Page 18 - Essentials of Human Communication

104 ChaPter 5 Nonverbal Messages
Earmarkers—a term taken from the practice of branding animals on
their ears—are identifying marks that indicate your possession of a territory
or object. Trademarks, nameplates, and initials on a shirt or attaché case are
all examples of earmarkers.
Markers are also important in giving you a feeling of belonging. For
example, one study found that students who marked their college dorm
rooms by displaying personal items stayed in school longer than did those
who didn’t personalize their spaces (Marsh, 1988).
artIFactual coMMuNIcatIoN
Artifactual messages are messages conveyed through objects or arrange-
ments made by human hands. The colors you prefer, the clothing or jewelry
you wear, the way you decorate your space, and even bodily scents commu-
nicate a wide variety of meanings.
color communication There is some evidence that the colors with
which people surround themselves affect them physiologically. For exam-
ple, respiration rates increase in the presence of red light and decrease in Welcome xvii
the presence of blue light. Similarly, eye blinks increase in frequency when
eyes are exposed to red light and decrease when exposed to blue. These
findings seem consistent with our intuitive feelings that blue is more sooth-
ing and red more provocative. After the administration at one school
changed the classroom walls from orange and white to blue, the students’
ViewpoINts blood pressure levels decreased and their academic performance improved
and thereby increase and perfect your own communication skills. Each chapter contains 2, or
(Ketcham, 1958; Malandro, Barker, & Barker, 1989).
status signals
Colors influence our perceptions and behaviors (Kanner, 1989). Peo-
One signal of status is an unwritten “law” granting the
ple’s acceptance of a product, for example, is strongly influenced by its
in some cases 3, skill development experiences to provide you with the opportunity to work
right of invasion. Higher-status individuals have more
packaging. In one experiment consumers in the United States described the
of a right to invade the territory of others than vice
very same coffee taken from a yellow can as weak, from a dark brown can as
versa. The boss, for example, can invade the territory
actively with the concepts discussed in the text.
too strong, from a red can as rich, and from a blue can as mild. Even our ac-
of junior executives by barging into their offices, but
the reverse would be unacceptable. In what ways do
ceptance of a person may depend on the colors that person wears. Consider,
you notice this “right” of territorial invasion in your for example, the comments of one color expert (Kanner, 1989, p. 23): “If
workplace (or your dorm room)? you have to pick the wardrobe for your defense lawyer heading into court
and choose anything but blue, you deserve to lose the case. . . .” Black is so
powerful that it can work against the lawyer with the jury. Brown lacks sufficient authority.
Skill DeveloPmeNt exPerieNCe
Selecting a Seat at the Company meeting
The accompanying graphic represents a table with 12 chairs, one of which
12
Boss is occupied by the “boss.” For each of the following messages, indicate
(a) where you would sit to communicate each message and (b) any other
11 1 possible messages that your choice of seat will probably communicate.
1. You want to ingratiate yourself with your boss.
10 2
Nonverbal choices 2. You aren’t prepared and want to be ignored.
influence your 9 3 3. You want to challenge the boss’s proposal that is scheduled to come up
for a vote.
communication 4. You want to get to know better the person at seat number 7.
effectiveness and your 8 4
image as a 7 6 5
communicator.
Essential terms in boldface, a vocabulary quiz, and a glossary at the end help you learn and
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11/29/12 5:35 PM
review essential terms. The glossary also includes many skills discussed in the text.
The Public Speaking Sample Assistant boxes in each of the four public speaking chapters
provide sample annotated speeches and outlines. New examples and four new speeches (two
poorly constructed and two excellent) are included.
344 Chapter 12 Public Speaking Preparation and Delivery (Steps 7–10)
publIC SpeakIng Sample aSSIStant
the preparation Outline 194 Chapter 10 Members and Leaders in Small Group Communication
Here is a relatively detailed preparation outline similar to the outline you might prepare when constructing your
speech. The side notes should clarify both the content and the format of a preparation outline.
objectives self-Check
● Can you explain the role of culture in small group communication?
have you ever Been Culture shocked? ● Can you define and distinguish between individual and collective orientations and between
Thesis: Culture shock can be described in four stages. high-power and low-power distances?
Purpose: To inform my audience of the four phases of culture shock. The title, purpose, and thesis of the speech appear before the outline.
INTRODUCTION:
For politeness in the workplace,
I. How many of you have experienced culture shock? Note that the introduction, body, and conclusion are clearly labeled and sep-
A. Many people experience culture shock, a reaction to being in a cul- arated visually. see the self-test on this topic at
ture very different from what they were used to. http://tcbdevito.blogspot.com. Members in small Group Communication
B. By understanding culture shock, you’ll be in a better position to deal How did you do? What will
with it if and when it happens. you do? Each of us serves many roles, patterns of behaviors that we customarily perform and
II. Culture shock occurs in four stages (Oberg, 1960). Note that references are integrated throughout the outline, just as they
A. The Honeymoon occurs first. would be in a term paper. In the actual speech, the speaker might say, that we’re expected by others to perform. Javier, for example, is a part-time college student,
B. The Crisis occurs second. “anthropologist Kalervo Oberg, who coined the term culture shock, said it father, bookkeeper, bowling team captain, and sometime poet. That is, he acts as a student—
C. The Recovery occurs third. occurs in four stages.” attends class, reads textbooks, takes exams, and does the things we expect of college students.
D. The Adjustment occurs fourth. This introduction serves two functions: It gains attention by involving the He also performs those behaviors associated with fathers, bookkeepers, and so on. In a simi-
[Let’s follow the order in which these four stages occur beginning with the audience and it orients the audience to what is to follow.
first stage, the honeymoon.] The transition at the end of the introduction tells the audience to expect a lar way, you develop relevant ways of behaving when participating in small groups. Before
Learning through Interaction Are You?”
reading about these roles, take the accompanying self-test, “What Kind of Group Member
four-part presentation. Also, the numbers repeated throughout the outline
BODY
will further aid the audience in keeping track of where you are in the speech.
I. The Honeymoon occurs first.
A. The Honeymoon is the period of fascination with the new people Most important, the transition tells the audience that the speech will follow a
temporal thought pattern.
and culture.
B. You enjoy the people and the culture.

Test Yourself sections throughout the text invite you to analyze your
1. You love the people.

a. For example, the people in Zaire spend their time very differ-
own patterns of communication and think about how you will alter test YourseLf
ently from the way New Yorkers do.

b. For example, my first 18 years living on a farm was very differ-
ent from life in a college dorm.
your communication in the future. These tests will help you personal- What Kind of Group Member are You?
Note the parallel structure throughout the outline. For example, note that
2. You love the culture.
For each statement below, respond with T if the statement is often true of your group behavior or F if the state-
I, II, III, and IV in the body are all phrased in exactly the same way. This will
a. The great number of different religions in India fascinated me.

ize the concepts and skills you’ll read about in the text and improve ment generally does not apply to your group behavior.

b. Eating was an especially great experience.
help your audience follow your speech more closely and will also help you
structure your thoughts logically.
[But like many relationships, contact with a new culture is not all honeymoon;
your communication effectiveness. Additional self-tests are noted at _____ ➊ I present new ideas and suggest new strategies.
soon there comes a crisis.]
II. The Crisis occurs second.
_____ ➋ I ask for facts and opinions.
A. The Crisis is the period when you begin to experience problems.

the ends of the chapters and are available at MyCommunicationLab _____ ➌ I stimulate the group.
1. One-third of American workers abroad fail because of culture
shock (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2008).
(www.mycommunicationlab.com) _____ ➍ I give examples and try to look for positive solutions.
2. The personal difficulties are also great.

B. Life becomes difficult in the new culture.
1. Communication is difficult.
Note that there are many examples in this speech. They are identified only
and on The Communication Blog (http://tcbdevito.blogspot.com). _____ ➎ I positively reinforce group members.
briefly in the outline and would naturally be elaborated on in the speech.
2. It’s easy to offend people without realizing it.
[As you gain control over the various crises, you begin to recover.] _____ ➏ I try to reconcile differences.
III. The Recovery occurs third. _____ ➐ I go along with the other members.
Messages in the Media, a new chapter opening photo program uses _____ ➑ I offer compromises as ways of resolving conflict.

Note, too, the internal organization of each major point. Each main assertion
A. The Recovery is the period when you learn how to cope.

in the body contains a definition of the stage (I.A, II.A, III.A, and IV.A) and ex-
B. You begin to learn intercultural competence (Lustig & Koester, 2010).
1. You learn how to communicate.
amples (I.B, II.B, III.B, and IV.B) to illustrate the stage.
scenes from television shows as a useful laboratory for the study of com- _____ ➒ I express negative evaluation of the actions and feelings of the group members.

a. Being able to go to the market and make my wants known
was a great day for me.
munication. This feature is in two parts: (1) Messages in the Media intro- _____ ➓ I try to run the group.
Note that each statement in the outline is a complete sentence. You can easily

b. I was able to ask for a date.
convert this outline into a phrase or key word outline to use in delivery. The
2. You learn the rules of the culture.
_____ 11 I express personal perspectives and feelings.
full sentences, however, will help you see relationships among items more
a. The different religious ceremonies each have their own rules.

duces each chapter with a television program that deals with the major topics of the chapter and
b. Eating is a ritual experience in lots of places throughout Africa.

clearly.
_____ 12 I express confusion or deprecate myself.
(2) Messages in the Media: Wrap Up (at the end of each chapter) invites you to reconsider the tele-
How dId You do? As you’ll see as you read further, these behaviors are characteristic of the three general
vision program in light of what you read in the chapter. types of group member roles. The first four statements refer to your taking on group task roles, and the next
four refer to your taking on group building and maintenance roles. Both of these types of roles are productive.
The final four refer to your taking an individual rather than a group focus; these are the behaviors that often
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work against the group achieving its goals.
Communication Choice Points appear throughout the text to encourage you to examine the
wHat wIll You do? As you read the sections in the text on member roles, try to relate these roles to your
choices you have available for communicating in actual real-life situations and to apply the
own behavior or to group behavior you’ve witnessed. Then ask yourself what worked and what didn’t work.
Which roles were productive, and which ones were unproductive?
information in the text to these situations.
Video Choice Point scenarios appear in each chapter and invite you to view a video of a com-
munication interaction and then examine the available choices the characters in the scenario 11/29/12 5:39 PM
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made (or could have made) for communicating effectively.