WEEK 5: NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND VISUAL

COMMUNICATION
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the unit, learners should be able to:
a) Discuss the forms of non-verbal communication.
b) Explain the importance of non-verbal communication in
organizations Outline the importance of visual communication
c) Explain instances when it is appropriate to use various visuals
in communication
d) Explain the rules that govern the use of visuals/ graphic
communication
Non Verbal communication
Literally means communication without words involves all those
elements of the communication process not embodied in word.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION (N.V)
Non Verbal Communication or Body Language
-is the process of sending and receiving messages without using words,
either spoken or written.
The way in which people’s behavior (intentionally and non-intended) –
such as looking at the speaker or nodding and smiling-can convey
messages just as effectively as anything they might say.
It is a form of communication through which we communicate bulks of
our information especially emotional response not so much upon what
another person says but upon what one does.

Nonverbal communication or body language.

Scientific analysis has shown that body movements and gestures
constitute 55% of effective communication.
Hence, non-verbal communication merits some earnest and thoughtful
consideration.
Non-verbal communication involves things such as gestures, posture
and physical appearance and, in general, all bodily movements.

It takes place without written or spoken words.

Non-verbal communication is those messages that are expressed by
means other than linguistic.
While you can refuse to speak or write, it is impossible to avoid
behaving non-verbally.

Factors influencing nonverbal communications:

i. Culture
 ii. Context
iii. Age
iv. Gender
v. Religion
Culture: In terms of culture it varies a lot all over the world how
accepted and appreciated touching is.
Most American women shave their legs and underarms and use a variety
of lotions to keep their hands soft to touch.
Context: If someone has their arms crossed it may just mean they are
chilly.
Before jumping to conclusions, put the conversation and the individual
into the context of the topic, timing and other external influences.
Age: With age it is found that the younger the person the more they are
found to touch.
Gender: It has also been found that women will touch more than men.
Haptics:
-This shows that haptics means a lot more to women than men.
-Research reveals that a hug and 10 minutes of hand holding with a
romantic partner greatly reduces the harmful physical.
Functions/ Interrelationships between verbal and non-verbal
communication.

They are interrelated in the following ways:

They can;
1. Accenting /emphasize:
We can use nonverbal signals to emphasize our words.
- with forceful gestures, changes in vocal volume or speech rate,
deliberate pauses, and so forth."
Accenting /emphasize changes of vocal tone pitch volume, use of a
pause, gestures, facial expressions thumping on the table frowning while
saying stop that all emphasize the verbal content.
2.Complement each other e.g. a congratulatory e.g. wide smile, cheerful
voice accompanied by ‘i am so happy for you’.
-We can use nonverbal signals to complement the verbal content of our
message.
-Being upset could mean we feel angry, depressed, disappointed, or just
a bit on edge.
3. Repeat: Our nonverbal behavior can repeat what we say.
-We can say yes to someone while nodding our heads."
-telling someone to get out and simultaneously pointing to the door or
when giving directions.
4. substitute:
Nonverbal signals can substitute for words.
- A simple gesture can suffice (e.g., shaking your head to say no, using
the thumbs-up sign to say 'Nice job,' etc.).
- a wave to someone on the other side of street for farewell or greetings.
Contradicting- it may be at variance with verbal message e.g. I am not
angry but I am glaring, clenching fists -words deny anger in such a case
rely more on the non-verbal in other words N.V has more credibility
than words.
5.Regulating-
We can use nonverbal signals to regulate speech.
-Often referred to as turn-taking signals, these gestures and
vocalizations make it possible for us to alternate the conversational roles
of speaking and listening.
-to control the flow of communication e.g. through eye contact to
signal the conversational turn of the other person vocal pitch change
others.

6.Contradict
Nonverbal messages sometimes contradict what we say.
-A friend tells us she had a great time at the beach, but we're not sure
because her voice is flat and her face lacks emotion.
- nonverbal contradict verbal communication
The senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, we observe and react to
appearance cloths objects, surroundings
Nonverbal signals can help to clarify the words we use and reveal the
true nature of our feelings.
Habits- desk untidy, sound- a sign laugh, clicking a timid knock all
indicate something about people.

Ways nonverbal communication directly affects our verbal

discourse:
-
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-VERBAL CUES
They can be ambiguous-The meaning vary depending on culture and
context as well as the degree of intention
They are continuous- you can stop talking but not with non-verbal
cues. It is continuous and omnipresent.
They are multi-channel –one may communicate with eyes, hands and
any other part of the body all the same time and the person
communicated to may only notice one and miss the rest.
They are culture bound- except in smiling (happiness) and frown for
unhappiness.
All communication is affected by nonverbal- it includes, the tone of
voice, facial expression, gestures, posture, demonstrations, models.
NON VERBAL CAN BE DIVIDED INTO:
The zones for nonverbal cues
While there are seven areas (zones) of the body that present a gateway to
the unspoken meaning of a conversation in face-to-face situations, being
in a virtual environment has limited our ability to see all zones.
Therefore, the limited view makes it crucial to pay close attention to
subtleties.
Improving your overall communication skills starts with taking note of
the individual cues we can see and hear, as well as interpreting all the
cues collectively.

Face
The face often gives the most obvious and powerful signals.
It is extremely expressive, able to present countless emotions without
saying a word.
Unlike other zones greatly influenced by cultural norms, facial
expressions are the most universal.
Specifically, facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise,
fear and disgust are the same across cultures.

Being in a virtual environment can present unique challenges regarding

facial cues.
Since our view is limited to the upper body only, we are not as distracted
by other things that may be going on in the space.
This forces us to pay more attention to the person we are talking to and
see the attention that is being reciprocated to us as well.
However, the virtual environment also presents unique challenges. For
example, many systems display your own image, as well as that of the
other participants.
This may cause individuals to be self-conscious about their appearance
on video or create challenges due to poor lighting or camera angle.
Consequently, facial cues may be more impacted by the technology than
the unspoken which means it is even more important to take the entire
interaction into consideration.

Eyes
The eyes can indicate thought processes or cognitive function.
It is important not to read too much into a lack of eye contact since it is
common for many people to glance away when they are thinking.
Eyes can also perform a monitoring function.
From interpersonal to public speaking situations, we can monitor our
communication effectiveness by looking at others and monitoring their
feedback.
In the virtual environment, the eyes are our key indicator as to the other
person’s engagement.
Since virtual meetings take place over one’s computer, it is easy to get
distracted with incoming emails and other ongoing work projects.
How often have you had another screen or program open during a video
call?
If you are in a virtual meeting with someone and you notice them
looking at other parts of their screen it can signal distraction.

To improve your own nonverbal cues during virtual meetings, consider

turning off your notifications for the duration of the conversation, close
other programs, and put the meeting on full screen so as to limit your
opportunity to find and be distracted by other things.
Keep in mind that the virtual environment is much different than an in-
person meeting.
Even after all this time, many still do not have their camera properly
situated much less know where to look.
Another recommendation is to keep meetings short and schedule them at
a time when distractions are less likely to occur – think early morning,
lunchtime, or late afternoon.

Hands and gestures

In an in-person situation, hand movements and gestures convey an
enormous amount of information.
In fact, hand movements and gestures are the indicators most affected by
cultural or geographic norms.
However, in a virtual environment, the norm is to keep hand gestures to
a minimum since the camera creates distortion when a hand nears the
lens.

If you are in a virtual meeting with someone that does not involve a
demonstration or screen sharing, a key indicator that they are doing
something else and not giving you their full attention is if they begin
typing or using their mouse.
Confirming that the timing of the meeting still works for all participants
is a great way to keep everyone engaged.
Prepare for virtual meetings in the same way you would prepare for an
in-person meeting.
Clear your desk of distractions, close extraneous programs, and focus on
the conversation.

Posture
Most times, a person’s posture conveys their overall attitude,
confidence, and physical wellbeing.
In a virtual environment, a person’s posture may also indicate the
engagement level.
In person, leaning or slumping indicates a lack of interest; however, in a
virtual environment, comfort and time of day significantly impact
posture. The more time an individual has spent sitting at a desk chair in a
mobile environment, the more likely that posture is a function of
physical discomfort and poor circulation than the topic at hand.
Take breaks, stand up, and stretch, particularly before important
conversations.

Head position
The position of your head tells a story and reflects intent or position.
Your head position in a virtual meeting is another key indicator of
interest and engagement in the conversation.
A person who is holding their head up with their hand is not as awake
and engaged as someone who has their arms at their side and head facing
forward.
When the head moves from a lowered position to straight or even
slightly raised, this is a sign of sudden interest or a need for clarity.
That movement indicates that the listener has been snapped back into the
conversation.
Use head movement as a cue to ask for questions or input from other
participants.
There are many reasons why people do not always say what they mean.
Understanding the entire meaning of any communication means not only
listening to what is being said, but also ascertaining meaning from the
unspoken.
Many people fear that communication will suffer as a result of this
relatively new virtual environment, but it does not have to have a
negative impact.
While a virtual environment does demand paying closer attention to
small indicators and subtle movements, remember you are
communicating to another human being.
Giving consideration to time and length, as well as our own habits can
bridge the virtual gap technology creates.

1.Eye contact
Functions of eye contact:
 To seek feedback,
 to inform others when to talk,
 to signal the nature of the relationship
 To compensate for increased physical distance.

2.Chronemics
How we perceive use and react to time / influence by culture e.g. In
some culture time is precisely expressed and observed strictly while in
other it is closely inter or flexibly punctuality speaks volumes about our
perceived status of the person with whom we are going to meet.
3. Semiotics
Involves communication through signs and symbols presentational
aspects of a piece of writing an essay report are part of semiotics
elements. We give credibility to professional writing than the writing
with no margins poor handwriting dog- eared pages and a general
careless and haphazard appearance
Others include traffic lights, no smoking signs, disabled access signs
road signs
Signs can be divided into icons, indexes, and symbols. Icon resembles
object it represents e.g. portrait photo is an iconic sign or disabled access
signs indicating steep
Index a casual link with object inter e.g. smoke-rep fire
Symbol is arbitrary lacks resemblance to object rep. or even a casual link
e.g. a dove is a symbol of peace

4.Kinesics
Kinesics is the study of how we use body movement and facial
expressions.
We interpret a great deal of meaning through body movement, facial
expressions, and eye contact.
Many people believe they can easily interpret the meanings of body
movements and facial expressions in others - it is almost impossible to
determine an exact meaning for gestures, facial expressions, and eye
contact.
We rely a great deal on kinesics to interpret and express meaning.
We know that kinesics can communicate liking, social status, and even
relational responsiveness.
Facial expressions are a primary method of sharing emotions and
feelings. For example, imagine yourself at a party and you see someone
across the room you are attracted to.
The study of bodily movements that form a part of non-verbal
communication is known as Kinesics.
Examples:
i) Facial expression: The face is said to be the mirror of the mind.
Whatever we feel is reflected on our face.
The face can convey energy, anger, grief, sincerity and a host of
other feelings and emotions.
A smile means friendliness, while a frown means anger.
A creased forehead shows worry while a raised eyebrow shows
surprise.
 Hence, it is very important to exercise a check and control over our
feelings.
Although this is a difficult task, you can get positive results with
continuous efforts.

ii) Gesture: Gestures are small body movements that transmit some
message.
It can even be the transmission of specific information.
Some gestures may be conscious while others may be involuntary.
Some gestures have an almost universal meaning, such as a headshake
for a “no” or a handshake as a “hello”.
Then there are other gestures that may have regional meanings.
Strictly speaking, gestures are a part of body language because our head
and hands tend to communicate by themselves in their own way.

ii) Posture: Posture is the position adopted by the body.

It helps in conveying a message.
Each movement or position of the body has expressive or defensive
functions.
Thus, the posture is an important element in non-verbal communication.
It reveals a great deal about an individual.
Posture concerns the overall bearing of the body.
It includes the angle of inclination and the position of the arms and the
legs.
A raised head indicates openness, while a tilted head indicates curiosity.
However, one should remember that none of these postures have any
specific meanings of their own.
They acquire meanings in association with other symbols and in the
context of communication.

iv) Tone and pitch of voice: The tone and pitch of the voice are
important aspects of communication.
Tone means the manner of speaking, while the pitch means the level of
the voice.
The volume in which communication is made has the potential of
revealing the sender’s attitude.
The pitch can spell out the urgency, while the tone indicates the mental
condition.
v) Clothes: A man is often judged by his appearance.
His clothes play an important role in enhancing his personality.
Shabbily dressed people may cut a sorry figure.
It is vital for one to look professional and efficient.
Accessories also play a major role in non-verbal communication.
Clothes and accessories relate to physical as well as socio-cultural
characteristics.
Sometimes, clothes and accessories manage to live up to the
expectations of the receiver, while at times they send a message through
a violation of these expectations.

vi) Eye contact: Eyes are the windows to the soul.

Eye contact constitutes a very important factor of face-to-face
communication.
Through eye-contact, the speaker gets signals whether the channel of
communication is open.
Discomfiture or nervousness results only in a brief eye contact; on the
other hand, a long and fixed gaze shows interest.
Depending on our feelings, we have smiling eyes, angry eyes, painful
eyes, evasive eyes, and so on.

5. Paralanguage
The world of communication that involves signs, signals, pitch, tone and
fluctuations to convey meaning is paralanguage.
Para means ‘like’ or ‘akin’.
Paralanguage means “like language,” but not actually a language.
Anything that performs the task of communication as a language without
being a language in the conventional sense of the word falls within the
purview of paralanguage.
Paralanguage is used to describe a wide range of vocal characteristics
which help to express and reflect the speaker’s attitude.
It is non-verbal because it does not consist of words.
Verbal communication is concerned with the content of the message –
what is being conveyed? On the other hand, paralanguage is concerned
with the manner in which the message is conveyed – how is it being
conveyed?
Paralanguage depends on voice, intonation, pitch, pause, volume, stress,
gestures and signals.
Through pitch and volume variation, stress on words, etc. one’s voice
can convey enthusiasm, confidence, anxiety and the speaker’s mental
state and temperament.
Advantages of paralanguage
i) No oral communication is complete without paralanguage as it is
closely connected to language itself.
ii) To a large extent, paralanguage indicates the position and situation of
the speaker, whether in an organization or in society.
iii) It also reflects the speaker’s personality and background to a great
extent.
iv) Paralanguage is indicative of the mental state of the speaker.
A discerning listener can derive the right conclusions from the pitch,
tone and speed of a message.
This can often be very useful.
Limitations of paralanguage
i) Paralanguage is ‘semi’ or ‘like’ a language.
It is not language by itself. Therefore, not all the advantages associated
with actual language can be attributed to paralanguage.
ii) Paralanguage involves the drawing of conclusions on the basis of a
number of peripheral (side) attributes.
Such drawings of conclusions need not always be right. In such a case,
they may also serve to create undue bias.
This, in itself, makes paralanguage misleading or confusing at times.

iii) Also, as speakers may come from different backgrounds, cultures

and situations, the conclusions from paralanguage may be difficult to
draw, especially to convey a message in its entirety.
i). Voice: Voice is the first signal that we receive or use.
A good listener can gauge a lot from the voice itself.
There are various categories of voices:
A voice can be sweet, soft, musical, cultivated, pleasant, nasty,
clear or indistinct, among other things.
The voice can help reveal a speaker’s background, mental state,
education, sex and temperament.
ii). Intonation: is manner of utterance;
-the rise and fall in pitch of the voice in speech.
-is the modulation of the voice and the shift in stress.
- is a part of effective communication.
For example, a message with serious content should not be
delivered in a high tone, but in somber tone.
-When we speak or sing, we use intonation (the rise and fall
between higher and lower pitches) to generate different notes or
convey different moods with our voice.
-make sure you are within the correct range, so the sound does not
sound out of tune.
-for instance intonation is used for emphasis, to convey surprise or
irony, or to pose a question.
- Rising Intonation means the pitch of the voice rises over time.
-Falling Intonation means that the pitch falls with time.
"It's raining, isn't it? "
You're telling the listener that it's raining, so you give your speech
a "telling" melody.
The pitch-level of your voice falls and you sound as if you know
what you're talking about, and of course, you do, so you're making
a statement.
"It's raining, isn't it?"
Now you're asking the person, so you give your speech an "asking"
melody, says Crystal. The pitch-level of your voice rises, and you
sound as if you're asking a question.
iii). Pitch: pitch is, “the relative highness or lowness of a tone as
perceived by the ear, which depends on the number of vibrations per
second produced by the vocal cords.
-Pitch refers to the musicality of your voice and how you use that
musicality or timbre to convey meaning.
Timbre refers to the quality of sound that distinguishes one voice
from another.
-Pitch is the vocal slant of the voice.
-Pitch is very important because it reveals the speaker’s frame of
mind.
-An unusually high pitch may reflect agitation.
-An unchanging pitch may be boring or monotonous, decreasing
the listener’s span of attention.
-The pitch may also help us understand the speaker’s social
position. -A person in a position of authority uses a higher pitch
than a subordinate.
-The flaring of tempers usually results in a change in the pitch.
iv). Chunking: — packages information for the listener, where
speakers divide speech into chunks, which may be single words or
groups of words to communicate a thought or idea, or to focus on
information the speaker thinks is important.
Example; "Does it really matter whether people speak with an
accent as long as they can be easily understood?"
This sentence breaks into the following "chunks":
"Does it really matter /
whether people speak with an accent /
as long as they can be easily understood?" //
In this example, in each chunk, your pitch would be slightly
different to better convey your meaning to the listener. Your voice,
essentially, rises and falls in each "chunk."
v). Pause: These aren’t nebulous empty pauses, but little breaks,
which signify a unit of thought.
You can think of it as a musical phrase which is part of a longer
melody, that gives rhythm and pace to a piece of music. Pauses do
the same for speech.
A pause emphasizes a message.
A pause is to speech what a comma is to prose.
A pause at the wrong place may lead to miscommunication.
For example, the difference between ‘fruit trees’ and ‘fruit, trees’
is vast.
Power of the Pause
-Pausing is not as easy as it sounds.
It is hard to practice silence at the right time and at the right
moment.
 -Make it a conscious decision.
-Commit to yourself that you will take pause.
-A well-chosen pause will help you to construct the conversation in
a better and structured way.
-When you’re negotiating, a well-chosen pause will help you take
control of the situation faster.
-A pause relaxes your thoughts and body, which will help your
conversation to be more meaningful and fruitful.

Take a pause, and it will…

-Give your audience time to process the message, and time to understand
and digest the meaning of the message.
-Help you manage the fear of public speaking. The pause will align
your thoughts and preparation in the right manner. A break to take
a breath in public speaking is good and healthy.
-Help you understand the opposite person’s reaction – and message
that they are trying to convey in the conversation.
-Help you avoid the filler words (um, uh, err, ah, like, okay, right,
and you know), which will make you sound more confident, clear,
and in control of the situation.
Where should you use the pause?
 As a start, the easiest and the safest way is to use punctuation
marks like commas and periods as reference points for when to
use the pause.
Punctuation marks help us to construct our sentences in a
structured format in writing; pauses will bring the same level of
value when you are speaking.

vii). Volume variation: The speaker should adjust the volume of

his voice depending on the size of the audience.
Larger the audience, the louder the voice should be.
Volume variation makes the speech effective.
Sometimes changing from loud to soft and from soft to loud has
the desired effect.
viii). Mixed signals: Mixed signals occur when the tone, pitch and
facial expressions of the speaker do not match the words that he is
speaking.
This confuses the listener as to the exact motive of the speaker.
For example, an individual may congratulate another, but his tone
may be cold.
In this case, the listener will not be sure whether the speaker is
really happy or is merely fulfilling a formality.
Praise delivered in a sarcastic tone conveys mockery.
 ix). Proper word stress: Communication can be made more effective
by putting proper emphasis or stress on the right words.
x). Overall impression: A message is understood by the listener not
only by the content, but also by the manner in which the speaker
conveys it.
xi). The speaker’s bearing; attitude, dressing style, physical
appearance, age, gender, accent and the quality and tone of the
voice also affect the message that gets communicated.
For a message to be effective, the overall impression given by the
individual should be in consonance with the message that he wants
to convey.

6. Proxemics or territory or space

Proxemics is an important type of non-verbal communication.

The term, proxemics is derived from the word proximity, which means
closeness.
Proxemics is used with reference to space or territory.
A lot of communication takes place non-verbally through the sheer
manner in which we use the space around us.
Scholars have also attributed a lot of non-verbal communication to the
colour, design layout and utilization of the space around us.
-The space and distance between the speaker and the listener are an
important part of non-verbal communication.
-These spaces decide what our actions and expressions should be.
-The amount of space indicates the importance or the degree of formality
between two individuals.
-You do not sit too close to a stranger, but can close in distances with a
friend.
-There are certain rules or social expectations regarding the distance to
be maintained.
-Subtle messages are committed when we follow them or even if we
flout them.

The space around us can be broadly classified as under:

i). Intimate space: Most body movements take place within 18 inches
around us.
It is our most intimate circle of space.
Only very close people or family members can enter this space, be it
through a whisper, a pat on the back or a handshake.
It means that the less the space between the two persons communicating,
the more intimate is the nature of communication.

ii). Personal space: Personal space extends from 18 inches to four feet
where we have normal conversation with friends, colleagues and
associates.
It is used in informal talks and impromptu discussions in which one may
not be averse to taking important decisions.

iii). Social Space: This can be anywhere between four feet and 12 feet.
It reflects a formality of relationship. It also reflects a lack of
spontaneous behaviour. An individual’s responses are more collected
and well thought-out. Social space reflects reason, planning and control,
usually associated with business communication within a formal
relationship.

iv). Public Space: This starts from a distance of 12 feet. One has to raise
one’s voice to be heard. There is a lack of personal feelings and an
added sense of detachment.

7. Haptics
Haptics is the study of touch.
Touching is governed by aspects like;
- gender, for example women touch more than men do,
-age, children touch more than adults do,
- relationship, people who are relating intimately will touch more.

Touching can communicate message of concern, care, love or even

dislike.
Touch is the first type of nonverbal communication we experience as
humans and is vital to our development and health.

Those who don’t have positive touch in their lives are less healthy both
mentally and physically than those who experience positive touch.

We use touch to share feelings and relational meanings.

Hugs, kisses, handshakes, or even playful roughhousing demonstrate

relational meanings and indicate relational closeness.

In western society, touch is largely reserved for family and romantic

relationships.

Generally, girls and women in same-sex friendships have more liberty

to express touch as part of the relationship than men in same-sex
friendships.
However, despite these unfortunate social taboos, the need for touch
is so strong that men are quite sophisticated at finding ways to
incorporate this into their friendships in socially acceptable ways.
One such example is wrestling among adolescent and young-adult
males.
Do you ever wonder why you don’t see as many women doing this?
Perhaps it’s because wrestling is socially acceptable for men whereas
women are more likely to hug, hold hands, and sit touching one
another.
In contrast, an exchange student from Brazil recognized the differences
in touch between cultures when arriving in the United States. She was
surprised when someone hesitated to remove an eyelash from her face
and apologized for touching her.
In her country, no one would hesitate to do this act.
She realized how much more physical touch is accepted and even
expected in her culture.
Cultural norms around touch and gender constructs, and everyone can
prevent and limit touching behaviors in ways that are comfortable to
them.

8. Silence:
Silence speaks louder than words.
It lays down the relationship between communicators and their attitude
towards each other.
Silence shows the inability to converse further.
A student who has not done his homework will stay mum when the
teacher asks him for it.

SUMMARY
Importance aspects
Non-verbal communication is continuous-there are no turns
N.V can be both intentional and unintentional sometimes we change
postures touch our faces tap our feet unconsciously or gesture as we talk
over the phone.
We can frown or shake head or nod to communicate intentionally
N.V communicate conveys emotions not ideas
It is our primary means of conveying emotion e.g. our enthusiasm,
tiredness, anger passion.
It provides cues not facts
It can be ambiguous and not always essay to judge accurately, accuracy
increases as we know each other better, knowledge provides a baseline
so that we are aware when there are deviations from the norm
It should be read as clusters
It is important to take in the whole picture. E.g. it is not always that
standing with hands on the hips, feet apart signals determination or
closed arms defiance consider the facial expression e.g. whether smiling,
frowning, level of tension, spatial r/ship etc.

It occurs within a context

Context helps us interpret e.g. a wink e.g. while making a statement or
someone else is speaking. There are a variety of meaning
It is influenced by culture
Despite this there are some areas of similarity or communality e.g.
smiling-happiness, non- smiling dominance there are pointing
shrugging, nodding, clapping, beckoning, waving pat on the back,
thumbs up.
8.It is gender influenced
Women smile more than men. For women, smiling has a social
purpose while for men it’s a pure reflection of how they feel, women
look at their conversation partners more than men do.
9.Nonverbal are rule governed
We learn them by observation e.g. not to look happy, cheerful in a
funeral.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION
This refers to graphic communication, its used to express relationship
between things e.g. age and height, to express unusual shapes and
complicated movements.

Things to consider when doing/ using visual

The audience characteristics e.g. size of the audience, age, level of
education etc.
Time allocated for a presentation
Relevance of the visual to the audience
Availability of the resources needed
Importance of visual aids
-They simplify information.
-They aid memory.
-They summarize complex information.
-They capture attention.

SAMPLES OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION

1.Organization Charts.
These are diagrams which show the whole organization structure of
the firm.
They may indicate functions, departments and their sections or posts.

Organization Charts may be presented in vertical or horizontal format.

Example
Managing
Director

Accounts Marketing Personnel

2.Flow Charts
Charts are diagrams that do represent the flow of information or
activities from one part to another which are connected by arrows.

The direction pointed by the arrows is where the information or

activities are flowing towards.

Examples of flow charts

Source Media Audience

Feedback

3.Tables
This is a representation of some statistical information, in a manner that
will be easily understood and mostly using numeric representation.
Example
Category Non-Citizens Citizens Totals
Senior Staff 15 13 28
Junior Staff 25 26 51
Totals 40 39 79

Tables make it easier for a reader to summarize and interpret

statistical information.
Analysis of this information is also eased.

4. Linear Graphs
This is a diagram that represents information using loci points which are
the joint points between the X and Y axis.

The points are joined by a line.

Example:

Rainfall - Yield relationship

70
60
50
40
Yield

Rainfall
30
20
10
0
Rainfall

From the above graph we note that as rainfall increases, the yield also
goes up.
When line graphs are drawn accurately it is easy to locate the values of a
point along the line.
Large figures as those represented in millions can be drawn to scale.

4.Bar Charts
Bar Charts are representations of information using Bars.
The points of intersection are indicated by use of bars.
For example:
Comparison of rainfall

120
100
80
Rainfall
60 Maximum
40 Minimum
20
0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998
Year

The tallest bar shows the highest rainfall while the shortest bar indicates
the lowest rainfall recorded.
5.Pictographs
These are information represented in the form of figures or symbols.
The value for each figure is indicated by either the size or the number of
figures shown.
Pictographs are usually interesting and easily understood.

Example:
 Jan

Feb

Mar.

= 1000 Units.

6.Pie Charts
These diagrams present information in a circular form.
It is easy to estimate percentages in such diagrams.
This is often used when it is necessary to show the relationship of a part
to a whole.
It is preferable not to use too many segments in the pie rest the impact is
lost.
Shading may be used to focus special attention on a single segment.
They should be used to show simple relationships because when they are
complex they become had to interpret.
In a school it can be used for gender representation (two that is male and
female) but not for individual performances representation in class (say
class of forty students)

7.Models
A model is a replica of an actual object; it is used when an object is:
 Too small to be seen e.g. a human cell
 Too inaccessible to the eye e.g. a human heart
 Too large to be displayed e.g. a building
Models are effective as they show how something looks like and they
are three dimensional

REVISION QUESTIONS

i) “A picture is worth a thousand words” Justify this assertion in

line with graphical communication
ii) Explain the advantages and disadvantages that non-verbal
communication has over other forms of communication.
iii) Explain why visual aids are recommended to a personal making
a presentation.