What You Aren't Saying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb1VRyPV9uM&feature=fvw#watch-main-area

The link posted above is the opening clip from the movie Hitch starring Will Smith. The movie is centered on the crazy world of dating and romance. Just as in any relationship nonverbal communication is critical. People may say one thing but there body language says the opposite, or they may say nothing at all while emotions are screaming across their face.

Albert Mehrabian created a three-dimensional model stating that people derive meaning from nonverbal behavior based on immediacy or liking, power, and responsiveness (145.) These three reactions are the evidence Hitch is looking for when playing matchmaker in the clip. For starters immediacy is the whole premise behind dating. Do two people like each other or not can be communicated nonverbally through eye contact, touching, or close personal space.

Nonverbal cues play a huge role in our society today. Our age group is keenly aware of how important it is in dating relationships as seen in the movie clip. It is important to remember that what you aren't saying is just as important as what you are.

Christy Penner