Nonverbal Communication: Functions, Effectiveness & Listening
This paper examines nonverbal communication from multiple academic perspectives, drawing on scholars including Mark Frank, Michael Fielding, Phil Burnard, and Krizan et al. It outlines the primary functions of nonverbal communication—defining context, regulating conversation, and serving as the message itself—before distinguishing effective nonverbal behaviors (eye contact, appropriate gesture, professional appearance) from ineffective ones (poor attire, stiff posture, avoidance of eye contact). The paper also addresses the critical role of listening in healthcare and counseling settings, introducing Burnard's three-part listening framework and the SOLER acronym. The discussion concludes by emphasizing that nonverbal communication skills are essential across virtually all professional and interpersonal contexts.
- Introduction to Nonverbal Communication: Functions, social rules, and emotional expression
- Effective and Ineffective Nonverbal Communication: Eye contact, appearance, gesture, and silence
- The Importance of Listening: Healthcare listening skills and the SOLER model
- Conclusion: Nonverbal skills matter across all professions
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What makes this paper effective
- Integrates multiple credible academic sources to support each major claim, lending the essay scholarly authority despite its relatively brief length.
- Uses concrete, relatable examples—such as a student wearing flip-flops to a class presentation—to illustrate abstract concepts like ineffective nonverbal communication.
- Applies concepts to a specific professional domain (healthcare) while noting their broader relevance, demonstrating transferable thinking.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper consistently pairs a general principle with a specific illustrative example before citing the source. This "claim → example → citation" pattern, used throughout, is a reliable and readable structure for evidence-based academic writing. The introduction of the SOLER acronym as an applied framework is a good example of using a mnemonic device to organize and communicate scholarly content accessibly.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens by defining nonverbal communication and outlining its three core functions per Frank (2012). It then addresses social rules and emotional leakage, before pivoting to a comparison of effective versus ineffective nonverbal behaviors across appearance, gesture, and eye contact. A dedicated section on listening skills introduces Burnard's three-part framework and the SOLER model. A brief conclusion ties the argument back to professional relevance. The Works Cited page follows MLA formatting conventions.
Introduction to Nonverbal Communication
The functions of nonverbal communication, according to Professor Mark Frank, include three primary roles. First, nonverbal communication defines the setting for communication by "providing the backdrop for communication"—for example, a dimly lit room signals that communication should be subdued, while a brightly lit room with cheerful colors invites loud talking, laughter, and even frivolity. Second, nonverbal communication can "regulate" how verbal communication takes place; when a listener nods to indicate understanding, it cues the speaker to continue. Third, nonverbal communication "can be the message itself": a simple smile indicates acceptance or happiness, a wave means goodbye, raising an index finger suggests "we're number one," and raising a finger to one's lips means please be quiet (Frank, 2012, pp. 6–7).
Professor Frank (Director of the Communication Science Center) points out that there are social rules governing the nonverbal communication of touch. Teachers do not hug students, but if a student has just been granted an important scholarship, that rule can be appropriately suspended and a congratulatory hug becomes acceptable. A male instructor would not ethically touch a female student on her back, but he might touch her on her "forearm" when making a point about an essay that needed additional editing (Frank, 2012, p. 8).
Facial expressions can give away a person who is trying to remain calm "and mature" about the recent death of a pet; the voice tone and facial expression "often unintentionally communicate sadness," Frank explains (p. 8). Nonverbal communication is "less controllable" than verbal communication because, for example, the beginning of a smile can appear on a person's face in a situation that clearly does not call for overt laughter, giving that person away to those who catch it (Frank, p. 9).
Works Cited
Burnard, Phil. Effective Communication Skills for Health Professionals: Second Edition. Nelson Thornes, 1997.
Fielding, Michael. Effective Communication in Organisations. Juta and Company LTD, 2006.
Frank, Mark G., Hyi Hwang, and David Matsumoto. Nonverbal Communication: Science and Applications. SAGE Publications, 2012.
Krizan, Buddy A.C., Patricia Merrier, Joyce P. Logan, and Karen Schneiter Williams. Business Communication. Cengage Learning, 2010.
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