Saturday, November 7, 2015

Nonverbal Communication-It Matters
                                               
I watched an episode of “Reba” first muted and then with the sound on. I was not sure what the relationship of the characters were with regards to being family but I know they were related or very good friends because they were in each other’s homes and people were walking in without knocking. A woman came in obviously upset based on her facial expressions and actions, and as I watched learned that it was because she thought she scratched her son’s new car that he cherished. Reba, along with the other ladies was trying to hide it but he found out and was very upset.
Based on the communication I observed when I watched with the sound on, I was correct in my assumptions about the car being scratched but it turned out to be Reba who did it although his mother and his wife also thought they scratched it.
My assumptions about the relationships would have been more correct because I would know the characters and their relationships with each other.
Nonverbal communication is, in my opinion, as important as verbal communication because you can’t have one without the other. Many times the nonverbal behaviors are more believable than verbal especially when channel discrepancy is evident.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Dianna - Great write up and I agree with you completely - non-verbal communication is just as, if not more, important as verbal communication. I feel that non-verbal expression is truly how we feel as sometime we try to say what someone else wants to hear, but our non-verbal expression cannot be controlled most times :)

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  2. Dianna -

    I have actually watched a couple episodes of Reba. It's a family center show, that has a lot of humor. I was very interested in reading what you thought about it without sound. It's fascinating how our minds analyze different situations using our previous knowledge of situations and experiences. Your assumptions were spot on, but at times this might not always be the case. I love that you mention that communication cannot be whole without both nonverbal and verbal communication.

    Pamela

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  3. Dianna,

    I also really enjoy the Reba episodes. I did find for me that watching shows with familiarity led to some biases and preconceived thoughts. I could nearly anticipate what was coming next or be waiting for past behaviors to occur. I also found that the environment can automatically suggest behaviors of the individuals engaging in listening. However, to put the entire picture together I also needed both nonverbal and verbal communication to make an accurate account for what was transpiring.

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  4. Hi Dianna,
    Thanks for your post.I share the same view with you that nonverbal and verbal communication are both important for communicating effectively.The nonverbal communication reinforces verbal messages.

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