures and postures of your interlocutor.

Nonverbal means of increasing business status

The environment between people plays the role of background during a conversation. Business status can be increased with the help of a specially selected interior. For the head of the company, the office is his second person. The environment in the workplace can show the reliability of the company and its success.

Nonverbal means of enhancing business status include the manager's office or office equipment. You should carefully monitor " appearance» office, since the lack of order and the presence of sloppiness in the workplace will cause mistrust of clients and visitors.

Special rules have been developed to improve business status:

• The workplace must be kept clean and tidy; the presence of unnecessary objects and scattered papers on the table is unacceptable.
• The lunch break is spent in a specially designated place. Eating food at your desk looks unsightly, even if there is a need to eat lunch in the absence of other people.
• It is better to drink coffee or tea at work glassware, not from plastic cups.
• Don’t fill your office with unnecessary things, it looks tasteless and only clutters the room.
• Look at workplace On the visitor's side, make sure your office is a pleasant place to be.

Properly selected office equipment can significantly improve business status. The larger the boss's chair, the higher he appears in the eyes of his subordinates. It must be good quality and a high back. The chairs for workers or visitors, on the contrary, are smaller. You should not store flowers in your office; let them stand in the reception area. Decorative elements are also considered among the non-verbal tricks to increase status. They should have a neutral appearance and be discreet.

During business interactions between work partners, emotional tricks are used to achieve specific goals. Best of luck achieved by a person who masters the art of emotionally influencing a partner and knows how to “read” the non-verbal message of the interlocutor.