Which term describes Nonverbal Communication?

• A. Verbal Communication
• B. Paraverbal Communication
• C. Nonverbal Communication
• D. Supportive Stance

Answer: (C)

Nonverbal communication describes all messages we send without using words—facial expressions, body language, posture, gestures, eye contact, and the space we share. In NVCI contexts, these cues help you sense someone's emotional state and readiness for safe intervention, often signaling more than spoken words. Paraverbal cues like tone, pace, and volume are related because they influence how a message is received, but they focus on how words are delivered rather than on content alone, so they’re a specific aspect within nonverbal delivery rather than the broad category itself. Verbal communication, by contrast, concerns the actual words used, not the nonword signals. A supportive stance is one example of nonverbal behavior, not the umbrella term for all nonword messages. For describing the overall channel of messages conveyed without words, the term that fits best is nonverbal communication.