The Components of Nonverbal Communication to Remember and Master

Nonverbal communication is a complex process that involves a variety of components. Here's a comprehensive list of the main components of nonverbal communication, along with their sub-components:

Facial Expressions

1. Happiness: Smiling, laughing
2. Sadness: Frowning, crying
3. Anger: Furrowing brows, glaring
4. Surprise: Widening eyes, dropping jaw
5. Fear: Widening eyes, tensing body
6. Disgust: Scrunching nose, squinting eyes

Further Elaboration: 

Facial Expressions

• Happiness
• Smiling: Broad smile, closed smile, Duchenne smile (genuine smile involving the eyes)
• Laughing: Chuckling, giggling, hearty laugh, silent laugh
• Sadness
• Frowning: Lowered eyebrows, downturned mouth
• Crying: Teary eyes, sobbing, silent tears, whimpering
• Anger
• Furrowing brows: Lowered and drawn-together eyebrows
• Glaring: Intense, unwavering eye contact
• Tightening jaw: Clenched teeth, taut muscles in the jaw
• Surprise
• Widening eyes: Raised eyebrows, wide-open eyes
• Dropping jaw: Open mouth, slack jaw
• Quick intake of breath: Audible gasp, silent gasp
• Fear
• Widening eyes: Raised eyebrows, wide-open eyes
• Tensing body: Stiff posture, clenched fists
• Pale face: Loss of colour due to blood draining from the face
• Disgust
• Scrunching nose: Wrinkled nose, flared nostrils
• Squinting eyes: Narrowed eyes, averted gaze
• Curling lip: Raised upper lip, often showing teeth

Body Movements and Posture

1. Open posture: Arms and legs uncrossed, facing towards the other person
2. Closed posture: Arms and legs crossed, facing away from the other person
3. Dominant posture: Standing tall, expansive gestures
4. Submissive posture: Slouching, minimizing body size

Gestures

1. Illustrators: Gestures that accompany speech and illustrate what is being said
2. Emblems: Gestures that have a specific agreed-upon meaning
3. Regulators: Gestures used to control the flow of conversation
4. Adaptors: Gestures used to manage emotions

Eye Contact

1. Direct eye contact: Shows interest, engagement
2. Avoiding eye contact: Can indicate disinterest, discomfort, or deception
3. Prolonged eye contact: Can be interpreted as aggressive or intimate

Touch (Haptics)

1. Professional touch: Handshake, pat on the back
2. Social-polite touch: Brief touch on the arm or shoulder
3. Friendship-warmth touch: Hug, arm around the shoulder
4. Love-intimacy touch: Holding hands, kissing
5. Sexual-arousal touch: Intimate touch in a sexual context

Space (Proxemics)

1. Intimate distance: 0-18 inches, used for confidential exchanges
2. Personal distance: 1.5-4 feet, used for conversations among good friends or family members
3. Social distance: 4-12 feet, used for formal settings
4. Public distance: More than 12 feet, used for public speaking

Voice (Paralanguage)

1. Volume: Loudness or softness of voice
2. Pitch: Highness or lowness of voice
3. Rate: Speed at which one speaks
4. Tone: Emotional quality of voice
5. Pauses: Breaks in speech

Time (Chronemics)

1. Punctuality: Being on time for appointments
2. Willingness to wait: Shows patience and respect
3. Talk duration: Length of conversation

Physical Appearance

1. Clothing: Style, neatness, appropriateness
2. Grooming: Cleanliness, use of makeup or accessories
3. Body modifications: Tattoos, piercings

Environment

1. Setting: The physical surroundings where communication takes place
2. Objects: Personal items that can communicate aspects of identity

Each component can convey a wealth of information about a person's feelings, attitudes, and intentions. Understanding these components can greatly enhance one's ability to communicate effectively and interpret the nonverbal cues of others.