Communication and Basic Interpersonal Needs Essay

In, today society we communicate in several ways through verbal communication, text or email, listening and even body language. I would say our most common communication is demonstrated through body language. Interpersonal communication and conflicts tend to happen in our daily lives with emotional connections to anyone we would meet. Everyone has point’s in time that a conflict of interest, points of view are difference in the way one should behave. According to K.Sole, interpersonal communication is the process of exchanging messages, usually between two people, to create and share meaning. † In the movie â€Å"Hitch† one is shown that    through nonverbal communication, how the characters listen to themselves as well as one another and through the changing perceptions of the characters. At the beginning of the movie we are introduced to Alex Hitchens who is considered the â€Å"date doctor†; he gives a narrative on how we as women may say one thing with our mouth but in our head and hearts we want the guy to try harder to make a stronger connection in the relationship . In the first examples of the opposite sex interactions we see three different men who have tried to get the interest of three different women but have failed on their own. Hitch, teaches the men how to have confidence, play to their characteristics, and to really listen to what the women are really saying with their objections and to go beyond the normal to sweep you love interest off her feet. The main interpersonal conflict in the movie Hitch is the miscommunication and misunderstanding between the characters and their relationships: Sarah and Alex and Allegra and Albert. In the beginning Hitch states how sixty percent of all our communication is told through our body language along with how communication is the most important aspect of any relationship and how communication builds the relationship or how the of lack of communication can destroy the relationship. â€Å"Hitch† demonstrates how relationships can be complicated, but by expanding our knowledge and learning of new skills. We can improve our lives with interpersonal relationships. There are three basic interpersonal needs that are satisfied through interactions with others. These needs are becoming involved with others, affection or ,holding emotions for a person, and having control to influence others. These needs can be fulfilled through a complementary or symmetrical relationship. A complementary relationship, â€Å"is a relationship between people who are unequal in status or authority and a symmetrical relationship are relationship where the participants are equal to each other, or are highly similar†, and the differences in communication people tend to develop interpersonal conflicts. Romantic relationships have aspects of both relationship styles. Throughout the movie interpersonal conflict is demonstrated within the relationships of Alex and Sarah. In the movie their relationship takes a turn for the end when Sarah discovers that he is the so-called date doctor and whom she believes is responsible for her best friend being dumped. After, that she sets out to expose him which causes some friction in his most recent client’s Albert’s relationship with Allegra. Sarah felt that Hitch was giving the men on advice how to hide their real intentions when dating the women only to falsely cause the women to fall in love with men. The conflict continues when Hitch tries to explain exactly what he does is only prepare the men on how to communicate effectively with the opposite sex. I do believe if Sarah and Hitch would have only listened to one another that a great deal of their conflict could have been avoided. If you are going to be in a relationship you need to be prepared to communicate your thoughts and feelings to have any successful relationship.

Differences in Cultural Conceptions of Intelligence

There are many definitions of intelligence according to both formal and informal theories. Under formal theories, intelligence is associated to adaptation to the environment and the capability to learn. According to experts, there is an intelligence factor, referred to as g, which dictates all adaptive behaviors such as mental, verbal, creative and mechanical abilities. On the other hand, informal theories define intelligence using verbal, practical and social abilities. Conventional measurements of intelligence involve IQ (intelligence quotient) tests.However, different cultures define and measure intelligence differently. Western and Eastern cultures see intelligence in varying perspective according to important factors in each of these two societies (Sternberg et al, 2005). Western culture, such in the United States and most parts of Europe, traditionally defines intelligence as the mental capacity for analytical and reasoning as evidenced by strong performance in practical proble m solving, verbal and social skills.Accordingly, several tests in the United States are used to gauge a person’s intelligence. Examples are the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, Cognitive Abilities Test, and School and College Abilities Tests (Sternberg, 2007). Eastern cultures have an entirely different conventional view of intelligence. In China, for example, intelligence covers righteousness, benevolence, humility, self-knowledge and character as some of the traits that are associated when describing intelligence in addition to cognitive abilities.Furthermore, in Taiwanese Chinese, there are five conceptions regarding intelligence. These are cognitive, interpersonal, intrapersonal, intellectual self-assertion, and self-effacement. With the above differences in the perception of intelligence in two representative cultures such as the Chinese (Eastern) and American (Western), comes equivalent parameters that should be remembered to measure abilities. Each has its own methods for testing linguistic, spatial and interpersonal skills (Sternberg, 2007).For testing linguistic capabilities, it is important to take into account the use of appropriate language medium. The two cultures agree on using their native tongues for assessing intelligence of members of the said cultures. The English language is prevalently used in American schools; on the other hand, Chinese characters are common in schools in China. The use of figures and characters in the latter language gives advantage to Chinese students in their spatial abilities whereas abstract thinking and imagination is inspired in American setting.Therefore, a glaring contrast in tests given to American and Chinese students lies in the presence or degree of creativity and spatial skills tests, respectively. As mentioned above, there is great advantage among Chinese with regards to spatial thinking skills which can be attributed to the use of characters and physical represent ations in their language. On the other hand, emphasis is given on the use of alphanumeric characters in Western culture which partly results in abstract reasoning. This is why there are more tests dealing with creative thinking in Western than in Chinese culture.With regards to interpersonal skills, teamwork and collaboration is highlighted in the Western culture while in Eastern culture, the importance of excelling and being independent in order to provide or be an example to other people takes precedence. In other words the difference lies in the Eastern focus on the self as exemplified in the Taoist tradition unlike the Western’s emphasis on unity. Therefore, Eastern culture test for how best to surpass one’s successes while Western culture evaluate a person’s ability to be productive within a group (Sternberg, 2007).