Nonverbal And Verbal Communication

In 1872 Charles Darwin argued that all mammals, both humans and animals, showed emotion through facial expressions. He laid the foundation for nonverbal research by asking, why do we wrinkle our nose when we are disgusted and bare our teeth when we are enraged? Over the last hundred years much research has been put into answering this question and many more relating to nonverbal cues and the rolls they play in everyday life.
An augment that is being debated today is to what degree does nonverbal cues and behaviour have impact over verbal communication, or does verbal communication render nonverbal messages unnecessary. Separating nonverbal and verbal communication presents us with two positions hold significantly different points of view on the nature of communication. One suggests that impact of communication is within the message itself; the other that impact of communication is a result of not only the message but contextual factors that influence how a message is interpreted. This essay will argue that nonverbal communication enhances, distorts and ultimately determines how verbal communication is interpreted. The essay will begin by discussing how nonverbal cues can change how verbal communication is …show more content…
An example of this is put forward by Eunson.. is the differences between Chinese and American cultures. Chinese people tend to operate at a close interpersonal distance however in America the same practice may be consider uncomfortable or intimate. American tends to be generally accepting of touch being used in communication, this can communicate comradely and confidence however in the Chinese culture this same amount of touch might be seen as taboo. Eunson… suggests that the difference in how nonverbal behavior is communicated and interpreted can reflect the overall differing values of the culture and their