Eye contact as defined by Dictionary.com is, “A meeting of the eyes of two persons regarded as a meaningful nonverbal form of communication” (p.1). In other words, …show more content…
On many occasions, when I am speaking persons tend to look me into my eyes, smile at me and often partake in the conversation. My interpretation of these are, ‘you have something interesting to say and I want to hear it’. However, these contacts were made mostly by friends rather than non-friends. On the other hand, lots of eye contacts were made between strangers and myself. This could be due to my physical appearance, my resemblance of someone else, my warm and personable character, or the way I was dressed and much more. None the less, I can only make assumptions as to the reasons why eye contacts were made between those strangers and myself since, eye contact can connote an array of things depending on various …show more content…
Whether there were aware or not; their use of hugs, handshakes, and patting of the back were nonverbal tactile communication used to convey messages. Which according to Hans & Hans (2015), “Touch interactions are important because they serve a relational maintenance purpose and communicate closeness, liking, care, and concern.”(p.2). Even though, the way in which a female touches you is different compare to a male’s touch, I realize that it all depends on our level of friendship and closeness.
Eye contact, body language and haptics are nonverbal communications used by both genders. However, when it comes to eye contact I recognized that males used it more often than females did. This could be as a result of their attraction or interest in the opposite sex. In addition, females communicated using body language more often than the males did. Lastly, there was no significant difference among males and females in relation to the tactile sense. My overall assumptions about men being more tactile than women were incorrect.
In conclusion, eye contact, body language, and haptics are all necessary forms of communication. Whether we are conscious of it or not, the information we are sending can be deemed positive or negative depending on our cultural, social, environmental or religious