Demonstrative_Communication

Week-1 Individual Assignment Paper Demonstrative Communication Demonstrative Communication What is Demonstrative Communication' In order to accurately define the true meaning and concept of “Demonstrative Communication,” one must understand the meaning of each word separately. The word “Demonstrative” is the adjective form of the verb “Demonstrate.” As defined in a dictionary means “to describe, explain, or illustrate by example, specimens, experiments, or the like: to demonstrate the force of gravity by dropping and object,” to demonstrate anger by slamming your fist against something, or to demonstrate love through touching or soft eye contact. The word “Communication” defined in this case means “something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted.” Therefore, we can deduce that demonstrative communication is the act of giving something (the sender) to someone, and receiving a similar thing from them (the receiver) in return through the same illustrative act; in essence Demonstrative Communication is non-verbal. There are many different ways to communicate nonverbally, and the outcome can be positive or negative based on the attitude or the personality type of the sender and the receiver. For example, some gestures that are commonly perceived as negative, may be an individual’s way of relaxing, or settling into deep-thought; like interlocking ones arms across the chest (which commonly means closure or disconnect), or squinting your eyes, which could be mistaken for frowning, when actuality your contact lens has shifted in the wrong direction, causing discomfort. Nonetheless, many people underestimate the power of nonverbal communication, and the demonstrative personas it has by definition. Nonverbal communication goes far beyond head, arm, leg, feet, and general body posture positioning. Deep within our brain which controls activity, interest, mimicry and consistency are the keys that unlock the power of nonverbal communication. An article in the Business Insight section of the Wall Street Journal speaks to “the question of human behavior, and how people use nonverbal communication cues.” The results is quite remarkable. The article focused on the four areas mentioned above; the first being, activity: “Everyone has an autonomic nervous system; it's the oldest part of your nervous system, the fight-or-flight part. When you get excited about something, it gets aroused. What happens then is you become more active and you have more nervous energy.” (Pentland, 2008) The second is interest: “People pay attention to each other, and you can read that from the timing between people who are in conversation. If two people are talking together and each one is anticipating when the other will pause and jumping in exactly at that point and leaving no gaps, then they're paying a great deal of attention to each other.” (Pentland, 2008) The third is mimicry: “Humans also have a system called a mirror neuron system. Strangely enough, when you watch somebody move, a part of your brain that corresponds to the same movement lights up. When people mimic each other's gestures when in conversation, research has shown that it's very definitely correlated with feelings of trust and empathy. Mimicry creates the sense that people are on the same page.” (Pentland, 2008) The last focus is on fluency. Dr. Pentland used Tiger Woods and his golf swing as an example; “There's a sort of fluidity about it that just says, ‘This guy's an expert.’ And people have the ability to read that. Consistency in tone or motion tells you who really knows what they're doing, or is really practiced at it, at least. And that's another sort of honest signal; it's very hard to fake.” (Pentland, 2008) These four areas unleash a broader understanding of nonverbal communication that not only involves those engaged in a one-on-one conversation, but, perhaps a teacher, or a counselor, or even a group watching the interaction in order to discern whether the situation is positive or negative. Positive and Negative Demonstrative Communication (Sender/Receiver) Personality and state-of-mind can alter the resulting effect caused by demonstrative communication. Meaning, people who have self-fulfilling prophecies of themselves, can achieve their goals if they believe they can or if they believe they are the most qualified person. However, if they believe they are unqualified or the goal is beyond their reach, they will speak failure into the equation causing prophesy fulfillment that is self-determined. As stated in the text book “Communicating in the Workplace,” the following is an example of negative demonstrative communication and a self-fulfilling prophesy. “Consider the example of a job that you believe you are highly unlikely to receive. As a result of this belief, you do not do much to prepare for the interview. In addition, you communicate your uncertainty and lack of excitement about the job both verbally and nonverbally to the interview team and do not follow up after the interview. The interview team notes that you knew little about the company, showed no real interest in the job, and never heard from you afterwards. Thus, they decide not to hire you. For your part, the company’s response just confirmed your initial expectations.” (Cheesebro et al., 2010, p. 38) Another example in the textbook outlines a positive demonstrative communication and a self-fulfilling prophesy: “A classic study in the 1960s showed the power of these prophecies. A group of researchers told a group of teachers that 20 percent of the students assigned to their class showed unusual academic promise. The researchers, however, just chose 20 percent of the class members at random to describe as “bright.” At the end of the year, those students who had been identified by the researchers as gifted had outperformed their peers during the school year. The teachers treated the students in ways that not only assumed the students were smart but also communicated to the students that they were indeed smart. The result was a positive school experience.” (Cheesebro et al., 2010, p. 38) These studies indeed show the power of nonverbal communication through, perception, thought, and physical interaction. However, gestures, gesticulations and tone-of-voice can be effective or ineffective depending on the context and desired results. Effective and Ineffective Demonstrative Communication Gestures are movements or positioning of the hand, arm, head, body, or face that is expressive of an idea, opinion, or emotion. Gesticulations are animated or excited gestures such as clapping, the waiving of arms high above the head, or jumping up and down profusely. These gestures are effective in showing support and excitement for the winning team; however, gestures such as these would be ineffective in closing a sales deal. Having a good knowledge of nonverbal communication techniques can help convey a message and prevent misunderstandings. James Poon, T. F. (1998) states: “Successful people act as if they know what they are doing. Being aware of certain aspects of nonverbal communication can help people get their message across and prevent them from being misunderstood. There are a number of strategies that people can use to control a situation: 1. Remain calm and self-assured. 2. Honour both decorum and self-worth when insulted. 3. Calculate responses to situations carefully when in front of an audience. A handshake sends a message of acceptance if it is firm and comfortable. When a person needs to sway a group to a particular point of view or to sell something, unflinching eye contact is essential. When listening, people should lean forward slightly, keep quiet, and concentrate. “ Conclusion In conclusion, people are constantly learning from one another, primarily because they are individuals in every sense of the word. People are only alike because we mimic each other through two of the greatest senses of the human anatomy (seeing and hearing). How one acts, and how one responds is based on what they hear and see. Demonstrative communication is nonverbal and unwritten communication that involves expression, tone-of-voice, and body language. Nonetheless, listening and responding are the most important. When one listens to the perceptions of others, they get to know them, and eventually understand them; which is the key to developing a successful relationship. Demonstrative Communication can be positive and negative, effective and ineffective; however, if one takes the time to listen, the results is positive and effective. References Cheesebro, T., O’Connor, L., Rios, F (2010) Communicating in the Workplace. James Poon, T. F. (1998). Nonverbal communication and business success. Management Research News, 21(4), 1-10. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223551396'accountid=35812 Moore, B, N., & Parker, R. (2009) Critical thinking (9th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.