APPENDIX 3

Emotional Intelligence Training

EXERCISE 2: PERCEIVING EMOTIONS

We are going to look at the video clip taken from the film Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts. The object of this exercise is for you to identify how emotion is communicated through a range of facial signals and other forms of nonverbal communication. Recognizing and understanding this emotional display plays a major part in effective communication, building rapport, and being able to influence ethically. Recognizing the emotional states of others can help us in making decisions about what to do next about particular problems or how to act in these circumstances.

Working in teams and projects generate significant emotions; knowing how these can originate in response to specific team behaviors and responding to them in others is a key skill.

In the scene that follows you will observe four people sitting around a large table Erin (Julia Roberts) is sitting next to Ed (Albert Finney), and they are sitting on the opposite side of the table from Theresa and Kurt. Try to make as many observations as you can regarding the nature of the interpersonal interactions occurring. Make as many notes as you can providing as much detail as you can of what you saw and heard.

Pay attention to the nonverbal communication including kinesthetics (body motion such as gestures, posture, and eye movement); paralanguage (voice quality such as tone, tempo, rhythm, and pitch) and proxemics (the use of personal space). Areas to look out for include:

1. How emotion(s) are communicated nonverbally through facial display and other forms of body language
2. The use of any illustrators such as gesturing with the hands or arms connected with any emotion(s)
3. Signs of any emotional display that you pick up through language including speech rate, volume, tempo and tone, as well as content.
4. The circumstances/situational context that precedes any emotion(s) you perceive

Perceiving Emotions Exercise

Consider the following questions:

1. What aspects of body language conveyed attempts at dominance?
2. What aspects of body language conveyed confidence or status?
3. How was the anxiety conveyed?
4. What aspects conveyed closer interpersonal ties?
5. What aspects of body language did you think either contributed to or impeded rapport between the individuals?
6. How was the emotion of anger conveyed (such as facial display and other forms of nonverbal communication).
7. Were there attempts at concealing emotion? If so, was there any leakage of the true emotion felt?
8. Do you think being more emotionally intelligent might have led to a different outcome here? If so, how?

TUTOR'S NOTES

Firstly, explain the objectives of the exercise.

In the scene that follows, you will observe four people sitting around a large table (Erin (Julia Roberts) is sitting next to Ed (Albert Finney), and they are sitting on the opposite side of the table from Theresa and Kurt. You will be able to watch the clip twice. Try to make as many observations as you can regarding the nature of the interpersonal interactions occurring. Make as many notes as you can, providing as much detail as you can from what you saw and heard and between whom. Pay particular attention to the areas identified on your handout.

After participants have watched the clip, replay the clip again, only this time with the sound down, so you can concentrate far more on the body language. Again make additional notes or comments as you wish.

Once participants have observed the scene twice, ask them to break into their groups and discuss the questions on Part 2.