Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication involves the conscious and unconscious processes of "encoding" and "decoding". Encoding is defined as our ability to express emotions in a way that can be accurately interpreted by the receiver(s). Decoding is called ""nonverbal sensitivity"”, defined as the ability to take this encoded emotion and interpret its meanings accurately to what the sender intended. Encoding is the act of generating information such as facial expressions, gestures, and postures. Encoding information utilizes signals which we may think to be universal. Decoding is the interpretation of information from received sensations given by the encoder. Decoding information utilizes knowledge one may have of certain received sensations. For example, in the picture above, the encoder holds up two fingers, and the decoder may know from previous experience that this means two. There are some ""decoding rules"," which state that in some cases a person may be able to properly assess some nonverbal cues and understand their meaning, whereas others might not be able to do so as effectively. Both of these skills can vary from person to person, with some people being better than others at one or both. These individuals would be more socially conscious and have better interpersonal relationships. An example of this would be with gender, woman are found to be better decoders than men since they are more observant of nonverbal cues, as well as more likely to use them.