Types of nonverbal communication

Keen to learn more about body language?

Learning about all types of nonverbal communication is a very useful way to improve your communication skills. Your listening - and therefore your responding skills - will hugely improve. That is good news for everyone around you, but particularly for your partner!

I suspect that when you started your search you had a more specific question in mind. However, if you are desperately searching for a more exacting clue to help you figure out what is going on for someone else, you may be disappointed.

Whatever your reason for finding out about body language - I am going to make sure you will have learned heaps, before you move on to the next page.

Types of non verbal communication - an overview

Let's start with an overview of movements. You will find further details on the page about body language signs. Here is what you might want to pay attention to:

face: expression, movement of eyes, eyebrows and mouth
head: shaking/nodding, turning away, tilting, dropping, lifting
shoulders: dropping, tightening, pulling backwards, hunching, the angle
trunk: shifting in seat, leaning forward/backward
hands: fiddling, gestures (what do the nails look like: kept or bitten?)
legs: together, wide, crossed, movement
feet: very important, often out of conscious awareness - notice a shift

Making the most of your body language

Types of nonverbal communication Communicating with someone close does not only involve talking and listening. You communicate with your body too, by making eye contact, holding hands, smiling, winking, stroking, cuddling, kissing, laughing, embracing, making love, etc.

The danger of interpreting non-verbal communication

Body language can potentially provide additional information about thoughts and feelings. It may reveal an incongruence between what is being said and what is really going on inside. For instance: someone may say "yes", whilst shaking their head.

Feelings may not be expressed verbally, but they can ‘leak out’ and ‘morph’ into body movements often outside of the individuals awareness.

Just use what you observe as a ‘sign post’ and make a mental note. You may want to return to what was discussed. You really want to avoid making assumptions - you could be so wrong! Ask what going through your partner/husband/wife's mind. Do it gently though - you would not want to 'crash' through their defenses.

Your brain makes thousands of minuscule observations that never reach your awareness. Can you really be sure that the non-verbal signs you consciously observe is not connected with another process, another train of thought? Are you perhaps looking for what you would really want to see?

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The meaning of the different types of nonverbal communication

It is not helpful to attach a ‘fixed meaning’ to particular movements. Avoid ‘interpreting’ non-verbal 'signals' without other ‘evidence’. You may also like to visit my page on the body language of a liar and body language signs.

You would want to take note of all aspects of body language, so here is another list with a little more detail.

The types and signs that make the body 'dance'

Types of non-verbal communication There is constant movement in your body, with meaning sometimes changing moment by moment. The body is seldom static. Really learning to pick up on all the nuances and all types of nonverbal communication takes practice and time.

Over time you will find yourself noticing more and more detail as you progress from any stage between being consciously incompetent to being unconsciously competent.

The research

Much of the commonly quoted research on non-verbal communication is incorrect. Do follow the link below and read the article - the author describes exactly how the misconceptions came about.

The myth

Communication is made up of:

55 % body language
33 % tone of voice
12 % words

The role of 'expectation'

Can you really be sure that you correctly match what you observe on the outside with what is happening on the inside of that person? Remember too that you are likely to have an expectation - you may be hoping to find a particular sign! An expectation may just set you up for disappointment. Rather than to take a risk by taking a shortcut, it is far better to take the time to really get to know someone.

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