Discussion Post:
You are required to post items to the course online discussion forum (see the
syllabus for how they will be graded) that add value to the topic that is covered for
the week, linking theory to real-world examples. Reflect on the following question:

In countries such as Japan, China, India, and Iran there are gestures that convey
different meanings in comparison with gestures we use in the United States. Find an
example of a gesture or non-verbal behavior (holding hands, for example) from any
other country of the world that you did not know about. Provide a link and/or explain
the gesture, the meaning, and compare (why or why not we interpret it differently or it
does not exist in the United States)

● Analyze the questions according to the requirements for the week.
● Add one take away from this week’s article, one from this week’s practice

quiz, and one from this week’s videos – Make connections and specifically
include citations or statements from the video(s), practice quiz, and
reading(s) covered this week.

● Posts will be made in the Canvas discussion forum.
● Review the attached discussion board evaluation rubric. Evaluation

Rubric for Discussion Posts

After answering that part of the discussion, answer these posts also. In no more than 80-100
words:

1. Chelsea Henry:

It is said that Greeks are very passionate and expressive in both verbal and
non-verbal communication. To that end, non-verbal communication is taken very
seriously, involving a number of gestures. The Mountza is a gesture where all fingers
are spread, presenting the palm towards the face of another individual. This gesture
is an insult, representing displeasure towards the receiver. The Mountza is similar to
“talk to the hand” in the United States. Americans and Greeks share the same
interpretation of this gesture because it is used the same in both countries.

One takeaway from this weeks article would be that “the purpose of a gesture is to
represent information and perhaps communicate that information”. This is important

because it proves why gestures are forms of non-verbal communication. One
takeaway from the practice quiz would be that “some lies are performed flawlessly”,
leaving no clue that it is a lie. One takeaway from “A World of Gestures”, would be
the both the demonstration and comparison of illustrators and emblems.

2. Valeria Restrepo:

The Indian head wobble is a distinctive and unusual gesture that is often employed
in India that involves gently swinging the head from side to side in a rhythmic
manner. Its meaning might change based on the context as well as the movement’s
pace and intensity. In India, it’s commonly used to express agreement,
comprehension, recognition, or even a warm welcome. In certain cases, though, it
may signify ambiguity or a non-committal response. The precise interpretation of the
head wobble depends on the discourse and the connection of the persons involved.
In the United States, head motions are often connected with nodding (up and down)
to express agreement or comprehension and shaking (left to right) to show
disagreement or denial. The Indian head wobble, with its side-to-side motion, might
look and sound quite different from these American head movements.
Understanding such cultural variations is essential for efficient cross-cultural
communication and the avoidance of misconceptions.

A key takeaway from this article is the distinction between gestures and other types
of movements. Gestures are distinctive in that they take place apart from objects,
coincide with speech, and have a symbolic function, such as aiding communication
or transmitting information. Furthermore, the progression of gesture production and
understanding in young infants emphasizes the significance of gestures for language
and cognitive development. Children have difficulty comprehending and performing
iconic gestures, which emphasizes the idea that gestures are more than just motor
simulations and involve sophisticated cognitive processing, making them important
for communication and language development. A key takeaway from the practice
quiz is that research by Dr. Ekman revealed a strong connection between a person’s
confidence level and their ability to accurately detect deception. In other words,
those who are more confident tend to be better at recognizing when someone is
lying. This conclusion highlights the need of taking into account both confidence and
accuracy when assessing the efficacy of deception detection technologies because
of their interconnected nature. A key takeaway from the video “Understanding and
Detecting Deception – 6. Nonverbal Cues – Lecture 6” emphasizes that nonverbal
communication includes many elements outside words, such as voice and visual
cues. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support the claim that
certain signs, such as eye contact, fidgeting, or micro expressions, may reliably
identify deceit. It is difficult to identify deception purely only on nonverbal signals
since they are frequently ambiguous, subtle, and may not always be signs of
deception. Inconsistencies in a person’s tale or improbable explanations are better
indicators of deceit than smaller-scale trends. Nonverbal cues can offer some useful

information, but when trying to spot dishonesty, they should be used with caution and
in combination with other criteria.