Essay on Demonstrative Communication

Demonstrative Communication
Scotty Johnson
BCOM/275
26 September2013
Bob Sullivan

DEMONSTRATIVE COMMUNICATION
Demonstrative communication is the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information. Thru most actions and expressions it appears that communicating ideas is continuously ongoing. There are two parts involved in demonstrative communication. Nonverbal expressions, such as, facial expression, body posture, style of clothing, and physical representation, as stated in Basics of Communication, “Nonverbal communication is the use of gestures, facial expression and other non-audible expression to transmit a message” (Duck & McMahan, para.1). Verbal communication is the words, language, and tone people use.
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION A large extent of communication is non-verbal, as stated by Kendra Cherry,
“Every day, we respond to thousands of non-verbal cues and behaviors including postures, facial expression, eye gaze, and gestures, and tone of voice. From our handshakes to our hairstyles, nonverbal details reveal who we are and impact how we relate to other people” (Cherry, para.1). It is mind-blowing to imagine that the movements’ people make, the way people look at each other, or even the style of clothes they wear can influence a judgment. Has there ever been a situation where a group of individuals dressed in attire might make someone fear loss of safety or even camaraderie? Is it a proper judgment? What is it based on? The bodies posture, cleanliness, grooming and general appearance transmit 55 percent of demonstrative communication. As estimated, by Dr. Albert Mehrabian,”7 percent of a message is verbal and 38 percent is vocal. That means 55 percent is nonverbal, and it contributes to each message in a number of ways” (Duck and McMahan, para. 2). Eye contact can be sincere or sarcastic. The facial features could be angry or anxious. So much is involved in the signals people transmit. There are situations where locking eyes with another individual could provoke anger or entice. The physical representation is different between strangers, friends, and family. “Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication. Consider how much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown. While nonverbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures, the facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar throughout the world”, (Cherry, para.5). The understanding of nonverbal communication is key to understanding the message we transmit.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION There is also verbal communication which includes a sender (encoder), and a receiver (decoder), and can be influenced by interference. A message is encoded. It is made with language, tone and gestures. Sometimes what is said is not received properly. For example: In a construction site, an ironworker must inform his foreman if a beam is to large or too small for the space provided. The foreman can receive the message but have no understanding why the beam will not fit. The message could have been encoded wrong or decoded wrong. However, in this situation the Foreman is usually wrong.

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Notes On Demonstrative Communications