How much do we communicate through body language?

[Mr. T]

I've been wondering about something that's usually taken on face value that as far as I can tell doesn't really even have a scientific basis. That would be quotes such as these:

Studies show that during interpersonal communication
7% of the message is verbally communicated
While 93% is non-verbally transmitted.

The numbers usually vary depending on whoever says it typically at 90% or 99% of whatever.

I've always taken issue with it though because even though I don't doubt that facial expression and posture has alot to do with communicating, I can't for the life of me think of how that significant a percentage of our communication is non-verbal.

So do percentages like these have any basis in fact or was it just a brainbug that ended up being repeated over and over until it was seen as fact?

[sketerpot]

I don't see any way you could possibly quantify something as vague as "interpersonal communication", although I can see someone making a half-assed attempt and getting meaningless but impressive-sounding numbers which would then be widely repeated by people without proper bullshit filters.

[Wicked Pilot]

I don't see any way you could possibly quantify something as vague as "interpersonal communication", although I can see someone making a half-assed attempt and getting meaningless but impressive-sounding numbers which would then be widely repeated by people without proper bullshit filters.

Watch me count down from a hundred:

100..86..72..58..44..30..15..1..0

The rest of the numbers where body language.

[the wicked prince]

It is very significant. At a glance I would not disagree with the 90+%, despite the existence of written language. A most glaring example is flirting. The most subtle movements and posture convey a world of meaning

[B5B7]

And one simple word - No - conveys an exactly opposite meaning [or may be more detailed "piss off freak"].
It varies with circumstances - on the net [or telephone or written word] it has 0 effect as Wicked Pilot mentioned.
If you are in an isolated field, with no buildings or other people around and a man with a dagger in his hand is rushing towards you, you can be pretty sure he's not searching for a sandwich to cut to share with you.

In oral communication, each moment the % will vary - it is pointless to allocate some overall single %. Even if one did, 90% body language is ridiculously exaggerated. It definitely seems related to the well-known brainbug that we only use 10% of our brain (& sometimes with the added detail to attempt to give it verisimilitude that Einstein said this).

[B5B7]

Just as words can be misinterpreted or lie, so can body language.
One can even have the meaning of a piece of body language turned totally around by some simple words. For example, imagine that in my example of the man rushing towards you with a dagger, he suddenly called out "beware of that cougar about to ambush you". [and you do see that a cougar stealthily getting near you ready to leap]. In that case, words are trumping "body language". Better examples can be thought of with some further thought by anyone of you.

[Frank Hipper]

When someone is walking towards you and they're pissed off, how do you know they're pissed off if they don't tell you?

The numbers in the OP are most likely highly exagerated, but I think we pick up more through body language than we give credit for.

[Mange]

When someone is walking towards you and they're pissed off, how do you know they're pissed off if they don't tell you?

The numbers in the OP are most likely highly exagerated, but I think we pick up more through body language than we give credit for.

Of course, otherwise there wouldn't be any psychics.

[Sarevok]

Maybe body language is more trusted by people. They are less likely to consider a physical gesture as a lie than words.

[Ariphaos]

I've always taken issue with it though because even though I don't doubt that facial expression and posture has alot to do with communicating, I can't for the life of me think of how that significant a percentage of our communication is non-verbal.

So do percentages like these have any basis in fact or was it just a brainbug that ended up being repeated over and over until it was seen as fact?

The thing those surveys ignore is word choice and situational analysis.

So if the former is considered non-verbal, yeah, sure, I'd buy those figures. Choice of words says a lot about a person.

[Wyrm]

Gestures are more likely to be a second thought when someone sets to the task of manipulating someone else.

Also, there's a conflation between the actual amount of information you communicate through your gestures and mannerisms and the weight given that information. Appearing timid and fumbling with your fingers only conveys that information to the listener/observer, but it poisons their entire impression of your speech.

(As to the "humans only use 10% of their brain" brainbug, it's likely a miscommunication of the fact that glial cells outnumber neurons by 10 to 1. You use only about 10% of your brain mass to think, but then, only about 10% of your brain is capable of thinking. The rest is supporting substrate.)

[Larz]

I think they come up with that exaggerated number because they're not making a differentiation between communicating an idea/point versus conveying emotional state. I'm sure the people running these studies just lump all physical cues as "physical communication" rather than differentiating between the subject actually trying to communicate a point using physical cues versus them just sitting around looking bored, agitated, etc.

[Wicked Pilot]

The more I chew on this the more it taste bad. If these 90+% numbers are to be believed, then talking on the phone would be next to impossible. And if you where blind then you're just plain fucked.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

The version I heard was roughly 70% body movement, 20% tone and 10% words. To be frank, I reckon those weren't meant to be scientific numbers but rather, were used to convey the importance of interpersonal communication dynamics. Obviously, if you're talking on the phone, the conversation would depend only on the two latter factors. Taking those numbers above, that would make the phone conversation 67% tone and 33% words.

[Wyrm]

The version I heard was roughly 70% body movement, 20% tone and 10% words. To be frank, I reckon those weren't meant to be scientific numbers but rather, were used to convey the importance of interpersonal communication dynamics. Obviously, if you're talking on the phone, the conversation would depend only on the two latter factors. Taking those numbers above, that would make the phone conversation 67% tone and 33% words.

How we they measuring meaning? Whether the people speaking were believed, or how much information actually got through? I could believe that more outgoing body language can make people more inclined to believe what you're saying, but the outgoing body language conveying most of the meaning? C'mon. According to these studies, 70% of linear algebra is learned through gestures.

[Wyrm]

Ghetto Edit: I shouldn't have quoted Pinto. He basically agrees with me.

[Edi]

The 70/20/10 division is the one I've heard cited elsewhere and iirc has actually some data and analysis to back it up unless my memory significantly fails me. Obviously, this is rather irrelevant if we're talking about completely unambiguous things like reciting facts, but for situations which aren't completely clear-cut, the body language and tone of voice starts to play a surprisingly large role.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

This is one of the reasons why I love the conversation between Jango Fett and Obi-Wan. The central messages conveyed was done almost completely by body movements, facial expressions and tone.

[Sriad]

Body language is very important, but those numbers are crap.

If I were saying this in person with sweeping hand movements, would you receive 11 times as much message?

I could believe 50 or 60% (I think pretty much every day I see sarcastic of satiric post misunderstood) but as Wicked Pilot mentioned the blind don't have to be told things 10 times before they understand.

[Lord Pounder]

I wouldn't give it anything as high as 90% and i've argued the point with customer service trainers. Tone + BL i can see easily being as much as 80%