shocking news

Nonverbal communication is more trustworthy than verbal communication. As a communicator, it is harder to fake than the words you choose.

Gestures

Choose which of these three visuals best matches the audio and explain why each does or does not match well.

Clip 1: You’re never going to believe this: I just bought a baby kangaroo!

What?! Oh my God, that is shocking news! Exciting.

It’s very exciting. You know, first I wanted a dog, but then I thought, why not get a baby kangaroo?

Yeah, everyone has a dog. How many people in the neighborhood have kangaroos? Just us.

Just us.

Clip 2: You’re never going to believe this: I just bought a baby kangaroo!

What?! Oh my God, that is shocking news! Exciting.

It’s very exciting. You know, first I wanted a dog, but then I thought, why not get a baby kangaroo?

Yeah, everyone has a dog. How many people in the neighborhood have kangaroos? Just us.

Just us.

Clip 3: You’re never going to believe this: I just bought a baby kangaroo!

What?! Oh my God, that is shocking news!

It’s very exciting. You know, first I wanted a dog, but then I thought, why not get a baby kangaroo?

Yeah, everyone has a dog. How many people in the neighborhood have kangaroos? Just us.

Just us.

Gestures

Answer the following questions.

Which clip used the most appropriate audio? How can you tell?

What factors gave the other two clips away?

Intonation

In each reply the respondent conveys a different attitude. Listen to hear what you think the respondent is thinking. (These clips are audio only to eliminate other nonverbal elements.)

A phone call: This is Bob Stevenson, over at WCUJ, and I just wanted to let you know that you’ve been selected to be our summer intern if you’re still interested.

Response 1: a phone call: Oh, wow, thank you so much for calling! When do you need an answer?

Response 2: a phone call: Oh, w-wow, well, um, thank you for calling, um… let me see… w-when do you need an answer?

Response 3: a phone call: Oh, wow, well, thank you for calling. Well, uh, when do you need an answer?

Intonation

Answer the following questions.

What different feelings and attitudes are conveyed by the various responses? How could you tell?

Answer the following questions.

Why is nonverbal communication more trustworthy than verbal?

Examine a recent interaction you experienced. Try to isolate all the nonverbal communication present.

Try to convey the following emotions using only your eyes: fear, depression, disgust, satisfaction.

How does communicating in forums with less nonverbal communication (telephone, email, etc.) change the communication process? What do communicators do to compensate?

Click ‘select all’ to highlight your responses.

Then cut and paste into an email to send to your instructor.

1. Which clip used the most appropriate audio? How can you tell?

2. What factors gave the other two clips away?

3. What different feelings and attitudes are conveyed by the various responses? How could you tell?

4. Why is nonverbal communication more trustworthy than verbal?

5. Examine a recent interaction you experienced. Try to isolate all the nonverbal communication present.

6. Try to convey the following emotions using only your eyes: fear, depression, disgust, satisfaction.

7. How does communicating in forums with less nonverbal communication (telephone, email, etc.) change the communication process? What do communicators do to compensate?