Final Week Post #3

• Pick one other concept in the book that you feel needs further discussion? (You can choose from ANY chapter in the book).

I think that Speech Anxiety (page 288), may need a little more discussion. I perform in musicals and have been onstage in front of hundreds of people, but I'm still terrified of public speaking. I know so many other performers that feel the same way, and also many kids that have a fear. I think it is important to note that there are many ways to relieve many of the stresses of speech anxiety. As the text says, breathing deeply or trying to relax muscles is one way you can try to relax. Also, substituting your negative thoughts with positive ones is a way to build confidence. Public speaking is an important tool to make great communication, so hopefully people can feel comfortable with their speaking! :)

Have a GREAT winter break! :)

Final Week Post #2

• What concept/s in this class have you found most interesting? What was it about that concept/s that you found interesting?

This semester was extremely fruitful. I think the chapter on Group Communication was very interesting to me. I liked the idea of shared behavioral standards and the fact that a group can function as a whole unit and feel a sense of identity or shared beliefs. It seems like a group’s norms and values mesh together to be collective. I thought that the characteristics of groups was interesting because I think about companies or organizations and forget to realize many days groups spend together. Members of each group are interconnected and work and interact with each other, learn about the nuances of their functions, and together progress and evolve.

Final Week Post #1

• (Regarding Chapter 13) Which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

Performance research seems the most interesting to me. I love the idea of observing a work of performance art, oral communication, or artistic components of everyday life and being able to deduce from there. I also think it is by our own performances that we can make conclusions about our behavior, thoughts, and feelings. If I were to form a research question about deception, it would be something like “How can you tell if someone is lying”. I would probably use Experimental Research or Conversation Analysis. That way, I could either conduct research based on the way people talk or formulate various scenarios between people in an experimental setting.