Research Paper: Nonverbal Communication in Dietetics

Nonverbal Communication in Dietetics

Modern-day dietitians need to have a fortified background knowledge about physical, non-verbal communication just as much as verbal communication to create a client-base that is more committed, loyal, and motivated than the current standard, which would result in a more successful career.   Being educated in the aforementioned topics would lead to a higher success rate over the dietetics profession, leading to an increase in demand from the public due to a higher regard of the profession as a whole, which would consequently lead to more positions in the field.  By examining the experiences of current dietitians alongside studies of how non-verbal communication works, we can evaluate what areas of communication should be focused on while preparing for a career in dietetics.

                To begin with, current dietitians who are practicing in the field have their own ideas about effective communication with clients.  According to the president of the American Dietetics Association, Susan T. Borra, building relationships, reimbursements, and knowing what to improve are all essential to client satisfaction (1).  When she asked a member of the Nutrition Entrepreneurs dietetic practice group about their thoughts on the matter, they said that “a couple of minutes spent asking or answering a simple question communicates caring and competence on my part and increased comfort on the part of the patient when they arrive for the first visit” (1).  In this case, the professionals stress the importance of verbal communication and its effect on the first impression.  Despite the truth behind their thoughts, there is still an underlying power that can be either helpful or detrimental to anything a dietitian says or does.  We can rely on the results of scientific studies to better understand the true driving force behind verbal communication. 

                In a recent study conducted by a team of neurobiologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and neural researchers, the scientific explanations of verbal and non-verbal effects on first impressions was analyzed.  The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on participants to carefully observe activity in the brain when stimulated by verbal and then non-verbal communication.   What they found was “evidence for neurofunctional dissociation between the processing of verbal and nonverbal social information during interpersonal impression formation,” (2). Basically, different parts of the brain are activated for each type of communication during the formulation of first impressions.  One of these brain parts is the amygdala, which, in traditional textbooks, is associated with the processing of fear.  When participants of the study were exposed to non-verbal stimuli, it was the amygdala that was always activated.  In tandem with textbook definitions, however, the amygdala DOES play a central role in “automatic, affective processing,” meaning that certain incoming senses are automatically evaluated, yielding a particular association, before the conscious mind has a chance to judge the sense (2).   Based off what they observed when a participant saw a highly trustworthy face versus a highly untrustworthy face, the researchers concluded that positive stimuli, as well as the traditional negative stimuli, could activate the amygdala.  Figure 1 represents the images of the fMRIs, nonverbal (SoE/Val NV) followed by verbal (SoE/Val V), and corresponding exposure to stimuli.  Note the regions of the brain that are activated.

Figure 1: Brain Region Response to Verbal or Nonverbal Stimuli (2).

Since this part of the brain is so quick to judge, one can see why preparing for a first impression is so important. 

Professionals are typically expected to dress professionally, but in a career that involves health promotion, fit, athletic-wear can be more popular outfits.  “The nursing, medical and communication literature shows that a professional’s dress attire is relevant to client–professional interactions because it strongly influences clients’ perceptions of their professional’s characteristics,” says Cant, a journalist for the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (3).  For this reason, it is important for dietitians to know what their clients would prefer.  For some, choosing what to wear will make more of a difference than for others.  To elaborate, we will look at the work ethic of personal trainers in a gym setting.  More often than not, a personal trainer gains less income than the individual they are training.  Despite the economic disparities, personal trainers still have higher authority over their client, not simply because they are paid to do so, but because their appearance says so.  One recent study explains how “possessing a fit-appearing physique—conceptualized in terms of bodily capital—provides a degree of moral authority that lends credibility to interactions in the health and fitness industry,” (4).  David J. Hutson believes that “your body is your business card,” and scholars have always agreed.  Social psychologists have long ago discovered that an attractive physical appeal engenders “assumptions of health, morality, and competence,” (4).   Evidence of this from the study is provided in the form of quantitative data: a high correlation exists between suggested attractiveness and client base.  Whereas those who were considered less attractive had a smaller client base, those who were considered more attractive had a higher client base (4).  Although there is not much we can do about the physical characteristics we are born with, we can at least make the attempt to improve our bodily capital by maintaining a consistent workout regimen and therefore present a physically appealing body. 

                Speaking with the body is no new form of communication, but the issue is that there really isn't any new information on body language communication to begin with, especially in the medical and health fields.  Researchers have made attempts to turn everyone’s attention toward communication within the dietetics profession, but the “difficulty with research in this area is assessing communication skills of dietitians because there are few validated tools available,” (5).  All of the studies mentioned beforehand have expressed a common objective for future research.  For example: while the neurobiologists wish to study the complementary interaction as opposed to the dissociation of the activity in the brain when processing first impressions, the researcher with the “bodily business card” wishes to study how bodily capital is affected by the mentality of differing sexual orientations and various ethnicities. 

                Dietitians could reap a myriad of benefits from further education in communication, especially the nonverbal types.  Current professionals practicing dietetics are cognizant of the importance of communication in their success, and scientific technology has helped us understand that there is actually a difference in how the brain processes different types of communication.  Psychology reminds us that physical appeal does, indeed, have an impact in the decisions we make, and personal trainers have to be well aware of this fact or risk losing their income.  Now, all that is left is to continue studies on the complexities of communication to further the success of dietitians, although it would be of great use to all, regardless of profession.  Who isn’t willing to do what it takes to satisfy their client?  In doing so, “you not only improve your bottom line, but you also help expand the public's appreciation of the dietetics profession,” (1).  In the end, the difference between the nonverbal communication skills of one dietitian and another WILL be what sets them apart, which is exactly why we need to be more educated in the subject area.

Works Cited

1.

McCaffree, Jim. "Client Satisfaction: Turning Referrals into Regulars." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 102.3 (2002): 340-41. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

2.

2.         Kuzmanovic, Bojana, Gary Bente, Yves Von Cramon, Leonhard Schilbach, Marc Tittgemeyer, and Kai Vogeley. "Imaging First Impressions: Distinct Neural Processing of Verbal and Nonverbal Social Information." NeuroImage 60.1 (2012): 179-88. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

3.

3.        Cant, R. P. "Communication Competence within Dietetics: Dietitians’ and Clients’ Views about the Unspoken Dialogue – the Impact of Personal Presentation." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 22.6 (2009): 504-10. 6 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

4. 

4.         Hutson, David J. "“Your Body Is Your Business Card”: Bodily Capital and Health Authority in the Fitness Industry." Social Science & Medicine 90 (2013): 63-71. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

 5.

5.         Whitehead, K. A., S. C. Langley-Evans, V. Tischler, and J. A. Swift. "Development and Initial Validation of an Assessment Tool for Communication Skills in Dietetics." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (2011): 406-07. 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

*Note:  Transferring from Word to blog messes with layout of works-cited page

*Note:  citations are in APA style

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Research Paper Thought Piece

This research paper is important to me and the world because it has a focus on the old saying, “it’s the little things that count.”  In a world consumed by smartphones, something as simple as body language could make all the difference.  I see body language as a color, and the right body language has an appealing color to the viewer.  For example, right now, I am looking out my window (I’m on the sixth story of my tower) and over a parking lot.  Immediately, my eyes go to the neon-green car amidst the other cars.  Similarly, in person, especially in a college setting, my eye immediately goes to the person who isn’t looking down at a screen.  In terms of my research, a client would be able to point out the dietitian who stands out, especially if the right body language is what helped in making the decision.   Thus, my research paper will help to clarify said process and show how it helps everyone.

One thing that I am having a hard time figuring out for my research paper is simply determining the sequence of information.  Most of my information is organized by relevance and I know exactly what each source will be used for in context, I just don’t know when to introduce the information while keeping in mind that it should flow as a whole.  The goal of the paper is clear, and the beginning of the paper is simple, but the question is: how to get from point A to point B by using 1 2 3? Which should be one? One and three seem to reflect ideas off each other, but where does that put two?

Conference

Annotated Bibliography

Barrita De Defranchi, Romina L., and Jennifer K. Nelson. "Evolution and Trends of the Dietetics Profession in the United States of America and in Argentina: North and South United by Similar Challenges."Archivo Latinoamericanos De Nutricion 59.2 (2009): n. pag. 15 Apr. 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article looks at the history of education and practices in the dietetics profession, comparing between North America and South America, the United States and Argentina (since the first Latin American dietetics school was established there), respectively.  Major influences from both cultures are reviewed to determine how they may have shaped the dietetics profession into what it is today.  The article provides a basis from which to predict where the dietetics profession might be headed in the near future.

Cant, R. P., and R. A. Aroni. "Exploring Dietitians’ Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Skills for Effective Dietitian–patient Communication." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 21.5 (2008): 502-11. 9 Jul. 2008. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

This article explains the methodology and results of a research study intended to expand on currently known information about how dietitians communicate with patients during the nutritional education process.  With other dietitians as the intended audience, the authors focus on explaining the segments of the experiment, since it consists of two parts, and the culmination of their individual results.  The evidence provided in the conclusion supports the authors’ argument by claiming that an understanding of the results of the study could contribute to the enhancement of relationships between dietitians and their patients.

Cant, R. P. "Communication Competence within Dietetics: Dietitians’ and Clients’ Views about the Unspoken Dialogue – the Impact of Personal Presentation." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 22.6 (2009): 504-10. 6 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article reviews the results of a study that aims at describing how dietitians and their clients interpret the characteristics assumed merely from presentation of dress attire.  Being a variant of non-verbal communication, dress attire played a big role in how clients viewed their designated dietitian.  By practice, dietitians are expected to dress formally, but because body image is a huge area of judgment in the eye of a client, clients prefer that they be able to observe the true physique of their dietitian.  This study successfully determines how both dietitians and clients perceive their selected dress attire and the effect it has on communication.

Fileti, Cecilia P. "Ethics Opinion: Eliminating Dietetics-Related Inequalities." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 111.2 (2011): 307-09. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article calls attention to the inequalities of minorities in the dietetics field, both within the profession itself and within the client base, simply with the intention to raise awareness.  In doing so, the author encourages not only educating current dietitians on cultural differences, but also hiring more dietitians of a more diverse ethnic background, both with a common purpose of being able to relate better with patients from minority cultures, therefore increasing client base.  Non-verbal communication is more obvious in this aspect, but less often recognized, since the mere color of one’s skin makes a difference.  The author does a good job of explaining all facets of her argument.

Goldberg, Jeanne P., and Jennifer P. Hellwig. "Nutrition Communication: Exciting Opportunities for Dietitians." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 103.1 (2003): 25-26. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This articles seeks to emphasize non-traditional practices in the dietetics field through nutritional communication, which is in higher demand than ever since the general population wants to be sure that the health messages in media and magazines is true and accurate.  Interpretation of research data, clear written and verbal communication skills, and relatability to diverse groups of people are all traits desired in a registered dietitian participating in nutritional communication. The authors provide basic guidelines for how a dietitian might go about ensuring these desired qualities and consistently raises attention to the responsibilities in the nutritional communication field.

           

Hutson, David J. "“Your Body Is Your Business Card”: Bodily Capital and Health Authority in the Fitness Industry." Social Science & Medicine 90 (2013): 63-71. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

This articles stresses the importance of “bodily capital…the value generated from appearance, attractiveness, and physical ability,” to show how this form of non-verbal communication contributes the credibility of a personal trainer.  Since registered dietitians are seen as a different kind of personal trainer, it is important to understand how clients want to have a physically attractive trainer because the mere appearance proves to be a cue for authority in health, not the degrees and certifications.  The research goes to show that trainers with a low bodily capital had a high correlation to a lower demand from clients, while those with a higher bodily capital had a higher demand from clients. 

Kuzmanovic, Bojana, Gary Bente, Yves Von Cramon, Leonhard Schilbach, Marc Tittgemeyer, and Kai Vogeley. "Imaging First Impressions: Distinct Neural Processing of Verbal and Nonverbal Social Information." NeuroImage 60.1 (2012): 179-88. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article aims “to investigate the neural bases of the influence of verbal as compared to nonverbal information on interpersonal judgments.”  The study consists of neural analyses from participants while exposed to both verbal and nonverbal cues, showing that different parts of the brain react to each.  The authors show to the medical public how social assumptions can be easily made by looking at the specific activity that occurs in the brain.  This information is useful in scientifically explaining the influences of body language, especially in the professional world.

McCaffree, Jim. "Client Satisfaction: Turning Referrals into Regulars." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 102.3 (2002): 340-41. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article instructs current dietitians to focus on client satisfaction by interviewing members of the Nutrition Entrepreneurs dietetic practice group and reporting their answers.  Building relationships with clients, proper reimbursement, and knowing what to improve are all methods contributing to client satisfaction, as is described within the article.  Being aware of this general goal helps dietitians across the entire profession have a larger client base in the future due to the resulting expansion of “the public’s appreciation of the dietetics profession.”

Puri, Ruchi, Carol Bell, and William D. Evers. "Dietetics Students' Ability to Choose Appropriate Communication and Counseling Methods Is Improved by Teaching Behavior-Change Strategies in Computer-Assisted Instruction." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 110.6 (2010): 892-97. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article looks at students who are prospective dietitians and argues that they do not achieve enough experience observing or participating in client counseling sessions, therefore offering the solution of computer-assisted instruction (CAI).  The author explores a study of students using the CAI program and notes the difference in communication and counseling skills between students who use the program and those who don’t, showing that those who do clearly are more capable of communication than those who don’t.  The article supports the idea that simple experience through observation provides enough information for a prospective student to react with proper verbal and nonverbal responses while communicating with clients in their early stages of the career, which are very important for founding their future.

 

Whitehead, K. A., S. C. Langley-Evans, V. Tischler, and J. A. Swift. "Development and Initial Validation of an Assessment Tool for Communication Skills in Dietetics." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (2011): 406-07. 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

            This article inquires about the benefits of possibly having more research in the area of communication within the dietetics field due to the value of communication by both client and dietitian.  The authors look at the validity of content both from undergraduate, prospective dietitians and current, exceptional professionals and compare them to each other in order to determine just how much communication is valued at both extremes of progress throughout the career.  The authors agree that communication from an experience professional is more confident and effective but relatively similar to communication from a new dietitian, showing that, from the beginning, communication is imperative to professionals in the dietetics field. 

Proposal:

Modern-day dietitians need to have a fortified background knowledge about physical, non-verbal communication just as much as verbal communication to create a client-base that is more committed, loyal, and motivated than the current standard, which would result in a more successful career.

This issue deserves attention because it would lead to a higher success rate over the dietetics profession, leading to an increase in demand from the public due to a higher regard of the profession as a whole, which would consequently lead to more positions in the field.

The issue would be directed towards current dietitians, but meant to be read by an audience of students and prospective dietitians so that they, too, can begin to consider the future and how to prepare for it.

I want to find research publications and customer reviews in tandem from the past and present to combine with research statistics and psychological information (about body language) to foresee the effects of non-verbal communication in the future.  The information should consist of scientific and medical studies, professional opinions, and opinions of the general public (namely, clients of dietitians).

Research Proposal

Proposal:

Modern-day dietitians need to have a fortified background knowledge about physical, non-verbal communication to create a client-base that is more committed, loyal, and motivated than the current standard, which would result a more successful career.  

-This issue deserves attention because it would lead to a higher success rate over the dietetics profession, leading to an increase in demand from the public, leading to more positions in the field.

-The issue would be directed towards current dietitians, but meant to be read by an audience of students and prospective dietitians so that they, too, can begin to consider the future.

-I want to find research publications and customer reviews in tandem from the past and present to combine with research statistics and psychological information (about body language) to foresee the effects of non-verbal communication in the future.

Research Questions

1.  How does body image (physique and general sex appeal) effect the ambition/confidence of a client?

2.  What body language cues should a dietitian be on the lookout for while with a client?

3.  What kind of research data could be of possible interest in the future (about 5-10years) .

Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis of an Article from the Dietetics Field

            In R. P. Cant and R. A. Aroni’s article, “Exploring dietitians’ verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian-patient communication,”   the authors intend to report the findings of a two-phase study that examines Australian dietitians involved in clinical practice for the purpose of learning about how dietitians conduct their communication with individual patients in the process of nutrition education.  To do so, the authors explain the study methodically with inclusive statistics and common knowledge from within the health industry.

            Beginning with the organization of the article, the authors made sure that the content would be easy to follow.  Following basic expectations, the article is outlined by an introductory foundation, assembled with informative infrastructure, and then completed with a final outcome.  Information within the articles is segmented in a sequential order that corresponds with the order of the study while incorporating explanations along the side.  Each paragraph is definitely separated by specific topic areas, rarely providing an opportunity for talking points to overlap, except within the transition sentences.   For example: the article is introduced, then the “methods” used in the study are briefly explained (it is assumed that the audience has, at the very least, basic knowledge about the methods), and the bulk of the rest is dedicated to discussing the results, wrapped with a neat summation in the conclusion.  This type of layout for literature is one of the most basic kinds, yet it is effective and concise, which is both the minimal and maximal effort towards writing style the authors’ colleagues should expect.  There really couldn’t be a better way of organizing an article.

The reason why the information has to be organized is so that other professionals in the field can easily flow through the material and understand what is going on, step by step.  How do we know other professionals within this field will be reading this particular article?  The answer is: jargon.  The style of writing calls for diction from the perspective of a dietitian, therefore limiting the audience to a handful of individuals who already carry the background knowledge to pick up the information “under the radar.”  A reader from the general public may not understand what the authors mean when they say that “Chi-square and Spearman’s rank correlation analyses were used to examine relationships between variables.”  Even if the reader tried to grasp the gist from the context, he or she would only read on to discover that “P<0.05 was considered statistically significant…and found to be reliable when 62 items were tested because the Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.86, indicating good internal consistency.”  Clearly, the general public was not taken into consideration while writing this article, but rather, an audience assumed to ascertain the information with their own background knowledge. 

In tandem with organization and style of content, the way in which the authors chose to deliver the material is also effective in conveying the results of the survey.  Wrapped within the text of the article, the authors have integrated figures, diagrams, and tables with data that aids the reader in the process of explanation.  For example: the article contains a simple figure that shows, with arrows and shapes, the outline of the experiment step-by-step; this figure also contains brief descriptions of each step within the shapes.  Seeing as how not everyone can learn solely via text, the visual provides an alternative mode to absorbing the material, making the text more conceivable within the readers’ minds.  There are also tables with both quantitative and qualitative data (since the study is separated by the same idea of qualitative versus quantitative.)  Information delivered in this fashion serves to report the findings of the study in a statistical manner.  With numbers to look at, the interested dietitians who read the article will be able to examine the results for themselves and evaluate the study with their own judgment. 

In publishing the article, R. P. Cant and R. A. Aroni have allowed other professionals within the same field to add relatable information to their reservoir of knowledge for future use.  By choosing to report the results of the study through practical organization, meticulous word choice, and clarifying visuals, Cant and Aroni have effectively conveyed important information to a specific audience of interested dietitians. 

Works Cited

Cant, R. P. and Aroni, R. A. (2008), Exploring dietitians’ verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian–patient communication. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 21: 502–511. 

Article for Textual Analysis

Exploring dietitians' verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian-patient communication:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2008.00883.x/full

Visual Analysis

David Mena

Facebook Page Analysis

The image I chose is a screenshot of what the public eye would see if they were to search for my Facebook page.  Social media plays a huge role in modern-day society; both the professional market and consumers alike take advantage of this fact.  For this reason, I believe that the impression of a social-media page is just as important as the impression we communicate in person.

In this piece, I am the author and, since it's a Facebook page, I am simply showing the world that I have a life and it's filled with status/picture-worthy moments that others should like (hahaha). In most circumstances, the audience of a Facebook page is a large group of friends, mostly acquaintances, who might be interested in keeping up with my personal life and vice versa.  With the settings of Facebook, however, it is possible for anyone in the general public that has a Facebook profile to become part of the audience.  Hopefully, none of these strangers are stalkers or serial killers, but rather people who are interested in knowing more about you for appropriate reasons.  For example: a client.
If a client were to consider me as their personal dietitian for hire, they would probably find out a lot of information about me as a professional on my business webpage (or something like that).  They could also have the thought of checking my Facebook page as well.  Sure, the business page may have a plethora of wonderful credentials and interesting numbers, and I might even seem like a perfect candidate in person, but social-media has the potential of tearing that all down to the ground.  In the professional fields, keeping your Facebook page in check is just as important as keeping your slacks and ties in presentable condition.

  Your professional credibility can go down the drain if your Facebook page has pictures from the last party you went to and a recent status about how much you hate the President of the United States.  Even if your party days are over, Facebook kept that picture someone posted of you sleeping on the floor while someone drew penises on your face five years ago.  I'm sure many people out there are in the market for a dietitian who will prescribe more alcohol and less sleep, but chances are that most people wouldn't trust such a "professional."  My page, however, needs to be analyzed in detail. 

On my Facebook page, as of February 16 of 2014 and as a viewer from the general public, the first thing a person will see is a picture of my face and another picture behind my face in which I am sitting atop a hill in Toledo, Spain with peers from high school.  From these two pieces of information there is already much that can be said.  First of all, my profile picture is actually a picture of me, not my dog or a tree.  So the client knows it’s me.  Second of all, I am not truly smiling in the picture, but I am not making a goofy face either; I am almost posing with my face in the picture.  So the client knows I put thought into how my face is presented online.  Third of all, not only am I in my residence hall room, but I am also standing up.  There is nothing inappropriate in the background and I wasn't sitting around, bored, when I decided to take a new profile picture. Now let’s look at the cover photo.  There are multiple others looking away, they seem to be posing for a camera, but I am looking at the camera directly in front of us, singling me out as “David Mena” from the group of people.  In the background there is a cityscape of Toledo.  The client might think it nice that I entertained myself to an international trip with a group of people and took interesting photos.  So far, so good. 

When a viewer of the general public scrolls down, they cannot see any of my recent posts but they can see that I updated my profile pictures and cover photos throughout the year.   To the left of this there is a brief preview of some of my friends, along with a total count of all the friends who can interact with me on Facebook.  This will also give away information since a small quantity of friends might indicate a false profile, whereas a large number of friends will indicate a true profile.  Above all of the friends’ pictures, there is an option to add me as a friend “to see what [I] share with friends,” letting the public viewer know that they obviously can’t see everything about me or the full content of my timeline.  This being said, any stranger who lacks the ability to hack will not gain any more information about me from Facebook than I will allow them to.

Conclusively, I believe that my personal page is well-kempt and presentable enough as it is to be displayed for potential clientele.  I just have to make sure it stays that way until I move on to becoming an actual professional.  Since the entire human population (not true, many animals too, especially pets) has a Facebook page, I think everyone should be cognizant of the fact that, as an author, we should all keep our audience in mind and take caution in what we want them to know.

Works Cited Page

"Facebook Profile Page." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Visual Communication

The image I chose is a screenshot of what the public eye would see if they were to search for my Facebook page.  Social media plays a huge role in modern-day society; both the professional market and consumers alike take advantage of this fact.  For this reason, I believe that the impression of a social-media page is just as important as the impression we communicate in person.

In this piece, I am the author and, since it's a Facebook page, I am simply showing the world that I have a life and it's filled with status/picture-worthy moments that others should like (hahaha). In most circumstances, the audience of a Facebook page is a large group of friends, mostly acquaintances, who might be interested in keeping up with my personal life and vice versa.  With the settings of Facebook, however, it is possible for anyone in the general public that has a Facebook profile to become part of the audience.  Hopefully, none of these strangers are stalkers or serial killers, but rather people who are interested in knowing more about you for appropriate reasons.  For example: a client.
If a client were to consider me as their personal dietitian for hire, they would probably find out a lot of information about me as a professional on my business webpage (or something like that).  They could also have the thought of checking my Facebook page as well.  Sure, the business page may have a plethora of wonderful credentials and interesting numbers, and I might even seem like a perfect candidate in person, but social-media has the potential of tearing that all down to the ground.  In the professional fields, keeping your Facebook page in check is just as important as keeping your slacks and ties in presentable condition.Your professional credibility can go down the drain if your Facebook page has pictures from the last party you went to and a recent status about how much you hate the President of the United States.  Even if your party days are over, Facebook kept that picture someone posted of you sleeping on the floor while someone drew penises on your face five years ago.  I'm sure many people out there are in the market for a dietitian who will prescribe more alcohol and less sleep, but chances are that most people wouldn't trust such a "professional."

Since the entire human population (not true, many animals too, especially pets) has a Facebook page, I think everyone should be cognizant of the fact that, as an author, we should all keep in mind our audience and take caution in what we want them to know.

Thought Piece: Rhetorical Analysis (The Sick Rose)

Oh my, “The Sick Rose,” by William Blake.  I remember it well:  “O Rose thou art sick/ The invisible worm,/ That flies in the night/ In the howling storm:/ Has found out thy bed/ Of crimson joy:/ And his dark secret love/ Does thy life destroy.”

I remember it because I was dumbfounded that eight lines of four words each could hold a thousand more between the lines.  My high school English teacher wanted this to be the first poem we read so that we could see just how intricate the English language could be.  When asked to explain what I thought it meant, I thought perhaps it was about a relationship that was going through a rough time (the storm) since the girl (the rose) had been in an affair with someone else (the worm), therefore ruining the relationship.  To think it would be that easy...of course, thanks to my teacher, I know better now.

Apparently, what the short poem was trying to convey was the futility of love.  The rose is symbolic of love, and the worm is serpentine, therefore representing evil (in the biblical sense).  The stormy night sets the mood for chaotic evil as the worm invades the flower bed (now taking on the connotation of rape), resulting in crimson joy; pleasure tainted in shame.  Love, being a rose, is not cognizant of its corruption which depicts love as unhealthy and perverted, referencing the stupidity of human emotions.  This is only the surface.  We delved deeper behind the text to find out more.  We looked at the date, the author, and the current events of the time to create a portal through the paper and back into time, realizing that the author was very focused on changing the order of society along with mindsets of men, especially during the Industrial Revolution during which he wrote Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. “The Sick Rose” comes from this set of literature which is allegorical to the “innocent” thoughts and predispositions of human aspects like love, nature, religion, and growing up; all of it is juxtaposed by the hurtful “experience” of tainted love, merciless nature, tyrannical religion, and scarred childhoods.  Blake was basically warning his audience of the societal mindset and life; he does it all with only a few lines of very carefully chosen words.   In my opinion, rhetorical analysis can be very exciting, especially when looking at interesting literature like those of Blake’s.  

Summary Reflection

     Summarizing academic literature was not the most fun task to do.  It was, however, helpful in refining my studying skills.  By reading the article once and then having to condense the material for someone else to simply know what the gist of the article is, I was forced to retain the important information of the article.  Completing the task seemed easy at first, but one actually had to think about which parts were most important and appropriate for inclusion in a summary.  The hardest part about the assignment was leaving out my own opinion.  Being opinionated about a topic is what we as students have been told to be for the majority of our written assignments, so it’s only natural to want to rely on personal perspective to add text to the page.  Although not a problem in my case, I think the length of the article was a big factor in summarizing for many of my peers.  I spoke with some students who had shorter articles and found it difficult to “summarize” a piece that was barely longer than the required number of pages for the assignment.  Other students had very long articles so their biggest concern was finding the main talking points without having to read the entire article and without skimming so much that they miss a few points.    I’m glad we read the Rosenburg piece about effective reading before this assignment because it really helped set up how I would summarize the article.   From the article that I summarized I learned the all forms of communication are imperative to a successful career in the dietetics field.  Both verbal and nonverbal language played a role in how content the clients were with their dietitians and how much progress they made.  Despite the summary being a tad tedious, writing it was a great developmental experience.

Summary of an Article in the Dietetics Field

            In R. P. Cant and R. A. Aroni’s article, “Exploring dietitians’ verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian-patient communication,”   a two-part study is conducted to learn about how communication plays a role in the relationship between dietitians and their clients. 

            To begin with, the authors provide a brief summary of what is already known, or at least expected, of a good customer-professional relationship in the health field.  The importance of this study is quickly brought up by contrasting the common beliefs of relationships between nurses and their patients versus dietitians and their clients.  It is very easy to understand the connection between a nurse and a patient because most people can relate to the experience and will more often than not comment on how “communication and issues of trust are linked to a perception of competence.”  Most people strongly desire such a quality in the person who is assigned to take care of them because in most cases, being communicative and dependable is what results in feeling cared for.  In the case of dietitians, however, not much information is known, at least not on the same level of public knowledge as the nurses’ situation.  The data we have on dietitians is almost always about the outcome of a client’s progress under the dietitians’ instruction.  There has very seldom been any research investigating the relationship between the client and the dietitian that doesn't have to do with simply educating the client about what the expert knows.  Due to this lack of information in the dietetics field, the first part of the investigation was launched. 

To find data about communication, researchers first had to tailor a questionnaire for dietitians to determine how THEY felt about their relationships with their clients.  A questionnaire was developed and response entries were submitted online in 2006 to have practicing dietitians evaluate themselves about certain skills, methods, strategies, and characteristics in terms of customer service.   The results of the questionnaire were processed and clustered into four domains of communication competence.  The four domains were: interpersonal, nonverbal, professional, and counseling competence.   These domains became the basis for the second part of the communication investigation in dietetics. 

From the results of the second part, the researchers concluded that the goal in effective communication is to maintain a non-hierarchical role with the client.  A good example to use as a perspective would be the ability to “empathize without judgment.”  Empathy is the key to having a healthy relationship with the client but first the dietitians have to be provided the opportunity to empathize, which is overcoming the barrier between their clients when the dietitians themselves are perceived as a total stranger.  The researchers suggest that decreasing unpredictability in the relationship would help break the image of a stranger.  To do so, dietitians were instructed to outline the sessions ahead of them and account for all types of unpredictability.  Furthermore, nonverbal communication can be of tremendous help when trying to gain a trusty communication with their client. 

When comparing the results across the different areas of the field, research shows that no notable difference was prevalent in the way that dietitians evaluated themselves.  The results also indicate that displaying positive amounts of interpersonal, nonverbal, professional, and counseling communication is a “desirable” trait that clients appreciate when their dietitians are conveying nutritional education with them.  This makes it simpler when it comes to implementing the value of communication for future dietitians, regardless of where they practice.  Therefore, the end result of the study proves that communication, both verbal and nonverbal, in the dietetics field is just as important as in any other profession.

Works Cited

Cant, R. P. and Aroni, R. A. (2008), Exploring dietitians’ verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian–patient communication. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 21: 502–511. 

Business Memo

I am the CEO of PowerFull Nutrition and we've just landed a contract with Margaret Sloss, the woman in power at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.  She wants to have our supplements re-engineered towards her genetically conceived super-animals and our dietitians to devise a performance-specific diet for them. If everything goes according to plan, the whole world will recognize our product as an influence to the first generation of super-breeds and the business will have a prominent future.
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Fellow Employees,

     As you may have heard through the break-room gossip by now, we've recently landed a contract with the one and only company leading the pioneering industry of the future that deals in genetically engineered animals.  I believe that the future holds huge rewards for our company, but I need your help to make sure we get there.
     Despite the contract, we still have to ensure that nothing will taint the value of our company, resulting in a loss of the contract.  Therefore, I have a few favors to ask of you and that I plead you keep in mind throughout your interactions with the super-breed company.
1.   Margaret Sloss is the head of the company and quite undoubtedly the most powerful woman to go into the history books.  That being said, she has a powerful personality and is to be dealt with the utmost respect and attention to detail.
2.  When she is not speaking directly to you, a glance is ok, but any more than a gaze and you'll receive a glare (I'll know that she glared at you since you will not be able to emotionally recover for a few hours).  The first visual offense will result in a warning, but by the second offense there will be little left of your soul anyway so I will have no choice but to dismiss you from employment as your ability to work will be impaired.
3.  Any order received from Ms. Sloss or any of her speech-enabled chimeras (conglomerate breed of animals, often by crossing of species), is to be carried out immediately.  Their business is depending on our business to keep up with them, so please be prepared to execute instructions from demanding orders and try to catch on to the many accents (ranging between barks, roars, and hisses) of the chimeras.
4.  Keep in mind your profession, you are all very well-educated in food science and nutrition; this is what you know and this is why they're here.  Make sure the data you collect is both accurate and precise, logging everything into the journals as soon as possible so that you can reference them in the future.  Use the ADA (American Dietetics Association) website to publish your articles and share your observations.  Just like before, sharing information with colleagues is the best way to make sure everyone is on the same page and any step forward is a sure step forward, there's no time for stumbling in the dark with this company.
5.   Finally, always carry the pill we banned last year.  Sloss is notorious for having her interns disappear right before she adds another chimera to her pack.  In this case, use the pill to euthanize yourself.

If you heed my advice then I'm sure we'll  have nothing to worry about and we will enjoy the most fiscal, the most prosperous, the most glorious year this company has ever had!

Congratulations to us!

Best Regards,
David Mena

Function of Composition in Dietetics and Kinesiology

How would you find out how writing works in your field?

In the Diet and Exercise field (dietetics and kinesiology), I could figure out the function of writing by simply reading research articles.  That would probably be the easiest way.  In doing so, I would gain new perspectives on certain topics and also see how it is that the experts bounce ideas off each other through their articles.  Another probably function of writing might be found in some thick binder kept in an office that contains the weekly logs of numerous clients.  To be effective communicators, professionals in my field have to keep track of their clients' progress and also be able to provide feedback based on their logged data entries.  To find it all, I just may have to speak to a professional my self and conduct an interview.

Diet and Exercise Article Citations

In American Dietetics Association Citation Style

1.    Swift JA, Choi E,  Puhl RM,  Glazebrook C.  Talking about obesit with clients:  preferred terms and communication styles of U.K. pre-registration dieticians, doctors, and nurses.  Patient Educ Couns. 2013; 91(2): 186-91.
2.    Spencer-Jones R.  What makes a good educational supervisor?  Educ Prim Care.  2010; 21(4):230-5

Thought Piece: Rosenburg

Aristotle believed that “whatever creates or increases happiness or some part of happiness, we ought to do; whatever destroys or hampers happiness, or gives rise to its opposite, we ought not to do.”  Now, I can’t speak for everyone when I say that reading assignments bring us unhappiness (I’m sure someone out there is fascinated with academic literature), but what other explanation do we have for avoiding them?  Even in the realm of literary material, as a matter of fact, there exists an article to rescue floundering students from making themselves too unhappy with “having” to read the assignments.   Rosenburg, the author of said article, does a wonderful job facilitating the task.  I, however, walked away from the article with more than just the presented idea.  I’m impressed with her abilities as a writer to tailor her suggestions towards the specified target audience.  Not only does she depict accurate situations relative to her readers, but she provides examples from her own experience, shining a light on her own credibility as an author so that her readers will gain enough of her trust to take her advice.  My belief is that, because the topic of her writing (basics on reading academic readings) is so narrow, she can efficiently devise and present a strategy to tackle the topic.  Despite the simplicity of my belief, I know for a fact, as a writer, that trying to write about any topic at all, no matter how narrow it may be, is difficult to compound and sharpen into a point.  One would think that by knowing the point you are supposed to convey you could easily shave everything around it and procure the precise point you desire.  At any moment in writing, there is always the possibility that you might accidently shave off the point; then your argument is skewed.  Rosenburg is a master at her craft and so, in addition to learning a more effective reading strategy (when it comes to academic writing, of course),  I also now have a powerful piece of literature to reference when I need to figure out the blueprints for any of my future writings.  To praise her article even more, I also noticed that the emotional aspect of literature was lacking in this piece.  It was intentional, though.  For the purpose of her topic there is no need to exude emotion.  This is the degree of her impact; a wonder that scientists would call both precise and accurate; I wonder that I would call: perfect.  

Portrait of a Writer

Don’t lie.  Hips don’t lie.  They’ll give you away.  You think I’m joking, but I’m more of a reader than I am a writer, so my writing only serves the purpose of conjuring in vivid description the things I’ve read. To demonstrate, I’ll write about my favorite book to read: the human body. 

When Shakira whirls her hips around she is actually speaking in a universal tongue, one most commonly known as body language.  I believe body language is essential to communication, some might say it fits right under the “visual” part of the WOVE principle taught by many English professors.  If you’ve seen the music video, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  I take that back; even if you’ve seen Shakira’s hips at work in her music video you might not have read the same meaning I did.  Of course the rhythmic gyrating of her beguiling curves under silken wraps is sexy! What matters, however, is the decryption of the situation.  Put simply, Wyclef, the male singer, states his interest in Shakira, who politely declines his gesture.  The twist is in the hips; her excited hips clearly contradict the sweet innocence in the essence of her breath.  She visually communicates her true desire.  If you haven’t seen the video and therefore can’t relate, then I’ll make it easier.

Remember that Christmas or birthday party when you put a lot of thought into getting the perfect present for someone?  He or she is about to open your gift next and you can’t help but smile in anticipation, excited to see the reaction from them when the identity of your gift is unwrapped.  Imagine them: sitting on the floor, tearing the paper, peeling it off, letting the crumpled wrap tumble to the ground; then the unwrapping slows as his or her eyes brighten with raised eyebrows and the lights of candles and bulbs are reflected in his or her eyes as a twinkling film of tears glides over gleaming eyes.  The air is still.  He or she is still.  Someone rustles about in the kitchen looking for seconds, but everyone else is paralyzed in the moment, barely hanging off the edge of their seats, gawking with inquisitive curiosity.  This is a perfect example of nonverbal communication in a common scenario.  First of all, you already gave away your own thoughts about the present with the cunning smile, as if the entire scene had already played out beforehand in your mind and you simply know that it will end in joy.  Secondly, the decrease in paper-tearing speed indicates a gradual realization of the thoughtful gift, along with the tears marking the degree of gratitude and appreciation for the gift.  Upon reading the emotions behind the tears, intrigued, the rest of the group leans closer to better understand what kind of gift could galvanize that type of body language.  What was the gift?  A journal.  A yellow journal with the title, “Yellow,” drawn onto the cover.  Coldplay has a song called, “Yellow,” that mentions a book written specifically for a significant person, “…and it was called ‘Yellow’.”  The song was playing the night of the Fourth of July; you and they stargazed on the side of a vacant, country road.  On the inside you had inscribed: “We Are Infinite,” the ending quote to the movie, Perks of Being a Wallflower, their favorite.  Now you feel empowered to have everyone else falling out of their seats to figure out what your present is and very glad that you had taken the time to put together such a thoughtful gift.  He or she rises and, while looking up from the journal to look at you, he or she laughs and you join them on foot to join in an embrace.  Awh.  Keep in mind no words have been spoken.  Surely you’ve witnessed or even experienced bodily communication like this some time in your lifetime.  Now that we’re on the same page, I can explain why I find so much delight in reading the inaudible language of the human body.

In psychology, body language plays an enormous part in “figuring people out.” In businesses, it helps evaluate your work ethic.  In public, it is the only aspect available for the audience to judge, like a free sample of an e-book that you may or may not be interested in reading.  In every situation, body language reveals the truth, like Shakira’s hips, unless you are always cognizant of your behaviors and capable of executing the appropriate bodily cues that will be read exactly as you want them to be read.  I would compare this to carefully creating a fake diary that leads to all the wrong ends and planting it where you know the authorities would come across it.  Such a case, however, is very difficult to master.  In the case of everyone else, body language is as true as truthful gets.  It is within the realm of possibility to quickly generate a falsified thought and tell a lie, but you only focus on what you say and not on how you act, which would be contradictory to your spoken claim.  To relate, let’s look at a situation where your body language reading abilities are refined and amplified: when you’re interacting with someone who has lied multiple times before.  After witnessing his or her fibs on various occasions, and perhaps even experiencing a dose of lies yourself, you acquire a sense of familiarity with his or her signals that indicate a lie has been told.  You might have a sibling, relative, or close friend that you can call out on the spot because you have so much practice with his or her particular dialect of body language.  I find it all so interesting, but in relation to my career, it is all so important. 

Communication as a whole is very important in every field, but with plans of becoming a personal trainer and registered dietician, appropriate body language is imperative.  Putting myself in the shoes of my client, I would be very skeptical of my trainer or dietician.  He might have the credentials, but how do I know I can trust him to tell me what to do?  How successful will the sessions be?  Does he even care?  As their trainer/dietician, I MUST be able to gain their trust and confidence.  I need to be a role model: energetic and enthusiastic about working with my clients, being personable enough so that they can feel comfortable about themselves with me, encouraging progress through desirable motivation.  All of it will be conveyed through my communication skills, and if I even try to pretend, my body language will tell otherwise.  In the same sense, I should be able to read their body language and also be able to reciprocate that unspoken communication with them.  For example: I may notice my client’s eyes are darting around the room as they’re trying to execute proper squats and I should be able to note the anxiety of being judged by the other gym members and act accordingly so as to help them focus on the task at hand.  At the end of a session, I will take note of certain body language and observations in a log.  Even then, I will be writing about what I read: the body.

Why do I love reading the language of the human body?  I think I enjoy the difficulty of deciphering its meaning.  Like text, the meaning of particular cues depends on the context of the situation, so it makes it that much more complex to understand.  In addition, it is an art habit of mine to have a keen eye for detail.  Being detailed in art is not so important, but it’s nice for the viewer to appreciate the fact that all of the detail as a whole creates a realistic piece in the end.  In writing, however, detail is my favorite challenge to take on; that’s why I write about body language.  It’s one thing to understand the body language, but to be able to recreate a minuscule, almost negligible, bodily cue by means of descriptive text is such a fun challenge!  When I write about it, I want to go as in depth as I can in every aspect: setting up the context with a physical surrounding, summoning the emotional vibe of the setting, including every catalyst that leads from one cue to the next, telling a story that speaks through actions rather than words, like Chaucer.  He implied entire stories mainly through the behaviors he gave his characters, refraining from dubious speech.  Take it from me, Chaucer probably invented Shakira’s music video before Shakira was even born and if hips have been telling the truth for this long, then you should be cautious of how you present yourself; paying attention to your body language now will do you wonders in the future.  

Thought Piece: Goodman

I don’t consider myself much of a writer, not even when I write.  In my mind I am more of an expressionist.  I like the idea of being able to convey specific emotions with more than just words.   In “Calming the Inner Critic and Getting to Work,” Goodman states that you can write most effectively “when you are truly desperate to tell a story.”  When it comes to being “expressive,” I take advantage of as many of my abilities as possible.  In a conversation, this comes down to intonation and body language.  Conversations, however, are not my forte.  To tell my story I like to draw and write on a single canvas.  A few weeks ago I wrote on a large sheet of drawing paper in calligraphic cursive a single word: goodnight.  Just like that, in lower-case, right smack in the center of the page.  Then I took a red, charcoal pencil and drew a languid swirl in one corner of the page and loosely trailed it across to the opposite corner with a smaller, lighter swirl.  Near this small swirl I added a quick flower.  The entire project took no longer than a minute, yet it summoned a story of slumber from all who laid eyes upon it.  The contents of the paper seemed to flow; the swirl almost looped lazily as it introduced the simple, “goodnight,” but only for a glance, and then lifted suddenly off the page as if evaporating; a small flower punctuating the end.  “Sleep,” or “Journey to Sleep,” I want to call it.  At times, months will pass without me ever drawing or writing anything because I spend a lot of time thinking about WHAT to draw or write.  That night, however, I pulled a Goodman.  I was “desperate” to explain “sleep” and every stroke of the pencil, whether it be smooth or hard or heavy or light, had a purpose in conveying what it was I wanted to convey.