Overview
PART ONE
1. Submit two paragraphs that addresses your nonverbal messages. What is your score? From the results, how do you communicate with people who you know. Give at least two specific examples.
PART TWO
2. Carefully read Chapter 5 in the textbook and study the slideshows in this module. Demonstrate what you have learned about nonverbal communication by completing the steps in this assignment.
First, you must interview an interactional partner about how effective you are in conveying nonverbal immediacy in your relationship with him or her.
Next, you will analyze and reflect on what you learned from the interview. Finally, write a paper on the interview experience.
The goal of this assignment is to:
★ provide you with an opportunity to receive feedback from a relational partner about your communication style,
★ give you interviewing experience in a relatively relaxed environment in which you will apply your listening and relationship maintenance skills, and challenge you to critically reflect on strategies you can use to improve your nonverbal communication as both a sender and receiver of messages based on your interview data.
Who is an interactional partner? - “Interactions are the essence of human relationships. They can range from casual conversations with acquaintances to deep, intimate dialogues with loved ones” (Punyanunt-Carter, Thweatt, and Wrench.
Identify your interactional partner. What is his or her name and how long have you known this person?
3. Ideally, this interview should be done in person. However, you can use a video an audio call app like Facetime or Duo. You can also conduct your interview via a video conferencing platform like Zoom.
INSTRUCTIONS
If you are NOT romantically involved with someone, interview a close friend. This can be a same-sex or cross-sex friendship.
Once you set the date for the interview, you most likely will have to define terms like immediacy and give them examples of nonverbal behaviors as you interview to help them accurately answer the questions. Create at least 10 open-ended questions about your nonverbal communication habits to ask your interviewee. Avoid “yes/no” and leading questions.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. What was the first thing (nonverbal) you noticed about me when you met me?
2. What are the top 3 ways that I communicate with you nonverbally? (Touch, close physical distance, time spent, facial expressiveness, etc.)
3. How well do I express my feelings with you nonverbally when I am ______?
Specifically ask them about how you convey anger, sadness, happiness, and interest. (Touch, vocal variation, facial expressiveness, silence, gestures, etc.)
4. If you are not interviewing a romantic partner, talk to your partner about your “love way”. Based on what they know about your personality, do they feel this is an effective way for you to cultivate a relationship with a potential romantic partner? Why or why not?
5. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1=very poor, 2=poor, 3=satisfactory, 4=good, and 5=excellent), how would they rate your overall level of nonverbal immediacy?
- Your initial 10 questions may lead to follow-up or secondary questions based on the responses you receive from your partner. The answers to your questions may also lead you to ask unplanned primary questions. That is fine.
REMEMBER: You should have fun with this assignment and use the 10 questions as a reference and not a script.
Write a 2-3 page reflection essay on your interview experience. Follow APA or MLA style guidelines for writing a college essay.
DIRECTIONS: After the interview, review what you were told about yourself and organize theinformation you have collected in such a way to show your deeper understanding of the functions of nonverbal communication.
Write a 2-3 page reflection paper on your interview experience. This paper should be a well-written, cohesive essay with an introduction (clear thesis statement), body paragraphs (supporting material with specific examples), and conclusion (summary of your thoughts and feelings about the experience).
Your responses should be organized in complete sentences and paragraphs that flow with appropriate transitional phrases and grammatical structure. in which you address the questions below:
1. Who did you interview?
2. Where did the interview take place? What time of day (or night) did it take place?
How did these factors influence the way you all related to one another?
3. What is the nature of your relationship?
4. How did you all meet?
5. How long have you known each other?
6. How often do you all interact with one another? Is it daily, weekly, monthly, etc.?
7. What surprised you most about what they revealed to you about your nonverbal communication patterns?
8. What did they reveal to you that reinforced what you already know about yourself as a significant other or the friend you feel adds to the quality of your relationship?
9. What did you notice about your interviewee’s nonverbal behavior during the interview that enhanced, substituted, contradicted, or reinforced their verbal responses?
10. What do you specifically plan to do to improve your nonverbal communication skills now that you have these insights? What will you continue to do? What willl you stop doing? What will you do differently? What will you start doing?
11. How do you see your relationship with your interviewee developing in the future
NOTE: Your interview questions do not count towards the length of your paper.