Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 6

Running head: PERSONAL IDENTITY PAPER 1

Personal Identity Paper

Bennett Serchen

Cardinal Stritch University

CA245: Nonverbal Communication

2016 November 11

Professor Amy Zufelt


PERSONAL IDENTITY PAPER 2

Personal Identity Paper

After learning concepts from the text and engaging in class discussion, I have discovered

a number of nonverbal communication behaviors that contribute to my personal identity. My

personal identity of nonverbal communication has been continuously changing and developing

over the past few years. Although I have always been confident in my communication skills, it

has improved throughout college by taking communication classes that make me more aware of

how I act and present myself. I will always strive to be the best at everything I do and respect all

of those that I meet, so it is imperative to learn how my nonverbal behaviors reflect that. I have

been able to use nonverbal communication to reflect my personal identity through appearance

and adornment, vocal qualities, and kinesics. Through analysis of the Nonverbal Communication

textbook and the video Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are, I have been able to gain a

greater understanding about the influence of nonverbal communication and potential ways to

combat it or use it to an advantage.

One of the ways that I best utilize nonverbal communication is through the use of

appearance and adornment. Unfortunately, human beings continuously judge and analyze one

another. The way in which an individual looks and acts plays a vital role in how they are

perceived by others. As the textbook states, People often place considerable weight on first

impressions, which are largely a function of how people look (Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K.,

& Floyd, K., 2016, p. 80). Unfortunately, first impressions are incredibly difficult to change once

the initial assumptions are made. In addition to this, people that are attractive and present

themselves in a positive way are perceived as better people. Due to this theory, I developed the

idea of Well-Dressed Wednesday, where I dress professionally. The idea of this day has spilled

over into other days throughout the week, so I continuously get praised for always dressing
PERSONAL IDENTITY PAPER 3

nicely. It has gotten to the point where if I wear sweatpants to class, some people think that

something is either physically or emotionally wrong with me. The theory that is demonstrated

through this is called the halo effect, which demonstrates that beautiful people are perceived as

more friendly and competent than average-looking people (Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K., &

Floyd, K., 2016, p. 83). Personally, I understand that the halo effect is being applied to myself

based on my physical appearance and the way I present myself.

In addition to physical appearance, I use adornments as a means to demonstrate a

perception of myself. Each day, I wear a set of Lokai bracelets and a necklace with a few

pendants around the chain. Both of these pieces of adornments reflect a piece of my identity that

I like others to know. The black bead of the Lokai holds mud from the Dead Sea to represent the

lows in life, whereas the white bead of the Lokai carries water from Mount Everest to represent

the highs in life. The rest of the beads are clear because each person has their own story of

balance to tell. The reason that I wear these bracelets is because I believe that all things in life,

both the good and the bad, happen for a reason. The basis of this belief also connects with the

other piece of adornment: my faith. On the necklace that I wear, I have a cross pendant that I

received around the time of my confirmation, as well as a cross pendant with Our Father

written in Italian that I received during the Franciscan Pilgrimage in my sophomore year of

college. My faith has played a significant role in the development of myself and the way that I

communicate. These pieces of adornments help convey a part of myself that I want others to

perceive.

Another communication skill that I utilize is the use of vocal techniques and kinesics

when speaking to others. One of the moments that I noticed the importance of this

communication technique was from a teacher that I met in high school. Mrs. Fugate, my English
PERSONAL IDENTITY PAPER 4

11 teacher and AFS club advisor, was one of the best communicators with her bosses and other

authority figures. According to the text, micro-communication skills include active listening,

asking clarifying questions, praising, paraphrasing, and describing feelings and behaviors

(Verderber, 2013, p. 22). Whether she was speaking to the superintendent or speaking to a fellow

teacher, Mrs. Fugate has always demonstrated her micro-communication skills with ease. In

addition, she always appeared attentive and considerate when speaking with others. By doing

this, she made others feel that their emotions was valid and reasonable. After seeing how well

this communication tactic worked for her, I started to implement these techniques into my

communication style and it has paid off tremendously. I have been able to have incredible

conversations with superiors that I would not have been able to have if I did not learn the proper

skills during my time in high school. The skills that Mrs. Fugate presented with proper listening

was vital to my skills as an effective communicator. Although the use of listening is not a

common association with nonverbal communication, it is incredibly important to learn how to

adapt these behaviors.

In addition, I have used the power of kinesics to influence my own perception. At

Cardinal Stritch, I hold a number of leadership positions around the University, so it is important

to have confidence. There are some moments that I do not feel 100% confident with my abilities,

but I still need to act in the role I hold. In this situation, I can utilize the technique that the

speaker addressed in the video Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. In this presentation,

the speaker stated that rather than faking it until you make it, you need to fake it until you

become it. When a person is in in a stressful or difficult situation, an individual can use a variety

of power poses to enhance their self-confidence. I have been able to use this idea effectively in

some of the leadership roles that I have taken on, and I have realized that I have a tremendous
PERSONAL IDENTITY PAPER 5

amount of skills that I would not have recognized if I did not put myself into these situations.

Through the use of kinesics, I have been able to enhance my self-confidence with a simple

adjustment to how I present my body.

Even though there are a wide variety of factors that contribute to quality nonverbal

communication, I realize that I have a wide range of skills and techniques that contribute to my

personal identity. After learning about appearance and adornment, vocal qualities and kinesics, I

have learned skills on how to utilize these factors to improve my communication technique.

Although it is difficult to control how people judge you, there are ways that you can portray a

positive appearance using some of the concepts addressed throughout the Nonverbal

Communication textbook and the video, Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.
PERSONAL IDENTITY PAPER 6

References

Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K., & Floyd, K. (2016). Nonverbal Communication. New York, NY:

Routledge.

Cuddy, A. (2016, November 7). Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. Speech presented at

TED Talk.

Verderber, K., & Verderber, R. (2013). Inter-Act: Interpersonal Communication (13th ed.). New

York: Oxford University Press.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi