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INTRODUCTION
On September 12, 2014, I observed two people; Person A and Person B. The observation took place at Applebee’s, a local restaurant, beginning at 7:21 p.m. and ending observation at 8:06 p.m. I was serving their table for the evening, enabling myself to observe them closely. The restaurant had died down from the dinner rush, leaving them one of three tables in the smoking section, normally filled with eight. Along with the outside light fading, the lighting indoors was dim, making the dining experience feel more quiet and intimate. The background noise was filled with a light roar of other group’s conversations, and a jazz station played quietly from the speakers overhead.
OBSERVATION OF PERSON A
Person A was a male around the age of 24. He was tall and thin with a short dark haircut and brown eyes. The first nonverbal observation I made of Person A was the way he was dressed. He had on a blue-collared, button-down shirt and a pair of dark jeans. His clothing was coordinated with a pair of brown suede shoes. I think he took time to put this outfit together. Another nonverbal observation I made was his smell. As soon as I approached the table, I caught a subtle whiff of male cologne. The smell, however, was not overbearing.
The next few observations involve his interactions with Person B. Person A was consistently reaching across the table and holding Person B’s hand. Whenever possible, he was touching Person B in some way—whether holding her hand or rubbing her arm. Another observation was his use of personal space. Upon walking to the table, Person A had his arm around Person B and was holding Person B close. There was no personal space needed for Person A in this instance. A fourth o...
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...nies Person B’s giggling, was her facial expressions. I could tell from the smile on her face that she was enjoying her dinner with Person A. Her smile was genuine. This was mirrored between both of them, which strongly suggested they both enjoyed their time together.
CLOSURE
In conclusion, it appears Person A and Person B were on a date. From the way they were dressed to the way they laughed, it was apparent they were more than friends. The observations made it clear to me that they enjoy their time together and enjoyed their dinner and the company that particular night. Their similar nonverbal cues of holding hands, lack of personal space, posture, and happy facial expression confirmed they were on a date and that they care for each other. I am confident in my conclusion because the nonverbal cues were so clear. I enjoyed observing and serving this couple.
The presence of nonverbal messages in our communication is very important. Following the text, researchers have estimated it is up to “65 percent of social meaning we convey in face-to-face interactions is a result of nonverbal behavior” (131). The movie “Mrs. Doubtfire” is a typical example about the interactions among characters, also with audience. Several scenes in this movie show us the effects of nonverbal messages in communication, especially through the character Daniel, who disguises himself as a middle-aged British nanny in order to be near his children.
The relaxed body language Vicky has adapted also indicates openness, kindness, genuineness reflects in her eyes, while she maintains eye contact on some occasions with Lucy, Adler and Rodman (2003) mention that the eyes are the most noticeable, when communicating and have a very powerful impact. Vicky can be seen as liberal individual because she encourages freedom of communication further her use of dress code, body language indicates this. Vicky’s paralinguistic tone was soft and friendly but, her facial expressions bring out warmth such as when she’s smiling and turning her head towards Lucy. Thus, gives Lucy the indication by judging her verbal and non-verbal meta -messages, that she can confide in Vicky and her views will be heard.
Nonverbal behavior is channeled by norms and most of us abide by them without being aware of them. Physical appearance, gesture and body movement, face and eye behavior, vocal behavior, personal space, touch, scent/smell, and time are all forms of nonverbal communication behavior. Norms differ amongst various cultures, ethnic, and geographic groups. There are endless ways and forms to violate nonverbal norms, and by doing so can lead to a barrier in communication, which are problematic to distinguish.
"This report . . . is concerned with the structure of social encounters--the structure of those entities in social life that come into being whenever persons enter one another 's immediate physical presence. The key factor in this structure is the maintenance of a single definition of the situation" (1959,
No one has the same perception of a situation or a thought. When placed into an uncomfortable event we all have a different response and tacked to how we handle it. With this class I have begun to realize how our verbal message is not the only thing that is perceived from us, before we even begin talking there is already a perception made about us, a percentage of the conversation or act is already determined. The experiment was put in place to show how some actions are already instinctive and prearranged. Perception is as great of the condition as the verbal language or body
One big implicit social norm involves personal space. In our society it is implicitly know that you give people enough space when waiting in line or when sitting next to them as not to invade their personal bubble. I thought it would be particularly interesting to see what people did the moment you crossed that “bubble line.” Periodically throughout the day I would intrude upon people’s bubbles. For varied results, this occurred in classrooms, the elevator, the lunch line, the lunch table, and at work. During classes and at lunch I would move my chair really close to that of the person next to me. While in the lunch line and in the elevator I would stand really close to the person, even if there was plenty of space to spread out. At work, again I stood really close to the person when talking to them.
So far in this story the mood is very intense as many arguments and high stress situations have occurred. One of these high stress situations takes place during the Hershbergers’ family dinner:
I glanced around the dimly lit dining room of our neighborhood Jack-In-The-Box at the collection of adolescent girls and boys gossiping about their absent friends, urban families enjoying their weekly treat of chicken fingers with exotic dipping sauces, and a teenage employee attempting to grasp a carpet sweeper with her fry-greased hands. As each of their gazes wandered the room curiously observing the quaint surroundings, their eyes conveniently skipped over the socially unacceptable figure in the corner, but I saw him clearly.
Nonverbal communication is rich in meaning. Everyone communicates through nonverbal gestures and motions. I realized that you can decipher a lot from an individual or individuals by just paying close attention to what they do, and that words are not really necessary. Watching two people interacting, I figured that they are really close by their space communication, eye language, and body movements.
Nonverbal cues fall into two basic categories, nonverbal messages produced by the body or nonverbal messages produced by the broad setting (Tidwell). This paper will focus towards nonverbal messages produced by one’s body. Eye contact and posture are two of the most significant nonverbal cues that one can use to make or break a situation. Imagine a customer chatting with a sales agent discussing the perks of the item for purchase. If the sales person does not make eye contact with the customer or is constantly glancing away there is reasonable cause to assume that the customer is either going to feel as if the sales agent is shady or that the agent is otherwise preoccupied. This will lead the potential customer to feel non-important to the agent and the customer ma...
make eye contact, communicate, and to behave. However, a new, more unlikely method is being
Nonverbal communication has always played an important role in the entire communication process. It may include gestures, kinesics, haptics and other means, which a person incorporates into the communication process. These acts make the communication process more effective and meaningful. However, nonverbal communication is highly influenced by cultural differences as the context of the culture defines how the message is interpreted. This essay will analyse several types of nonverbal communication such as proxemics, haptics, kinesics, semiotics and paralinguistic. It will also analyse the messages conveyed by these nonverbal communication types in different cultures and their impact on the non-verbal communication process in relative cultural contexts.
Herman, P. C. (2003). Effects of the Presence of Others on Food Intake: A Normative Interpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 873-886.
Despite how us humans are prone to communication, communication is a complex phenomena. That is why Personal and Scholarly concepts are made, to act as a guide, making communication easy. Personal theories are based on, one’s own observation about how they themself communicate. Scholarly theories and concepts are based on evidence and research. Though the fundamentals of personal and scholarly theory are different, they can often relate to each other. My two personal theories are related to non-verbal communication. While conversing, I have a tendency to avoid eye contact. I usually have to refrain myself from averting my eyes while conversing. My other non-verbal theory is about how I give different types of hugs, depending on the relationship
An example of this might be going to dinner or the movies with a prospective mate, rather than the casual encounters that someone might have with them in everyday interactions. Intimacy does not only pertain to specific acts, but also to verbal and non-verbal expressions of love. Although verbal expressions of intimate feelings through self-disclosure are important to relationship quality, the nonverbal expression appears to be more important. In general, people rely more on nonverbal than verbal cues to interpret messages. Some examples of these nonverbal cues include touch, gaze, gestures, and time spent together.