NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION: 1. The act of communication: transmission, 2. The exchange of thoughts, messags or information, as by speech, signals, or writing, 3. Something communicated, message.

NONVERBAL: 1. being other than verbal: nonverbal gestures.

The American Heritage Dictionary, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982, p299.

The concept of nonverbal communication is a complex one. It involves both mental and physical interpretations, intentional and unintentional motivations, and the interaction of all of these by at least two parties, living or inanimate. Nonverbal communication assosiates experiences of the senses sound, smell, vision, touch, and taste. It is "heavy silence," "heavy perfume," "an open hand," "rough hands," and "sour milk." It is incorporates experience, beliefs, agreements, and levels of meaning. It is an ice cream truck, the Catholic church, red=stop, and the "big picture." Nonverbal communication involves every facet of our lives.

Click here to learn more about one of the main theories of nonverbal communication.

* NVC: What Is It? * Main Theory-NonVerbal Expectancy Violations Model * Other Components of NonVerbal Expectancy Violations Model Theory * *Importance of NVC * Consumer Research *  Relation to Advertising * Related Links * references.