Language Experiment

I chose not to tell my subject that I was conducting an experiment.  I wanted to get honest reactions from them. 

For the first part of the experiment I only used non-verbal vocalization, hand signs, body language, etc.   While my subject carried on a conversation I never said a word.    This portion of the experiment was easy.   It is amazing how easy it is to communicate without words, especially when you are with someone chatty.   For the most part the subject did not even notice that I was not speaking.  They had assumed that I was distracted and so slowly the conversation fizzled out.

In a situation where two cultures are meeting for the first time, I can imagine that the person with the ability to speak is the most able to communicate complex ideas.  The culture that can speak would without doubt feel a sort of disconnect with the culture that could not speak and perhaps would not regard them as equals. 

There are those in our culture that cannot hear and so do not speak audibly our symbolic language.  I have interacted directly with such persons.  Non-verbal communication goes a long way in getting a point across.  Hand gestures, smiling, and eye-contact all assure the person that they are respected and welcome.  As long as both parties are patient, communication is relatively easy.  Only basic ideas can be communicated though.  Complex ideas are lost and need language, either written or spoken.

For the second part of the conversation, when I spoke audibly but hindered my body-language, I was not able to last the full fifteen minutes.    It was difficult not to use my hands, or to express emotions on my face.  My partner in conversation felt unsure, confused, and somewhat uncomfortable that I was not offering body-language or assuring tones in my voice.  My speech seemed more serious or perhaps disconnected to the conversation at hand.  My subject felt that I was disinterested or even in a bad mood and the conversation ended.

I think that non-verbal communication is essential and the tone of our voice communicates volumes of information to our companions in conversation.  There is a saying that 90 percent of our communication is non-verbal.  When we use hand gestures, posture, and facial expressions those listening to and watching us feel assured that we like them, that we are genuinely interested in talking to them, that we accept them, etc.  This strongly affects our ability to form bonds and build trust.

There are people that have difficulty reading emotions in others (autism spectrum disorders) and it can be as if they are missing out on part of the conversation taking place.  They may not be able to understand the way others feel.  I cannot fathom any environment where not reading body language could be beneficial.  I actually found it easier to communicate non-verbally than I did verbally without body language.