Com310 Module 4 CT Option 1
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Feb 20, 2024
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Option #1:
Interpersonal Observation Primary Research Paper
Studeent
Colorado State University Global
COM310
Chad Harris
6/20/2021
Option #1:
Interpersonal Observation Primary Research Paper
This particular assignment was difficult for me I sat in the Flat Iron mall in several location and I people watched. I did so with a strange feeling as I typically try my best to avoid looking at other people who are not interacting with me because it feels as if I am eaves dropping
somehow. Noticing those around you and paying attention to non-verbal cues was not something
I separated in my mind before. The couple on a date holding hands but still checking their phones nervously. A women sitting chatting with her parents while her husband sits glued to his phone and never looking up. A shy awkward looking teenage girl rolling her eyes as she walks with what is presumably her father. Their chatter merges as crowd noise and it is impossible to make out the words they are speaking but assumptions can be made based on their body language. Although words are an important piece in sending and receiving messages, an even more crucial portion to communication is our non-verbal cues.
What is Kinesics
The manner in which we move our bodies in response to giving and receiving information and the study of that movement or gestures is known as kinesics. Examples of Kinesics are the smiles we make when we feel joy or happiness or the farrowed brow when expressing anger. These common or basic expressions are widely known while other kinesics are
exclusive to certain cultures such as the head wobble side-to-side known to the Indian culture (Ramadurai, 2018). Our kinesics or body language makes up a large portion of our communication. Our eye contact, crossed arms, our stance and even our posture can show others exactly how we are feeling while communicating. According to Joe Navarro a retired FBI agent it is believed that non-verbal cues make up about 60 to 80 percent of our communication overall.
Our non- verbal cues much like our words can be visceral. When receiving a message the receiver must not focus on any one given gesture there is no real tell in terms of insight of an individual’s nonverbal communication. Navarro explains that the myth behind knowing when an individual is lying based on eye movement or being closed off from another person due to crossed arms is false (Schafer &Navarro, 2016). There are basic gestures, which can explain how
an individual is feeling. To accurately receive a message or perceive another’s feelings accurately you must pay attention to all body gestures, tone of voice and the actual words being said (Subramanian, 2019). During my session of people watching I observed a man whom I assumed was a husband slouch in the sitting area of the mall he was playing a game on his phone and he would smirk occasionally which I believe meant he was winning or he scored a point. He was surrounded by store bags his legs were stretched out and he looked relaxed. My guess was that he was not the shopper simply the tag along to watch bags or perhaps he was waiting on friends. Because I became curious, I decided to sit across from him and wait with my coffee in hand my patience eventually paid off. A woman with two teenage looking boys came back to the sitting area they all placed their bags on the floor near the man’s feet. I could not hear what was said but I could see the man’s face tense up. He shoved his phone in his pockets and grabbed all the bags in a anticipatory way, he did not look happy. The two boy were oblivious of the discontent as they were poking at each other, laughing, and the women looked straight-faced as she walked ahead towards the food court. The man seem to put on a frown the moment his group returned and my guess is he did not like shopping as much as the rest of the group. The women face and gestures were much more relaxed and she seemed aware of my presence more than anyone else in the group as she took the man’s discontent in stride and stayed neutral regarding her body language.
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Communicating Through Touch When discussing communication and how we communicate one of the most crucial manners we can show how we feel especially in an I-thou setting is through touch. From infancy,
it is quite evident how communication through touch can comfort a crying baby soothing them with a warm embrace. Communication through touch can show compassion and empathy on the highest level or it can be the ultimate tell of how angry someone really is (Zange, 2012). Navarro
the retired FBI agent pointed out that even how someone touches himself or herself during a conversation can communicate when a person is under stress, anxiety or nervousness. Someone closing his or her eyes can show a sign of impatience or discomfort with the current situation Placing a hand on ones chest can show passion for a certain subject or issue (Schafer &Navarro, 2016).
I decided to follow the unhappy man from the sitting area to the food court area. Children
were chasing each other and laughing. People were sitting across from each other some smiling some looking stressed while trying to deal with their children. From afar, it was pure chaos but settling in I watched a middle-aged couple sitting with another couple that was quite a lot older. For the purpose of this paper, I will assume it was the parents of the women. I watched as the younger women leaned in with her phone and showed something to the older couple. The grayed
haired women gingerly grabbed the phone smiled and put a hand on her heart. She was obviously
expressing love of the picture. She shared her joy with the older man who nodded and raised his eyebrows in surprise at what whatever he was looking at. He then leaned in and gave his wife a quick hug around the shoulders. The older women gave back the phone with one hand and held the daughters hand with the other. For one moment, they all looked connected. The younger man
at the table looked up from his phone and nodded in agreement but was somehow less apart of the scene.
Communication and Proximity In both instances of my people watching event the individuals involved were what I assumed to be families that consisted of parents and children. The manner in which they communicated were quite different and I could instantly tell that the man with the expensive teenagers and wife was much more accustomed to being around his group than the older family with middle-aged children. The proximity in which the middle-aged women sat across her parents showed that she missed them and shared similarity. The father to the younger family separated himself by slowing own as his wife and children walked ahead my guess is he got to see these people every day and was looking to find some distance. This father may have been experiencing some environmental spoilage due to the fact that he was forced to be around his children who loved to shop (
Wood, 2020). Conclusion The act of being able to comprehend what is going on with someone else even when you csan not actually hear or understand the words they are speaking only underlines how important actual in person communication can be. We have grown accustomed to simply going through the
motions of communicating via text, email, or instant message and so much is lost. Non-Verbal cues and behaviors are mostly subconscious yet they tell others so much of what you we are feeling and how we are receiving the message. Being able to accurately read a person body language, facial expressions, or even how they react to our touch during a conversation makes a person a great communicator. Understanding how crucial non-verbal communication is the first step to being a master communicator.
Reference
CMX. (2015, November 4). Keynote: The power of nonverbal communications – Joe Navarro – CMX Summit West 2015 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=HRl0dvPRkSI
Ramadurai, C. (2018, July 23). Cracking India's mystifying 'nod code'
. BBC Travel. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180722-cracking-indias-mystifying-nod-code
. Subramanian, S. (2019). Need for Documenting Non-verbal Cues for Analysing Interpersonal Speech Communication.
Language in India
,
19
(7), 299–308.
Wood, J. T. (2020). Interpersonal communication: everyday encounters (9th ed.). Cengage Learning
Zange, L. (2012). Non-verbal communication of compassion: measuring psychophysiologic effects.
Journal of the American Chiropractic Association
, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-11-132
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