For my initial experiment, I chose to use my dorm roommate as the subject. At first, I decided to ignore her and observe her reaction when she returned to our dorm after classes. I then began the experiment by displaying unusual facial expressions and nonverbal signals that are not typical for me. Instead of eating with friends in the living room, I opted to have meals alone either at my desk or on my bed in the bedroom.
I decided to change our usual evening routine of watching a Halloween movie by using my laptop and headphones to watch the movie Grimm. Throughout the viewing, I purposely avoided looking at her or making eye contact in order to observe her reaction. For my second experiment, I focused on studying the dynamics of city buses. As a college student, buses are crucial for transportation. Proxemics on a bus is qui
...te straightforward, especially during mid-afternoon when working individuals take their lunch breaks. Each person has their preferred seat on the bus, often occupying the same spot from previous trips. However, few people consider what happens when someone else takes their favorite seat.
Upon boarding the bus, I observed the common behavior of individuals selecting a paired seat next to a window, indicating their anticipation of someone eventually sitting beside them. Notably, I also noticed gender-specific proxemics. Young males typically stretch their legs out with their elbows against the chair or window, whereas females keep their arms close to their bodies while holding onto purses or bags between their legs. As a female passenger, I decided to conduct an experiment. Initially, I sat in a courteous manner, leaving space for
another person beside me. I held my bag in my lap and kept my legs close together. Then, I adopted a stance resembling that of a typical male passenger. I extended my legs into the aisle and leaned across the adjacent seat with my elbow placed against its center. I even slightly tilted my chin forward onto my chest.
Normally, people only sit next to strangers if all the other seats are taken. In my third experiment, I examined the effects of gaze, eye contact, or aversion. In a busy classroom or dining hall, if someone sits within your line of sight, they would likely have noticed you when you entered and might look up to acknowledge you or the person sitting next to you as it is a natural reflex or response. In the dining hall, I selected four individuals at random and engaged in eye contact or a brief gaze with them for approximately one minute.
An elderly woman, a tall African American man, and a Caucasian woman were all seated at separate tables. Initially, I attempted to make eye contact with the female who was eating ice cream by gazing at her and quickly looking away whenever our eyes met. Afterward, I engaged in sustained eye contact with her for approximately one minute until she averted her gaze. I also checked if she was still looking at me when I glanced back. Following that, my attention shifted towards the tall African American male. At first, I intermittently made brief gazes in his direction for five seconds each time. However, later on, I maintained direct eye contact with him for an extended duration of about
one minute.
During the experiment, a woman will make brief eye contact with a man and then look downwards. This behavior applies to people of any race, gender, or physical characteristics. While looking at an older woman, I turned towards her and initiated conversation while maintaining my gaze on the space between her eyes instead of making direct eye contact. Consequently, this resulted in a temporary lack of focus during our discussion, as if my attention had momentarily wandered despite outwardly appearing attentive.
The results of my experiment on proxemics conducted on a city bus revealed that once people board the bus, pay their fare, and sit down, they tend to remain in their seats due to the potential discomfort of being judged or commented upon by others. It is rare for individuals to change seats when someone else exits the bus. Additionally, I observed the gender bias displayed by passengers when someone sits in a way that deviates from societal norms associated with their gender. For instance, when I sat in a ladylike manner, people who glanced in my direction would either smile or appear content. However, when I occupied multiple seats, slouched with my elbow resting against the seat, more people would stare at me with either grins or expressions of displeasure. These reactions were reminiscent of being scolded or causing a commotion.
When on the bus, individuals often instinctively distance themselves from someone who smells or looks homeless. Our tendency to judge others based on their appearance and expected behavior leads us to feel uncomfortable and awkward when surrounded by strangers during bus rides. Since most of our interactions with people occur face-to-face, we rely
on body language to understand their thoughts and attitudes. Eye contact serves as another effective method of communication, allowing certain individuals to convey specific messages skillfully.
During my interaction with the tall black guy, I would steal glances at him and then quickly avert my gaze. This behavior, based on my past experiences, indicated that I was engaging in flirtation and attempting to convey my interest. In response, he reciprocated by smiling and tilting his chin upward, much like how guys greet one another, to reveal that he too was intrigued and flattered.
In contrast, when I engaged with the girl who was enjoying her ice cream, she appeared embarrassed and seemed as if she perceived judgment from me. She slightly hunched over, drawing her chest closer to her knees while seated in the chair. Additionally, she shielded her stomach with her right arm while exhibiting flushed cheeks of a light pink hue. Eventually, after enduring a full minute of my unwavering gaze directed towards her, she turned away periodically to check if I still had my eyes fixed upon her.
Upon encountering the older woman, she appeared more annoyed than anything due to my lack of attention towards her. However, her annoyance did not entirely ruin her day. She leaned back and gave me a piercing glance, allowing me to almost peer down her nose. Her eyes were stern, squinted towards the center of her face, and her right eyebrow was raised. Although she displayed no amusement, once I averted my gaze and ended the conversation, the lack of eye contact was no longer an issue.
The aforementioned experience led to reflection on observed differences in experimental results
when interacting with individuals in various relationships. From the moment you enter a room, a bus, or any crowd, people begin judging you based on your appearance, behavior, and sometimes your background. As human beings, we tend to form judgments about others even before meeting them; a mere glance in the wrong direction can potentially create problems since experiments like these carry multiple interpretations. When someone boards a bus for the first time, people immediately assess whether they are someone desirable or undesirable to be around.
When determining whether to permit someone with unconventional attire or an unappealing look to sit beside us, we frequently assess the potential threat they may pose. Irrespective of age, ethnicity, or race, we all form judgments about others based on our prior encounters. Contemporary society promotes verbal communication as a means of self-expression alongside actions. Typically, parents instruct their children in this principle to aid in the cultivation of proficient self-expression abilities.
Nonverbal language is just as important as spoken words in conveying our message. We use gestures, body language, and vocal cues like speed and volume to communicate, along with proximity and eye contact. These nonverbal signals greatly impact the connection we make with others, whether it's trust and desire or confusion and distrust. Face-to-face communication plays a significant role in expressing our thoughts and attitudes through these signals. Eye contact specifically regulates conversation and can convey various messages such as interest, affection, hostility, fear, or attraction. In my personal experience during an experiment involving a tall black individual, I would frequently glance at him before looking away.
According to my experience, when I repeatedly gazed at a black male, it
conveyed flirtatiousness and my interest in him. However, if I were to engage in the same behavior with a young high school girl eating ice cream, she might interpret it as a problem with her or perceive anger towards her. As a result, she may respond rudely or aggressively due to feeling uncomfortable. Facial expressions vary in meaning among individuals, and they play a crucial role in expressing emotions. This importance lies in our ability to understand one another beyond verbal communication.
Nonverbal communication is considered incredibly powerful in our personal and professional lives. It allows us to establish relationships and showcase our true selves through gestures, body language, and facial expressions. For instance, during a job interview, dressing casually and displaying a laid-back attitude would convey unprofessionalism and decrease the chances of being hired. Similar consequences can arise from how we interact with our elders.
During the bus experiment, I conversed with an elderly woman while maintaining steady eye contact. This made her feel undervalued and irritated, perceiving a lack of respect from me. Although its impact on her appeared to be temporary, it was impolite and atypical for a young individual to engage with an older person in such a manner. Additionally, silence can serve as nonverbal communication by conveying the absence of words we typically utilize to comprehend the intended message. In another experiment, I employed the silent treatment towards my roommate during our most recent hangout session.
During the week, we typically spend our free time watching Halloween movies together, enjoying popcorn, and having conversations. However, on this particular occasion, I decided to experiment by deliberately avoiding communication and eye contact with her. Instead
of watching a Halloween movie together like usual, I chose to watch something on my laptop using headphones. Similarly, instead of joining our friends in the living room for a meal, I preferred eating alone on my bed in another room. Rather than responding verbally to her questions, I resorted to making facial expressions at her. All of these actions created an uncomfortable and awkward atmosphere during our time together as it transformed our hangout into a one-sided conversation.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to participant observation in experiments. On one hand, researchers can gain insights and collect accurate real-life data through personal experience. This method also enables the exploration of different directions based on current ideas and the observation of nonverbal communication reactions in real-life situations. Moreover, it allows for the discovery of new information about self-definition through nonverbal communication.
However, it is crucial to recognize potential issues with this approach.
Some individuals may have negative reactions to being deceived during our experiments for data gathering purposes. Additionally, as researchers, we must be cautious of becoming too emotionally invested or involved in our experiments, as it could lead to bias that compromises the integrity of our data if the results do not align with our initial expectations. Throughout these experiments, I faced challenges initiating them due to my naturally reserved nature. Starting conversations with strangers, especially those around my age, is not something I am inclined to do. However, conversing with older individuals was comparatively easier because I had no preconceived expectations about their reactions to the social experiments; it felt somewhat similar to speaking with my own grandmother.
