Part 1.) This experiment was particularly easy for me, personally, but I can definitely see how it would be difficult to have an intelligent conversation. It was easy because the conversation was simple and I tend not to talk a lot anyways. The other participants in this experiment didn't change the way they talked normally... they only noticed that I hadn't said anything and just asked if anything was wrong and, when I shook my head, the conversation continued. Obviously the culture that would have the advantage is the one with a spoken language and the speaking culture would either try and adopt their form of communication into the one without. Individuals who might have difficulty communicating with a spoken language are people with hearing disabilities, problems with muteness, or any kind of disability that causes a barrier between having a conversation with someone else. Trying to communicate with someone who cannot communicate back is not easy, many times it requires writing down what you are saying, or having some kind of translator. Either way this extra mediator will lose some of the meaning of what you are saying.
Part 2.) Yes, I was able to last the full 15 minutes without anything but speech. It wasn't very difficult for me because I don't move very much in the first place and the conversation didn't really have anything that would call for any kind of emotion. The other participants weren't entirely affected by my lack of expression, but talking in monotone was making them fall asleep. Without any extra signs while we talk, it gets very difficult to get the emotion of what you are saying to stick with them and it is important to show some kind of extra embellishments to enhance what your saying and to get the primary point across. I am sure there are some people who have difficulty reading body language. For example, a blind person would not be able to see any kind of movements from another person. When you are able to see body language, you can see beyond a person's words. If someone was mad you could see it in their movements, even if their words are saying otherwise. I guess the only time that it would be appropriate to not be able to read body language is if you didn't want to know the truth about something that someone had said.
Good post and good descriptions in both sections. I got the impression that you didn't tell your partners about the experiment before hand. Is this the case? Do you think you would have had different experiences if you had filled them in ahead of time?
ReplyDeleteYes, the blind have difficulty reading body language, but are very good at reading vocal intonation, so they still have some non-symbolic language to rely upon.
Okay, I will go with your suggestion of not wanting to know the truth, but flip the scenario around. What if you were in a situation where you suspected that body language would mislead you, such as visiting another culture that had a different system of body language?
Good post.
It seems like you had a much easier time than I did with this experiment. I never thought of talking about the limitations people with muteness or visual imparities have. Overall great post.
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