Esha Gowhar
Nonverbal communication involves the conscious and unconscious processes of encoding and decoding. Encoding is defined as our ability to express emotions in a way that can be accurately interpreted by the receiver. Decoding is called “nonverbal sensitivity”, defined as the ability to take this encoded emotion and interpret its meanings accurately to what the sender intended. Encoding is the act of generating information such as facial expressions, gestures, and postures. Encoding information utilises signals which we may think to be universal. Decoding is the interpretation of information from received sensations given by the encoder. Decoding information utilises knowledge one may have of certain received sensations.
Types of non-verbal communication:
1.Kinesics:
Kinesics is the technical term for Body Language – an important part of today’s modern communication and relationship. It is the study of the way the body communicates, without the use of words, and by the various movements of the body parts. Kinesics looks into the meaning of signs and symbols which are communicated by the physical movements of the body like face, eyes, gestures and physical appearance.
- Haptics:
Greek reference ( Haptikos)
Haptics is the discipline which studies the sense of touch. It is a form of nonverbal communication and the way by which people communicate via touching.
Touch, or the haptic sense, is extremely important for humans, as well as providing information about surfaces and textures. Haptics is a component in interpersonal relationships and vital in conveying physical intimacy. - Proxemics:
The term Proxemics was coined by
Edward T. Hall.
Proxemics deals with the use of space in communication. It focuses not only on the ways individuals orient themselves to other individuals and objects in their immediate physical environment, but also on the perceptual and behavioural impact of these spatial orientations.
The proximate environment includes everything that is physically present to the individual at a given moment. - Chronemics:
Chronemics refers to the use of time in communication.The way that an individual would perceive and value time, structure our time and react to time is a powerful communication tool, and helps set the stage for the communication process.
Importance of non-verbal communication:
Non-verbal communication has enormous potential to improve communication. The importance of the same can be understood as: - Words have limitations: There are numerous areas where nonverbal communication is more effective than verbal communication. For instance, while explaining shapes, giving directions,etc.
- Non-verbal message is likely to be more genuine: This is because non-verbal behaviours cannot be controlled as easily as spoken words.
- It increases workplace efficiency. It further helps to reinforce trust and credibility
- It helps to communicate with the nonliterate or people with hearing impairment.
- One of the most important roles of non-verbal communication is that it adds value to verbal communication. When people use gestures,efficient body language and appropriate facial expressions,it reflects their confidence.
Communication Barriers:
Certain obstructions in the course of communication i.e when one group is unable to get the information disseminated by the other group accurately are termed as communication barriers. These can lead to distortion of message, which often causes wastage of time, money and efforts but also leads to confusion, chaos and misunderstandings.
There are a number of such barriers that can occur at any stage/step of the process and thus interrupt the flow of communication, resulting in the failure of interpersonal communication.
Such barriers include: - Physical barriers
- Semantic barriers
- Linguistic barriers
- Organisational barriers
- Personal barriers
- Psychological barriers
- Cultural barriers
- Attitude barriers
- Technology barriers
10.Physiological barriers
11.Gender barriers - Physical barriers:-
Such barriers can arise due to weather, climate, distance,time, disturbance in the medium of communication between the sender and the recipient. - Semantic barriers:-
These barriers include the problems and obstructions in the process of encoding and decoding of a message into words or impressions. - Linguistic barriers:-
These barriers occur at the time of less or weaker language proficiency or not having good knowledge about the use of words.
It can develop misunderstanding due to various meanings of words and symbols used during communicating. - Organisational barriers:-
Disruptions in communication among the members of an organization for instance employees, supervisors, directors, managers, etc are termed as organisational barriers.
These barriers occur due to inappropriate information transmission system, lack of supervision, unclear organisational hierarchy, undefined roles and responsibilities and complex organisational structure. - Personal barriers:-
These barriers are personal to the sender/recipient such as behaviour,emotions, experiences,etc stopping a person from communicating rationally.
These barriers can be caused by the lack of listening skills, knowledge, vocabulary, unwillingness of the sender/receiver to communicate. - Psychological barriers:-
The barriers related to the psychological state of a person i.e. attitude, point of view, perception, emotion, opinion,etc. (Emotional Barriers) including lack of attention, premature assumption, defensiveness, jealousy, anxiety, etc. - Cultural barriers:-
Cultural barriers mainly occur during a conversation between different cultural backgrounds ( caused due to cultural differences). These can often result in inconvenience and difficulties. - Attitude barriers:-
Attitude barriers are the mental interferences that are a product of one’s assumption and attitudes. Such barriers develop throughout a person’s lifeand get shaped by the external/internal experiences.
These barriers prevent one from establishing and maintaining trustworthy relationships, makes one biased towards others and even look down upon other people. - Technology barriers:-
Such barriers occur due to a defect in technology,which is used to communicate.These barriers can occur due to information overload,low capacity and busy schedule of equipments, devices, channels, mediums, etc. For example, malfunctioning,tie differences, etc. - Physiological barriers:-
The physical factors that interfere with the communication processes are called physiological barriers. These can cause confusion, misinterpretation or breakdown in communication. For example, physical disabilities, hearing, hearing and vision problems, illness, injury, fatigue, stress,etc. - Gender barriers:-
Gender barriers can incite problem at home and in workplace. Societal stereotypes, assumed gender roles can contribute to communication gap between the genders.
Overcoming communication barriers:
Why is it important to overcome communication barriers?
Understanding how to overcome communication barriers is important to prevent miscommunication and misunderstandings between people. By overcoming barriers to effective communication, you may be able to improve your personal, social and business interactions with others. With minimise communication barriers, you can efficiently exchange information, better assist colleagues and clients and build mutually beneficial relationships.
How can we overcome communication barriers:-
Communication barriers can be reduced by considering the following measures: - Clear
Effective communication depends on the clarity of the message. The more precise your message, the easier it is for the receiver to decipher it in accordance with your actual purpose. Many barriers to effective communication occur due to a lack of clarity in the message. - Concise
In order to make effective communication, the message must be to the point. The message must be more about its content rather than its length. Do not add irrelevant information. As a result, it will be easier for the receiver to grasp the exact message. Furthermore, it will make your conversation less time-consuming. - Concrete
Effective communication requires specific, tangible and valid information. The message you transfer must be supported with facts for increased credibility. It helps your receiver or audience to understand the broader picture of your message. Concreteness reduces the possibility of misunderstanding, builds trust, and encourages constructive criticism. - Correct
For effective communication, the language should be accurate. Also, the grammar and syntax should be correct. It increases the authenticity and credibility of the message. Any errors can degrade the clarity of your message, cause vagueness, and raise doubts. They may also have an adverse effect on the overall interpretation of the message. This may give a clumsy or negligent impression to your receiver. - Considerate
Effective communication must be judgement free. You and your receiver must consider each other’s background and perception. For example, if your message conveys double meaning, it sounds disrespectful. Therefore, it might affect the receiver emotionally, and they might see it in the wrong way. - Complete
Effective communications are complete because the receiver receives all the information. Giving a complete message helps them digest and act on the message correctly. Likewise, the message should have all the information to act upon. A complete message minimises the need for follow-up questions. It also makes the communication process run more smoothly. - Courteous
Courtesy is the act of respecting the culture, values and beliefs of the receiver. In a way, it is like consideration. The message should avoid any kind of judgement or discrimination that might hurt other persons’ feelings. Instead, give a message that sounds genuinely polite and unbiased.
Conclusion:
Communication is at the root of what makes us human, and a basic part of our society.
Communication is the solvent of all problems and is the foundation for personal development.” – Peter Shepherd.
The author is 10+2 student of Kashmir Harvard Educational Institute Department of Humanities.