NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Nonverbal Communication

Exploring Dietitians' Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Skills for Effective Dietitian-Patient Communication by R. P. Cant & R. A. Aroni

There is less empirical evidence about patient communication conduct of dietitians with regards to nutrition education. In this two-phase study, the researchers examined the dietitians and patients perceptions. For the purpose, the study employed a purposive sample of 46 dietitians serving in community hospitals and private practice, and another sample of 34 adult patients in the same settings (Cant & Aroni 2008). Interview questionnaires were used to determine the practitioners' perceptions of their patient communication skills. The later part of the research dealt with a survey of Australian dietitians indicating the best communication practices and educational strategies. From the descriptive statistical analyses, the researchers found four communication competencies as most crucial in patient-practitioner communication. These communication strategies included counseling skill, non verbal communication, communication skills, and professional value. Communications was found to be critical in determining the quality of practitioner advice. The authors also found several sub-skills within each of the aforementioned competencies. This requires active management of issues through non-verbal sharing of implied messages (Cant & Aroni 2008). This entails aligning the perception and frame of reference to similar level for interpretation of messages in similar manner.. The findings of this study indicate that dietitians-patient relations depend heavily on the communication understanding and efficacies of the practitioner. The more effectively the practitioner used non-traditional communication mode like non verbal communication, the better the patient thought their dietitians helped them in their nutritional support education and recommendations (Cant & Aroni 2008).

Rapid Communication: The Nonverbal Communication Functions of Emoticons in Computer-Mediated Communication by Shao-Kang Lo.

There is substantial empirical evidence suggesting the absence of nonverbal communication cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC). However, the contemporary online modes are found to use emoticons as a device to inculcate the human factor in online communications. In the present research, emoticons were examined as quasi nonverbal cues. Although emoticons are mainly applied as verbal cues (as for instance(), their increasing use have made them as a way of non-verbal expression (Shao Lo 2008). With the increasing use of internet as a communication mode, the question of nonverbal element has been extensively raised. The researchers studied the efficacy of emoticons as a means to model nonverbal cues in the online modes like email and chat. In light of social presence theory and channel expansion theory, the researchers of this study explored how emotions and attitudes, expressed by emoticons, acted effectively. For the purpose, email and chat conversations (with and without emoticons) of a sample of online users were studied. The findings of the research indicate that communication that used emoticons were better perceived than communication without emoticons (Shao Lo 2008). The research reports that emoticons can significantly better the online communication through their quasi-nonverbal cues. Compared to plain text, verbal messages with emoticons can significantly improve the understanding of the receiver. The receiver is able to draw the context in which the message is being ...