podcast 1 - paralanguage

"good evening and welcome to the explicator, i'm your host John Heulitzer"

[music] - storm in a teacup

episode 1 - where we explore paralanguage, our drink of choice, and this episode's obscured from history

to explicate - or give a detailed explanation of, develop, analyze, explain
meaning to un-fold from.

[music] - beastie boys:body movin'

In accordance with tonight's topic, paralanguage describes all forms of human communication that lack a verbal component. Non-verbal communication and body language are other terms that may be more familiar. Our discussion incorporates the practical aspects of this communication.

Observing others is an important aspect of interpreting and understanding your environment. We must consider that there are voluntairy and involuntairy aspects to body language and both, with few exceptions, can be controlled with proper training.

Of the many signals that can be interpreted we'll focus on the ability to tell, truth from fiction. Our goal this evening is to explicate the paralanguage of lies.

We begin…

[music] - queen:body language

It is important to premice that human behavior is not a guarantee of intent. Every observation must be taken in context, and compared with a person's base behavior. The following are generaly accepted as being true, with the understanding that each situation can bring its unique challenges.

We can divide our discussion into three catagories.
Body cues
Facial cues
and Verbal cues
The latter is not a form of body language, but can be important for our excerciese.

Body cues can be seen in a person's posisitioning, arm placement, and movement. What we are actually attempting to determinine is a person's comfort level. Although discomfort does not necesairly dictate a lie, we will consider the two linked.

A liar may attempt to take up less space. They may limit the size and scope of their gestures. Crossing the arms is one way to accomplish this smaller footprint. A person may alltogether make fewer movements, or appear stiff. Within their limited movement they may be more inclined to touch their head, face, or hair. A liar is less likely to touch his chest and torso. One indication of discomfort is for the liar to turn their body or head away from the questioner. An extension of this may be to place obstructions between the acuser and themselves.

A blush can signify emotional arosal. Blushes start in two major places, the chest and the ears. A person, whether challenged or flattered, may elicit this sign of discomfort.

Facial cues can be seen in a person's eyecontact, and facial reactions.
A person who is lying may avoid making direct eye contact or find it difficult to maintain an average gaze. When a person shows facial emotion they utilize the entire muslce group (consisting of the cheek, jaw, lip, eye, and foerhead). A smile not only involves the upturned corners of the mouth, yet it should also be reflected in the entire face.

Another interesting idea, relates to eye posisitioning. By determining where a person's eyes move while thinking, you may be able to derive the thought process being performed.

These examples are constructed from your perspective while looking at a "normally organized, right handed person." A left-handed person will have opposite reactions.

movements are as follows:
Up and to the left represents a visually constructed thought
Looking Up and to the right represents a visually recalled thought
An additional sign of accessing visual images may be to look unfocused or maintaining an unmoving gaze.
Looking LEFT represents an audiatory construction thought process
While looking RIGHT represents audiatory recalled thoughts

Down and to the left represents feeling, smell or taste
And finally
Down and to the right representing an internal dialogue

With the exception of emotional and internal dialogue we sumarize:
looking to the left may represent "constructed" and to the right may represent "recalling."

If you were to ask a friend why whey were late for an appointment and their response envolved a five car accident and how they cheated death, you may be skeptical. Although they did look up and to the right, representing visually recalled thoughts, you considered their base behavior and decided to be thankful for your friends honesty.

Finally we find ourselves discussing verbal cues. Not distinctly a part of paralanguage, they can be an important factor of intent.

A guilty person may become defensive when confronted, while an inocent person will often go on the offensive. A liar may use words from your question in their answer, perhaps repeating the entire question. When a person utilizes contractions they are more likely to be truthful. An uncomfortable person may speak more than ususal attempting to fill pauses or gaps in the conversation.

If given the opportunity you may attempt to abruptly change the subject. A dishonest person could comfortably follow this new trend and become more relaxed. An inocent person may become confused and attempt to go back to the original topic.

closing
it is important to consider how proxemics relates to body comfort. Proxemics describes the measurable distance between people as they interact. These areas can be divided into intimate, personal, social, and public spaces. The outer boundairy of these standards are aproximately 12ft for social space, 4ft for personal space, and 1.5ft for intimate space. Every culture has a different sphere of comfort when interacting. Latin cultures have smaller distances while nordic cultures have farther distances. While considering context and base behavior also consider if you are in the person's personal or intimate space without being invited.

If you'd like additional information on paralanguage colorodo state university has an excellent departmental page. This link and other resources available at 19f.org
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory44.htm

[music] - beastie boys:something's got to give (obscured from history)

Tonight we meet Charles Curtis, Represenative and senator from topika, kansas. Born january 25, 1860 charles spent his early life on the Kaw indian reservation, and was the only native american to reach the office of US Vice president. During his career he co-sponsored a resolution to repeal the 18th ammendment and prohibition. While serving in the US Senate he, along with Represenative Daniel Anthony, Jr., proposed the first rendition of the Equal Rights Ammendment.

Curtis chaired many committies including the Committee on Indian Depredations and the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Interior. While he served in the house the Curtis Act was passed in 1898 which expanded the powers of the federal government over american indian affairs. In 1902 congress passed an act disbanding the Kaw as a legal entity. This act transferred 160 acres of Kaw land to the federal government; at the same time transferring 1,626 acres to Curtis and his children.

It is for this reason that Charles Curtis was brought to our attention, and has become "obscured from history."

Who was the last US Vice President to wear a mustashe?
None other than charles curtis.

Slurp

[music] - big bag voodo daddy:go daddy-o(drink of choice)

Aparently most injested alcohol brings a sense accomplishment, or an increased drive for competition. Both are aspects not uncommon to those seeking attention. This evening's "drink of choice" is known as the Ferrari

You will need:
ice
1 old fashioned glass
1 ounce of Ameretto
2 ounces dry vermouth
And one lemon twist, which for our purposes… will remain optional

Our coctail is simple and sweet,
Stir to combine said ingredients and enjoy a mellow smoothness, quite undeserving of the name "ferrari"

Once again we've come to a close, tune in next episode where we discuss "termination of employment"

You should know that "The Explicator" is produced by banned studios in association with 19f.org

Questions and comments should be directed to e@19f.org

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This is john heulitzer saying, "i am a patient boy"

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