The Seven Channels of Nonverbal Communication

Emotion and Gesture Channels

To perform a scientific and accurate analysis of nonverbal language, it is not enough to look at just one aspect; we must study seven distinct channels of communication. The first channel is the Universal Facial Expressions.

These comprise the seven basic emotions identified cross-culturally: joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise and contempt.

The second channel is Gestures, which refer specifically to hand movements.

These fall into several categories: emblems, which are gestures with direct cultural meaning; illustrators, which accompany and give emphasis to speech; regulators, which we use to manage speaking turns in a conversation; displays of affection, which express feelings; and adaptors (or appeasers), which are gestures we make to reassure ourselves.

Body and Appearance Channels

The third channel is Postures. This channel analyzes how we position our body in space, which reveals power dynamics.

There are positions of power, which are expansive and seek to occupy more territory, and positions of inferiority, which are contractive and seek to occupy less space.

The fourth channel is Appearance. Our dress and grooming are crucial in generating credibility, authority and influencing first impressions.

A social experiment showed that people were willing to believe completely false news if the person communicating it was wearing a suit and holding a microphone, but dismissed the same information if the person was dressed casually.

Space and Contact Channels

The fifth channel is Haptics, which corresponds to the study of physical contact (touch). Touch is deeply associated with human warmth and connection.

Several studies have shown that a brief and appropriate physical contact, such as lightly touching a customer's arm, can significantly increase tips received.

Similarly, another study found that library patrons perceived a librarian as friendlier if she brushed their arm, even if she did not smile at all.

The sixth channel is Proxemics, the study of how we use personal space.

We all have an invisible personal territory, and its invasion by strangers makes us uncomfortable.

This space is divided into zones (intimate, personal, social and public), and its acceptable size varies according to culture and population density.

The Nonverbal Auditory Channel

The seventh and last channel is the Paralanguage. This channel does not analyze what we say (the words), but how we say it. It includes the study of the pitch, volume and speed of the voice.

The power of this channel is immense; one study found that people could predict with high accuracy which doctors were most likely to be sued for malpractice based only on listening to a few seconds of their tone of voice.

Public figures often receive training to modulate their paralanguage, for example, using a lower pitch and slower pace, to project greater authority and leadership.

Summary

Nonverbal analysis requires studying seven distinct channels. The first is Universal Facial Expressions, such as joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise and contempt.

The second channel is Gestures (hand movements). The third is Postures, which reveal power dynamics. The fourth channel is Appearance (dress and grooming).

The remaining channels are: Haptics (the study of touch), Proxemics (use of personal space) and Paralanguage (tone, volume and speed of voice).