Facial Expressions and Non-Verbal Communications

The show that I decided to watch without the sound was Two Broke Girls.

Based on the non-verbal communications, it was assumed that the two girls/waitresses were friends and roommates. It was also assumed that the brunette girl really liked a friend of theirs even though he was walking down the street with other girl. Finally, without the sound, it can be observed that they two girls are close to their co-workers at the diner, yet carry on a professional relationship.

A variety of different emotions were expressed through the girl’s facial expressions and non-verbal communications. Scowling and hand waiving when the girls were working on an organization project outside of the diner signified that they were often defeated and frustrated.  The smiling and playing actions of the girls towards each other signified that they trusted and admired each other. Finally, when the brunette girl kissed a guy friend of theirs and a girl on the street along with him, it signified that she liked them more than friends.

Most of the assumptions that were made about the plot and show without the sound on were extremely accurate. The only assumption that was made that was incorrect was that the brunette girl liked the girl with the guy on the street when she kissed her. In reality, this was the guy friend’s girlfriend that the two girls did not know existed.  If I had watched this show regularly, my assumptions about this incident would be accurate.

The lessons learned from this activity can be summed up in one phrase: “Actions speak louder than words”. It is amazing how we can receive messages about a person or situation without actually “hearing” anything.