Nonverbal Communication: Chelsea’s Observations

I went to the Chesterfield Mall specifically The Cheesecake Factory restaurant I was watching my server Brook and also interacting with her, I did Skype with Scott on separate chat and just took time to observe him while he talked to me, I did Skype with my friend Lauren on her separate chat, and when there were breaks in the conversation I would watch her I to see what her body language and nonverbal communication was, and I also visited with my Grandmother. First, I went to The Cheesecake Factory to get something to eat.

During my time at The Cheesecake Factory my server came up to my table and smiled kindly while she introduced herself as Brook. She then asked me what kind of drink I would like and I told her coke. She then went back and got my coke and brought it out to me. She then asked me if I still needed time to figure out my order and I said yes please, and she replied sure no problem. After a couple minutes passed she came back and then I told her my order. She then went back into the kitchen where they made my order and she brought it out to me, she even warned me that it would be hot and to let it cool down. She then said to let her know if I needed anything else. As the night went on I told her if I needed anything at all, and that the food was good because she had asked me how it was tasting. When it was time for me to go Brook and I both wished each other a good rest of our days that one day. Afterwards, I went home and went onto Skype where I went to my separate chat for my boyfriend and I.

I was on separate chat on Skype with my boyfriend Scott, and I noticed that he sometimes can get animated, and emotional when he talks about certain topics to me. He used a lot of facial expressions for example; smiling, frowning, sarcastic, excited, upset, and happy just to name a few. He used his hands some of the time, but he mainly used his body language to emphasize his main points and exciting details of any topic he was discussing, like for the six flags rollercoasters he would use his hands and body to help me focus on what he was saying about them. Scott also liked to talk in a gentle but audible voice, because he knows sometimes it is hard for me to hear him on technology and so I am not missing out on anything. Scott in the evening is really relaxed with me on Skype and so his body position is either sitting or laying down with his face towards the camera of his cellphone or laptop. At the end of the conversation he usually says “I love you and hope you have a good night, good-bye for now love”, which I find to be so sweet and loving of him. After I ended my conversation with Scott, I stayed on Skype, but went to my best friend Lauren’s separate chat on Skype, and we started to have a conversation.

I was on Skype with my Friend Lauren and I noticed that depending on the topics, she can be a little intense at times emotions and feelings wise, and it showed in her face and non-verbal body language. I noticed that she would move her hands a lot that complimented her words. I also noticed that she sat up straight and also looked me in the eyes which showed she was paying attention. Lauren was not wearing a lot of make-up and her hair was straightened which means she cared about her appearance and how she came across to me. Her tone of voice was calm and not yelling. I noticed she was smiling and cheerful and happy appearing, and as a result she and I had a very pleasant conversation and our non-verbal cues matched our words and emotions. Later that night in the evening I spent time with my grandmother.

I was in my library at home sitting next to my grandmother and we started to have a conversation about her life and my own life. I noticed that she mainly used her hands a lot and facial expressions, since she has limited mobility and movement. She talked in a normal voice meaning that she was calm and tone was gentle and understanding. My grandmother had good eye contact and at one point she reached over and touched my hand for emotional support. Sometimes I noticed she would ask me to repeat what I said and to speak a little louder since it can be hard for her to hear, I did not mind this that much. She is often quiet and minding her own business, but this night she felt like talking to me and I was alright with this. My grandmother needed my help to get the hot water bottles and so I did being careful to not get them too hot but warm enough for her, and after that she fall asleep around nine o’clock. Finally, I went to my room to sort through my observations and here is my summary of my observations.

In summary, I honestly was really surprised with all that I found out about how important facial and body language and expression is to everything in life, which includes nonverbal communication. What I did observe was both similar and different to what I read and heard in class, because everyone was calm and nice and did not seem to suspect anything of me and what I was doing, everything was just natural and not scripted or planned and that is what I loved about this, was that I was able to see how everyone really is when they communicate and their body language non-verbally and facial expressions too. I now have new knowledge from my experiences I was having and I really enjoy this. I was not expecting to have the outcomes that I did for my observations, because I thought they would notice me observing them and ask me what I had been doing. Overall, I am glad that it turned out the way that it did, because it taught me a bunch about non-verbal communication and that words are just a part of it, and what the actual meanings are for the facial and body expressions and language.