Section 1.2. Classification of non-verbal codes of communication

A complete classification of non-verbal language is composed of nine elements:

1. Kinesics (body movement).

2. Vocalics (paralinguistic, acoustic features of voice).

3. The physical characteristics (body shape, its size, hair color).

4. Haptics (touch).

5. Proxemics (spatial location).

6. Chronemics (time).

7. Artifacts (clothing, jewelry, cosmetics).

8. Olfactics (odors).

9. Aesthetics (music, color).

Kinesics - is the section of communicative science studying nonverbal communication implemented by means of body movements, in which each of them has a certain meaning. Kinesics, like any other language, is a scientific area, type and technology of non-verbal communication.

The main provisions of kinesics are as follows:

• All movements of the body can carry meaning that is manifested in a particular communication situation. The same movements can have different meanings.

• The behavior of the body may be subjected to systematic analysis, because it has a systemic organization. Body - is a biological, and a social system.

People are affected by the apparent dynamics and activity of the body.

• The specific functions of body movements can be studied.

• The meanings of the individual movements are identified in the study of the true behavior by certain methods of investigation.

• The activity of the body has a certain style (individual features) universal features.

Between verbal language and body movements there is a similarity. Some gestures can form a kinematic subsystem, such as a morpheme. The gesture can be arbitrary and have no meaning; it can be an iconic addition to the text, for example, drawing with hands. A gesture may be an innate response for example to pain.

Here we can also speak about semantics (meaning of sings), syntactic (the organization in a system with other signs) and pragmatist (effects on behavior).

Compound words with non-verbal signs create unlimited possibilities of combining them.

There are the following types of gestures:

Emblems - nonverbal acts that have an exact translation into verbal language. For example, two fingers in the form V - a sign of victory.

Illustrators - gestures, closely associated with speech and supplementing it in different forms. They are:

• Accenting (top-down hand gesture from).

• The showing of the meaning of thought («Forward to victory!»).

• Direction (lecturer points at the chart, diagram).

•The image of the contours of an object («The fruit of that form»).

• Rhythmic motion (simultaneously with the spoken words).

• The showing of physical actions («I will punch him like this!»).

• Drawing a picture in the air (e.g., a human figure).

• Illustrating verbal positions (emblems).

Adaptors – these are facial expressions, movements of hands, feet, etc., they reflect the emotional state (boredom, stress, etc.). Adaptors are divided into:

•Self-adaptors - gestures that are associated with the body (scratching, slapping, stretching, shrugging ones shoulders).

• Alter - adaptors - motion directed to the body of the interlocutor (pat on the back).

• Object-adapters – are the movements associated with other things (folding a sheet of paper).

Regulators - are nonverbal actions that control the amplification or attenuation of conversation among people (eye contact with the speaker, nodding his head, etc.). Crucial roles in nonverbal communication play the eyes and face. We all know the following rule: eye pupils dilate and contract at the sight of pleasant and unpleasant objects.

Illustration of affects – is the expression, reflecting the variety of emotions (joy, sadness, anger, etc.).

2. Vocalics (paralinguistic). Voice effects are accompanied by words. The tone, speed, strength, type of voice (tenor, soprano, etc.), the pause, and the intensity of sound - each has its own meaning. These paralinguistic resources are often viewed as vocalic.

They talk about the emotions of people. For example, when a person is very angry, he says the words slowly and distinctly, pausing between words to produce a special effect.

Paralinguistic also characterizes a person. For example, the manner of speech may tell us about an authoritarian, rigid or flexible personality.

Studies have shown a connection of vocalic with a conviction speech. The quicker the intonation, the louder the speech the more it persuades people.

3. Physical properties. The overall attractiveness, beautiful body, a healthy weight are positive signs in communication. Prejudice against unattractive people, and people with disabilities is deeply rooted in the consciousness of society, and they impair communication capabilities.

4. Haptics (takesiks). People touch each other on different occasions, in different ways and in different places. We can distinguish professional, ritual, friendly, hostile and loving touch.

5. Proxemics is associated with how to understand and use social and personal space in the communication (the distance between the communicators, the organization of space in a conversation, etc.). Like other animals, man has his own air envelope surrounding the body; its size depends on the density of the population of people at his place of residence. Consequently, the sizes of the zone of personal space are socially and nationally conditioned. If the representatives of one nation, such as Japanese, accustomed to overcrowding, while others prefer wide open spaces and like to keep some distance.

There are three types of space:

• A fixed space, it is limited to immovable things, such as walls of the room.

• Semi-space, it changes, for example, when moving furniture.

• An informal space - it's a personal and intimate area surrounding the man.

Quantitative values in different cultures vary. In European culture, there are rules: 0-35 inches - is an intimate space of the border, 0.3-1.3 meters - the boundaries of personal space; 1,3-3,7 meters - the social, and 3.7 meters - the boundary of the public, public space.

6. Chronemics examines the structuring of time in communication. In Western cultures punctuality is highly valued. Punctuality - one of the conditions for a successful career. Those people who are late or does not do the job on time are censured. In Eastern cultures the ratio is less stringent at the time. Similarly, men and women have different idea of punctuality, for example, in personal meetings.

7. Artifacts. They include artifacts such as clothing and jewelry. Clothing is the most powerful factor. It should match the environment (business, home), the physical parameters of the body (to be on the figure), social status, and style.

8. Olfactics studies the smell. Smell may affect the strongest of all other sensations. From the smell, we formed an opinion of the interlocutor.

9. Aesthetics is needed when sending a message or mood through color and music. They regulate behavior, stimulate or attenuate certain actions. At each location, they must meet a specific purpose room or situation. [Kreydlin, 2001]

V.A .Labunskaya subjected to considerable discussion the functions of nonverbal communication. Speaking of the fact that nonverbal communication in interpersonal interactions is multifunctional, the author points to a number of functions of nonverbal communication:

1. creates an image of the communication partner;

2. serves as a way of regulating the space-time communication parameters;

3. Serves as an indicator of status and role relations;

4. is an indicator of actual mental states of the individual;

5. performs the function of saving the voice message;

6. Serves as a clarification, changing in the understanding of verbal messages, increases the emotional intensity has been said;

7. Performs the function of the discharge, to facilitate, regulate the process of excitation.

Non-verbal codes are also classified according to the functions they perform in interpersonal communication. [Labunskaya, 2005]

Non-verbal manifestations, as arbitrary and involuntary, initially being appropriate response in situations of protection (rejection, exclusion), assault (acceptance, assignment), concentration (wait, rituals, and transition states) in the preverbal period of human evolution have been an independent means of communication, and in verbal period were fixed in a half-consciously expressive tool, maintaining the function of previous stages.

Non-verbal codes are also classified according to the functions they perform in interpersonal communication. [Labunskaya, 2005]

Non-verbal manifestations, as arbitrary and involuntary, initially being appropriate response in situations of protection (rejection, exclusion), assault (acceptance, assignment), concentration (wait, rituals, and transition states) in the preverbal period of human evolution have been an independent means of communication, and in verbal period were fixed in a half-consciously expressive tool, maintaining the function of previous stages.

2. The kinesic behavior in general may contradict the diction of verbal expression (and thus even to confuse recipient). Thus, a person who says that he is absolutely calm but at the same time he is breaking hands or moving around the room in a rather chaotic way contradicts himself. Smiling may be accompanied by not a very friendly statement;

3. Non-verbal codes of communication can replace verbal expression. An example of a situation of substitution is a nod, often used as equivalent to a positive response or as a substitute for the consent of the speech act. To press a finger to ones lips is the equivalent statements of «Shut up!», «Not a word!» etc. "Women and the waiter left standing in the hallway, anxiously looked at each other, and, bending down, listened. But the room was silent. It seemed incredible that there behind the door, three men. Not a single sound came out. - They are silent, - whispered to the waiter, and put his finger to his lips» (Vladimir Nabokov);

4. Non-verbal codes of communication can replace verbal expressions or can emphasize some components of the speech.

5. Nonverbal communication can complement the speech in its semantic terms. Words of the threat, «Look at me» are often supplemented in the current communication by threatening shaking of a finger, or, as the expression of a much stronger threat, shaking the fist in the direction of the addressee;

6. Non-verbal codes can serve as a regulator of speech communication; in particular, they can be the means of maintaining speech. For example, a periodic repeating of a nod of one of the participants of communication (academic nod) is a gesture to express phatic function. There are gestures, which purpose is to interrupt the speaker's speech, for example, to object to or be able to ask clarifying questions. These include a gesture «raised at chest or shoulder arm (sometimes impatiently shivering) with an open palm pointed to the recipient». Gestures can also be hesitation filters, signaling that the role of the speaker went on to partner in the dialogue. Thus, in an oral dialogue with the gesture of the regulatory function can act as a feedback signal. [Makhlina, 2008]

Classification of G.E. Kreydlin:

We will set out three main semiotic classes:

1. Kinemes, having independent lexical meaning and capable of transmitting verbal meaning regardless of context,

2. Kinemes, emitting some voiced or other piece of communication,

3. Kinemes, controlling the course of the communicative process, i.e. establishing, maintaining or ending up the communication.

        The first type of kinemes G.E.Kreydlin called emblematic or emblems. There are emblems - nonverbal equivalents of words, but for the Russian sign language more typical the emblems - analogues of speech utterances. Most emblematic gestures in frames of one sign language autonomous from speech and may serve in communicative act in isolation from it, although there are also emblems, necessarily requiring speech or sound background.

The second type of kinemes was called illustrative gestures or illustrators, and the third -regulatory or regulators (the terms is also put forward by D. Efron). Illustrative gestures by their nature cannot pass the meaning regardless of verbal context and is never used apart from it. Last gestural form, for example, shows that the gesticulating intends to introduce a new subject immediately after the execution of this gesture in the speech .In the communicative act of this gesture is always back grounded by the words: «And now...», etc. [Kreydlin, 1998]

Lobunskaya in her monograph argues that in the process of communication person changes his knowledge about themselves and others, develop certain skills and social intelligence, etc. Based on this approach to communication it can be identified destructive and constructive non-verbal communication, and monologue-kind and dialog-kind, student-directed and socially-oriented, influenced by media and free from media influence. Along with these kinds of non-verbal communication we can speak of a primitive, manipulative, conventionally, trustful, business and personal non-verbal communication. [Lobunskaya, 2004]

Albert Mehrabian provided the following classification: he believed that any communication is based on three V - Verbal, vocal and visual. And here is the rule of "7%-38% -55%." From the communication process-seven percent of information transmitted through words, thirty-eight per cent with the voice (tone, tempo, etc.) and fifty-five per cent with non-verbal language.

He also said that for communication to be successful and effective all three components need to support each other - they must be "congruent." Incongruent may cause irritation of the recipient, because of the incompatibility of information from different channels of perception. For example: