Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is multimodal and multifunctional in nature and examined from disparate disciplines with differing assumptions and methodologies. Regardless of approach, nonverbal communication serves many functions and is closely linked to how we feel about our relationships with others and how we manage those relationships. Nonverbal behaviors are implicated in messages of intimacy, arousal and composure, dominance, formality, and task or social orientation. A study examining nonverbal communication must consider several critical elements such as the granularity of the data, whether the investigation will be experimental, how to gain access to the data, and who will provide the data.