Blog #4 Chemical Attraction Due 2/26

Dr. Helen Fisher's research on attraction asserts that we are drawn to certain types of people depending on our chemical make-up.  Take Dr. Fisher's test to find out which chemicals are your primary and secondary drivers and then blog about what personality traits you find attractive.  Share with us how accurate you think Dr. Fisher's test is and why or why not.

Dr. Helen Fisher's Personality Test

Blog # 3 Due Tuesday, Feb 19th

Now that we have discussed the basics of communication concepts, we'll start looking at how interpersonal communication affects our love relationships.  Studies show that we have approximately 4 minutes in the initial contact stage to make a good impression.   And based on that first impression, many of us decide whether or not we want to pursue that relationship to the next level or just remain acquaintances. 

Share with us your favorite pick-up lines (funny, serious, cheesy, etc).  What do you think is the best "pick-up" strategy? (Leave a green dangly earring behind? Put your phone number in their phone?)  Let's see what you can come up with!

Blog #2

In a working environment you really get to know your co-workers pretty well. At my last job some of the girls in the front of house department would call in "sick." I always knew it was a lie depending on the weekend and the conversations we would have earlier in the week. Our managers would of course have to break the news to the rest of us that we would be down a person because so and so was really sick when they spoke over the phone. One girl specifically was known to lie to her parents or ditch class and share her stories with us on our down time.  I noticed her body language and laugh would be different when she would tell us about her weekend. When she began calling in and explaining herself the next time we would see her I noticed the same body language, fake laugh, and lack of sympathy. Also she would tend to forget a few days later and really tell us what she did. My perception of her really did change because I thought she was just this really nice person when really she was just immature. I guess maybe it is expected when you're a teenager with no bills to pay for to prioritize partying over making money but it doesn't justify ruining someone else's plans if they were expecting to get out early instead of closing. I'm sure that we have all ruined someone's plans by calling in but when it happens to you, my guess is that you will think twice about doing it to someone else.

EXCUUUSE ME! BLOG # 2 Due Tues 2/12

While most human beings will engage in making some excuses in their lives, the common Ben Franklin saying “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else,” may be more of a self-fulfilling prophesy for excuse-makers than simply avoidance or laziness. Whether excuses are used to shift blame or improve what other people think, it may be easier for excuse-makers to live with excuses than think about living with having tried at something and failed.

Share with us a time when someone has given you an excuse that you know was a lie. How did you know that it wasn't the truth? What verbal/nonverbal cues were there? How did it affect your perception of  that person?

I'm a shy person and I tend to be the type to curl up. As I've gotten older my responsibilities, needs, and wants have required me to just bite the bullet and do what I need to do to advance in life. When I think back and compare my nonverbal communication at my first job, which was hosting, to how my nonverbal communication is now I notice a big difference. I've learned to fake it. I didn't like talking to customers and I would barely greet people at the door but now I have no problem being social. Nonverbal communication is important because it is the first impression people see of you before they approach you or not. Also, I think remaining calm while doing something that may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable is key to controlling how others will read your body language and facial expressions. If you make a mistake who cares, others watching you do not know what you're doing so it's easy to keep moving forward like it was meant to happen. This can apply to many scenarios outside of a working environment.