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Non-verbal Aspects of Aggression, Assertion, and Non-assertion

Non-verbal behaviour refers to all the observable aspects of behaviour that
accompany speech, apart from the words themselves. These are:
Voice: The tone: sarcastic or sincere; warm or cold; rich and expressive
or dull and flat.
Volume: shouting; barely audible; or medium volume
Speech pattern: Slow, hesitant, fast, jerky, abrupt or steady even pace
Facial expression:
Brow: wrinkled or smooth

Eyebrows: wrinkled or smooth
Jaw: set firm or relaxed
Eye contact: Whether the speaker looks at other people or the
surroundings and for how long

Body movement:
Movement with individual parts of the body (for example, head
and hands)
Movement and position of the whole body
The following table discusses the various non-verbal aspects of aggressive,
assertive, and non-assertive behaviours:

Table 13.2 Non-verbal Aspects of Aggressive, Assertive, and Non-assertive Behaviours
Non-assertive Assertive Aggressive
Voice Sometimes ‘wobbly’. Steady and firm. Very firm.
Tone may be ‘singsong Tone is middle range, rich Tone is sarcastic and
or whining’. Over-soft or and warm. Sincere and sometimes
over-warm. clear. ‘cold’.
Often dull and in Not over-loud or quiet. Hard and sharp. Strident,
monotone. Quiet, often maybe shouting, rises at
drops away at end. end.
Speech Hesitant and filled with Fluent, few awkward Fluent, few awkward
pattern pauses. hesitancies. hesitancies Often abrupt,
Sometimes jerks from fast Emphasizes key ‘clipped’. Emphasizes
to slow. Frequent throat Words. blaming words. Often fast.
clearing. Steady, even paced.
Facial ‘Ghost’ smiles when Smiles when pleased. Smile may become ‘wry’.
expression expressing anger, or being Frowns when angry, Scowls when angry.
criticized. otherwise ‘open’. Features Eyebrows raised in
Eyebrows raised in steady, not ‘wobbling’ and amazement/disbelief.
anticipation (for example, jaw relaxed. Jaw set firm. Chin thrust
of rebuke). forward.
(Continued)

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