Research+Paper

Matt Sachrison---> Adrian Wint (Note) -Form was incomplete

Russel Souders---> Adrian Wint A)gramatical errors B)use less I's ans we's C)use more transitional words D)

Jake Bakovsky---> Adrian Wint A) gramatical errors need to be fixed (Note) -Form was not complete Jake Bakovsky Russel Souders Matt Sachrison

This is the format I am supposed to complete for my completion dates:

A minimum of 2 total pages due: day of week, Monday, March 15, 2010

At least 2 additional pages (minimum of 4 pages total) due: day of week, Tuesday, March 16, 2010

At least 2 additional pages (minimum of 6 pages total) due: day of week, Wednesday, March 17, 2010

At least 2 additional pages (minimum of 8 pages total) due: day of week, Thursday, March 18, 2010

Monday, March 15, 2010 =Since the beginning of man, the way that we communicate with one another has change immensely. In early villages and cities, street criers made public announcements, spread news, or advertised goods and services (Gay 12). Our society is now technologically advanced and communicating with one another is a crucial part of our daily lives. We use telephones, cellular phones, the internet, and of course, we speak to each other directly. However, what is truly important is not the information that we are trying to communicate with one another, but how exactly we communicate it. Most people put an emphasis on what exactly is being told. Lawyers put together logical evidence that is to be used to persuade the judge and the jury. Two people engaged in a verbal argument try their best to outwit and outsmart each other with facts. Unbeknownst to them, is that in order to win the argument, the nonverbal communication is the key. Scientists have found that the manners in which people move and speak are more vital that what is being said. Since experts on human behavior have found that people rely much more on nonverbal messages including those conveyed with body language and vocalized para-language to determine the meaning of a message, vocal tone and body language have more effect on winning an argument than logic. = = Although it has proved somewhat difficult to formulate a precise definition, “nonverbal communication” has generally been defined as “communication effected by means other than words” (Higdon). Nonverbal communication is in every part of human interaction. It is the topic of study for many scientists such as Paul Ekman and Ray Birdwhistell. In fact Birdwhistell found that the human head alone can produce up to 250,000 expressions to convey about 200,000 emotions. = = From this research, they have found that while no one can learn to manipulate their nonverbal communication completely, they can learn to improve their awareness and learn to change some of their body language in order to improve their lives. These tips have been used by people to improve their speaking ability, improve friendships, and perform better during an interview for a job. = = There is more than one field of body language. Kinesics is the study if what a person does with their body. Vocalics is the study of what the person sounds like. Proxemics is the study of how the person uses the space around them. Chronemics is the study of how one uses their time. Haptics is the study of how someone physically interacts with listeners or audience. Physical appearance is also a factor in body language. In order to win an argument, all of these factors are important but, the most important one are vocalic and Kinesics. = = The human voice is one of the most important forms of communication that we have. It has been used for, many thousands years to communicate ideas and information. The human voice enables us to perform and accomplish a plethora of tasks but it also does things that we are not aware of. When we use our voice we communicate more than what we are saying. Based on the pitch loudness and tempo of the voice, the listener is receiving information about the speaker. One’s speech pattern (slow or fast pace), tone of voice, and the emphasis placed on words are also components of paralanguage (Gay pg 19). Next to a person’s face, their speech is considered as the primary source of human communication. This is known as paralanguage. Paralanguage is the vocal qualities and sounds associated with nonverbal communication (Reiman). When a person talks they can alter how the message is received in many ways. For example, a human speaker can completely alter the meaning of a sentence by stressing one word over another (Higdon). A question can be indicated by raising the pitch at the end of a sentence and an order can be issued by lowering the pitch. =

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 = Another voice quality that affects a speaker’s ability to persuade is their rate of speech. In any argument the tempo at which an individual speaks reveals many things about them. Contrary to what many believe, speaking slowly is not the most effective way of communicating. For example, one study found that those who speak at a relatively faster rate are viewed more favorably than those who speak at a relatively slower rate (Higdon). The listener perceives the speaker as a dominant, intelligent and smart individual. They are more persuasive than their slow speaking counterparts. While a faster rate of speech gives the speaker an edge, talking too fast is decreases their persuasiveness. = = A slower rate of speech makes a person seem less persuasive. This is because it makes the speaker seem more hesitant. While a faster rate of speech is more appealing, talking slowly should not be disregarded. A person should talk slowly in order to put emphasis on a point and help the receiver understand the message clearer. A person should talk slowly in order to put emphasis on a point and help the receiver understand the message clearer. = = Along with speaking faster, in order to persuade pitch variation is key. There are studies that have shown that higher voice pitches are more persuasive than lower voice pitches. However, there are other studies have shown exactly the opposite of that. This means that neither a high pitch nor a low pitch is more favorable than the other. To truly have an effective, persuasive voice the pitch has to change from time to time. This is more favorable than a flat, monotone voice. = = Another key component in an oral argument is the speaker’s loudness. If the speaker is not loud, then their case cannot be heard. Not speaking loud enough may cause trouble for anyone who is trying to make a case or win an argument. In court, a lawyer speaking at too low of a volume, he will lose his audience and the judge will not attempt to hear what he has to say. In order to prevent this, that person needs to speak with a higher volume. A louder voice is a commanding one. A commanding voice allows you to project a ‘presence’ (Higdon). Establishing presence also established confidence, control and commitment. = = One important part of speech is the ability to speak powerfully. In order to do this, a speaker needs to fill their lungs to its full capacity. Most people only fill their lungs to ten percent of its full capacity. This results in very shallow, weak breathing. This is because they are not breathing from their diaphragm. In order to speak powerfully, one needs to speak from the diaphragm. Diaphragmatic breathing not only helps your voice sound better but, it also has other benefits. It increases blood flow and lowers heart rate. When breathing from the diaphragm the person’s stomach should rise as they intake air and sink as they exhale. =

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 = Next, in order to win an argument, it is necessary to combine vocalic along with kinesics. The term “kinesics,” which comes from the Greek word for movement (kinesics), was introduced by anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell in 1952 and refers “to all aspects of ‘body language’ – movements of the head, face, eyes, limbs, and trunk – as a means of communication (Higdon).” Since its study began, kinesics has been said to be one of the richest methods of communicating. With changing body positions a human can create about 700,000 different signals. = = Kinesics is a great way to communicate because humans are extremely good at both sending and receiving these messages. How a person uses their body during an argument is key if they are to persuade a group or another individual. = = One important body part to focus on is the face. The face provides feedback for the listener and communicates the emotional states of both people. In fact, during an interaction, people usually pay more attention to the others face. This is known as facial primary. Eye contact is extremely important if one is to persuade another. The eyes have been called “the mirrors of the soul” (Barkai). This is because people are more aware of it than other types of nonverbal communication. An obvious blank stare show that one does not care and is inattentive. When someone breaks their eye contact it can show that they are not comfortable with the topic at hand or that they are not willing to pay attention to the speaker anymore. While maintain eye contact is a good thing, too much eye contact can cause others to become uneasy. This indicates that the speaker should not continue what they are talking about because it is bothering the listener. Or, they could press the subject more if their aim was to catch the listener off their guard. = = It is said that eye contact should be held about 70% of the time. Maintaining eye contact is also a way to draw in the other person’s attention. It keeps them listening to you and they are more inclined to believe what you are saying than if there were no eye contact. This works for many different reasons. Eye contact increases the speaker’s perceived dominance and attractiveness; both important factors when one is trying to persuade. = Eye contact is not the only important thing to remember when dealing with the head. Head movement and facial expressions also play a large role. When a person is perceived as warm they are more likely to influence. Head movements such as nods, and wide smiles are used to create this warmth. In fact, a 1994 study found that speakers who received high scores in the category of warmth and pleasantness nodded their heads often when interacting with a receiver (Higdon). When people lack expression they seem aloof and disinterested. They create a sense of coldness. Nodding and smiling result in a greater feeling of warmness. Performing both at the same time had better results. Another effecting head movement is a head tilt. Studies shows that a head tilt show a person to be thoughtful and trustworthy. Those who tilt their head to the right proved to be more trustworthy than those who tilted towards the left. = Next, an important kinesics method to improve body language to persuade in an argument is body posture. To influence, one needs to be of high status and be dominant. A relaxed posture conveys both of these things to those around. Being in a tight posture makes it extremely difficult to persuade and win an argument. A more tense posture makes a person seem as if they doubt themselves. Even though it is better to have a relaxed posture, slouching is not a wise choice. Leaning forward is a good position to take. A forward lean shows interest in what others have to say. It conveys a positive attitude while leaning backwards shows arrogance and distrust. Fidgeting hands and unsure movements show insecurity and a lack of confidence. =

Thursday, March 18, 2010

When speaking, many people believe that making gestures take away from what the speaker has to say. Not only is this statement wrong, but gestures are a key part in helping the delivery of any message that one has to communicate. It has been proven that gesturing increased the impact of the message sent. In fact, without gestures the message that a speaker is trying to send has less of an impact on the listeners. Researchers set up an experiment in which their subjects tried to verbally communicate a message to another person. Interestingly, the report found that none of the subjects were even able to carry out the exercise as instructed (Barkai). The message loses is expressiveness and power. They listeners were not able to understand what was being said clearly. When communicating, gesturing is responsible for many things. Gesturing keeps the listeners attention. It helps the listeners memorize what they are hearing. It does not only help the listeners, but also the speaker. When speaking, gestures enable the talker to form their word better. Gesturing is essential in persuading. Job applicants who used gestures more in their speech were seen as being more persuasive. However, gesturing has to be coupled with the talker’s speech in order to have any effect. If not, the gesturing is seen as nervousness. In a debate between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford students agreed that nervous gestures took away from the speech. In fact, Gerald Ford, who students believed had the least amount of nervous gestures, was viewed as the winner of the debate. Researchers also noted that when speaking with palms faced down, that person seems more certain and confident than when speaking with their palms faced upwards. The last, and very effective technique used to persuade and win an argument is known as matching and mirroring. When two people are in agreement with one another their body positions become more alike. Their breathing patterns and heart rate sync up, and they also tend to mimic each other’s posture and hand gestures (Body Language affects Negotiation). This shows that they are in agreement with one another. When they disagree, their body postures are entirely different from one another’s. By subtly mirroring a person who is in disagreement one can create a feeling of understanding. After their body language is mimicked, they will subconsciously mimic the other person’s patterns. From there it is easier to build trust and common ground. It also gives the opportunity to persuade more easily than before. In an argument, matching and mirroring can turn the tables. In conclusion, there are many complex interactions taking place during an argument. It is based solely on the facts and the evidence that one has. The message is not the most important factor in persuading or winning an argument. While the message does matter, the method of sending the message has a greater impact on its delivery. The studies of nonverbal communication has shown that implementing techniques such as eye contact, gesturing and improving vocalics greatly improve the message and have a better chance at persuading. This is why I believe that a vocal tone and body language have more effect on winning an argument than logic. an argument than logic.