The effects of certain non-verbal reactions of audiences on the levels of effectiveness of a speaker: a communication research

Date

4-1997

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Rosario T. Perez

Abstract

Adam Kendom (1972) stated that in an analysis of human communicational behavior, one must first have to examine specific situations by finding ways of delimiting and classifying them so as to come up with general statements. In doing, one has to refer to "interactional events" such as the speaker - audience factor. These events have two general points.

First, that interactional events do appear to have definite boundaries, i.e., there is a point at which they begin and a point at which they end. For example, one knows that a speech is about to begin, because an audience has gathered at a certain place and in a certain way. One can also clearly see that the speech is over, because the participants leave the room.

Second, that "interactional event" is in no sense an absolute unit. Several factors can affect such event. In the context of this study, the various non-verbal reactions of audiences are the factors that will determine the result of the interactional event.

An interactional event therefore, is any occasion when two or more people are jointly engaged, in this case a speaker and his audience.

Communication and behavior go hand in hand. The directly coexist.

The analysis of human communicational behavior has been studied by Roger Wescott (1964). He invented a word "Coenetics" which is derived from a Greek root meaning communication. In 1972, Kendon suggested that Coenetics be defined as the study of Coenesis - which is the system or set of systems of behavior by which the patternedness of the co-presences of people is brought about.

This study looks into the effects of certain non-verbal reactions of audience on the levels of effectiveness of a speaker.

Data gathering started in December 1996. The bulk of data acquisition from questionnaire survey was gathered in March 1997.

Scales were extracted and constructed using Communication III respondents who were University of the Philippines Los Baños Communication III students. Statistical analysis through Friedman's Two-way ANOVA by rank was used to derive the significant effects of certain non-verbal reactions of audiences on the levels of effectiveness of a speaker.

Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that certain non-verbal reactions of audiences directly correlate with the levels of effectiveness of a speaker.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 1997 M3 I36

Document Type

Thesis

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