Nonverbal Communication observation

Any conversation, whether personal or technical, must include both verbal and nonverbal signals. According to David McNeil, communication is far more than language, and how a person positions themselves describes what they are thinking and experiencing (2005). Without needing to hear the individual sentences, observing people as they chat from a distance will reveal what they are talking about. This article provides explanations of discoveries made when watching people converse using nonverbal clues.

As I walked into a restaurant, I saw two people sitting at a table in the corner with soft lighting and candles. The first person was male of around the age of 28. He was tall, thin with well-cut hair and brown eyes. The first nonverbal observation was his dressing was spectacular; he had put effort into choosing what to wear. Secondly, another observation was the interaction between the two people. The man consistently put his hand on the table to hold and rub the female’s hand. At that point, there was no personal space between the two. From her facial expression, I could tell that she was enjoying herself. This was evident from the smile on her face.

In conclusion, it’s apparent the two were romantically involved. The evidence is in the way they were dressed to how they laughed and talked. The similar nonverbal cues of lack of personal space, holding hands and happy facial expression confirmed they cared for each other, am confident in my conclusion because the nonverbal cues were clear.

The man and woman seemed to be in a heated argument. This was evident from how the woman moved around and pointed her finger angrily at the man. The facial expression was that of contempt. It was clear the man had upset the female who was well dressed while the man was unkempt and even appeared to be drunk. When I tried to make out the words, the woman was using a high pitch voice while the man talked slowly with the expression full of remorse. The distance between them should show that they were not comfortable with each other’s presence. The woman regularly wiped tears from her face to show sorrow and sadness.

In conclusion, the nonverbal cues were explaining the feelings of the woman and man. The prove was in a rise of tone, wiping of tears and her facial expression showed sadness and anger towards the man who stood carefully near her.

In classrooms, students use nonverbal cues to express their feelings towards a particular teacher or subject. In case a teacher or meeting has taken more time than expected, people while start looking at their watches and yawning. Others even start pacing around the room to show their boredom or tiresomeness to that particular activity. (Robert, 2003)

Children make faces representing the emotion they are undergoing. For example, in a mall, a son kept smiling and having facial contact with the woman next to her. From there posture, it was clear that the woman was the mother and that the child was enjoying whatever she was eating and the conversation between the two seemed interesting from the laughter and smiles on their faces.

In conclusion, it is clear that nonverbal cues used as a form of communication. Observation of people communicating can describe a lot about a person without having to alter a word. People should take a keen interest in the facial expression and body posture of people to understand them better.

References

David, M. (2005). Gestures and Thoughts. Chicago: Chicago Press.

Robert, S. (2003).Nonverbal Behaviour in Clinical Setting. New York: Oxford University Press.