Growing up, I always felt uncomfortable when there was a long moment of silence. I would want to say something but never knew what would help. This article goes into detail to discuss how silence does not have to have a negative impact on a verbal interaction. Many times, a person can use silence to put a greater emphasis on what they are saying in an argument or conversation. Dubbed “intentional silence”, the pause in speaking can be used to “create space, invite response, and signal interest” (Kaplan, 2019). Using this technique in business allows a person to understand the points you might be making in a presentation. On the other hand, this article illustrates examples of times where using an extended amount of silence could be detrimental to your communication
Kaplan, K. (2019). The Science of Silence: Intentional Silence as a Moderation Technique. [online] Nielsen Norman Group. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/intentional-silence-ux/?lm=aesthetic-usability-effect&pt=article [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].