Communication is a process in which people share information and ideas verbally or nonverbally. Nonverbal communication can best be defined as a silent form of communicating with a person or group without using any form of speech to gain an audience's attention or exploit a message. Nonverbal communication is often used to express one or more thoughts and make the message more attractive and interesting to whoever you are speaking to. Nonverbal communication has a great influence on our social environment and the entire communication process. There are many types and functions of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication regulates relationships and can support or even replace verbal communication in many situations. Different genders and cultures use nonverbal communication differently, and these differences can impact the nature of interpersonal communication. Nonverbal communication can become a barrier or break down barriers to effective communication. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay I conducted my observation on nonverbal communication in a restaurant, which happens on a daily basis. Nonverbal rules can differ depending on the situation, and each situation determines its own set of rules. The restaurant is located in Waynesboro, Ms, where I live. The restaurant's patrons consisted of all types of cultures and classes of families. The distinctive patterns of the customers were very evident. Different types of customers had very different but distinct sets of nonverbal communication behaviors. I observed three different groups, older adults, young adults, and children. I looked at them differently to determine differences in whether age and gender play a role in nonverbal behavior rules. Many different types of nonverbal communication have been observed such as body language, hand movements, facial expressions and eye contact. There are four important functions of nonverbal communication. These functions can complement, regulate, replace or accentuate a verbal message. In addition to functions, there are many types of nonverbal communication. These different types include paralanguage, body movement, facial expressions, eye messages, attractiveness, clothing, body adornment, space and distance, touch, time, smell, and mannerisms. There are cultural and co-cultural variations in each case of what is an acceptable and unacceptable practice (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). When describing functions with complements, body language may be used in an attempt to support or add credibility to your words, and if body language is seen as genuine, the overall message is strengthened (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). If, however, body language is perceived as false or misleading, it falls into the conflict category. In regulation, body language performs the function of stimulating and regulating communication (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). For example, in a group of people, there are a number of nonverbal cues that indicate when one person has finished speaking and it is another person's turn. The substitution function uses body language to replace verbal communication (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). For example, if you get caught up in a conversation with someone who keeps talking and talking, it's difficult to come out and tell that person that you're tired of the conversation. Instead, you could substitute body language, such as looking away or walking away. The last function of the accent is a type ofbody language that emphasizes, accentuates, softens, or otherwise enhances your verbal communication (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). You might point your finger to direct attention to the subject of your words, or you might reach out and touch the hand of a child you are correcting or disciplining. Paralanguage refers to the nonverbal elements of communication used to modify meaning and convey emotion. Paralanguage can be expressed consciously or unconsciously and includes tone, volume, speed, and quality. Sometimes the definition is limited to sounds produced vocally. The study of paralanguage is known as paralinguistic signaling. Body movements or kinesics refers to all forms of body movements that are an important part of nonverbal communication behavior. The transportation of body movement has many specific meanings and interpretations that can be a cultural limitation. Since many movements are performed at the level of unconsciousness, body movements carry the risk of being misinterpreted in a different cultural communication situation. Some words related to body movement can be emblems, replace words and phrases, illustrators accompany or reinforce verbal messages, the manifestation of feelings shows emotions, regulators control the flow and rhythm of communication, and adapters release physical or emotional tension (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). Facial expressions can show happiness, sadness, fear and anger which are easily identifiable across cultures. Additionally, facial expressions play an important role in closeness. Eye messages are messages given with the eyes only. In American culture, eye contact is a sign of honesty, credibility, warmth and engagement. Other cultures require eye contact. Conversations without eye contact represent disinterest, inattention, rudeness, shyness or deception. Eye messages show a connection with others, attention, involvement, immediacy but prolonged gazes show negative and intimidating expressions. Eye messages look delightful and wonderful in eye rolling because it is known for flirting (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). The perception of nonverbal communication began during the first year of life, when as children we learned to communicate without words. Children learn the difference between a frown and a smile very early on, and they soon learn to convey their feelings through nonverbal communication. How nonverbal cues are perceived and interpreted in relationships can make the difference between a positive and negative impression. Paralinguistics reinforces the old adage; It's not what you say but how you say it. No matter the speed, the faster the communicator speaks, the more competent he or she may appear. Speakers with a high and varied tone are more competent; a low, steady voice is associated with strength and maturity, while a high, steady voice signals tension and nervousness. Those who speak loudly are generally seen as aggressive and domineering, while those who speak softly are perceived as shy and polite. How individuals perceive nonverbal communication is often based on how they see themselves. If an individual takes everything personally, he or she may take offense at certain nonverbal cues that are used, whether intentional or unintentional. To avoid communication problems, it is essential that speakers become more aware of the nonverbal cues used (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). In the workplace, effective communication can be used to improve performance and produce desired results. There are many signs that aren'tverbals used every day in the workplace, most of which are louder than spoken language. Professionally speaking, a handshake can make a strong first impression, whether positive or negative. Men tend to have better handshake skills and etiquette than women; Handshakes should be inviting, strong but not overwhelming. Physical contact in the workplace is often discouraged due to sending mixed messages, but in most cases handshakes are generally accepted and encouraged. Eye contact is another important nonverbal signal that can be used both positively and negatively in the workplace. In the United States, eye contact conveys honesty and sincerity; Making eye contact is often an invitation to open communication and indicates a need for feedback. On the contrary, avoiding eye contact signals distrust, suspicion or lack of interest; similarly, prolonged eye contact or staring indicates aggression or flirtation (Henman, 2009). In the workplace, dressing professionally is something that most employers require, it shows self-confidence. Dressing professionally includes well-worn clothing, personal hygiene, and non-overpowering cologne and perfume. American companies value punctuality and being conscientious of it is essential in business. Paying attention to all of these types of nonverbal communication can prove successful in almost any business. Nonverbal communication has the ability to strengthen and develop existing relationships or it can destroy them. A relationship can be regulated by nonverbal communication because it can support or replace verbal communication. Some of the contributing factors are the ability and accuracy of sending and receiving, perception of appropriate social roles, and cognitive desire for interpersonal engagement. If communicators are not aware of the types of messages they are sending and how the recipient interprets the messages, difficulties can arise from nonverbal communication. Even if the recipient's perception does not match the social norms for the particular situation it could cause problems. Everyone involved must want the interaction to happen for mutual communication to be successful. Facial expressions can compel one to communicate the interaction with another. Facial expressions can cause negative feelings if the other is evoked by them. Introduction and management are based on non-verbal communication in interpersonal relationships. Through research, interpersonal relationships have been successful through nonverbal cues (Dunn, 1999). Nonverbal communication impacts gender and cultural differences. There are different opinions in the society of males and females. Males are described as aggressive, controlling and having a take-charge attitude. Women are seen as sensitive, emotional and passive. There is a difference in the way males and females communicate verbally and non-verbally. Women are more expressive when using non-verbal communication, they tend to smile more than men and use their hands more. Men are less likely to make eye contact than women. Men also seem more relaxed, while women seem more tense. Men feel more comfortable around women, but women feel more comfortable around other women. In terms of interpreting nonverbal signals, women are better than men (Coggins, 2006). Culturally, there is a world of differences in nonverbal communication. Comparing the United States to Latin America reveals many differences. The hand gesturewhat we use to tell someone to come here is the palm of the hand facing up with the index finger extending three or four times, it's different in Latin America. In Latin America, this hand gesture means that you are romantically interested in a person and is considered solicitation. To tell someone to come here to Latin America, you hold out your palm and move all four fingers in and out together three or four times. When riding buses in Latin America, older adults hold their hand sideways with all four fingers extended to let people know there is a pickpocket nearby. In the United States, when visitors come to our country, we usually do not greet them personally. Latinos hug and men greet women with “besimos,” meaning they touch their cheeks and make kissing noises with their lips (Institute of Languages, 2011). Some barriers to nonverbal communication include cultural differences, deceptive gestures, inappropriate touching, negative attitudes. non-verbal communication and perceptual filters. The different cultural differences are ethnocentrism, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination along with hand gestures, touch and facial expression. Ethnocentrism shows that a culture that fills its own group is superior to all other cultures. Stereotypes show distorted or oversimplified views of different races and cultures. When one culture is prejudiced against another culture or group, a negative attitude based on little or no experience is shown. Avoiding or excluding yourself from another culture or group is discrimination (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). Different gestures often have very different meanings for people of different cultures. Nonverbal gestures can lead to misinterpretations. Touching can cause many problems in communication if it is done incorrectly. A person can touch the other person a lot during a conversation and get closer to them. Some people feel that touching is an invasion of their personal space. This is a barrier to all communication; people have difficulty communicating when they feel uncomfortable. When a person displays negative nonverbal communication, it can also act as a barrier. For example, hunching over, rolling your eyes, moving quickly or slowly, or performing a variety of other negative physical behaviors makes it difficult to communicate with them. This is because the person is creating a negative situation and when people feel uncomfortable they are not willing to communicate. The facial expression may show frustration, anger, embarrassment, or uncertainty. They can contradict the verbal expression by sending the actual message that the speaker wants to send (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). It is very important to learn how to improve nonverbal communication now that we have discovered that one communicator's nonverbal communication can influence another's perception of a message and that of the communicator. We must first monitor our non-verbal communication skills. We should pay close attention when engaging in daily routine conversations. It will help us stay in tune with what we are doing and the kind of impression we make on others. We need to ask ourselves these questions. Do we allow enough personal space for others to feel comfortable? Do we show our interest by making eye contact with others? Is our facial expression appropriate for the conversation at hand? Is the tone of voice appropriate for the situation? By being aware of these things we can improve our non-verbal communication skills. In addition to these skills, we must also learn to be good discriminating listeners. It's relatively simple to listen to a message, but.