Nonverbal symbols are the “wordless” intentional or unintentional vocal or nonvocal codes used not in face-to-face interaction but also in oral mediated communication, such as teleconferencing or video-conferencing and using the telephone, cellular phone, or voice mail.

Three principal areas of nonverbal cues:
1. Environment al conditions where communication takes place
2. Physical characteristics of the communicators
3. Behaviors of communicators during interaction

The Categories of Non-Verbal Communication

Physical Environment – includes factors like furniture, architectural style, interior decoration, lighting conditions, colors, temperature, noise, and music, affect the behavior of communicators during interaction. Therefore communicators need to pay attention to these factors if they want the communication to succeed.

Physical Space – the space between the sender and the receiver of a message, and it influences the way the message is interpreted. PROXEMICS is the study of how people use and perceive the physical space around them. - the term territoriality is still used in the study of proxemics to explain human behavior regarding personal space. Hargie and Dickson identify four such territories: a. Primary territory – refers to an area that is associated with someone who has exclusive use of it ex: You cannot enter a house without the owner’s permission b. Secondary territory – unlike the previous type, there is no “right” to occupancy, but people may still feel some degree of ownership of a particular space. Ex: You may sit in the same seat on a bus everyday and feel unhappy if someone else sits there. c. Public territory – refers to an area that is available to all, but only for a set period, such as a parking space or a seat in a canteen. Although people have only a limited claim over that space, they often