One of our readers sent an email this past week questioning the “experts” that claim the vast majority of communication is nonverbal. I searched around for more information on this topic and found this about.com page – Types of Nonverbal Communication. This page breaks down 8 different forms of communication:
1. Facial Expression
2. Gestures
3. Paralinguistics
4. Body Language and Posture
5. Proxemics (personal space)
6. Eye Gaze
7. Haptics (touch)
8. Appearance
Quite a list with communication channels I did not consider. Appearance is an excellent point – think of a candidate who appeared for an interview and looked like an unmade bed. That appearance communicated something beyond poor clothing.
Or how about this one:
When people encounter people or things that they like, the rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate.
That fact may only interest a psych major like myself. At any rate, I am still tracking down the percentage breakdown, but this article is worth the quick read.