I normally do not watch the television series, FRIENDS but while silencing the TV and viewing the communication skills and relationships of the characters I was able to conclude that everyone was happy, friendly and engaged with what one another. Two of the characters seemed to be in a serious relationship seeing as though they sat extremely close to one another. Seems as though the characters were casually drinking champagne and sharing opinions and laughs amongst one another at a friend's apartment or home.
Based on the nonverbal behavior, it looks as though they are expressing excitement, gratitude and sarcasm, maybe a few casual jokes amongst one another.
I assumed that the characters were friends, very happy and excited about something seeing as though they were toasting and drinking champagne. The energy in the environment was upbeat and very positive. They made eye contact with one another, smiled and displayed attentive listening skills, gestures and body language helped me to conclude that something exciting was happening. When I turned the sound on I learned that friends had all gathered to celebrate the engagement of 2 other friends (the ones that were sitting very close to one another) but they all seemed to be in a rush to get on with their lives and go home. Monica (the fiancé) made the engagement all about her. Apparently Monica and her fiancé wanted to head home to be intimate with one another and it turned out a little awkward because he apparently experienced an erectile dysfunction. My assumptions were pretty close, I could tell that something was being celebrated according to the characters body language and plot but of course, I believe that they would have been correct If I had been watching a show in which I was more familiar with.
I learned from this assignment that body language, gestures can be interpreted differently by different people, it is all about perception. I would tell my colleagues, as professionals we must remember to be respectful, attentive listeners and keep in mind that nonverbal behavior can cause discrepancies within communication. According to (O'Hair et al., 2011, p. 113) "It is important to interpret a speaker's nonverbal cues correctly in order to receive the optimum amount of information; as well as giving the speaker nonverbal cues to show that you are comprehending (or not comprehending) the message". Schemas effect the way we communicate and interpret things around us.
Reference:
O'Hair, D., Friedrich, G. W., & Dixon, L. D. (2011). Strategic communication in business and the professions. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
I too learned that body language is interpreted in different ways. I watched the show how to get away with murder with my husband and his take was similar but had differences from my own. This also showed me how nonverbal cues can make or break a conversation. Those nonverbal cues can make a person feel that you are not meaning what is being said or they can show that you are sure of yourself.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up an important point about issues with misunderstandings of non-verbal behavior. In your analysis, you guessed that two characters were a couple based on their physical proximity. In other cultures, personal space can vary. I'll give an example of when I was living in Malawi with my family. My daughter came home one day and told me that on her ride home on the school bus, she saw two men holding hands and proceeded to tell me that they were homosexual because that is what popular culture assumes. I explained to her however that in some cultures, like this one, men can be friends and hold hands the same way females can hold hands and not be lesbians.
ReplyDeleteHi Brigitte,
DeleteIn my culture, it is culturally appropriate for men-men/ female-female to hold hands :). it is interesting how popular cultural assumptions can distort our perceptions, right?
Sharon
Hi Passion,
ReplyDeleteAssumptions based on gestures and body movement can be inaccurate because we tend to use our personal filters (schema) to interpret what we are seeing. The way we interpret the information we are receiving is unique to each of us, and it is influenced by our personal schema.
Sharon