There
were similarities between how I evaluated myself as a communicator and how
others evaluated me. The only difference
was the evaluation of my communication anxiety; actually, others stated that I
seem more anxious than I think while speaking in public.
This
week, I have learned that our self-concept is related to our perception of
others (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).
Actually, we notice in others the attributes that we consider important
and that affects our perception of them, and therefore the way we communicate
with them. Moreover, social interaction
also influences our self-concept. In
fact, we get impressions from others about how they evaluate us as
communicators. These impressions can be
direct (compliments) or indirect (gossip).
I
have also learned about schemas this week.
They are “mental structures that put together related bits of
information” (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).
They make us have an idea about a person based on our own experiences
and feelings. Schemas can lead to
prejudices and stereotypes.
References
O'Hair, D., &
Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York:
Bedford/St. Martin's.
I agree that compliments and gossip are two impressions that influence our self-concept. Compliments are nice but are they genuine? Gossip can start a chain reaction of false information and negativity. It is important to understand our own strengths, weaknesses and capabilities.
ReplyDeleteIf your peers understood you to have more anxiety about speaking than you think you represent, then this is a great stepping stone to help mature in this area. Having another evaluate us only gives us space for learning and growing! It is important to know what our personal strengths are and also enable room for growth in the areas that we have a possible weakness. Although, we do have to be open to it in order to accept.
ReplyDeleteHi Ghayna,
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing how people judge each other from sight. We see someone and say what we think about the person based on the way they dress, the car he or she drives, or the type of mannerism the person may have. I like the fact this week we had to have two people evaluate us and then use what they said to help us to grow in areas we maybe weak in. When people gossip, I find it to be the highest form of a compliment no matter how they say what they say because it means they were listening and took the time to form an opinion. When people say good things about what I have said lets me know that I am on the right track in the eyes of those who truly care about what I say.
Joyce Galloway
I find it interesting that others felt you were more anxious communicating in public than you actually felt. Do you have any idea why they might have felt that way. I know my husband rated me slightly higher than I rated myself for communication anxiety as well. When we talked about he said that was because I have talked with him before about being nervous before a presentation at work and that had a lot to do with how he evaluated me. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete