Adeola Abdulateef Elega

2.5.1 Types of Non-verbal Communication 
It is viewed that nonverbal communication is as viable as using words to 
communicate. The importance of nonverbal communication cannot be jilted so as 
verbal communication which makes them both very important for effective 
communication. Verbal communication is all about communication with words while 
nonverbal communication is basically a move from words to other form of 
communication which makes you give full concentration to actions. Actions here 
may include facial expressions; eye contact, personal space and, silence, signs and 
symbols, clothing etc. Adamo (2011) submits that clothing is a form of nonverbal 
communication and also it is an identity in measure of who you are, what you do and 
where you are. A reflection of clothing is what comes to your mind when you see the 
uniform of a police officer, his rank, his sex and his class is a message his dress gives 
to you. Clothing makes you attribute meaning to things. It is a sort of a message 

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itself, it speaks and makes you know the difference between a medical student and a 
medical doctor. It gets you an inside information at a glance at a particular point in 
time. For instance, when you see an African on black dress in a sorrowful situation, it 
addresses the possible question on your mind of why are they wearing this? The 
dress makes you give an immediate personal judgment to certain social situations; 
you clearly conclude that he/she is a mourner (Adamo, G.E, 2011 p.8). 
Nonverbal communication can be more understood in categories since we have quite 
a number of them; so many scholars have done this. They have categorized 
nonverbal communication in different groups. Fast (1970) grouped nonverbal 
communication into signs and symbols, proxemics, kinesics, chronemics, 
paralanguage, silence, haptics, clothing and physical appearance, olfactics and 
oculesics.