Communication is defined as the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else (2014 Merriam-Webster Dictionary). When we communicate verbally we also use demonstrative communication to communicate non-verbally whether we realize we are using it or not. Demonstrative communication is the way we communicate non-verbally, and we do this in a number of ways. Some examples of demonstrative communication are; facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, clothes we wear, emotions we show, touching, and the tone of our voice.
While we are talking to someone with words, we are also communicating without words. We may raise our eyebrows if we are excited, smile if we are happy, and frown if we are sad about something. We can communicate to someone by the way we make or don’t make eye contact with them, and the way we use the tone of our voice. We can say the same words twice, but with a different tone and have it mean something different.
Touching is another form of demonstrative communication. Touching can have different meanings depending on the environment or situation that it is involved in. If an individual is meeting someone for the first time, that person may shake the other person’s hand. When a person sees someone that is a close friend or family member, he or she may give that individual a hug. If an individual is in an intimate relationship, he or she may hold hands or put their arm around their companion in a manner that communicates intimacy. These examples communicate non-verbally what relationship we have with other individuals.
Another form of demonstrative communication is the manner in which we dress. Our appearance may communicate things about us that we want to communicate and things we may not want to communicate. Clothing can also be used to communicate a number of things about ourselves to other people. Our clothing can be used to show our beliefs, for example, Muslim women covering their faces. Christians wear crosses around their necks to present to others their particular lifestyle. Clothing can also be specific to a person’s culture, used to attract someone of the opposite sex, and their social status.
Demonstrative communication can have effective and ineffective results. An example of an effective result would be going to a job interview dressing professionally, making good eye contact with the interviewer, smiling, firm hand shake, speaking with a confident tone in your voice and having good body posture to communicate confidence and professionalism. An example of an ineffective result from demonstrative communication would be showing up to an interview with a wrinkled and stained suit. If they were not making any eye contact with the interviewer, slouching, the tone of your voice is soft lacking confidence with answers, and using hand gestures for answers that can be misinterpreted.
Demonstrative communication can also result in a positive or negative outcome. An example of a positive outcome would be if a person were talking to a large group of people and they were all looking at you intently, smiling, sitting upright in their chairs, and nodding their heads agreeing with what the person is saying. The demonstrative communication in this example could give the sender
