DYNAMICS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION -F'14  (v.2)
 page  revised: 9/22/14:

EXPLORATIONS INTO NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION ver 2

    > RATIONALE: This activity will give you an opportunity to learn-through "field research" and presenting your findings. In summary, it is a multistep "Introduction  to Nonverbal communication: via experiments, observations & implications"

   > DEFINITIONS: As defined in your text & in class, nonverbal communication codes are ANY of the ways used by humans to exchange meaning -- other than by means of words ( oral or written). 

* Also, please note that:
        "Explanation"  =  a definition + discussion of item's significance to Human Comm.
        "Illustration" = a tangible demonstration-example of this NV comm. code "in action"

   > OBJECTIVES & RESULTS: Assignment's end product = you will explain AND illustrate  the nonverbal Communication Codes that you and your partner have selected to investigate. You should begin preparing for this project --& your eventual your 3-4 minute-per-item-presentations-- by referring to the relevant information in Chapter 7; you also can add in material from other sources & other classes. 

ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:

    Setting up your research plan:

1 - See  below to find the designated partnerships.

2- After carefully reading Chapter 7{ Nonverbal Communicaton Skills}, find a way to confer with your designated partner. Out of the many items addressed in the chapter ( including Principles, Theories, Codes [aka. channels] and Strategies ) select a total of 4 that you both have some interest in and/or a willingness to explore further.

3- Together, strategize a way to "test" the validity of the text's information. In other words, devise a PRIMARY-type research method to see if what the text says corresponds to real life human behavior. Research techniques can be as simple as sitting in a coffee shop, observing,  and taking notes on the ways people mark and maintain their space. You could also research space-as-communication by experimenting with consciously  infringing on the space of others and notating any  (subtle &/or overt) reactions.

You can split up the work in any manner you want.

4 - Each set of Partners will need to email a brief summary to the Professor of the items chosen & 1-2 sentences describing the plans for conducting the research for each of the 4 items. This email is due no later than Mon 9/22 12noon.  

    Conducting your observations/experiments: Keep in mind that for each of your 4 items, the in-class presentations will include [a] explanation of the original concept as described in the text + [b] a brief  description summary of your research techniques  + [c] a brief discussion of how your findings did or did not corroborate the findings from previous Nonverbal studies. Remember even slight differences in setting, gender, numbers, culture, etc. will affect human communication research findings,  so it may be difficult to accomplish exact side-by-side comparisons.

    Presentation dates :  Mon _9/29_ ( & may run over to Weds 10/1)  [However, being absent or unprepared when called on means you will be passed over & will receive an automatic zero]

    Presentation Format:  Chairs/Tables will remain in our usual "circle". Anyone usually sitting in the center section will need to relocate for this activity.<<n.a this semester

Each person can present his/her explanation portion  &  illustration portion from anywhere in the room but it's recommended that you consider the performance advantages of presenting "in-the-round" { i.e. center of room} . Remember you have only 3-4 minutes total per selected item-of-focus. (channel/code, etc) .  Also, each explanation/demonstration should involve both partners. You are also we;come to use any visual/presentation aids that you want.

1 - Lauren Maffei [ "personal space" and "eye contact."]  & Matt Snee

2-  Penny Fitzpatrick & Rebecca White [ regulators, adaptors, eye contact, and touch and gender differences]

3- Yuki Mori & Nahleen Taylor [gestures, space and territory, facial expressions (cultural universals/cultural differences) and immediacy cues.  ]

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NB: Along the way, we will be supplementing the material given in Chapter 7. However, here's a list of the Chap 7 material that I usually emphasize:

 * BODY MOVEMENT & ORIENTATION(incl. posture) :

 *GESTURES -Illustrators / Emblems / Adaptors / Regulators / Affect Displays:  

 * EYE CONTACT -  Functions /the Norms for USA conversation:

 * FACIAL EXPRESSION- Cultural Universals/Cultural Differences-

 * VOCAL CUES  & BACKCHANNEL CUES: 

* PERSONAL SPACE - Zones of interaction & Territoriality:  

* TOUCH & GENDER DIFFERENCES

* APPEARANCE & ARTIFACTS - via people /via environments -

* IMMEDIACY  CUES - 

* DOMINANCE CUES - 

* INTERPRETING CUES IN CONTEXT -  

* INTERPRETING CUES via CLUSTERS -   

* INTERPRETING CUES via PAST EXPERIENCES -  

 * 3 STEPS OF PERCEPTION CHECKING OF NV CUES-   

chapter references currently  refer to Beebe, 7e ( when possible pages also given for older editions)

And remember:

"Manners Matter" (i.e. the way you say something

has an impact on the way the listener understands & interprets it)   

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, [ Prof. of   Comm. /      Dir.  of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.]

                                                                            WNYC:  on-air interview,  9/21/09