Section 2.3. The external manifestations of non-verbal codes in a conflict situation

Both verbal and nonverbal means are signs in their nature, they perform basic functions of communication - informative, expressive and pragmatic. But if the verbal signs are mainly conventional symbols, i.e. they are unmotivated and represent reality, the non-verbal signs, such as gestures and facial expressions are indexical signs, unmotivated signals about feelings, emotions, and evaluative attitude. For example, frowning signals about dissatisfaction, disagreement, doubt, etc. Conventional symbols that represent reality and the evaluative attitude (e.g., movements of the head as positive or negative responses) do not have the motivation as well. Only the iconic signs that mimic the shape or size of objects are motivated.

Simultaneous use of verbal and nonverbal means is motivated by the desire to specify the information, make it more expressive and meaningful to influence the recipient. Despite the fact that non-verbal means occupy secondary place in communication, their impact has greater efficiency. For example, a sales agent praises his goods and at the same time his expression and posture indicates that he likes the client – there are two streams of information in which words are perceived consciously, and nonverbal behavior of the agent is perceived unconsciously, but it has the desired impact on the customer provided by the communicative setting. Simultaneous use of expressions and gestures can be observed in the expression of feelings and emotions. [Makhlina, 2005]

The preceding use of some kinematic movement functions as a prediction of a communicative setting. For example, having the intention to share some confidential information with another person, the speaker leans forward or sideways, reducing the distance between them, and says: «I have a confidential conversation». Nonverbal behavior predicts verbal information. The fact that the words are preceded by gestures is sometimes caused by the fact that it is easier for a speaker to select a gesture than a word because lexical items are much more numerous. Psychological experiments have shown that some of our gestures (especially self-adaptive) are associated with difficulties in speech production. It was therefore concluded that the gestures are the kind of programming lexis in the speech; they help to anticipate even an unspoken thought. Studies have shown that informative function of the use of gestures is actualized in different ways. Gestures that inform about the objects or their properties are usually correlated with a particular word or a brief statement. For example, a fisherman, telling about a «biiiig fish», raises his hands to the sides, showing its size. But sometimes it is accompanied by a series of gestures so as to see the speaker’s thought his reasoning and evaluation.

The study of the interaction of verbal and nonverbal means detects certain patterns in the coordination of gestures and different parts of speech, gestures and syntactic of expressions, interesting mutual enrichment processes of verbal and nonverbal items – all of them are included in the actual linguistic aspect of the problem. [Hall, E., 1995]

Situational variables of communication play an important role in the actualization of social differentiation and varying: proxemics (Latin for «closest») - a distance that is installed between the communicants during intercourse; orientation - a certain position, the position of the speaker towards the listener, and vice versa; the time factor (duration of the gaze, handshake); the sequence (who first began to bow or held out his hand). The preservation of a certain distance between communicants is clearly normalized in different social groups and society as a whole due to specific cultural and genetic areas, each with their own traditions. Differentiation happens due to social status, communicative roles, gender and a little bit due to age. The time factor may be an indicator of social differentiation - what pauses the speaker makes between sentences, how long he waits for a response from the partner, whether he interrupts or not. It is noticed that when a superior speaker nods in response, the subordinate, encouraged by the attention, uses large statements. Situational variables in business contacts related to the scope of public relations receive particular importance. It is important to know what position should be taken during the formal or informal conversation, in which direction one should look at a partner (directly from the side, top to bottom, bottom to top), what kind of atmosphere should be in the office, where the office owner should sit and where the visitor, etc. It is difficult to distinguish between the actual components of nonverbal communication and behavioral etiquette prescribed by social norms. When functioning independently non-verbal means, as well as the words, convey a complete sense, that is, form a complete sentence. These statements may be interpreted by verbal means, for example, pointing the finger at an object in order to specify its location – «over there», calling someone by the bent forefinger – «Come here»; looking at the door – «Let's go out». A specific sequence of gestures with appropriate posture and facial expressions can make non-verbal discourse, for example: a woman stands before a guilty little boy, in an pose of resentment, «hands on hips», and then threatens him with her finger, then, putting her finger to her head, twists it several times and finally makes an imperious gesture pointing at the door. The verbal version of it is: «What have you done! How many times have I warned you! How could you come up with such nonsense! Get out of here!» [Kreydlin, 1997]

Dittmann has suggested that non-verbal behavior is a way to guess how a person feels at the moment. In his opinion, non-verbal messages are often different from the verbal and the coincidences and discrepancies between them may help to guess what's going on at any given time of the conversation. Dittmann believed that the important hints in non-verbal communication can be detected faster than in words, as people often react before they are able to express it in words. Kagan and his colleagues focused on non-verbal behavior. Basing on the observations of their clients during the counseling they have come to conclusion that allowed to build the scheme of a non-verbal behavior. Looking through taped interviews with clients, they found out that in some critical moments of the interview clients often use non-verbal behavior as an important hint of their feelings and ideas. The typology developed on the basis of this study includes three main elements: a source of non-verbal behavior, the realizing of communication and the duration of non-verbal behavior.

On the basis of his study Ekman suggested a general theory of non-verbal behavior, which includes models and categories that help to describe forms of nonverbal behavior. First of all, Ekman listed the prevailing circumstances, which must be taken into account by a consultant while observing the non-verbal communication.

1. External conditions (e.g., the environment) and other circumstances (e.g., emotional tone of cooperation).

2. The relation between nonverbal and verbal behavior (e.g., what a nonverbal action is used for: for illustration, supplement, repeating or negation?).

3. The level of client’s awareness of the fact that he produces or has produced a kind of non-verbal action.

4. The intention of a client to express one’s feelings by nonverbal means.

5. External feedback (how does the consultant use the information provided by the client?).

6. The type of provided information (Is it unique or general?) [Ekman, P., 2007]

Psychologists have paid much attention to the issue of codes and information coding.

Feigenberg and Asmolov believe that «non-verbal communication is mostly an expression of semantic sphere of the individual. It is a direct channel of personal meaning». According to this thesis, they explain the «failure of numerous attempts to create a code dictionary, discrete alphabet of the language of nonverbal communication ... Inability to implement simultaneous dynamic semantic systems of an individual in discrete indifferent meanings” and convince that “the search for discrete formalized vocabularies of gestures, body movements are doomed to failure” [Asmolov AG, EI Feigenberg, 2003].