Nonverbal communication - Speech class Is This Space Invasion?

Nonverbal communication - Speech class

Is This Space Invasion?

We’ve explored the nonverbal codes of space and territory, and you should now have a better understanding of the range of people’s reactions to perceived invasions of their space. Read each situation below, decide whether a proxemic or territorial violation has occurred, and then describe two tactics you might use in response to each situation. (Try to think of things you realistically would do in each situation, not just what you could do).

a.    You’re at a bar or club, sitting alone, waiting for a friend to join you. A stranger sit down beside you and starts a conversation.

b.   You’re business executive. You enter your office after lunch and find your administrative assistant sitting in your chair, feet up on the desk, talking on the phone.

c.    You’re taking racquetball lessons, and it’s your turn on the count. A group of people gather to watch your lesson.

d.   You’re interviewing for a part-time job. As the interview nears a close, the interviewer moves from behind the desk toward you and touches you on the knee.

e.    You want to wear your favorite sweater but can’t find it. You discover it wadded up in the bottom of the laundry hamper, reeking of cigarette smoke, and you realize your roommate or a family member wore it without your permission.

·     For each situation decide whether a proxemic or territorial violation has occurred?

·     Describe two tactics you might use in response to each situation.