Demonstrative_Communication

Demonstrative Communication ACC/280 April 15, 2013 Demonstrative Communication Individuals have numerous ways to communicate with others. Communication styles include verbal communication, nonverbal, written, and unwritten communication. Demonstrative communication is included in nonverbal and unwritten communications and includes communication types such as facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, etc. A number of elements can affect the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a message in a positive or negative way, depending on how the message is interpreted by the receiver from the sender. The elements of demonstrative communication are still present in the conversation between the sender and the receiver, whether the sender intentionally communicates using the elements or not. The elements can affect the effectiveness of the message in the conversation positively or negatively, depending on who is sending and who is receiving the message. The elements include chronemics, proxemics, kinesics, hapics, vocalics, and personal style (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). One element of demonstrative communication that occurs is proxemics, which is referred to as the distance between the sender and receiver of the message. This element can greatly affect the message of the communication, especially in different cultures and countries. There are four different distances for four different types of communications: intimate messages have a distance from touching each other to about a foot and a half, personal messages have a distance of a foot and a half to four feet, social messages are four feet to 12 feet apart, and public messages are delivered more than 12 feet apart, but the environment and culture also factors into the distance. The United States differs from most other countries in the communication department because those countries exchange messages nearer to each other, regardless of what information the message contains (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). The second element that can greatly affect a message is kinesics. This element addresses an individual’s body language, such as posture, gestures, orientation, and facial expressions. The element of kinesics can seriously affect a message in a positive and negative way, depending on the body language associated with the message. Kinesics differs greatly from culture to culture and what is acceptable in one culture can offend people in another culture. A positive message can be affected by negatively displayed kinesics. A negative message can mislead the receiver by positive kinesics. Also, depending on the culture, a visitor can affect a message negatively by inappropriate facial expressions, eye contract, hand gestures, and body language (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). Vocalics is the third element of demonstrative communication that can affect the message sent between a sender and a receiver. A person’s tone of voice, rate, pitch, selection of words, volume, etc. can negatively affect the message delivered between two people because the vocalics could change the meaning of the message. Again, the culture a person is from often dictates the vocalics used in a conversation (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). A fourth element is personal style in demonstrative communication. This is a very important element, especially in any society. People have different ways of expressing themselves and the way they live their lives. Society is quick to stereotype people depending on their weight, clothing, and more, but especially body alterations. A person who is covered in tattoos and has numerous piercings may be a doctor, but outside that health care setting, society and those who may not know him may define him as weirdo, creep, strange, etc. As the years go on, more people are beginning to express themselves through tattoos, piercings, hair styles, and more, so it is not as uncommon but there are people who still stereotype and do not give those individuals the chance to show who they truly are (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). Demonstrative communication involves listening and responding and those two concepts are very important. When someone changes the way he or she is acting or speaking, a person who is receiving the message and is listening should respond accordingly to determine why the sender changed their demonstrative communication. Often times, a person may not realize he or she has changed his or her demonstrative communication and if the receiver brings the change to the person’s attention, perhaps the sender will explain the change. Sometimes the only way a sender realizes the way he or she is communicating and has changed the way he or she is communicating is by the way the receiver of the message responds. That can only occur if the receiver is listening and responding to not only the verbal message but also the nonverbal message (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). Demonstrative communication is just as important as verbal communication. A person can often put into words what he or she thinks the receiver of the message will want to hear, but demonstrative communication can enhance or harm that message, thus making the message effective or ineffective. A close listener can respond to the nonverbal communication and act accordingly. References Cheesebro, T., O’Connor, L., & Rios, F. (2010). Communicating in the workplace. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.