Demonstrative Communication
Name
BCOM/275
January 30, 2012
Facilitator

Demonstrative Communication Communication is more than the words that are sent and received. Messages are conveyed through appearance, gestures, and attitudes. Nonverbal communication is unavoidable. People communicate nonverbally before they can utter a single word. Words contribute surprisingly little to communication; about 2/3 of communication is nonverbal (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). The messages encoded in a person’s facial expressions, posture, and attire send a message about that person. Unwritten communication can contain several dimensions of nonverbal messages. The speed with which a person speaks can convey the importance of message. A person will speak rapidly when the message is urgent. Conversely, if the purpose of the communication is to inform or entertain, the tempo will be slower. The proximity and performance with and toward the other people convey details of the nature of the relationship they share. Body language includes posture, gestures, and facial expressions. Every action, whether deliberate or involuntary, is part of the nonverbal communication that people receive with a spoken message. In addition to these unspoken messages, the tone of a person’s voice carries different meanings. With all of these different messages sent in addition to the spoken words, how can a person be sure to communicate effectively? Research has shown that body language constitutes more than half of the total message that a person receives (Rane, 2010). Facial expressions can be indicative of a person’s attentiveness, a person’s comprehension, and a person’s feelings regarding the messages of another. The speaker can discover many things about the success of their communication if they are paying attention to their audience’s movements and