According to communication studies, what percentage of communication is non-verbal?

The assertion that non-verbal communication accounts for 55% of communication stems from the research conducted by psychologist Albert Mehrabian. His studies highlighted that when individuals are conveying their feelings and attitudes, the bulk of the message is communicated through non-verbal cues, such as body language, facial expressions, and vocal tone. This statistic emphasizes the importance of non-verbal signals in interpersonal communication, suggesting that what people do (rather than what they say) often has a greater impact on how a message is received and interpreted.

The other options reflect different aspects of communication but do not align with the established understanding of the proportion of non-verbal communication. For example, 38% would suggest that a substantial amount of communication is non-verbal, but it doesn't capture the significance of non-verbal elements as highlighted by Mehrabian's findings. The 7% figure relates to the portion of communication that is verbal content, emphasizing that words alone convey only a small fraction of the overall message. Finally, stating that communication is 100% non-verbal would overlook the essential role that verbal content plays, particularly in conveying precise information and complex ideas. Hence, the understanding that 55% of communication is non-verbal underscores its crucial role in effective messaging