Demonstrative Communications

Demonstrative

Demonstrative Communication

Pete Mangiaracinia

Demonstrative Communication

Demonstrative communication or nonverbal communication entails communicating by sending and receiving wordless messages. Nonverbal communications usually reinforce verbal communications, though they can also stand-alone and convey messages on their own (Nayab, 2012). Demonstrative communication can be effective or ineffective, positive or negative, for the sender and receiver, depending upon several factors of the nonverbal communication process. Nonverbal communication is divided into five distinct categories that include kinetics, proxemics, paralinguistic, touch, and environmental and physical factors (Northouse & Northouse, 1998).

Kinesic is probably the most familiar type of nonverbal communication, which consists of gestures, facial expressions, and gazes. A gesture could be received in a positive or negative manner. A person might take someone giving them the “peace sign” or a “thumbs up” as a positive gesture. Or they might react in a negative way, if someone flips them the “bird”. Some people think facial expressions are the best nonverbal communications. Some people have what they call a “poker face”, which give off little, if any, nonverbal communication. But, for the rest of us, we give off tons of nonverbal communications daily. Some people sometimes say one thing verbally and then say something totally opposite with their facial expressions. Our facial expressions tend to tell the truth even though we maybe telling a little white lie. For instances when my wife asked me how her food tasted and I said, “your food is so delicious”, but my face said, “your food needs some work”. Even though I was trying to be positive, it still was taken in a negative way, due to my facial expression. Gazes are the last category within Kinesics. Gaze refers to how an individual uses their eyes in the communication process to give information to others and to receive information from others (Northouse & Northouse, 1998).

Proxemics would be the second category in the nonverbal communication process, which is focused on the environment and space that is surrounding an individual. It consists of personal space, distance and intimate distance. Personal space and distance would be considered one’s own territory, it is important because that is your space you feel comfortable and secure in (Stillman, 1978). If someone invades your personal space, you may react in a negative way. Therefore, the receiver should listen to that negative nonverbal communication from the sender and respond accordingly. Intimate distances are usually within a close proximity, were touching