Saturday, October 6, 2012
Week 7 Discussion part 1
The list of non-verbal principles are very important things to follow and pay attention to. Of the many principles I think that numbers three and five are some of the most important. Principle number three states “Both parties assign meaning, and sometimes different meaning, to nonverbal communication behaviors.” Many times people have intentional or unintentional non-verbal cues that either party assign a meaning to. Suppose one person tends to twirl their hair when they lie. A person would assume that those non-verbal cues are signs that a person is lying. The person might just do it because they are nervous but the other person might assume they are nervous. The other principle that states “Cultural norms and expectations guide our interpretation.” An example I ahve is with something we as Americans see as being respectful. Making eye contact is something we see as showing respect to people you greet. In Asian cultures eye contact is not often made because it shows dominance and subordination. This is something that can cause a disconnect if all parties are not aware.
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Hi Micah!
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe all eight principles are important in terms of understanding nonverbal communication, I agree with you that number three and eight are particularly so. Furthermore, I like that you included examples to further explain each principle. I have taken intercultural communication before and specifically remember the example of how eye contact is interpreted differently across cultures. It is important to be aware of these differences in nonverbal communication as they may offend the other person if violated. Your example of hair twirling shows that it is also important not to make assumptions off of ones nonverbal cues. While we should be aware of them, we should be careful not to read too much into them as not every nonverbal action has the same meaning.