Demonstrative Communication
Kelly Fiscelli
BCOM/275
April 27, 2014
Randi Plante
Demonstrative Communication

The process of sending and receiving messages is defined as communication. For communication to be effective, the message needs to be understood by both the sender and receiver. Effective communication involves the shared understanding of the feelings, thoughts, wants, needs, and intentions of the communicators, which may not be openly expressed in words (Cheesebro, O'Connor, & Rios, 2010, p. 5). There is more involved in communication than just a verbal message. Nonverbal communication can be defined as “all types of communication that don’t involve the exchange of words’’ (Rogers & Steinfatt.1999, p.67). Nonverbal communication is another term for demonstrative communication. It can add valuable information to the verbal message being sent. When communicating nonverbally, signals can convey how the message could be interpreted. Signals can also help the receiver to understand what the sender is trying to say. A person’s body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions can either be effective or ineffective when communicating and can determine if the sender or receiver are reacting positively or negatively towards the message. Effective communication such as sitting up straight, smiling, making eye contact, nodding and turning towards the person who is speaking indicates interest and attention being paid towards the idea that is being conveyed. An example of negative body language and the effect it may have on the sender would be if the sender were sending a message to the receiver and while speaking, the receiver was looking out the window instead of at the sender. The sender may feel that the receiver is not listening to what was being said and could cause ineffective communication because the sender may discontinue the conversation due to the receiver indicating lack of interest in the message being sent. The distance a person stands when talking with others and how those people regard their territory is referred to as Proxemic. Edward Hall (1969) and others have noted different uses of space for North Americans. Intimate messages are shared from physical contact to about 18 inches; personal messages are shared from 18 inches to four feet; social messages are communicated at a distance of 4 to 12 feet; and public messages are shared beyond 12 feet (Cheesebro, O'Connor, & Rios, 2010, p.90). When two people are sharing a private discussion that they do not want anyone else to hear, they tend to stand very close to one another to prevent others around them from hearing what is being said. “I need my three feet of space,” is a common phrase some people use when they do not like when others stand close to them. The sender and the receiver need to be aware of each other’s personal space preference in order to have effective communication. Demonstrative communication involves listening and responding. Listening is “the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages” (ILA, 1996, p. 1). Responding reveals how the receiver is interrupting the information the sender is passing on. Responses from the receiver can show the reaction to the discussion and can provide either negative or positive feedback. Seventy percent of a person’s waking day is devoted to listening and ninety five percent of what people learn is learned with their ears and eyes in a lifetime (International Journal of Listening, 2006, p. 5). Most receivers only grasp approximately fifty percent of the message portrayed from the sender. The several basic listening principles include: listening is learned, listening is active, listening occurs faster than speech, and listening requires emotional control. A person needs to learn to listen. In order to become a better listener ideally a person should not interrupt, be honest, and