Week 8 Question 3: Adaptorrs

From this week's reading on Encoding Messages: Nonverbal communication, I learned to become more aware of my nonverbal messages and to ensure that I am sending the right message across. Though it is very difficult to be completely aware of all nonverbal communication, I must try to control at least some; like my eye contact, my physical gestures and body movement.

One concept that I found most intriguing is the unconscious state of mind and what we do when we are stressed. Trenholm wrote about how adaptors are behaviors that people use to adapt to stresses and satisfy personal needs. If we learn how to analyze and interpret adaptors, we are given access to a good source of information about other people's emotions. But I believe that it is difficult to get an accurate interpretation about someone's emotions even if we are familiar with certain adaptors. For an example, Trenholm wrote that some adaptors are behaviors that satisfy immediate needs such as scratching and other adaptors helps us deals with stress. I find it interesting that you can gain access into why someone maybe cracking their fingers or chewing on their lip all the time, like me.

When I am stressed out, I tend to chew on my lip or almost all the time, I crack my fingers repeatedly. I am almost unaware that I am cracking my fingers, I just do it while I am thinking or reflecting about something. One time, my class mate had to tell me to stop because I was doing it nonstop and she was wondering if I was in a conscious state of mind. It was like I was day dreaming, but I was really thinking hard on the work that I have to do that day. I am one of those people that use self-adaptors. I touch my neck and play with my hair all the time in class when I don’t want to pay attention anymore and I just want to go off in my own world. It is not necessarily the fact that I am stress but more tired of concentrating so I am taking a break. Playing with my hair is kind of like a mindless thing to do. Sometimes, I touch my neck, rub myself when I am stressed out. As a matter of fact, I am stressed out right now and I found myself rubbing my back. This is really interesting to learn about because now I am more aware and conscious of my actions.

Signing out,
Evens Dreamer