Meaning and usefulness of nonverbal communication in interpersonal contact

Marko Kerovec (2014) Meaning and usefulness of nonverbal communication in interpersonal contact. Diploma thesis.

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Abstract

This diploma thesis tries to encapsulate a part of the communications process, which is noticed by all but a lot of times overlooked – nonverbal part of messages. In theoretical part I describe differences between verbal and nonverbal part of communication. Furthermore I describe biological and emotional components that influence nonverbal communication. Then I divided nonverbal communication on basic elements that most of the reaserchers talk about. And these elements are: proxemics, kinesics, touch, voice and time. Then I tried to summarize basic meanings that individual nonverbal code can have in the communication process. Afterwards I tried to install nonverbal communication in social pedagogy discourse and I tried to give recommendations for the usage of nonverbal communication in guidance counselor process. In empirical part I carried out qualitative research, in which I carried out and recorded five individual narative biographical interviews with adolescents, which I interpreted on the basis of non-verbal codes that are presented in the theoretical part of diploma thesis. The key findings were that the nonverbal communication is always present, evident and function as a whole, but it is specific for each individual. Therefore, it is difficult to attribute a specific meaning, but it is possible to discern common gestures which participants of my research used it for the same purposes – to calm itself and to hold back itself. Likewise, I noticed affect displays (on faces) in all of the participants, on the basis of which I could conclude about co-speaker attitudes towards the subject of a conversation. At the same time nonverbal communication has been changing during the conversation according to a topic of a conversation. In the end I conclude that with observation of nonverbal communication we can see the message that would otherwise remain hidden

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