nonverbal behavior
actions that can indicate an individual’s attitudes or feelings without speech. Nonverbal behavior can be apparent in facial expressions, gaze direction, interpersonal distance, posture and postural changes, and gestures. It serves a number of functions, including providing information to other people (if they can detect and understand the signals), regulating interactions among people, and revealing the degree of intimacy between those present. Nonverbal behavior is often used synonymously with nonverbal communication, despite the fact that nonverbal actions are not always intended for, or understood by, other people.