How to Understand Nonverbal Cues

Tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and body posture are all part of nonverbal communication. This nonverbal language is crucial in one-on-one and group settings to conveying your message effectively and receiving messages from others.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Notice overall signals. The way someone dresses and habits of grooming can convey clues about who they are, or how they wish to be perceived.

2. Pay attention to posture. This means more than just whether someone sits up straight. Leaning forward expresses interest in interacting with you. Turning away could mean that they do not want to continue the conversation.

3. Understand gestures. Some people pepper their conversation with hand motions to emphasize or enhance their verbal meaning. Gestures often convey the emotional intensity behind words.

4. Tune in to vocal tone. When a speaker's voice becomes high-pitched, it usually indicates excitement or other emotional intensity. Lowering the voice may mean that the speaker is trying to appear more authoritative or influence you as a listener.

5. Watch the expression. Movements of the face, especially the eyebrows, can tell you how someone is reacting to you. If her brows furrow and turn down, she probably dislikes or distrusts you or what you are saying. Wide eyes indicate interest, surprise or excitement.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch carefully when conversing with others, but remember to listen as well to get the whole message.
• Recognize that some nonverbal signals are completely beyond control. Involuntary laughs, cries, blushes and other biological reactions can tell you what a person is feeling even when his words don't.
• Some people are dificult to read. Standard cues may be contradictory when reading them. Seek to build the type of relationship with these people where you can ask they intention--to gain clarity of their body language.

Resources

• Look up confusing cues in the Nonverbal Dictionary.
• Get more information at ChangingMinds.org.