Visual communication involves the transmission of information through the visual sensory system, or the eyes and sense of sight. In surveys, visual communication relies heavily on verbal communication (i.e. written text) but can also include nonverbal communication (i.e. through images conveying body language, gestures, or facial expressions) and paralinguistic communication (i.e. through graphical language). Visual communication can be used to transmit information independently or in combination with aural communication. When conducting surveys, the mode of data collection determines whether information can be transmitted visually, aurally, or both. Whether survey information is transmitted visually or aurally influences how respondents first perceive and then cognitively process information to provide their responses.

Visual communication can consist of not only verbal communication but also nonverbal and paralinguistic forms of communication, ...