Nonverbal communication: types, functions, and interpersonal effects

Communication

The study of kinesics, or body language, supplements an understanding of human communication. Often it is not the content of speech, but the gestures and symbols accompanying speech that convey meaning. During a visit to a Starbucks at a local mall, I observed that emblems, illustrators, regulators, adapters, and affect displays are ubiquitous.

According to Gibbon (1998), emblems are "gestures that can be used instead of speech," which have a "direct verbal translation," and are "known by almost everybody in the group," (p. 1). The emblems most often noticed during my observation at the Starbucks at the mall were the two head-shaking emblems that indicate "yes" and "no." Shaking the head up and down indicates yes, viewed when the clerk asked people questions to which they answered in the affirmative. On the other hand, shaking the head from left to right would indicate a negative response to a question. I also witnessed other emblems such as a shoulder shrug to convey "I don't know," as well as a thumb's up emblem, indicating everything being good. These are the emblems that are well-understood by all people in the Starbucks, and there were no signs of any confusion in communication.

Illustrators are "movements that complement verbal communication by describing or accenting or reinforcing what the speaker is saying," ("Kinesics, AKA Body Language," n.d., p. 1). At the Starbucks, I noticed that people often pointed to objects to complement or enhance the underlying meaning of their speech. For example, one of the customers pointed to the latte on the counter and said, "Is this one mine?" A clerk was also observed pointing to the menu board, as well as customers pointing to the menu board while they were ordering. Therefore, pointing was the most obvious of the illustrators being used.

Regulators in communication are "nonverbal messages that accompany speech to control or regulate what the speaker is saying," ("Kinesics, AKA Body Language," n.d., p. 1). The cashier at the Starbucks sometimes nodded almost imperceptibly when people placed long orders, to indicate that she was inputting each item into the computer. Instead of saying, "Got that," she used this regulator as a form of nonverbal communication. Similarly, I noticed one instance during which a finger in the air was used as a regulator in the communication to show the person had a question.

Adapters are interesting in that they "serve unintentionally as clues to how a person is feeling," ("Kinesics, AKA Body Language," n.d., p. 1). Often, the communicator is not aware of using the adapter but other people notice it. For instance, I saw some customers sitting at their laptops twirling their long hair. This is an adapter that conveys an emotional state such as anxiety. Likewise, running a hand through hair is a type of adapter. Placing the hands on the face around the mouth was another adapter I noticed, especially by some of the more indecisive customers. It was as if putting the hand over the mouth was a symbol of self-censorship. Once I became aware of the use of adapters, I noticed almost everyone in the store using them.