Functions of Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication (NVC) serves many important functions in human interaction. Understanding these functions helps explain why NVC is so important — and why it can sometimes cause misunderstandings when people from different backgrounds interact.
Key Functions of NVC
1. Expressing Emotions
NVC is the primary way we express and detect emotions. While we can describe our emotions in words, our facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language often communicate our emotional state more accurately than our words.
- People who say "I'm fine" while frowning and crossing their arms are sending contradictory messages — and research shows that people tend to trust the non-verbal message more than the verbal one
2. Regulating Conversation
NVC helps manage the flow of conversation:
- Eye contact signals interest and attention; looking away may signal boredom or a desire to end the conversation
- Head nodding encourages the speaker to continue
- Pausing and changes in body orientation signal turn-taking — when it is the other person's turn to speak
- Raised hand in formal settings signals a desire to speak
3. Communicating Interpersonal Attitudes
NVC communicates how we feel about other people:
- Liking: smiling, eye contact, open posture, leaning forward, postural echo
- Disliking: avoiding eye contact, turning away, closed posture, frowning
- Dominance: direct stare, expansive posture, taking up space
- Submission: looking down, making the body smaller, avoiding direct gaze
4. Replacing Verbal Communication
Sometimes NVC completely replaces words:
- A nod replaces "yes"
- A wave replaces "hello" or "goodbye"
- A thumbs up replaces "good" or "well done"
- Sign language is a complete language system based entirely on non-verbal signals
5. Complementing Verbal Communication
NVC often accompanies and reinforces verbal messages:
- Saying "I'm so happy!" while smiling broadly — the NVC complements the verbal message
- Giving directions while pointing — the gesture clarifies the verbal instruction
6. Contradicting Verbal Communication
When verbal and non-verbal messages conflict, people tend to believe the non-verbal message:
- A student who says "I understand" while looking confused and frowning is likely not understanding
- Sarcasm relies on tone of voice contradicting the literal meaning of words
Argyle's Communication Theory
Michael Argyle (1988) proposed that NVC serves five key functions:
- Expressing emotions — facial expressions and body language convey our feelings
- Communicating interpersonal attitudes — NVC shows our attitude towards others (liking, dominance, etc.)
- Accompanying and supporting verbal communication — gestures and expressions complement speech
- Self-presentation — NVC helps us manage our image and how others perceive us (e.g. dressing professionally)
- Rituals — NVC is part of social rituals (e.g. shaking hands when meeting, bowing in some cultures)
flowchart TD
AR["Argyle 1988<br/>Functions of NVC"] --> F1[Expressing emotions]
AR --> F2["Communicating<br/>interpersonal attitudes"]
AR --> F3["Supporting<br/>verbal communication"]
AR --> F4[Self-presentation]
AR --> F5[Rituals]
F1 --> E1[Smiling, frowning]
F2 --> E2[Liking, dominance]
F3 --> E3[Pointing, gesturing]
F4 --> E4[Dress, posture]
F5 --> E5[Handshake, bowing]
NVC and Deception
Can NVC reveal when someone is lying? Research has investigated this:
Ekman's Research on Deception
Paul Ekman studied micro-expressions — very brief (lasting less than 0.5 seconds) facial expressions that reveal a person's true emotion before they can consciously control their expression.
- Micro-expressions are difficult to fake and may reveal deception
- However, detecting micro-expressions requires training and is not reliable enough for everyday use
- Most people are poor at detecting lies from non-verbal cues — they perform only slightly better than chance
The Problem with "Tell-Tale Signs"
Popular beliefs about non-verbal signs of lying (e.g. avoiding eye contact, fidgeting) are not reliable:
- People who are telling the truth may show these signs if they are nervous or anxious
- Skilled liars may deliberately control their non-verbal behaviour
- Cultural differences affect which non-verbal behaviours are associated with honesty or deception
Evaluation
Strengths
- NVC research has important practical applications (e.g. social skills training, counselling, policing)
- Understanding NVC functions helps improve interpersonal communication
- Research on universal expressions (Ekman) provides evidence for a biological basis for some NVC
Weaknesses
- NVC is often ambiguous — the same behaviour can mean different things in different contexts
- Cultural differences make universal claims about NVC functions problematic
- Research often studies NVC in isolation (e.g. photographs of facial expressions) rather than in dynamic social interactions
Key Points
- NVC serves six main functions: expressing emotions, regulating conversation, communicating attitudes, replacing words, complementing words, and contradicting words.
- When verbal and non-verbal messages conflict, people tend to trust the non-verbal message.
- Argyle (1988) identified five functions of NVC including self-presentation and rituals.
- Micro-expressions may reveal deception, but detecting lies from NVC alone is unreliable.
- NVC is influenced by culture, context, and individual differences.
Worked Study: Yuki, Maddux and Masuda (2007) — Functional Weighting of Face Features
Aim: to demonstrate that the function of NVC is culturally patterned by showing that Japanese and American observers give different diagnostic weight to the eyes and mouth, and that this difference has been externalised in the design of emoticons. The study was explicitly framed as a test of how display rules influence the functional use of facial NVC.
Procedure: Yuki et al. recruited 95 American and 118 Japanese university students. Each viewed computer-generated faces whose eyes and mouth were independently set to happy, neutral or sad, producing a 3 by 3 matrix of stimuli. Participants rated each face for happiness and sadness using a nine-point Likert scale. A second experiment replaced the faces with text emoticons, with independent eye and mouth characters, to test whether the pattern generalised to culturally grounded digital NVC.
Findings: when the eyes and mouth conflicted, American ratings tracked the mouth — a "smiling mouth, sad eyes" face was rated as happy — while Japanese ratings tracked the eyes — the same face was rated as sad. The emoticon experiment showed an equivalent cultural split. The effect was statistically reliable and symmetrical across the happiness and sadness dimensions.