COM 3404 Discussion Post 3

Discussion Post: You are required to post items to the course online discussion forum (see the syllabus for how they will be graded) that add value to the topic that is covered for the week, linking theory to real-world examples. Reflect on the following question:

In countries such as Japan, China, India, and Iran there are gestures that convey different meanings in comparison with gestures we use in the United States. Find an example of a gesture or non-verbal behavior (holding hands, for example) from any other country of the world that you did not know about. Provide a link and/or explain the gesture, the meaning, and compare (why or why not we interpret it differently or it does not exist in the United States)

● Analyze the questions according to the requirements for the week. ● Add one take away from this week's article, one from this week's practice

quiz, and one from this week's videos - Make connections and specifically include citations or statements from the video(s), practice quiz, and reading(s) covered this week.

● Posts will be made in the Canvas discussion forum. ● Review the attached discussion board evaluation rubric. Evaluation

Rubric for Discussion Posts

After answering that part of the discussion, answer these posts also. In no more than 80-100 words:

1. Chelsea Henry:

It is said that Greeks are very passionate and expressive in both verbal and non-verbal communication. To that end, non-verbal communication is taken very seriously, involving a number of gestures. The Mountza is a gesture where all fingers are spread, presenting the palm towards the face of another individual. This gesture is an insult, representing displeasure towards the receiver. The Mountza is similar to "talk to the hand" in the United States. Americans and Greeks share the same interpretation of this gesture because it is used the same in both countries.

One takeaway from this weeks article would be that "the purpose of a gesture is to represent information and perhaps communicate that information". This is important

because it proves why gestures are forms of non-verbal communication. One takeaway from the practice quiz would be that "some lies are performed flawlessly", leaving no clue that it is a lie. One takeaway from "A World of Gestures", would be the both the demonstration and comparison of illustrators and emblems.

2. Valeria Restrepo:

The Indian head wobble is a distinctive and unusual gesture that is often employed in India that involves gently swinging the head from side to side in a rhythmic manner. Its meaning might change based on the context as well as the movement's pace and intensity. In India, it's commonly used to express agreement, comprehension, recognition, or even a warm welcome. In certain cases, though, it may signify ambiguity or a non-committal response. The precise interpretation of the head wobble depends on the discourse and the connection of the persons involved. In the United States, head motions are often connected with nodding (up and down) to express agreement or comprehension and shaking (left to right) to show disagreement or denial. The Indian head wobble, with its side-to-side motion, might look and sound quite different from these American head movements. Understanding such cultural variations is essential for efficient cross-cultural communication and the avoidance of misconceptions.

A key takeaway from this article is the distinction between gestures and other types of movements. Gestures are distinctive in that they take place apart from objects, coincide with speech, and have a symbolic function, such as aiding communication or transmitting information. Furthermore, the progression of gesture production and understanding in young infants emphasizes the significance of gestures for language and cognitive development. Children have difficulty comprehending and performing iconic gestures, which emphasizes the idea that gestures are more than just motor simulations and involve sophisticated cognitive processing, making them important for communication and language development. A key takeaway from the practice quiz is that research by Dr. Ekman revealed a strong connection between a person's confidence level and their ability to accurately detect deception. In other words, those who are more confident tend to be better at recognizing when someone is lying. This conclusion highlights the need of taking into account both confidence and accuracy when assessing the efficacy of deception detection technologies because of their interconnected nature. A key takeaway from the video “Understanding and Detecting Deception - 6. Nonverbal Cues - Lecture 6” emphasizes that nonverbal communication includes many elements outside words, such as voice and visual cues. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support the claim that certain signs, such as eye contact, fidgeting, or micro expressions, may reliably identify deceit. It is difficult to identify deception purely only on nonverbal signals since they are frequently ambiguous, subtle, and may not always be signs of deception. Inconsistencies in a person's tale or improbable explanations are better indicators of deceit than smaller-scale trends. Nonverbal cues can offer some useful

information, but when trying to spot dishonesty, they should be used with caution and in combination with other criteria.