The Mehrabian model

The Mehrabian model suggests that when people communicate feelings or attitudes, most of the message's impact comes from non-verbal cues—specifically, facial expressions and body language—rather than words alone. According to this model, about 55% of emotional meaning is conveyed through facial expressions, 38% through tone of voice, and only 7% through the actual words spoken. This emphasizes the importance of non-verbal communication in understanding true feelings and attitudes. However, it mainly applies to conveying emotions and not to all forms of communication, such as factual or complex information.