Answer to Rashad's Week 8 Question 2

Question: The text explains that there are three aspects of nonverbal behaviors that affect persuasion. One pertaining to the level of animation, the second relating to behavior liking or attraction, and the third pertaining to the level of relaxation displayed during interaction. The text mentions that being relaxed gains trust and the appearance of truthfulness, and a relaxed posture and the absence of vocal anxiety are important elements in establishing credibility. I agree with this for the most part, but I also think its interesting to note that there are degrees and levels to these aspects, the text does not expand the idea that it is possible for an audience participating in interaction with a speaker who is establishing credibility through relaxation may overreach and as a result be perceived as too relaxed or too comfortable. Illustrating a sense of over relaxation can make people think that one is cavalier, and may not take the situation seriously enough. Would you agree with this stance, and do you think the author should expand this idea of relaxation? Or is it simply implied that being overly relaxed in a situation where credibility is being established can result in poor perceptions?

Answer: Woodward and Denton state that the “[…] level of relaxation displayed during an interaction is important in gaining trust and the appearance of truthfulness” (194). Since gaining trust and the appearance of truthfulness depends upon the level of displayed relaxation, the idea that negative perceptions can be caused by one having an overly high level of relaxation, to me, seems implied. However, although I understand this to be implied, I do believe that the authors could, and should, expand on this idea of relaxation.
This idea is important, and should be further discussed, because individuals may have slight differences for what it means to nonverbally appear relaxed. Additionally, as we all surely know, when attempting to persuade others, nervousness, and/or excitement, will likely be a factor. That said, attempts to display relaxation are probably often forced, and, therefore, more difficult to execute convincingly. It would also be of value to expand on this idea because antonyms for “relax” are “increase, grow, agitate, excite, tense, worry” (dictionary.com); these antonyms are similar to other nonverbal behaviors the text actually suggests, such as nonverbal behaviors communicating enthusiasm, frequent gesturing, hand movements, and high levels of energy (194). Relaxation, shown through nonverbal behavior, isn’t, in my opinion, synonymous with high energy, enthusiasm, and frequent hand gestures; however, there is an evident difference between doing these things relaxed and versus not relaxed (in terms of nonverbals).
In most persuasive situations I do agree with the following stance: “Illustrating a sense of over relaxation can make people think that one is cavalier, and may not take the situation seriously enough.” As the text emphasizes, the purpose and context of the event are vital factors when looking into nonverbal characteristics of interpersonal persuasion (195). That said, in a situation where one’s credibility is in question, a sense of over relaxation could not only imply that one is cavalier, but also that, even if they do take the situation seriously, they are too certain that their persuasion will rid them of this credibility issue.
For example, if, during Nixon’s Checkers speech, Nixon was extremely/overly relaxed when speaking, one might feel that since he knew what he was going to say, his relaxed demeanor clearly indicated that he felt his speech would get him off the hook before the speech was even finished. In the same type of situation, though, I can see how appearing overly relaxed might be convincing, in terms of regaining credibility. If a person was accused of murder, for example, was highly relaxed when discussing the crime while being interviewed, one might think, “If they’re this relaxed it must be because they truly have nothing to worry about, as they didn’t commit the crime.” I wouldn’t see it that way, but others might.
I recognize that the text emphasizes that a relaxed posture and the absence of vocal anxiety are important elements in establishing credibility, and that these elements related to relaxation are of high importance when trying to persuade. The implication is that posture and vocalics are greatly affected by nervousness; it may seem obvious to some, but it would be interesting if the text referenced how and what other nonverbal behaviors are affected by a lack of relaxation.
What isn’t addressed in the chapter is what it means, in terms of gaining trust and the appearance of truthfulness, when one has a low level of relaxation or appears nervous. Can that have a positive effect? For example, for our first day of campaign presentations there were speakers who were confident, but, possibly due to nervousness and/or excitement, not very relaxed. I saw this as a sign that the candidates cared a lot about their presentation; so, in my eyes, their lack of relaxed movements resulted in a gaining of credibility, and a proving of their emotional investment.