The Power of Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal signals play a decisive role in transmitting and recognizing emotional states, as they allow us to intuitively pick up on a conversation partner's feelings even without words. They are conveyed through facial expressions, gestures, vocal intonation, and even spatial behavior. For instance, the classification of nonverbal signs proposed by Belgrade professor Nikola Rot divides them into three groups – paralinguistic (for example, the rhythm of speech), kinesic (including facial expressions), and proxemic signs that pertain to a person's spatial behavior. It is these very signals that help us continuously receive and analyze information about the emotional states of those around us (source: link txt).Moreover, studies show that even very young children intuitively perceive and transmit emotions through nonverbal signals. For instance, children can easily determine their parents' moods based on changes in physiological expressions and nonverbal cues. One example describes how little children instantly recognized the change in their father's emotional state by paying attention to his facial expressions and gestures (source: link txt). Observations of infants also confirm that they actively use nonverbal means – smiles, hand waving, sounds – to express their feelings and attract adult attention (source: link txt).In addition, changes in the voice, such as lowering to a whisper or, conversely, speaking sharply, serve as important nonverbal signals that can convey emotional states and accentuate an individual's inner feelings (source: link txt).Thus, nonverbal signals serve as a powerful means of communication, enabling not only the expression of emotional states but also the reading of them in others, which makes our interactions both profound and multifaceted.Supporting citation(s):"In the book by Belgrade professor Nikola Rot, 'Signs and Meanings' (1982), nonverbal signs are divided into three groups: paralinguistic (e.g., iamb or trochee in verse), kinesic (for example, facial expression), and proxemic, that is signs mainly related to human spatial behavior." (source: link txt)"Little Campbells instantly determined the mood in which their father had returned from work today. ... But as soon as I examined my own feelings, I realized she was right – nothing had worked out all day, and I was in a gloomy mood." (source: link txt)"Note that when meeting you, your child tries various ways to attract your attention. They wave their hands, smile, coo, and sometimes laugh. Crying and screaming are their last resort to get attention." (source: link txt)"The voice may lower to a whisper or acquire a sharp tone; we might say something we never intended to say. Such things happen unintentionally." (source: link txt)