Week 5 Journal 2
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School
University of Nairobi *
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Course
501
Subject
Communications
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
6
Uploaded by obursam91
1
Week 5 Journal 2
Student Name
Institution
Date
2
Description
Context:
We were sitting in the office during a team meeting with my coworker. The discussion we
were having was about a newly assigned project which involved a lot of tasks with limited time
allotted.
Interaction:
As we continued with the meeting, I realized something strange with the coworker who
was calm, talkative and outgoing when the meeting started. By then, he changed his attitude as
could be revealed through his facial expressions and quietness. I could but understand what
might have frustrated home that much and that which made him tensed and hostile. Everyone
was contributing their views in a row and when he was meant to talk, he began with incessant
arguments that proceeded with high tempo and voice, expressing his dismay and criticizing most
of the suggestions made by members. He dismissed nearly every situation and termed them as
unnecessary and unachievable without giving abstractive comments.
His behavior led to the rising tension as no one could allow him to dismiss their points
without having contributed his or without substantive reasoning. I kept calm during the
counterarguments that almost got out of hand. Later, I began feeling myself becoming defensive
and countered his criticisms accordingly and orderly. Unfortunately, this exacerbated the tension
as he could not accept my counterarguments. The discussion turned sour as no one could hear
and accept what the other was suggesting.
Analysis 1
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Concept/Theory:
PHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY
: This is one of the theories of emotions which states that
emotions result from physiological responses that occur in the body. This theory argues that
various emotions like fear, anger, sadness, love, joy or surprise are usually linked to or associated
with certain body changes like sweating, increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, shedding
tears, and muscle tension.
Application:
Using the concepts of psychological theory, the case of my coworker increasingly getting
frustrated and agitated can be well described and understood. During his time to speak, he
crossed his arms and immediately changed his facial expression. He was also arguing at the top
of his voice. All he was doing were the output of his emotional distress or physiological
responses to what he was feeling at the moment. He constantly argued and brought tension in the
office, a show of how he was highly tensed and had to resort to self-defense. Similarly, my
response and counterarguments to his concerns also reflected the physiological inadequacies that
hindered my calmness to cool the situation. It could be attributed to this theory since I
experienced bodily changes during the process such as sweating and increased heart rate. When
responding to him, I struggled to express myself as he could not allow me out my words in order
and I experienced much tension within me. I reacted by failing to listen to him too and that made
the dialogue unproductive.
From the scenario, I understood that it is important for everyone to beware and recognize
the physiological aspects of our emotions as it is the only way to learn and know how to handle
emotions and interpersonal communication with others. When one understands the potential
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4
bodily changes that occur when they are emotionally triggered such as increased heart rate which
can be detrimental to some extent, then they can learn to cool down during arguments and
address the situation calmly.
Analysis 2
Concept/ Theory:
SOCIAL THEORY OF EMOTIONS
: This theory states that the existing norms and
expectations from our society can greatly influence our emotions and therefore we need to be
wary of our social context to effectively comprehend and express our emotions (Usera et al.,
2021).
Application:
The aspects of social theory of emotions were much evident in this presented case. My
interactions with the coworker greatly pronounced how our social context played a big role in
increasing tension and arguments in our conversation. The team’s rage and overwhelming
response to him also enhanced his frustrations and arguments. The initial cause of his aggressive
behaviors was the pressure and tension to finish the task within a short period of time but his
frustrations were further triggered by the team’s insisting on producing quality work within the
set timeline. The workplace environment became too hostile because everyone was faced with
emotional situation and was looking for environment and others around for cues. In my case, my
defensive response can also be linked to the social context of the work environment which
became too competitive and everyone struggled to be heard defending their opinions which
exacerbated the conflict.
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From the situation, I gained an insight into the matter that everyone ought to understand
their social context and factors that are capable of influencing their emotions to help in managing
misunderstanding or misinterpretation of their messages. Moreover, there is need to understand
the impact of our emotional responses and be accommodating to each other’s viewpoints.
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Reference
Usera, Daniel & other contributors. (2021). Communicating to Connect:Interpersonal
Communication
for
Today.
LibreTexts.
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Introduction_to_Communica
tion/Communicating_to_Connect_Interpersonal_Communication_for_Today_(Usera)/11
%3A_Issues_in_Relationships
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