Feggi's questions (11/16 - 11/18)

1. Chapter 8 was really interesting because it talks about interpersonal communication, which we do everyday. Everyday we communicate and interact with other people. The authors specifically talk about persuasion of interpersonal communication. And the second dimension of persuasive interpersonal communication, which is relationship, really attracts my attention. Back in spring 2009, I took one communication class that taught me about interpersonal communication, and it focused on our relationship with others. I had one terrible experience abour relationship with a supervisor. As a newcomer in an organization, people tend do see and treat you differently. I barely communicated this with my supervisor. I came to the office and did my own stuff, while the supervisor did her own thing. Because there was lack of communication, it impacted my performance in the office. In my opinio, it happened because I didn't feel included in their daily activities in the office (discussion, lunch, jokes); therefore, I felt alone. What do you think about interpersonal relationships? Why we need to build a great relationship with each other? And why do bad relationship have such an impact versus good one?

2. The authors also talked about culture and diversity in chapter 8. Culture is a compex thing for us to learn. Every country has different culture, and even a single country can consist of different. Since I am an international student, I can relate to different culture difference very easily. The culture's differences from Indonesia and United States are a lot. There were so many things that I had to learn and understand when I first came to Seattle. The way people talk, greet, eat, ask questions were different from my culture. One example that stuck to me is interaction in the classroom. In Indonesia, if a teacher does not ask question, we cannot talk in class. But here participation is important. Therefore, it was kind of hard for me to adapt to this new situation. Have you ever been in a situation, where it is different from your culture? And how did you adapt or handle the situation? Please explain.

3.Guys, do you ever judge people only by their appearance? I think almost everybody will say YES we have! And I think we do this a lot. When we judge people from their clothes, cars, house, and other belongings, it is known as Artifactual communication (Woodward and Denton p.189). This is included in nonverbal characteristic of persuasion. I do judge people a lot from their appearance. We tend to treat people who dreeses nice, nicer. I agree with the authors that Artifactual communication can be one of our tools to persuade people. When I want to apply for a job, I tend to wear my best clothes. I want to look nice and be polite, in order to build my credibility. Therefore, through my attire, people can judge and see me differently. Have you ever had a bad experience with judging people? And do you think Artifactual communication plays a major role in persuasion?