Observation Paper (due Week Four)

a. Visit a restaurant, movie theater, park, shopping mall, or other public gathering and observe individual verbal and non-verbal behaviors. Observe people in one of these public settings for a total observation time of at least one hour and take copious notes regarding both the verbal and non-verbal meaning behind the behaviors. Then, prepare a 700 to 1050-word paper describing your observations.

b. The introduction of the paper must include a description of the location of observation, time, day, and a preview of the remainder of paper.

c. The body of the paper should address the following questions:

1) Analyze the way individuals communicated with space. Did they tend to violate other people’s personal space or maintain more than usual distance from people with whom they communicated?

2) What does people’s clothing, jewelry, and material possessions reveal about them?

3) What did peoples’ overall appearances reveal about the formality or context of the situation?

4) Was the verbal and non-verbal communication congruent?

5) How did other people’s non-verbal behaviors affect your perceptions of them?

d. The conclusion of the paper should address the question: What is the most valuable lesson learned from this observation?