Communication Skills and Styles
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION CUES IN F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Facial expressions are a large part of nonverbal communication. When we aren't talking, we rely on what the other person's face is doing to understand what they are thinking or feeling. Relying on facial expression relevant in the tv show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. in the episode where Rachel tells Ross she is pregnant and that the pregnancy is his shows the relevance of nonverbal communication. Obviously, in shock, Ross is speechless because words are not coming out of his mouth. However, his face is sure saying a lot. Due to Ross's nonverbal communication through facial expressions, the viewer can tell that Ross is shocked and stunned by Rachel's news and maybe even a little scared for what is to come.
Another example of nonverbal communication is brought to us through a scene with Ross and Joey. They are attempting to get their friend Chandler to forgive them for something they have done, although Ross is skeptical about Joey's approach. But Joey gets in Ross's face and makes him stare into his eyes, and uses direct eye contact as a form of persuasion. Most people feel uncomfortable when forced to look into someone's eyes, especially when looking back into yours. It becomes almost like a game, who can blink or look away first or becomes really uncomfortable, and you don't want to be rude and be the first one to look away, but you want to look away.
Non-verbal communication can also be seen through someone's physical appearance. What they look like can have a lot to do with how we pre-judge them. Take, for instance, Rachel and the "yeti, who also happens to be a man with really long facial hair and hair. Rachel thinks that this is not normal for someone to be so hairy and gives him a nickname that would seem fit. Although once the yeti shaves his face and cuts his hair, he becomes quite attractive in the eyes of Rachel, and suddenly, she is willing to give him the time of day. Although we would like to believe we aren't pre-judged and people want to know us before making assumptions, that is not what happens in everyday life.
Non-verbal communication can also hint at how we feel before talking to them through body language and expressions. For this, I'm using the example of Phoebe being upset with Ross. She goes out of her way to cover her face with the magazine, and when he tries to talk to her, she faces the other way. Again, classic avoidance techniques and would give Ross a hint as to how she was feeling towards him, agitated.
Another form of non-verbal communication is Kinesics. This is portrayed when Ross and Mike are very bored, their posture gives off a hint that they are not having the best time. So if you want to act like you're having a blast when you are not, maybe check the way you are sitting because it could be more than just forcing a smile upon your face.
In essence, our nonverbal communication cues, the way we listen, look, move, and react, tell those we are communicating with whether we care or not, how truthful we are, and how well we are listening. When our nonverbal signals match up with our words, they increase trust, clarity, and harmony. When they do not, they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion.
Reference
Lucy,
ReplyDeleteAs stated by O'Hair et al. 2018 leakage cues are those nonverbal communication messages that leak out without control of what we may be thinking and feeling (O"Hair et al., 2018). You are right as it may be more than a forced smile, to communicate our true thoughts and feelings.
LaDedria
O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: An introduction (4th. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.
As ECE professionals, we really must be careful about how we express our nonverbal cues when interacting with children and families so as not to create misconception.
DeleteThis is one of my all time favorite shows. Ross' facial experiences was epic throughout the series. It seems like their facial expressions coincided how they felt in the episode. I agree with your last statement "When they do not, they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion". This mistrust and confusion can also transfer over when we work with the children and family we serve, if we are not mindful of our nonverbal cues.
ReplyDeleteThank you Myrna for your contribution
DeleteYou draw great attention to a good point. The nonverbals show how much effort, care, and thoughts are put into each communication exchange. I also love how you said when our verbal and nonverbal do not match, this can lead to distrust and communication breakdowns. This is often seen, but not often thought about. Great show and post! :)
ReplyDelete-Rebecca Clark
Hi Lucy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. you did a great job of describing this T,V. show I will be sure to look at it in full. The nonverbal you mention about thing you should do if you not having a blast make sure you are smiling, talking, body language is right so that you can gain trust because if your word line up with your action it can either generate trust or not. Good points.
Lucy,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, great show. I chose an older show to do but I can see how in any situation these nonverbal cues can be seen as crucial in how we interpret these conversations.