CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Spoken words are not the only supplements of effective communication. Gestures,
body movements, facial expressions, and other displays of emotion provide extra
information that goes beyond what is said. Moreover, messages can be enriched
through touch, eye contact, and the use of personal space. Most of the meaning in our
communication is sent nonverbally. Approximately, 7 percent of a message is passed
on by words and 38 percent is through paralanguage-ways of utilizing the voice, such
as tone, volume, and inflexion. Nonverbal behaviour can account for up to 55 percent
of the message. What people do is clearly more important than what they say. And how
something is said is much more important than the words used. This is particularly true
in high-context cultures, where meaning is implied indirectly from contextual cues,
rather than literally.