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Nonverbal Communication is the transmission of messages or signals through a nonverbal platform such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and the distance between two individuals. This form of communication is characterized by multiple channels and scholars argue that nonverbal communication can convey more meaning then verbal communication. The scholars state that most people trust forms of nonverbal communication over verbal communication. Ray Birdwhistell's concludes that nonverbal communication accounts for 60 - 70 percent of human communication. The study of nonverbal communication started in 1872 with the publication of "The Expressions of the Emotions in Men and Animals" by Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin started to study nonverbal communication as he noticed the interactions between animals and realized they also communicated by gestures and expressions. For the first time, nonverbal communication was studied and its relevance questioned.

Proxemics
is defined as how far or near you position yourself from others and can be influenced by culture, race, gender, and age. The study of proxemics can be divided into four different sections: Intimate Space, Personal Space, Social Space, and Public Space.

Each of these spatial distances represent relationship, comfort, feeling, and intimacy. Edward T. Hall first published his findings on proxemics in 1959 with the publication of The Silent Language. Hall introduced the idea of culture affecting spatial distance for example: In high contact cultures people are generally more comfortable in a closer proximity as individuals in low contact cultures fell more comfortable with a greater amount of personal space. Hall challenged that people from different cultures use different spatial space coning the term “proxemics”. Hall concluded that proxemics could cause misunderstandings between cultures as cultures use of proxemics varies and what is customary in one culture may be offensive to another.

Proxemics is separated into four main distance categories: intimate, personal, social, and public. Intimate space is any distance less ten 18 inches and is most commonly used by individuals when they are engaging with someone they feel very comfortable with; such as, a spouse, child, or parent. Personal space is a distance of 18 inches to 4 feet and is usually used when individuals are interacting with friends. Social distance is the most common type of proximity as it is used when communicating with colleagues, classmates, acquaintances, or strangers. Public distance creates the greatest gap between the individual and the audience and is categorized as distances greater than 12 feet in distance and is often used for speeches, lectures, or formal occasions.