My Observation of a Couple at a Restaurant: Nonverbal Communication

I sat next to six females and two males who were all sitting by themselves in the library. I encountered a variety of reactions but saw similarities in most of them. Just as I expected some subjects were on their phones others did not pay much if any attention to my presence but that is not to say that no reactions surprised me. The frequency of different reactions was low all eight subjects checked their phones or used it in some way and all expressed some form of awkwardness by glancing at me instead of making direct eye contact. Six of the eight kept to themselves and never fully acknowledge my presence except when they moved their belongings over closer to themselves after I sat down. There were three reactions that surprised me the most for they went against my initial expectations. After sitting next to a male subject he did what most subjects did, he moved his things and shifted around a bit in his seat but instead of continuing his work or going on his phone he instead got up and left. The two other reactions both came from female subjects at different times. First I went ahead and sat next to the girl and she looked at me and smiled, after a few glances and looking at her phone she began to talk to me and stopped doing her work. A couple of subjects after her also glanced over at me from time to time but they either went back to doing their work or remained on their

Facial expressions can say a lot about a person’s mood. A simple gesture like a handshake or a | |smile expresses an immediate emotion that often doesn’t need to be accompanied by words. Non-verbal communication can also be | |represented by things such as illustration, photographs, drawings or signage. | | | |The effect of the different types of communication will depend on whether it is intended to be formal or informal. In formal | |settings, such as business, it can be very official, precise and straightforward, whether it be by written minutes or notes, | |or a spoken conversation with little flexibility and a rigid tone. Formal conversation often occurs between people who have | |not met before or who may have a position of authority over another. | | | |Informal communication is much more of free and casual between people who usually share a rapport with each other. It requires| |people to be on a similar wavelength, such as friends and family. It isn’t rigid and doesn’t follow rules and is often not |

One last nonverbal observation I will mention is that of Person A’s posture. He generally sat hunched over the table, rarely sitting up straight. Combined with the other nonverbal observations, this posture suggests he wanted to be as near to Person B as possible.

To me interpersonal communication describes the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages between two different people. Joseph DeVito states that “interpersonal communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable” due to these things effective communication is a necessary skill for us to function in our day to day lives (p. 20). Therefore, I have created a theory for interpersonal communication that goes as follows; To experience effective communication you must understand: your culture, the other person’s culture, and how to listen effectively. By knowing these three things you can consistently avoid misunderstandings and promote understanding in your interpersonal and intercultural relationships.

Non-verbal communication consists mainly of the things people do with their body language. There are times where words are expressed and non-verbal communication could help emphasize the message. A few examples of nonverbal communication are hand gestures eye contact, facial expressions as well as tone and volume. I was given this assignment to observe a situation and take note of the nonverbal communication that occurred. I also had to observe whether the non-verbals were able to execute the message and if the behavior was acceptable.

I decided to go to Panda Express at 5:30 pm for my observations, while there I was able to observe just how much people rely on nonverbal communications to get their point across. Although I witnessed several encounters of unique body language, there were also a few actions that reoccurred several times in several different people. For example, when a customer would approach the counter where employee served the food, the employee would raise her eyebrows and smile at the customer. The employee’s smile, however, did not reach her eyes suggesting that while it is her job to smile and be welcoming to the customer, she most likely did not want to be at work. Additionally, I noticed that when customers approached the counter about 90 percent of them had their arms crossed. The act of crossing ones arms usually means that a person is trying to put a barrier between them and a situation that they either don’t like, or are uncomfortable with. This may mean that the customers were displeased with having to wait in line to get their food, on the other hand it may be that they were simply comfortable folding their arms. Once they reached the front of the line, every customer pointed to the food they wanted along with verbally telling the employee. This made their communication more effective as it helped to overcome the barrier of sound because the restaurant was noisy.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a fairly quiet person who wasn’t too keen on socializing with other people. Every time I found myself in a conversation I would wonder what was on the other person’s mind, and how they perceived me. For instance, I attempted to decipher their true intentions, if they were honest, or if they even liked me. Since I was so focused on those thoughts, I would often miss the concept of the message, as well as the signs that could have clarified my concerns. It is easier to distinguish and interpret another’s probity by observing eye behavior, touch, and other nonverbal cues in the communication context.

Chapter  4  –  Nonverbal  Communication 1. What  are  the  functions  of  nonverbal  messages? ● Substitute ● complement  verbal  messages:  adds  to  verbal  message,  improves  clarity  and  understanding ● contradict:  non  verbal  behavior  not  reflecting  verbal  message 2. Know  the  different  codes  (i.e.,  kinesics,  haptics,  proxemics,  vocalics,  chronemics,  and  self-­ presentation  cues). Code  1  -­  Kinesics  /  Use  of  the  body ● Gestures ○ Emblems  -­  gestures  with  explicit  meaning  and  dictionary  definitions ○ Illustrator  -­  gestures  that  accompany  verbal  message ○ Adaptors  -­  Touching  behaviors  that  reveal  internal  states  such  as  anxiety ■ self  adaptors ■ object  adaptors  -­  handling  of  objects ■ other  adaptors  -­  touching  other  people ● Eye  contact  /  Oculesics ○ both  people  are  looking  directly  into  each  others  eyes ● Functions ○ regulates  interaction ○ monitors  interaction ○ signals  cognitive  activity ○ expresses  involvement

Her seat was a long one, she shared it with parents and a child whose food should have been in his stomach but settled for his shirt and face. Behind her designer glasses were her eyes; her eyes were unique with artistic prowess and low-self-esteem, they were small and resembled those of a pigeons, minus the short attention span. Her clothing matched her unique physical features, her blouse was covered in flowers that reminded me of an old Victorian Tapestry. By now, her food had arrived and she had not yet acknowledged the fact that I was observing her and her every move. She picked vicariously at her nuggets (which happened to be my meal as well). She plucked the chucks of chicken breast bit by bit and ate it as slow as she possibly could, perhaps to prevent

a. Nonverbal: pointing, staring, laughing, making faces, rolling their eyes, making loser signs, or sticking up middle fingers, etc.

Person A: A young, girl probably around the age of 3 or 4 years old.

In “Annie”, again the physical setting and placement of participants play an important part in the communication style. Two of the members are sitting side-by-side on a couch while the third person sits in her desk chair across from the couch. The person in the chair is not only able to make eye contact with the other two but also is in a physical position to see their verbal and non-verbal communications. The two

Not all communication are done with words. Communication is a process in which people verbally or non-verbally share information and ideas. Nonverbal communication can best define as silent form of communication with a person without using any form of speech to grab the audience attention. The interaction between service employees and customers referred to as the service encounters, is a critical part of service delivery process because its elements greatly impacts customers’ evaluations of service consumptions’ experiences, service provider’s nonverbal communication affects customer evaluations. There are many types and functions of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication regulates relationships and can support or even replace verbal communication I many situations. This essay outlines four types of nonverbal communication and their importance during Hospitality service encounters.

“Systematic research on the role of nonverbal behavior in social interaction has been common only in the past 20 to 25 years.”(Edinger and Patterson, 1983, p. 30).because that statement was published in 1983, it is apparent that the study of nonverbal behavior has been around for roughly 50 to 55 years. However, that is still a relatively recent amount of time compared to research in other science fields such as chemistry or biology. Despite the fact that this field is relatively recent there are many theories about our interaction with others. This paper will discuss the nonverbal expectancy theory along with two other theories, and describe how these theories can work together.

The study of nonverbal communication was engaged by scholars such as A. Pease, E. Hall, R. Berdvistell, G. Wilson, M. L. Knapp.