I recently decided to major in communication arts, specifically communication science and rhetorical studies. I came to this decision after I signed up for Communication Arts 272: Interpersonal Communication. It counted for Comm-B and the description sounded intriguing, so I thought, ""Why not improve my communication competence? I'm sure future employers will appreciate any powers of persuasion or feigned interest I acquire out of this class."" Little did I know this class would zero-in on all of the things I do everyday without realizing it.
Every chapter I read or lecture I attend is like delving into my subconscious. Not only do I realize why I act and think the way I do, but I also have the comfort of knowing I am not the only one. I know we all like to think we're unique in our own little ways, and in many ways we are, but after taking this class, I have realized that we humans are so much more alike than I thought.
To illustrate my point, let us look at the actor-observer effect. For anyone who may not know, actor-observer effect occurs when someone attributes their own behavior, typically negative behaviors, to external forces. Although I would love to get on my high horse and say I totally take responsibility for all of my actions and own up to my mistakes like a virtuous young adult should, I most certainly do not.
Some of my go-to excuses are, ""The professor so did not emphasize those points in lecture, so those last 15 questions should be thrown out,"" or, ""Well you were an ass to me first, so of course I'm going to make bitchy, sarcastic remarks for the rest of the day.""
In reality, though, I most likely didn't study those sections of my notes because I wasn't as interested in them and/or gave up so my weary eyes wouldn't roll to the back of my head. And in all likelihood my biting remarks stemmed from the simple fact that I am incredibly sarcastic and occasionally ill-mannered.
Another interesting phenomenon we've discussed in this class is territoriality. A dog will piddle on a particular spot to claim it as their own so that their domain will not be invaded. I for sure have this one down, and it is actually quite ridiculous. A perfect example of my irrational territoriality takes place in my kitchen back home that all five of us Alt's use everyday. Whenever I come downstairs ready to cook me up some fish tacos or bake a fresh loaf of banana bread, I find someone standing over that stove, using my Giada de Laurentiis knife and my favorite sautéing pan. I lose it, but only inside. If my fierce territoriality were to come out everytime my brother tries to make grilled cheese, I probably would be served with a court order to attend anger management.
I have also realized I am very similar to men with regard to how much personal space I require and how I feel—pissed—when it's invaded. For example, if anyone touches my face, even loved ones, you'd think they had just tried to brand me judging by how fast I jerk away. Why, you ask? I don't know. Maybe it's because I've witnessed too many people walk out of the bathroom without washing their hands.
The halo and the horn effect also struck a cord with me. The halo effect refers to people interpreting anything someone says or does positively because they already have a positive gestalt for them. The horn effect is exactly the opposite. I undoubtedly do this every single day. For example, let's say my best friend peed on her sister's pillow and then dried it with a blow drier because she'd been a little bitchy lately. My rationale: That is frickin' phenomenal 'cause her sister is totally a bitch. However, if my worst enemy did the same thing, then she/he would be the most repulsive individual I have ever met. (Note: My best friend actually did do that to her sister in high school.)
Overall, I feel this class is very useful. It allows me to finally embrace my irrational mannerisms while linin' up my excuses, steaming over someone using my blender or defending my BFF for soiling her sister's pillow that she regrettably sleeps on each night, as my classmates are doing the exact same thing.
So go ahead and keep on tellin' your professor your paper was late because you've been ""so busy."" What with 15 credits and a part time job at Pop's, how could you have time to compare the political and philosophical ideologies of Thomas Hobbes' ""Leviathan"" to Machiavelli's ""The Prince"" or spend four hours on accounting problems that are broken into parts ""a""-""g""? You can't. So tell your professor you'll get your paper in ASAP then go take a five-hour nap. Because that's what I'm going to do.
Are your classes this interesting? If so, e-mail the class number to Rebecca at alt2@wisc.edu so she can sign up for it ASAP.
