Exploring Nonverbal Communication, Confirming Messages, and Collaboration in Early Childhood Interaction

Three Terms/Concepts to Use In The Paper:

* Please use these definitions I provide in the paper to define or explain the concept cite it with this (Floyd, 2020) then after the definition provide a paraphrased version of the term or concept. Then proceed with the account of the conversation and other details provided in the project details*

Need answer to this question?

*** The first section of the paper can be used to explain for my daughter and I would speak non verbally through ASL (American Sign Language) in her first year of life. ***

*** Also, I’d like you to use the name Mia for the person in each of the conversations she is my two-year-old daughter so conversations would be conversations a mother and two-year-old daughter would have. Also, I highly value the practice of respectful parenting which can help write this paper especially in the second concept of confirming messages. ***

Concept 1 Nonverbal Communication:
We can define nonverbal communication, then, as behaviors and characteristics that convey meaning without the use of words. Nonverbal communication behaviors frequently accompany verbal messages to clarify or reinforce them. For instance, if someone asks you for directions to the bookstore and you point and say “It’s that way,” your nonverbal behavior (pointing) clarifies the meaning of your verbal message. If you simply say “It’s that way” without pointing, then your verbal message is ambiguous—and not very helpful. At other times, however, nonverbal communication behaviors convey meaning on their own. For example, if you ask me where the bookstore is and I shrug my shoulders, you will probably infer from my behavior that I don’t know the answer to your question, even though I never actually said so.

Nonverbal behavior is a powerful way of communicating, and it comes naturally to many of us. Yet there’s a lot more to interpreting nonverbal behavior than you might think. The more you learn about nonverbal communication, the better you will be able to understand it.

Several studies suggest that facial expressions of these basic emotions are interpreted very similarly across cultures.7 In a classic study, psychologist Paul Ekman took photographs of people communicating six basic emotions through their facial expressions: happiness, fear, disgust, anger, sadness, and surprise. He then showed the photos to participants in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, and the United States. He asked the participants to match each photograph with what they believed was the emotion being displayed. Ekman then compared the responses from different countries and found that participants were equally accurate at describing which emotion was displayed in each photograph.

Facial expression plays a vital role in communicating ideas in American Sign Language (ASL). In some instances, the same hand sign is associated with different meanings if it is accompanied by different facial expressions. Both photographs feature the hand sign for “you,” for example, but they involve different facial displays. The photo on the left would be interpreted as a question, such as “Are you?” or “Did you?” The photo on the right, however, would be

interpreted as an exclamation, such as “It’s you!” Although the hand sign is the same in the two photographs, the meaning differs because of the accompanying facial expression.

Concept 2 Confirming Messages:
One way to contribute to positive communication climates is to practice using confirming messages, which are statements that convey value for other people. Communication researchers have identified three types of confirming messages, which are described here in order from least to most confirming.

Recognition. The most basic act of confirmation is to recognize that another person exists and is worthy of your attention. Replying to a text message from a sibling, calling to ask about a friend’s day, and making eye contact with a new acquaintance you see in class are all ways of sending the message “I recognize that you matter.”

Acknowledgment. A more positive form of confirmation is to acknowledge another person’s feelings and thoughts. You engage in acts of acknowledgment when you ask someone’s opinion, solicit someone’s ideas, or inquire about someone’s feelings. Just as important as asking for that information is listening actively to what the person says.

Endorsement. The most positive form of confirmation is to provide endorsement, which is the signal that you agree with what another person has said. On some occasions, you may endorse another’s message fully, as when expressing complete agreement with an opinion. On other occasions, you may provide partial endorsement, as when you tell a friend that you agree with her feelings but not necessarily with her actions.

Concept 3 Collaborating
The collaborating represents a high concern for both your partner’s needs and your own. The goal is to arrive at a win–win situation that maximizes both parties’ gains. After they had their first child, for instance, Mick and Laura felt the strain of paying for day care while Mick worked and Laura went to school. Let’s observe how they arrived at a collaborative solution in the following example.

Mick: What would you think about me reducing my work hours and you taking more of your courses online so that at least one of us would be home almost every day?

Laura: That would mean we’re bringing home less money every month, but it would also mean we wouldn’t have to pay for day care anymore, which would actually save us a little money.

Mick: Besides that, we’d be able to take care of our own child instead of paying someone else to do it.

Collaborating probably sounds like the ideal way to handle conflict—and in many situations, it is. It can also require a great deal of energy, patience, and imagination. Although it might seem like the best approach, it can also be the most difficult.

What’s another example of how these strategies might operate in real life? The “At a Glance” box highlights one conflict—two siblings fighting over who is going to get a new car—and illustrates how each of those approaches can be employed when engaging in the conflict.

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