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How Many Types of Nonverbal Communications Are There?

When people think of communication, they think of speech. But there are many ways people communicate without talking. Subtle nonverbal communication takes place hundreds of times each day, and many times people are not aware of it. According to expert Donnell King, these types of communication account for most human communication. There are roughly eight types of nonverbal communication.

Facial Expressions
- The facial expression for happiness is the same in all cultures.
  
  Facial expressions account for most nonverbal communication. There are 80 facial muscles, and there are over 7,000 possible facial expressions. Facial expressions communicating fear, sadness, anger and happiness are found to be the same across cultures.
Occulesics
- Henry Melville said, "the eyes are the gateway to the soul."
  
  Occulesics is the study of eye behavior as a form of communication. Blinking, looking and staring can communicate volumes. Lots of blinking coupled with pupil dilation indicates interest. Other emotions and qualities, such as honesty and attraction are communicated through our eyes.
Appearance
- A person's appearance tells a lot about her values and interests.
  
  Clothing, hair style, make-up, shoes, a purse, a briefcase, jewelry, a watch and many other belongings an individual wears or carries tell a great deal about the person. Colors chosen also play a role in this type of communication. Interests, beliefs, occupations, roles and values are all communicated by appearance.
Physical Attractiveness
- An attractive person is seen as being more friendly.
  
  Physical attractiveness is another way people communicate information about themselves. Whether or not a person is in good physical shape communicates values about health and beauty. Research shows attractive people get more jobs than unattractive people. Similarly, more positive qualities are attributed to attractive people, such as likability, honesty and friendliness.
Kinesics
- Body posture shows how a person feels.
  
  Kinesics is the study of the relationship between communication and body movements. Also known as "body language," movements such as shrugs and crossing your arms can communicate a good amount of information about your feelings and preferences. Other body movements, such as body posture, can also communicate an array of emotions.
Paralinguistics
- Crying is a nonverbal form of communication that paralinguists study.
  
  The study of vocal communication that is not actual language is called paralinguistics. Without saying an actual word, people can make sounds that indicate how they are feeling or what they are thinking. Moans, groans, laughter, crying and screaming are all examples of such nonverbal communication. The way in which we say things; that is, our tone of voice is also studied by paralinguists.
Proxemics
- Close proximity can show people like each other.
  
  How close or how far someone is to another person is proxemics. People usually have an area around them, called "personal space," where they do not feel comfortable with strangers entering. "Personal space" is different for everyone. How close or far away you stand next to someone can reveal how much you like the person.
Haptics
- Kisses are studied in haptics.
  
  Haptics, or the study of touch as a nonverbal form of communication, is popular in the field of health care. Touch can be therapeutic if done the right way at the right time. Like being physically close, touching can also indicate whether or not two people like each other. Some people do not like to be touched, while others do. Hugs, kisses and giving someone a massage are behaviors studied in haptics.

Nature