1. Attraction is an interesting concept when it comes to nonverbal communication. We are constantly bombarded by images and messages telling us what we should be and what we should look like, so much so that we have a multi-billion dollar industry for plastic surgery and Botox-like products. Now watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpM499XhMJQ She is a model and her own mother probably doesnt recognize her on that billboard. If someone like that isnt good enough, who is? This was a rather quick lesson, but can you see how easily perception of beauty and attraction can be manipulated by images?
2. Continuing on with the idea of attraction in nonverbal communication, we often associate good qualities with people who we find attractive and negative qualities with people we find unattractive. We often refer to this as the halo and horn effects of perception. For people we perceive as good, we place a halo over their head and horns for those we perceive as bad. Now I know you are going to say that you never do this, that you inherently somehow think everyone is equal, right? Wrong. We do do this. Consider getting on a city bus or train car at 3am. You will look around and decide very quickly who to sit by based on what they look like. That doesn’t mean you won’t be wrong, that doesn’t mean what you are doing is right, but it does mean we do it. The point is to be willing to keep an open mind that you might be wrong. For more on this, listen to my lecture on the PowerPoint slides this week. That said, please play along for a minute and take a look at the PICTURE FILE 3 under content and tell me what you think of these people. Probably pretty average looking, but do you think they are good or bad based on physical appearance? Would you give them any of them halos? Horns?
3. Lastly, you may or may not recall seeing a show called To Tell the Truth which tried to make a comeback about 10 years ago. The idea of the show is that three people come on and claim to be the same person, answering questions for a panel of judges. After a few questions, the judges make a decision about who they think is telling the truth. Watch this clip and at the end decide who you think is the real Walter Blaney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAjJxf-Q6I. What did you use to make your decision? Once you have made your decision, watch this clip to see who it really is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6c4D1BKfu0&feature=related. Were you correct? Looking back, is there anything you missed or would have guessed differently
4. What are the aspects of the Research Portfolio Assignment do you value? What are the benefits of the Research Portfolio Assignment? What do you enjoy about working on the Research Portfolio Assignment?
5. What are the aspects of the Research Portfolio Assignment you do not value? What are the limitations of the Research Portfolio Assignment? What do you not enjoy about working on the Research Portfolio Assignment?
6. Anything else you want to share with me about the Research Portfolio Assignment?
