Psychology

Executive Summary
Nonverbal communication includes those characteristics in a communication that are produced by the sender of the message which increases the value of the message without the use of words. Nonverbal communication has various forms body language, facial expression, touch, silence, eye contact etc. It is important to note however that these nonverbal messages differ across cultures. What one form means something in a culture would be entirely opposite for other cultures. For American culture they are care free, dont use too much eye contact, and keep a distance while talking similar to Japanese. However, Arabs prefer prolonged eye contact and less space while talking to each other. There are many other differences in the nonverbal communication of these cultures that can take up years to conclude on any one generalization of these nonverbal cues.

Introduction
Actions speak louder than words. We have all heard this famous proverb which has been proved to be true. These actions can make ones day without expressing words or shatters ones life without using cold words. This is because the non verbal actions actually speak out louder than the words being said in a way that the message is understood by the recipient just by the feel of the conveyers message.Thus non verbal communication is a way of communicating without the use of words that may affect the other person in a positive or a negative way.Mostly this non-verbal communication tends to be used in sales and marketing presentations of a business. But we do not realize its importance as being used generally in communication regardless of various differences in its interpretation due to cultural reasons.The research shows that in a communication only 10 includes words whereas the rest is the tone of voice, sounds etc.

Forms of non-verbal communication
Paralanguage-
We usually hear others emphasizing on the way one said to him or her something rather than what he said. Stressing or emphasizing in a vocal message is called paralanguage. The pitch or variation in the voice can be paralinguistic factors. The effect that vocal message gets through these factors is the degree to how a listener may react either he will be enthusiastic if the voice tone is strong or may lose interest if the voice is hesitant. (Wiener, Devoe, Rubinow, Geller, n.d.)

Silence- This is also termed as an important non verbal communication tool. When you are silent you may encourage the other person to expose his or her feeling or behavior that is delaying the process of effective communication. Silence can help one to get feedback from the recipient.Body language-
This is also known as kinesics. Body movement can be substituted for verbal actions. Body language or posture is one of the most recognizable nonverbal communications. The encoders body language i.e. the one sending the message can dictate his honesty, dedication, capability or his credentials.

Moreover it tells about the message being exchanged. On other hand decoders (receiver) body language will define whether the message is being accepted or not. It provides a quick feedback to both of them. Some of the body movements can be finger or foot tapping, legs or arms crossed, wrinkled face or blushing or shrugs etc. non verbal communication basically tend to show our emotional view of communication. Every now and then we notice people the way they are dressed, standing or walking and conclude on these factors about their personality or so. A good way to understand body language is to have sharp observation and perception (Sporer Schwandt, 2007).   To strengthen our ability to observe we can increase and focus on three aspects i.e. by educating ones self, keeping yourself aware, and through need. Education helps the person be aware of what to observe and the need to. Perceiving is about being able to observe. Meaning you are able to understand the body language of the decoder. (SporerSchwandt, 2007)

Facial expressions-This also play an important role in nonverbal communication. A smile on a persons face or frowning can give a lot of meaning to the message. However, these expressions vary across cultures for emotions such as contentment, sadness, hostility or fear. (SporerSchwandt, 2007)
Gestures-Conscious movements through hands can be an important way to communicate. Gesturing include using of fingers to show numbers, or thumbs up sign to indicate good luck, or waving in the air, pointing at someone or something. This all depends on the culture or background of the person using these.Touch- A touch is an effective way when words do not portray the feeling for e.g. comforting or consoling someone by wrapping your arms around them or giving them a hug. It is known as Haptics. Touch can be to show interest or to in honor of respecting the person e.g. a handshake. It all varies culture to culture. (Hertenstein, Holmes, McCullough, and Keltner, 2009)
Eye contact-        Eyes can communicate many messages to the people around us. A look, stare or a blink can give out message such as showing interest, anger, fear or attraction. Along with eyes, eyebrows and eyelids also help along in sending out a different meaning of the message.Handsarmslegs-It is quite fascinating to hear that even legs do communicate a particular message. Example may include tapping of feet. We have noticed people tapping fingers, popping their knuckles, or crossing legs etc. all these nonverbal message can show the sense of nervousness, or insecurity, boredom, happiness or seeking attention.It is important to keep in mind the non verbal message that is being sent out with the verbal one because at times they may be different. Therefore we must observe and perceive accurately when interpreting verbal and non verbal messages.

Distancespace-When communicating we keep a certain distance with the person. This distance is also a form of non verbal communication which may give out positive or negative signals to the recipient. Some feel comfortable while talking with the other person with a restricted level of space in between whereas others may regard more space to rudeness or uncomfortable. All this depends on ones personality as well as the cultural difference. (Arizmendi, 2008)

Non verbal communication can also be communicated through appearance i.e. different colors, clothing, or hairdos etc. Others may be graphics, architecture or signs and symbols. (Arizmendi, 2008)

Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication
The research shows that non verbal communication occurs in many circumstances. For instance, if you ask a depressed person what is wrong with him and in response he says he is doing ok will not satisfy you and you wont believe him. Or if someone angrily tells you to stop the conversing on a particular topic and carry on your work, you will know that person still is filled with emotions and you can read them. (Elfenbein and Eisenkraft, 2010)A study conducted in the US discovers that a total of 93 message has been transmitted nonverbally and only 7 through words. (Elfenbein and Eisenkraft, 2010)Non verbal communication using emotions of being happy, sad, angry or fearful is universal but it has been noted that the way these emotions are expressed across cultures may differ an can create confusion and misunderstandings. In the Middle Eastern culture such as Arab and Iran, people chose to show their grief. They tend to mourn loudly. On the other hand in the other cultures, like China or Japan are quiet and restrained to show their emotions. Their culture is against exposing their emotions openly. (Elfenbein and Eisenkraft, 2010)Friendship around the world is expressed in different ways. For some countries embracing each other, hugs and holding hands is acceptable while other cultures do not show their affections to the public. (Elfenbein and Eisenkraft, 2010)

Hence, with Non verbal communication, a polite and calm behavior may be quite opposite in the other culture. For instance, calling a waiter through snapping fingers is viewed absolutely fine whereas for some it is rude and insulting. The truth is that we can not predict the affect on communication of these forms of non verbal communications. Therefore, we need to study the silence communication styles of other cultures. (Elfenbein and Eisenkraft, 2010)Gestures and Body Positioning-
Gestures carry important body movements. Example include hand motion to call someone or to show an emotion such as surprised. The differences in gestures among cultures can be seen as in US it is ok to signal people with palm up while this is considered rude in Philippines, Korea and some areas of Latin America. In some cultures, this gestures is used for animals. (Hertenstein,Keltner, Bulleit, Jaskolka,2006)

Using our own gestures in a foreign country would not be such a good idea. For example in America, the gesture for OK is used in Japan as money symbol. Americans are very care free. They dont mind relaxing in front of other people with their shoes up on the desks in the work place. But for someone from Saudi or Thailand would not find this appropriate but humiliating because foot is used for walking and other functions. Thus when it comes to business operating in foreign countries they should also take into account the non verbal modes of communication and not just the cultural language. Posture- When considering posture of different cultures following are some
Bowing- it shows status or position in Japan. In America they are not affected by it neither have any criticism against it.Droopingslouching- is considered rude and inappropriate in the Northern EuropeanPutting hands in pocket- is viewed as disrespectful in Turkey.Crossing legs while sitting- is inappropriate in Turkey. (Elfenbein and Eisenkraft, 2010)Facial Expressiveness-
Facial expressions depend on the circumstances and relationships. For example, in America people smile to express pleasure. But it can also be taken as a different meaning if a woman is smiling at police man or a smile given to a toddler. Smile conveys different feelings from showing affection, kindness, or may hide actual feelings too. For instance, Russian culture does not approve of this behavior and find it inappropriate. Yet American culture consider smiling to strangers freely but not mostly in the big cities. (SporerSchwandt, 2007)In Southeast Asia people smile to hide embarrassment or sorrow. People of Vietnaam may share the sad stories of their leaving the country but in the end still smile. (SporerSchwandt, 2007)

The extent to which facial expressiveness differ depend on the individuals themselves and cultures. The extent to which facial expressiveness differ depend on the individuals themselves and cultures. It does not hold true that cultures that dont express as much emotions dont have emotions. It is their culture limitation that stops them to show non verbal messages. We can see this by Japanese people who dont exhibit their emotions openly as Americans. They prefer to keep it private. Because America has a vast diversity, it becomes difficult to understand different cultures non verbal messages. For example teachers in the US find it hard to understand whether their students from Japanese culture understand the lessons. Because Japanese do not show much facial expressiveness which teachers in the US look for while teaching. (American Psychological Association, 2006)It has been researched that Mediterranean i.e. Latino or Arab cultures show grief and pain as compared to Americans. Smiling too much is considered to be shallow. Moreover, study shows women smile more compared to men. (American Psychological Association, 2006)The key to understanding and interpreting non verbal messages is not to judge people with our cultures norms whose emotions differ than ours because misunderstandings may occur. (American Psychological Association, 2006)

Eye Contact-
Eye contact is also important in communication because too much or too less can create barriers. For relationships, eye contacts can be used as showing intimacy, attraction or influence. In US culture people consider it rude to stare. However other parts of US like in the south it is normal to stare at strangers. For example it is considered normal for two unknowns to walking by each other to say hello. This interaction does not mean a lot except a sense of showing presence to the other person. Generally Americans dont make much eye contact at bus stations rather more at university campus etc. (Hertenstein,Keltner, Bulleit, Jaskolka,2006)Eye contact takes different meanings in different cultures. Americans dont feel comfortable with stare than Arabs and Indians do. Americans take this gaze as too deep or intense. Yet little eye contact conveys lack of concern, negligence, or even suspicious. In American culture trustworthy is rated as to persons guts to look into the eyes to prove his honesty whereas in other cultures like Japan, Latin American or Africa do not make eye contact in respect. Asian cultures consider less eye contact as a sign of respect and admiration. Arab culture on the other hand is some what similar to American culture in this respect because they also view eye contact as proving truthfulness of a person. (Hertenstein,Keltner, Bulleit, Jaskolka,2006)

Conversation SpaceDistance-      We have not noticed but there is a level distance that we keep while interacting with other person. Such distance is named as either personal space or comfort zone over the past years. The distance between the two people builds an invisible wall that is the extent of comfort level they feel. (Arizmendi, 2008)        The amount of distance that we create depends on the relationship we have with the person. For example for us, we prefer to stand close to our friends and family than to complete strangers. When it comes to Japanese culture, in the workplace an employer keeps a larger distance while conversing with his employee. Arabs are more comfortable standing closer to the person while conversing. (Arizmendi, 2008)

We should not blame the culture namely that determines nonverbal communication. But it also includes ones personality and relationship that affects the meaning of the message. However, culture still plays a major part in interpretation of the nonverbal cues. The study shows that people feel comfortable with those having similar body language as theirs. A research of British and Arab students were conducted where students of British background acted as Arabs in nonverbal communication. They increased their eye contact, smiled and made direct contact with their other Arab peers. This showed that Arab students were comfortable with these British students behavior and found them trustworthy compared to other British students. (Arizmendi, 2008)Touch-     When this non verbal form of communication is studied, it has been concluded that in the US people shake hands even with strangers , hug, kiss with the opposite sex and cherish it. African Americans on the other hand dont like to be touched much except when greeting one another. They feel uncomfortable when being touched on the head. In Islamic and hindu culture people usually use their right hand for the touching. They consider left hand used for toiletry functions. Thus an insult if you use left hand for doing your tasks. For Indians, even breaking morning bread has to be done using their right hand only which is quite difficult for many. Islamic countries dont view as touching of the opposite gender to be appropriate even if its handshake. Jewish and Latinos accept touches frequently while Asians are restricted according to their culture. (Hertenstein, Holmes, McCullough, and Keltner, 2009)

Paralanguage-When we are communicating a message, the other vocal factors used such as chuckle, weep, moan or whine etc also send out varied messages across cultures. In Japan if you are giggling, it means embarrassment. Belching in India indicates satisfaction.Other characteristics that qualify a vocal message such as the volume, tone, pitch or rhythm also indicate different messages in cultures. For example loudness is preferred and liked by Arabs than low and soft voice as this is perceived as weakness. For Germans the volume of the voice shows confidence and a sense of power. In Thailand, loud voice is considered impolite. For Japanese it indicates loss of control. Generally it is their culture to be quiet and calm without yelling and shouting for any cause. Comparing on the basis of gender, women speak more softly then men.

Other vocal segregations include sounds such as oh, uh, uh-huh, hm etc. indicating custom or formality, approval, acquiesce and ambiguity. (Wiener,Devoe,Rubinow,Geller, n.d.)
                                                                 
ConclusionNonverbal communication is yet another way of expressing emotions, feelings and expressions. Yet we have to be careful when interpreting meaning of these messages. As they differ from culture to culture. All these forms of non verbal communication speak so much than the words can. Hence, it is a way one expresses his or her feeling to inform others of the emotions building up inside them that cannot be revealed by words. But judging correctly is the art of decoding these non verbal messages.