Demonstrative Communication Paper

When the term ‘communication’ is mentioned, a speech or telephone conversation may come to mind, but there are different forms of communication besides verbal. There may not be a way to read someone’s mind, but you can read their body. Certain gestures or facial expressions can be vital in determining an individual’s emotions. Have you ever received an email or text that was interpreted wrong? This type of misunderstanding can occur often when written communication is used, because the receiver cannot hear the sender’s tone of voice or see their facial expressions. When verbal communication is being used, hearing the sender’s tone can indicate their emotions or reason for conversation. It’s not as easy to determine whether or not someone is angry through a text message as it is over the phone or in person. Demonstrative communication can be both beneficial, as well as have negative effects, on both the sender and the receiver. Manero discusses demonstrative communication, “It is estimated that only seven percent of communication is composed of words, 38 percent is tone of voice, while 55 percent is physiology. This 93 percent is known as demonstrative communication or nonverbal communication” (n.d.). You don’t always need words to communicate; think of how you interact you’re your dog. If your dog’s hair is standing up, or he is cowering his head, or showing his teeth then he is communicating, and you can probably assume how he is feeling. Sometimes people wish to conceal their emotions from others, and demonstrative communication allows these emotions to be revealed. For example, if one was going to a job interview, and they felt nervous or intimidated, it’s possible the other party will pick up on this. Biting one’s nails and the continuous bounce of a leg are both example of body language. If the interviewer’s face turns red or looks flushed, this will also be clues of anxieties. The receiver can benefit from nonverbal communication if the sender is attempting to hide something they shouldn’t. When a detective interrogates a suspect, it happens in person, face-to-face. A seasoned detective can pick up on many clues of dishonesty from gestures, body language, and facial expressions. If an individual wants make an apology, then he or she would most likely want to do it in person. This would benefit the sender, and even the receiver, because if the sender is sincere, then the receiver is able to identify certain gestures and facial expressions in order to believe and accept their apology. Demonstrative communication can also have a negative effect on the receiver. If you have an individual who was suffering trauma from a car accident and the paramedic has a terrified look on his face, then the patient will experience unneeded stress themselves. Demonstrative communication involves both listening and responding. If