Nonverbal Gestures

Nonverbal communication is the process of communication without words. Nonverbal communication uses kinesics which is the interpretation of body motion communication such as facial expressions and gestures. We use gestures on an everyday basis to communicate nonverbally with others. After observing people around me at home, work and the public, I came across some interesting gestures I can use to better explain the meanings of each. In the following reading you will understand the difference between five different gestures including Emblems, Illustrators, Regulators, Adaptors and Affect display. On one hand, there is Emblems. Emblems are universal signs that we do with our body. These gestures stand alone. It is important to always consider …show more content…
Illustrators are behavior movements with your body that compliments what you are saying. Illustrators are closely related to speech, illustrating what is being said, and painting with the hands. The first instance that comes to mind is when I pick my daughter up from day care every day. As I walk inside the classroom she yells “Mommy!” and runs towards me with open arms. This is her way of enhancing what she is saying. She greets me with verbal and nonverbal behaviors. She is aware that she does this because she expects to run into my arms for a hug in return. I noticed she does very often to greet me hello. Another example for Illustrators that I came across this week was my coworker assisting me with directions. I asked for assistance on how to get to the nearest Verizon store. We were outside of the job and she pointed with her arms the ways that I need to head in order to come across my destination. She raised her arms and pointed to the left side of the street and used her arms to tell me where I should make a U-turn to see the Verizon store. She used these gestures repeatedly to help me understand where I should be going. She used “Right there” and “Over there” with her body …show more content…
Affect display are the things you do that speaks volume about how you feel. With this gesture you show people how you feel expressing yourself through body language. Whether it’s intentionally or unintentionally. I observed my daughter this morning as she crossed her arms and frowned her face when I told her she couldn’t have cake for breakfast. She was aware that she was showing this type of emotion because she wanted me to see how upset she was. This gesture was intentionally. By her frowning her face she expressed her emotions with her body. Another example, I recently attended a graduation and as the students walk across the stage they were able to express their excitement through facial expressions. Many had smiles and others had tears of