4.3 Identify and explain the seven nonverbal communication codes.

Ekman and Friesen provided the primary codes or categories of nonverbal behavior, which are enacted differently by people depending on their cultural background.

Each code has been researched extensively and applied to different contexts and relationships. The seven primary codes include the following:

• Appearance: Body size, shape, skin color and texture, hairstyle, clothing, and other appearance aspects (artifacts)

provide protection for our bodies, convey our identity, and communicate our culture.

• Kinesics includes human movements, gestures, and posture.

• Eye contact conveys interest and credibility and is an important nonverbal cue within most cultures.

• Facial expressions reveal our emotions.

• Touch (haptics) is the most powerful nonverbal cue but also the most complex because of the potential for misunderstanding.

• The voice (paralanguage or vocalics) communicates our thoughts, our emotions, and the nature of our relationships.

• The physical environment, space (proxemics), and how we delineate and protect that space (territoriality) are important nonverbal cues.

How to Interpret Nonverbal Cues More Accurately