Watch this brief video by Tonya Reiman on body language, a form of non-verbal communication. What do you think? Is she right on....or full of baloney? In the next couple of days, be conscious of your own body language. Then, pick some examples of how you consciously or unconsciously might have used body language to express an emotion you felt, and jot them down. Or, if you feel your body movements and related non-verbal actions have no relationship to your emotions, note that as well.
This assignment will be due Thursday, November18.
Ashley, Cordell, Joe, John, and Rosanne, please prepare some oral remarks for Thursday on this assignment, some examples from your own experiences, and other thoughts you may find thought provoking. Thanks!
PS: Here's a brief critique of Reiman 's observations
(Her degree is from Pace Iniversity in "General Studies", so we're not talking about the words of a trained psychologist here)
I think that Tonya Reiman provided some good information on the amount of space between two people when they have a conversation. The gentleman who kept taking a step forward and the lady who responded by taking a step backward seemed to make a statement about her comfort ‘zone’. It appeared as if she felt he was just to close to her and violated her personal space. He probably was not well known to her or perhaps he was and that is why she was uncomfortable. I don’t think anyone likes to feel that someone is ‘in their face’ when they are having a conversation in public. He obviously felt that standing closer to her was not uncomfortable and had a different sense of ‘personal space’. He also did not interpret her backward step as her trying to increase the area of space in between them. I think we all have different comfort levels of our personal space, and it differs with different people.
ReplyDeleteI find that facial expressions relay a lot of non-verbal communication. When someone rolls their eyes, or has a pursed lip grin it gives the impression that they are having skeptical feelings about what someone is doing or saying. A look of boredom with your eyes half closed and no facial expression usually tells the other person that it is time for the conversation to be over! I did find myself a little more aware of my facial expressions this week. In my line of work I tend to keep my eyes cast downward and a blank facial expression to try to deescalate an agitated client. I also do not verbally respond when someone is agitated and trying to argue with me. They realize it takes two people to have an argument and I am not participating so the conversation usually eventually ends
My daughter is an expert at the "blank stare" working in the ER Trauma room in Columbus. She has initially used it on her parents in the past as well when she was in high school and we had to occasionally exercise our parental prerogatives!
ReplyDeleteShovonna Hills
ReplyDeleteAssignment #5
I think that Tonya Remain that was on the video was right about the body language we show towards each other. She talked about how when a couple is holding hands that men have more power over the relationship. I believe that’s true because men are strong so they seem to have control with holding hands. They like to show others they are couple and the man is the protector over the relationship. Also another body language she explain that she was right about was when a person find themselves liking someone and they have a conservation with them, they try to move close to show that their interest. I have that same experience with that type of body language, have tried to talk to me and move closer to me. I have immediately move back to show them that I’m not interested, but most of them got the clue and others didn’t understand.
Dennis Gearhart
ReplyDeleteHuman Relations
Assignment #5
11-16-10
What Tonya Reiman says in her video does have some validity. The examples of the self assured woman seated on the bench, the couple holding hands and the couple talking with the guy invading the girls’ space are all very real. However I have a problem with the example of a guy with his hands in his pockets. This sounds ridiculous to me. The fact that Ms. Reiman does not have a degree in psychology or any other relevant field makes me believe that some of her observations have no basis in fact but are rather observations made more for their entertainment value. I do believe in body language but I could not rely on Ms. Reiman for scientific fact.
I think that Tonya Reiman is correct about a lot of the things that she states. People do sit the way they are comfortable or how they feel. The way people carry themselves shows what they want or how they are. I do not agree with the holding hands scenario. I've been around relationships where both the sexes have the majority of the reach (whoever grabs the others hand first). Also the hands in the pocket thing does not mean much to me because I am a girl and sometimes walk or stand with my thumbs in my pockets and its just comfortable for me.
ReplyDeleteIt is usually easy to tell when someone wants their personal space. Unless I know someone really well then I do not like being within so many feet of people and here on campus that gets tricky. I tend to swing my keys when I walk or have my ipod in, and walk with a fast pace when I do not feel comfortable with people talking to me. So the way people carry themselves as they are walking or standing can show a lot about their personal space and their comfort level. Facial expressions are a good one too. They show all about how the person is feeling... sad, happy, mad, frustrated or even just relaxed.
Ashley Lonczak
ReplyDeleteAssignment #5
I agree and disagree with some of the points that Tonya Reiman made in her video. First off, I agree that women pick up on emotional cues a lot easier than men do. I just don’t think that men pay as much attention to them as women tend to do. Also, the example of the distance between two people can say a lot on how each feel about each other and their comfort level. As well, when she mentioned the lady sitting down that she was showing she was confident and open to the world. If you seem open or closed off can make a big difference on how a conversation may go. I disagree on that your feet point to where you are headed or to whom you want to talk to. I have been in many situations where I am standing next to someone, both of our feet facing forward, yet we’ve had hour long conversations. I don’t believe that all the time somebody’s feet need to be facing you in order for them to feel engaged in the conversation. I also think she missed a lot of different types of body language and non-verbal communication. I think that the face expresses a lot of different emotions that are vital to conversations. I believe you can tell a lot about a person when you’re talking to them just by reading their facial expressions.
Kyle Steiner
ReplyDeleteHuman Relations
November 17, 2010
After watching this video I believe Tonya Reiman was correct on some things and totally wrong on others. First, I believe she is right about how you can tell how a person is feeling when they are laying around or standing. She was correct on how the girl was laying and how she was very comfortable and relaxed. You can tell when someone is really tense or upset by the way their body is and when someone is very relaxed and happy. Whenever I am in a good mood or really happy, my body language is different than when I am sad or in a very bad mood. I think she was totally wrong about when a guy has his hands in his pockets. I think that is really incorrect. When I walk I put my hands in my pockets all the time just because it is a habit. I’m not trying to point towards anything and try to get people to look at me. She was also correct about how someone is standing and you can tell if they are comfortable or not standing next to you. I think a lot of her observations and beliefs are very general and basic. Everything she said that I believe to be correct is obvious to me and I already knew it. I didn’t really learn anything new from what she said and I think because she is not a psychologist shows.
Deanna Lees
ReplyDeleteI feel that the majority of the video had valid points, however there are too many areas of grey when it comes to using non-verbal communicatin. Just because a person is crossing their arms in any given situation does not mean that this person has all around low self-esteem, or that they are always trying to protect themselves. Different situations may help to assume how a person is feeling at that moment, but using body language, in my opinion, is not a valid key in decoding their personality type, unless of course the same person was studied over a long period of time.
Another thing i noticed from the video was the positions of men's hands. Many men hold their hands over a woman's, or have their hands in their pockets because of habit, or simply because it is comfortable to have them that way.
Andrew Baxter
ReplyDeleteAssignment 5
I have heard and learned in past psychology classes about the feet pointing where a person wants to go as well as the hand being placed on top or in front being the dominant person, whether it is a hand shake, or holding hands like in the video. However, the hands in the pockets being a self conscious way of drawing attention to ones self seems way off to me. personally, I pout my hands in my pockets to keep them warm in the winter, or so I am not waving my arms around and they are out of the way while walking. Plus I know that no one is reaching into my pockets. The eyes that she was talking about also seems rather bogus to me. Looking down three times and back at the person to let them know she is interested is not the only way to to let a guy know she is interested. To me, that would tell me that she is uncomfortable at looking me in the eye for fear of really getting to know me and I would not pursue it further. I think she is taking certain things that may have worked for her or things that she believes is true and coming up with reasons to why its like that. I know that some of my body language does portray to my emotions, however this is not every time as she is explaining in the video. When I cross my arms, its because it gives me something to do with my hands so I am not fidgeting. Not because I am angry or upset with something. My hands in my pockets is because its comfortable, along with feeling more secure as well as not having my arms flailing about while I am walking. To me, I believe she was bogus, she does not seem to have factual proof to any of her statements and allegations, nor does she show or introduce herself as a doctor, psychologist, or any other person who would have a reasonably reason to believe them
I thought this was really interesting. I have always been very interested in being able to almost tell what a person was feeling/thinking just by their body language. It is interesting how much someone can know about you just by looking at your body language. I think Tonya is right on the dot and for the most part, explains the truth behind a lot of physical gestures. I like the way she points out the pointing of one's feet. I have seen myself in that situation where I point my feet in an diagonal position because I am not comfortable talking with the person. Now if I was talking to Tonya, I would probably have my feet pointing forward because she is very attractive!
ReplyDeleteEvan
Cordell Midgett-Crosby
ReplyDeleteI think she was correct about the non verbal body lanuage everything she said seem accurate. I've done some of the body language gesters she talked about. Some examples are when I run into people who talk about I tend to look at my phone and stand sideways like I'm heading out to end the conversation and avoid being stuck talking to them.
Christina Robison
ReplyDeleteAssignment #5
11-18-10
I have mixed feeling about what she said. I think she is right to a point. When she talks about the way the feet are pointing, I know that I have found my self doing that. But I also think that is not always true. In the video when she says that about feet, they show two people with their feet turned out. For example when you are standing in an elevator full of people, and you and your friend are talking. Are you going to face you friend or are you going to stand side to side? More than likely you are going to stand side by side.
I feel that this was very truthful and could help a lot of people recognize what their body language is signaling. I also noticed that in this i also deal with the same thing. Seeing that my roommate is a total talker and she doesn't notice the signals i give off i try to make such strong body language that I;m really not interested in what they have to say. then i also noticed that when it comes to eye contact I am very terrible at that because i feel so uncomfortable looking someone in their eyes giving them the signal of why are you talking to me like i care. Agreeing with the feel that people can say so many things without actually speaking is sometimes the only way many people actually communicate. So i will watch more of what i signal what i want from a conversation or don't want from a conversation.
ReplyDeleteI agree what Tonya Reiman said in the video. She presented the information very well. The last two days ive paid special attention on how people make gestures to each other. These two girls were talking to eachother and i looked how she was standing and her feet weren't pointing at the person she was talking to. Like a minute later she mentioned she had to go so she can make it on time for her class. It's weird how gestures do actually mean alot.
ReplyDeleteI think there are many things that are held in suspense when observing and decoding another person's body language that could render it true or false. For an example the consciousness, the intent, and the intended participants involved etc. I don't think body language as apposed to facial expression is universal in nature and capable of being deciphered. Direct communication between participants is among the time when body language gauging can be found more accurate rather than picking people out from a crowd. when there is direct dialogue between people I would assume participants to be conscious, and intent on the messages they wish to display. People also develop a comfort-ability with their gestures and body language that I find hard to believe everyone can understand anther's intent and message without communication or past knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI believe that many things that were said during the video were indeed true. For example, when she said you can tell if a person is interested in what you have to say by where their feet are pointing. I work at Best Buy and deal with more than one customer all of the time. Sometimes when I'm dealing with someone and I go to get the product they are wanting to buy, I get bombarded by other customers along the way. Instead of being rude to the other customers and saying that I have to deal with someone else's already made purchase, I just keep my whole body facing the direction that I wanted to walk in and turn my head around and keep it there. Most of the time this works because the customer then knows that I have to deal with someone immediately and need to be left alone. She is completely accurate on this. Also, I believe she is pretty much right with everything else she said. It's funny how we instinctively know what another person is saying without them having to actually talk.
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