Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

Accenting is a form of nonverbal communication that emphasizes a word or a part of a message. The
word or part of the message accented might change the meaning of the message. Accenting can be
accomplished through multiple types of nonverbal behaviors. Gestures paired with a word can provide
emphasis, such as when an individual says, “no (slams hand on table), you don’t understand me.” By
slamming the hand on a table while saying “no,” the source draws attention to the word. Words or
phrases can also be emphasized via pauses. Speakers will often pause before saying something important.
Your professors likely pause just before relaying information that is important to the course content.
Repeating
Nonverbal communication that repeats the meaning of verbal communication assists the receiver by
reinforcing the words of the sender. Nonverbal communication that repeats verbal communication may
stand alone, but when paired with verbal communication, it servers to repeat the message. For example,
nodding one’s head while saying “yes” serves to reinforce the meaning of the word “yes,” and the word
“yes” reinforces the head nod.
Regulating
Regulating the flow of communication is often accomplished through nonverbal behavior
communication. Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen state that regulators are “acts which maintain and
regulate the back-and-forth nature of speaking and listening between two or more interactions” (1969,
p. 82). You may notice your friends nodding their heads when you are speaking. Nodding one’s head
is a primary means of regulating communication. Other behaviors that regulate conversational flow
are eye contact, moving or leaning forward, changing posture, and eyebrow raises, to name a few. You
may also have noticed several nonverbal behaviors people engage in when trying to exit a conversation.
These behaviors include stepping away from the speaker, checking one’s watch/phone for the time, or
packing up belongings. These are referred to as leave-taking behaviors. Without the regulating function
of nonverbal behaviors, it would be necessary to interrupt conversational content to insert phrases such as
“I have to leave.” However, when interactants fail to recognize regulating behavior, verbal communication
will be used instead.
Substituting
At times, nonverbal behavior serves to replace verbal communication altogether. Substituting nonverbal
behaviors must be understood within a context more often than not. For example, a friend may ask you
what time it is, and you may shrug your shoulders to indicate you don’t know. At other times, your friend
may ask whether you want pizza or sushi for dinner, and you may shrug your shoulders to indicate you
don’t care or have no preference.
are a specific type of substituting nonverbal behavior that have direct verbal translation.
Emblems may generally be understood outside of the context in which they are used. Some highly
recognizable emblems in the U.S. culture are the peace sign and the okay sign. Emblems are a generally
understood concept and have made their way into popular culture. The term “emblem” may not be
applied within popular culture. In the popular television show, Friends, the main characters Ross and
Monica are siblings. Ross and Monica are forbidden to “flip the bird” to each other, so they make up
their own “emblem,” which involves holding one’s palms upward in a fist and bumping the outside of the
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Interpersonal Communication