Can you help me with my homework?

7

Nonverbal Journal Analysis II

Ashley L. Harriss

SPCH 472

September 21, 2015

Description of Nonverbal Experience

My most recent venture was undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or more simply, have my cantankerous gallbladder disembodied from my insides through four keyhole lacerations, a practice the gaggle of healthcare workers I encountered referred to as, “a simple procedure.” Not to diminish the expertise of the doctor, or intensify the severity of a mild procedure, but this in no way translated to me as “a simple procedure.” Being an anxiety-ridden patient, whose past rendezvous with a seemingly confident surgeon rendered my morale with the healthcare system to be almost non-existent, I was more than a little edgy about having another element of my insides hastily removed. I had been evaluated by numerous doctors for the last six years in the search for an answer behind my pain and discomfort, and now suddenly, a new doctor decides the simple resolution to these issues is to send me to incision city yet again. This prompt verdict elicited a brief flash of joy, and partial sigh of relief, before my natural pessimism gave me a swift kick back to reality. My apprehension was amplified by the fact that this solution seemed too blatantly obvious to be overlooked by so many for so long. I felt I was preparing for another dreaded meeting with my nemesis anesthesia to be followed by a debacle of a recovery, all for naught. Regardless, my discomfort was truly becoming debilitating at this point and something had to be done, so I begrudgingly agreed to part ways with a non-essential organ in hopes this doctor would turn out to be the hero on my journey to defeat bloat and pain. The day before my operation I was questioned, measured, weighed, prodded and poked by a sundry of stethoscope clad strangers, all of whom immediately noticed my trepidation and addressed it with the same worn response, “it’s a simple procedure.” Though well-intended, their advice was useless to me, but I did not expect these strangers to console my fears, much less even notice my concern, so I picked up my emotional baggage and carried on with my expedition. Albeit my ill-fated mood, I arrived at the hospital the day of surgery to be greeted by my nurse, a cheery, older woman in bright purple scrubs. Her flashy, sticker-laden nametag, emblazoned with a luminous “MARY,” bounced wildly on her chest as she funneled me through the surgery wing. Suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of disinfectant and that fragrant sterile smell of hospitals, I got lost in a series of flashbacks from the hospital horrors of my past. I snapped back to reality as we entered a small blue room where she instructed me to change into a hospital gown before she quickly hurried off. Immediately upon her return, Mary smiled and asked me why I was upset. I was a bit taken aback by this question because I did not feel that I was showing any signs of distress, but her warm smile roused me to comply as I explained every trivial concern my mind had fashioned. Despite my droning discourse riddled with minor woes regarding one of the most rudimentary surgeries that this woman had surely assisted in hundreds of times, Mary maintained constant eye contact and her warm smile as she intermittently nodded and agreed. After acknowledging my anguish, Mary began her nursing duties, being sure to show me everything she was doing, as she pointed to where each needle, wire, and accessory would go. Perhaps the calming drugs were aiding at this point, but I began to feel Mary’s consistently warm smile transfer to my face as she arranged everything in such a cool, confident manner. With the formalities out of the way, she began a bout of small talk, where in her rapid, animated voice she shared silly stories about her granddaughter, momentarily taking my mind away from my impending doom. When she sensed my uneasiness rise, her lively chatter abruptly shifted to a low, breathy whisper as she kneeled by my bedside and tried her best to reassure me everything would be fine. Much to my disappointment, I was then forced to say goodbye to this charming woman who I had known all of sixty minutes, yet felt as if we had become old friends, as it was time to be wheeled to the operating room.

Nonverbal Communication Analysis

When I first saw Mary, I immediately knew she was a nurse because she was wearing scrubs. Her obvious appearance as a nurse allowed me to instantly draw numerous conclusions, the first being she was clearly educated, as she had received a degree to become a nurse. It also made me make the unconscious assumption she was trustworthy and credible due to her career choice. Her creased skin revealed her to be older, likely in her sixties, which also supported my assumption of her abilities and trustworthiness. Trust is comprised of respectable ethics, morals, values and attitudes, allowing one to accept their vulnerability with someone, due to the anticipation they will demonstrate positive behavior. (Shinners, 2009, p. 2) These four categories are of utmost importance for those working in the health care industry to embrace, evidencing my assumption of her positive temperament. This strong first impression of trustworthiness instantly prompted the construction of my overall image of Mary, as a result, altering my mood and alleviating my stress. Her bright purple scrubs and flamboyant name tag gave the impression that she was open and friendly, both comforting and reassuring traits that aided in how receptive I was to this cheery nurse. Because trust is a “fundamental pillar” for proficient communication and establishing a relationship, Mary had made a positive, lasting first impression on a guarded and terrified patient. (Shinners, 2009, p. 2). Mary would not be considered attractive by society’s standards with her graying hair, facial wrinkles, and endomorphic body, but her warm personality that accompanied her immediacy behaviors made attractive to me.

The nostalgia that bombarded me as I trailed Mary through the surgery wing can be attributed to the harsh smell of the sterile hospital that had been ingrained in my brain from my previous adventures in the hospital’s surgery center. The distinctive, distinguishable aroma swathing the hospital was harsh and overpowering. This intensity contributed to my immediate recognition of the stench, thrusting my mind into a reminiscent whirlwind and escalating my anxiety. Smell is the strongest sense tied to memory, and as such, explains my instant recollections of the surgeries I endured in the past. (Fahmy, 2010) Upon inhalation, the information derived from the particular scent molecules is sent to the brain region that interprets the smell, which is also the same region of the brain that handles emotion and memory. (Chen, 2005)

I immediately found it interesting that the pre-surgery room Mary directed me to was not only painted blue, but all of the staff regularly referred to these rooms as “the blue rooms.” It is likely that the color was not chosen simply for its aesthetics, but also because blue has been found to evoke feelings of serenity, peace, tranquility, and security, as well as being interpreted as a sign of reliability. (Cherry, n.d.) Hospital patients are typically consumed by anxious feelings and worry, as a result, they are in a vulnerable state. Thus, surrounding distressed patients with a color that has been found to soothe and generate feelings of security, was likely a subtle tactic employed by those designing the hospital to emotionally nourish patients in a refined manner.

As I blabbered on about my petty fears, Mary nodded her head a great deal as an encouraging sign she was listening and understood my feelings. Mary’s affirmative nods were regulators, a form of kinesics used to maintain conversation. Positive affirmation by way of regulators during an interaction allows the listener to sustain the exchange without a vocal interruption. (Padula, 2009, p. 582) When preparing me for the operation, Mary frequently pointed to the equipment she was administering to keep me informed and lighten my angst. The physical action of erecting her index finger and aiming it towards whatever device or location she was referring to is a form of kinesics known as an illustrator. Illustrators are used to clarify and supplement a verbal message as an aid to comprehension. There are various classifications of illustrators; Mary’s decision to use finger pointing was a deictic illustrator. A deictic is an illustrator that consists of pointing gestures used as a visual cue to elucidate the specifics of the message being vocally delivered. (Padula, 2009, p. 582)

The warm smile that seemed to be permanently adhered to Mary’s face was a genuine smile. In stark contrast to the forged smiles often worn by exhausted workers, wherein only the zygomatic major muscle is used to upturn the corners of the mouth, the slack in her aging skin made the utilization of her zygomatic major muscle, in addition to her orbicularis oculi muscle, which raised her cheeks to create valleys of crow’s feet around her eyes, evident. (Durayappah-Harrison, 2010) After being blessed by Mary’s presence for a lengthy amount of time, I realized her genuine, everlasting smile had a different effect on me from the monotony of bogus smiles I had encountered thus far. The sincerity of Mary’s smile was undoubtedly contagious, as it had begun to reflect upon my own face, despite the fact that I had entered the room feeling anything but happiness. (Burgoyne, 2015a)

Throughout my incessant rambling Mary’s unrelenting eye contact was unbreakable, compelling me to trust her and continue disclosing all of my frivolous uncertainties. This unassuming act only bolstered my confidence in this kind nurse, as the ability to maintain eye contact is a sign of one’s own confidence. (Scudder, 2014) Her glaring self-confidence provided me with confidence in her and her abilities. Mary’s steady gaze also indicated that she was an extravert and preferred to listen instead of speak, both of which were very apparent, as her willingness to humor me by participating in length on a subject that she hears daily, showed. (Burgoyne, 2015b) During my lengthy dialogue I was captivated by Mary’s wide, never blinking, eyes that appeared especially deep due to the dilation of her pupils. Conceivably, the dilation I recognized in her pupils may have attributed to my long-winded discussion, as a dilation of the pupils is an indication that the listener is interested in what they are hearing. (Dean, 2011) Just as the augmented size of her pupils suggested she was interested in what I was saying, the deceleration in her blinking rate did the same, as there is evidence a decrease in blinking suggests a person is interested in the conversation. (Steele, n.d.)

Along with her supportive head nods, Mary’s intermittent yes’s and uh-huh’s assured me she was listening and took my concerns seriously, despite their trite nature. These brief affirmative expressions, known as vocal segregates, added nothing to the conversation and served no purpose, other than to support my feelings as I continued to whine. (Padula, 2009, p. 729) Whenever I did stop moaning on long enough for Mary to speak, her speech was rapid and animated suggesting she was a generally positive happy person. (Burgoyne, 2015c) Her natural, lively manner of speaking made a drastic shift to a low, breathy whisper as she knelt by my bedside to deliver words of support and encouragement before I left for my procedure. The change in her vocalics supported the verbal message she was delivering, as her gentle words would not have been as poignant had she continued to say them across the room in her naturally animated approach. Mary’s shift to a low whisper was used to enhance the message she was verbally conveying. This distinct alteration in her voice was a vocal qualifier as it was used to enhance her message. (Padula, 2009, p. 729) It is feasible that these paralanguage techniques contributed to how at ease I felt speaking to her, and how willing I was to share vulnerable information with a stranger, because these components of paralanguage are often used to express understanding and create intimacy. (Padula, 2009, p. 730)

Being a busy nurse, Mary’s proximity from my bed fluctuated throughout our interactions, as she never stayed in one position for long. However, when I was yammering on about my qualms, Mary would stop and stand closer to me in the already close quarters. As I lay in the bed divulging my soul, Mary breached the usual professional distance of at least four feet, and was now within an interpersonal distance of about two feet. (Andersen, 2009, p. 807) When she reduced the distance between us, the closer proximity promoted interpersonal communication and an interpersonal liking, which was corroborated by my continually intensifying admiration for Nurse Mary (Holland, 2007, p. 661). When she knelt beside my bed Mary’s intent was to become closer to me emotionally through a physical act. Her decision to move nearer to me as she provided comfort and reassurance was a reflection of her communication goals, as interpersonal distance has been found to correlate with one’s desires or intentions (Holland, 2007, p. 661). Mary took my blood pressure and temperature and this involved professional functional touch (Burgoyne, 2015d). Considering the timeline of my entire relationship with Nurse Mary was established and concluded in just over an hour, the deep-rooted connection I had with her seems unwarranted from an exterior perspective. However, through his research, psychology professor Albert Mehrabian estimates that 55% of the impact of a message is derived from the nonverbal communication. (Agnus, 2012, p. 1) Thus, the significance of this short-lived relationship and its effects can be attributed to the substantial impact found to develop from the nonverbal communication transmitted throughout an interaction.

Personal Response/Reaction Explanation

My response to the nonverbal communication in this situation was extremely positive, as I left the interaction less anxious than when I had entered it. Had I been assigned a nurse that was cold and stoic, my negative feelings would likely have remained the same, if not increased. Mary’s noticeable interest in me and my concerns aided her in consoling me. Her consistent eye contact showed she was listening and made me feel comfortable with sharing my feelings. The warm smile she displayed relaxed me because it portrayed her as a friendly, genuine person. When she intentionally reduced the space between us to deliver her final reassuring words, it was a physical manifestation of her goal to come closer to reach me emotionally. I responded to this one simple act with a rush of comforting feelings because her desire to be physically closer elicited a strong emotional response within me, promoting an intimate connection between us. Each nonverbal communication strategy Mary employed, whether intentionally or unintentionally, bolstered my trust and confidence in her. This in turn spawned a desire for me to share and openly communicate with her because she appeared to genuinely care. Overall, Mary’s nonverbal communication indirectly alleviated me of a majority of my stressors because she showed she cared, wanted to help, and then nurtured me to the best of her ability.

Lessons Learned/The Big Picture

The nonverbal communication cues from this interaction were extremely impactful on the outcome of the situation. Reflecting on this experience has provided me with an explanation as to why we sometimes feel a deep-rooted connection with people we have only just met. The explanation being the enormous influence nonverbal communication has on the outcome of an interaction. We unconsciously interpret the subtle, nonverbal cues revealed during an interaction as indications of their intentions, trustworthiness, confidence and interest. The nonverbal messages relayed during an interaction are perhaps more effective at reaching our core because they are not explicitly stated, making them seemingly more reliable. Nonverbal and verbal communications differ because the messages sent nonverbally are often not premeditated. In comparison, we typically “think before we speak,” making verbal messages more susceptible to fabrication. This often results in the exhibition of a well-contrived image that reflects how we wish to be viewed. Reminiscent of the adage “actions speak louder than words,” behavior is a more authentic representation of true intentions and disposition, than the calculated arrangement of meaningless sounds one purposefully manufactures in an attempt to construct an image.

References

Agnus, O. M. (2012). Proxemics: The Study of Space. IRWLE, 8(1), 1. Retrieved from http://www.worldlitonline.net/proxemics-the-o.pdf

Andersen, P. (2009). Proxemics. In S. Littlejohn, & K. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory. (pp. 808-809). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.4135/9781412959384.n307

Burgoyne, S. (2015a). 4 Facial Behavior [Powerpoint slides].

https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/93065/viewContent/4273075/View

Burgoyne, S. (2015b). 5 Oculesics [Powerpoint slides]. https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/93065/viewContent/4273076/View

Burgoyne, S. (2015c). 6 Vocal Behavior [Powerpoint slides].

https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/93065/viewContent/4273084/View

Burgoyne, S. (2015d). 9 Touch and Communication Haptics [Powerpoint slides].

https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/125702/viewContent/5126640/View

Chen, D. (2005). Smell. In N. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human development. (pp. 1183- 1184). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.4135/9781412952484.n569

Cherry, K. (n.d.). Blue in Color Psychology. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/color_blue.htm

Dean, J. (2011, December 15). Dilated Pupils: 10 Messages My Eyes are Sending You. Retrieved from http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/12/what-the-eyes-reveal-10-messages- my-pupils-are-sending-you.php

Durayappah-Harrison, A. (2010, January 5). What Science Has to Say About Genuine vs. Fake Smiles. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thriving101/201001/what-science-has-say-about- genuine-vs-fake-smiles

Fahmy, D. (2010, July 1). Smells Like Profit: Scents in Stores, on Products, Makes Shoppers Buy More - ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/smells-profit- scents-stores-products-makes-shoppers-buy/story?id=11053555

Holland, R. (2007). Personal space. In R. Baumeister, & K. Vohs (Eds.), Encyclopedia of social psychology. (pp. 661-663). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.4135/9781412956253.n39

Padula, A. (2009). Kinesics. In S. Littlejohn, & K. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory. (pp. 582-584). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.4135/9781412959384.n217n217

Padula, A. (2009). Paralanguage. In S. Littlejohn, & K. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory. (pp. 730-732). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.4135/9781412959384.n275

Scudder, R. (2014, October 17). Eye Contact: What Does It Communicate in

Various Cultures? Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/social-studies- help/9626-learning-about-eye-contact-in-other-cultures/

Shinners, E. (2009). Effects of The "What is Beautiful is Good" Stereotype on Perceived Trustworthiness. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research XII, 1-5.

Retrieved from http://www.uwlax.edu/urc/JUR-online/PDF/2009/shinners-erinPSY.pdf

Steele, J. (n.d.). Occulesics - Eye Behavior: Types of Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved from http://www.speechmastery.com/occulesics---eye-behavior.html