Decide on a topic in interpersonal communication that you feel is Essay

Decide on a topic in interpersonal communication that you feel is important, that you are interested in, curious about, or that you find to be controversial in - Essay Example It is largely controlled by the sub-conscious mind and small gestures can reveal the true feelings. Facial expressions, eye behavior, gestures and posture express emotions, feelings and attitudes, which sometimes even words cannot. Body language is extensively used in everyday life and has a central effect on the situation. This paper will discuss the impact that body language as a tool for interpersonal communication has in counseling and work settings. Albert Mehrabian determined that when taking in what someone is saying, 7% is attributable to verbal communication, 38% to tone of voice and 55% to facial expression and body language (Marketing, 2006). He observed that the way people use their body language is crucial in communication of information. Gabbot & Hogg (2000) assert that underlying the evaluation of any human exchange is a complex language of behaviors, which communicate meaning and provide a message on which evaluations are based. This language is non-verbal and has great importance in every interpersonal relationship. Non-verbal communication invariably and involuntarily takes place between two people when they face each other. Gabbot & Hogg classify non-verbal communication into four broad categories – proxemics (use of personal space and distance), kinesics (body postures and movements), oculesics (eye contact, gaze and movement), and vocalics (vocal tone and intonation). All these forms of non-verbal communication convey meanings which need to be interpreted during an exchange. Body language is a crucial communication tool, yet few people are well-versed in it. It has a significant impact on people’s perception even before we speak. It generates physical and emotional responses to people and situations in life. According to Ray Birdswhistell, professor of research in anthropology at Temple University and author of numerous books on body language, 65 to 90 percent of every conversation is interpreted