You Meant What? How Nonverbal Behaviors Add Meaning to Communication

• In Event: G.I.F.T.S. Session III

Abstract

Students often assume that the nonverbal component of a message is not as important as the verbal component. Having students find specific nonverbal behaviors to portray various meanings of a specific statement/question helps them see how nonverbal communication adds meaning to messages. Follow-up discussion of how these messages were portrayed also emphasizes how some nonverbal behaviors can add more meaning than others.

Author

• Melissa Plew, Georgia State University