Verbal Communication vs Nonverbal Communication

It is convenient to distinguish between nonverbal and verbal communication, just as it is to distinguish between decoding and encoding processes, but such distinctions can be misleading.

COMMUNICATION is a system, simultaneously engaging encoding and decoding processes. In social settings, we only occasionally speak, but we cannot “not behave.” To understand nonverbal communication it is necessary to appreciate the interdependence of the verbal and nonverbal components of simultaneous encoding and decoding processes.

An example of this interdependence may be seen in the cognitive processes directing verbal and nonverbal behavior. Both encoding and decoding can vary from being automatic to being reflective and deliberate, but verbal communication is typically more deliberate and cognitively demanding than is nonverbal communication.

Furthermore, if we assume that there are limited cognitive resources available for encoding and decoding verbal and nonverbal components, then changing the cognitive demands on any one process can affect other processes and the course of communication.

In general, to the extent that nonverbal processes require fewer cognitive resources than do verbal processes, nonverbal communication is more resilient than is verbal communication. Nevertheless, specific interpersonal goals can make the encoding of nonverbal behavior (e.g., a difficult impression management task) and the decoding of nonverbal behavior (e.g., looking for evidence of deception) less automatic and more cognitively demanding.

Understanding the dynamic relationships between encoding and decoding aspects of verbal and nonverbal behavior is a critical step in understanding the broader communicative process.