Non Verbal

Nonverbal Rule Assignment

University of Maryland University College, Europe

Abstract

“Nonverbal communication is composed of all those messages that people exchange beyond the words themselves.” (p. 53) Often one does not realize how much of an impact that can come from not engaging in conversation with the inclusion of nonverbal communication. If verbal and nonverbal communication are used together it creates a complementing relationship that shows we are actively listening and showing interest. The purpose of this paper is to show a time when I broke a nonverbal rule. The topics being addressed are the nonverbal rule I broke, the reaction of how it affected the speaker, and how I felt about the conversation and breaking the rule. The paper will also show highlights and concepts of nonverbal communication and its importance.

Keywords: nonverbal communication, complementing relationship, conflicting relationship

When we are talking among others we sometimes forget that our nonverbal communication can hold just as much meaning as verbal communication. With the knowledge that nonverbal communication is very important, we must also realize that often times nonverbal signs vary based on where we are in the world. We must pay close attention to the culture that we are in to ensure we do not offend anybody. Often times we don’t realize that we may be breaking these nonverbal rules, and how they affect not only ourselves, but also the people around us. Today I am going to tell you about an experiment where I broke one of these rules, the reaction I got from the speaker, and how I felt about the conversation.

When tasked to pick a nonverbal rule to break I decided on the most important nonverbal communication rule to me; eye contact during conversation. I believe that maintaining good eye contact during a conversation is important to show the speaker that you are interested in what he or she has to say. When I listen to people talk I make it a point to...