KINESICS

Sample Solution

    I recently spent some time observing two men sitting in a Starbucks. They appeared to be colleagues or acquaintances, but their relationship was unclear. One of the men was older and looked like he had been working hard that day; his eyes were red-rimmed and he seemed tired. The other man was younger, wearing a backpack stuffed with books as if he had just come from class.

The first gesture I observed was an emblem: one of the men made an “ok” sign with his thumb and index finger while talking to the other man. This gesture seemed to indicate agreement with what the other man was saying, as it was accompanied by a nod of confirmation. It happened several times over the course of their conversation, indicating that it served as an important means of communication between them. The second gesture I noticed was an illustrator used by the younger man: when he spoke about something specific, such as directions or locations on campus, he would often point out towards different spots in order to emphasize his words more clearly. This happened multiple times throughout their conversation and helped to clarify what each one meant when they talked about various topics. The third gesture I saw was a regulator used by both men: when one person finished speaking (or got too long-winded), the other would shift in his chair or look away slightly, signaling it was time for them to move on in their discussion without having to interrupt outrightly. This occurred frequently during their chat and kept things flowing smoothly without coming off as rude or abrupt. The fourth gesture I witnessed were affect displays used by both parties: they often smiled while talking which indicated they felt at ease with each other and generally enjoyed discussing whatever topic arose between them; however there were also brief moments where either party frowned or furrowed their brows if something wasn't clear or didn't make much sense — this allowed for clarification before delving further into any particular matter at hand. The fifth type of gestures came from adaptors employed by both parties—small fidgeting motions such as twirling hair around fingers, rubbing hands together nervously, tapping feet — all these subtle movements told me that although they seemed comfortable enough talking together now, neither person wanted this conversation dragged out unnecessarily so pleasantries could be dispensed with quickly afterwards once everything had been said that needed saying.. Lastly I noticed regulators being used frequently throughout their exchange—gestures like nodding heads slowly back and forth showed understanding/agreement between both parties whilst looking away signaled it might be time for one speaker's turn ended so another's could begin - these types of subtle regulatory cues were almost constant yet still rendered effective communication without ever needing words exchanged! Overall my observations revealed that body language is key element within interpersonal interactions - even though no actual verbal dialogue took place between these two individuals - they still communicated effectively thanks largely due extraordinary amount nonverbal signals constantly being exchanged through use emblems , regulators , illustrators , adaptors & affect displays .