EDUC-6165: Observing communication skills

I consider myself a visual person, an attentive communicator, using my skill to observe people and get nonverbal communication cues during our mutual communication.

 The show I watched started with a closeup of a man that seemed thinking, waiting. His hands were in his pocket, and he didn’t appear concerned. It led me to assumed he anticipates something. (He was waiting to be sitting in a restaurant). As the frame zoomed out, I observed a woman and two teenage children staying with him. The man and the woman sat next to each other, while the adolescent children sat in front. The teens started talking, looking at each other, touching each other’s shoulders, and the conversation turned into a fight. They threw their hands to the air, and both of the teens’ facial expressions seemed agitated. Based on how they fought, the touch, and how they teased each other, I assumed that they were siblings (Indeed). While the woman’s face looked annoyed by the interaction and the teens’ fight, she was passive, while the man was mainly the one who spoke to the teens. He seemed annoyed at first, then his facial expression changed into anger, and he hit his fist on the table. Based on his reaction to the fight, I assumed that he is related to the teens, maybe their father and the woman was not their mother- (The woman was the father’s significant other, and the men was the teen’s father).

In a different scene, I observed the man being restless and worried as he looked through the window, jumping to his feet. The woman seemed relaxed and reluctant, even when the man kept pointing to the door, portraying his wishes to leave the apartment. It seemed to me that the woman is a calmed person, while the man is more conscious and alert. After watching the program with the voice on, I found out that the men were concerned by a siren that indicated a missile attack, and people need to evacuate immediately into a shelter or a safe place. Even during their stay at the staircase outside their apartment, the woman kept saying, let’s go back to the apartment, and the man insisted on staying. Observing the behavior of the man indicated that my assessment of the temperament appeared to be right. I noticed the man’s rapid hand movements, his body movement, and his facial expression. All indicated to me that the man is in distress. By observing the rest of the program, I watched the woman’s calm mannerism, while the men’s overall behavior indicated the opposite.

Watching a television show with the sound turned off was a fascinating experience for me. I was alert and aware of specific details that helped me understand the distinctive characters and estimate relationships. I look at some nonverbal clues, such as Leakage Cues (O’Hair et al., 2018), facial expression, physical appearance, and intimacy level (O’Hair et al., 2018). Nonverbal communication provided me with essential information. I learned about the person I communicate with, and at the same time, provide me with some tools to convey my thoughts and ideas appropriately. Communicating effectively while supporting our communication with nonverbal communication will reduce misunderstanding and possible conflicts (O’Hair et al., 2018). 

Reference:

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Tevan, J. (2018). Real Communication: An Introduction (4th.ed). New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s.