Nonveral Observation - Essay Example

Non-verbal Observation Non-verbal communication accounts for a large percentage of communication within a person’s daily life and consists of eye contact, facial expressions, kinesics (body movements, gestures and posture), tactile (touch), and proxemics (spatial messages). All of this non-verbal communication helps us to express and transmit information without words and taking notice of such forms of communication will help in making our own communication more successful. This paper will report on the observation of two people communicating over a period of ten minutes in order to take account of the non-verbal communication evident in the discourse.

The two people observed, both female, one estimated at 45 years of age and the other at 20 years of age, are having lunch in a small cafe within a large shopping mall. They were already seated at the table when I came into the cafe and were engrossed in conversation, while having already ordered their lunch, they are busy eating. The first thing I notice is that the two women are not sitting directly opposite each other as is usual at a table for two; instead they are sitting across from each other making them closer.

Even though they are close in proximity they are still leaning forward towards each other while conversing, even while eating, and their legs under the table are turned towards each other rather than directly in front of them; the younger of the two has her knees crossed but still leaning towards the older woman. They maintain a lot of eye contact and seem to recognize when the other is about to speak before they speak. They seem to know from the other’s gesture or eye contact that they have something to say.

Their facial expressions connote a closeness and feeling of warmth and understanding and there is an apparent intimacy illustrated by their constant touching either by a hand on the shoulder or a touch on the arm. They even share their food by passing their fork, ladled with tidbits from their plate for the other to taste, and when the older woman is obviously not able to finish her meal the younger woman finishes it for her, taking the knife and fork that the other woman used with the plate and uses them herself.. The younger woman appears to be more dominant while the older woman seems to be more appeasing.

She tends to stop what she is saying in order for the younger woman to speak; the same does not seem to happen in reverse. Both women appear to be happy with ample conversation to share even though the younger woman is holding the floor more often than the older woman. At one point it appears the younger woman may have a problem because her eyes tend to look down at her plate and her conversation slows; at the same time the older woman is not taking the floor but instead she appears to be waiting for the other to speak.

Her gestures which are slow and endearing convey a sense of caring and empathy and she seems to lower her eyes in respect for the younger woman’s emotion and a soft frown appears but then is replaced by a small grin and then a larger smile. The issue seems to be resolved and conversation continues with vigor. Neither women are sitting up very straight as they would in a formal situation and instead are relaxed and quite slumped in their chairs, moving around quite considerably as they exchange conversation.

In conclusion I would assume that these two women are mother and daughter rather than work colleagues or friends. Even though friends or work colleagues could portray a similar sense of caring I do not think it would compare with what is evident between these two women. .