Analysis for Without Prejudice TV show - Research Paper Example

The idea behind the TV show Without Prejudice is simple. A group of people will decide who among the five contestants will be awarded with the $25,000 cash money. Each one of the judges votes off a contestant based on the videos they see about each one of them. Since the panelists do not know any of the contestants personally, they would base their judgments on their impressions and opinions they made of each one of them. When there are only two of the contestants are left, it is the only time that the panel of judges will be able to meet them personally.

This time, they are allowed to ask any question to the contestants except just only one, which is, how each of them will use the money that they will be given in the show. Apparently, the show’s purpose is to give away money to the one person among the five contestants who is the most liked. However, on the other side of this reality show, the panelists are faced with their own prejudices among people they do not know of. Since their only bases are the interviews made by the show’s production staff to these people and their brief interview to the last two contestants, they are left with nothing to rely on but to observe the contestants’ personalities according to their physical appearance as well as their body language and gestures.

Through these forms of non-verbal communication, the panelists are able to decode their messages, even those that they do not communicate orally, by simply observing them. Relatively, this show is obviously important in studying communication, its theories and other factors that are associated with it. The panelists’ interpretation of the contestants through their facial expressions, body language, gestures, and the like are examples of non-verbal communication, which are often misinterpreted in the communication process due to stereotyping and people’s prejudices.

Similarly, just as the contestants are judged by their 15-second introduction where verbal communication is observed, softness or loudness of voice, as well as clarity of speech are important factors in creating an impression that is essential in the communication process, too. The TV show allows two groups of people who are communicating in various ways in order to achieve their desired result. In interpersonal communication, in order for people to achieve a positive relationship, they should be able to create a good communication climate.

As such, the group of people who are communicating with each other may either confirm or disconfirm each other in different ways. The three levels of confirmation in a communication climate may be identified among the panelists in Without Prejudice as they talk about their opinions of the contestants. They may recognize, acknowledge, or endorse each one’s perception and opinion of every contestant in the show. Otherwise, they may exhibit different ways of disconfirmation, where others may not be able to control their emotions and eventually abuse either their co-panelist or the contestants that they verbally abuse them.

Complaints and interruptions are examples of disconfirmation, which are commonly observed in the TV program. Without Prejudice is no doubt an excellent course in studying the communication process and theories surrounding it. It provides a window for the students to see how communication happens and identify the different factors that affect the communication process by studying the different theories of communication. A good source of information for prejudice is http://www.motivation-tools.

com/workplace/social_prejudice.htm. This website is a good source of information for those who hopes to enhance their communication skills. By understanding how individual prejudices are like, the person may be able to identify what these prejudices are towards other people and the society. Biases affect people’s ability to communicate. Communication may be limited when a source has prejudices towards the receiver of the message. The same applies to the receiver who may not disconfirm any message that is conveyed by the source.

Prejudice is a barrier in the communication process that a person should eliminate in order to enhance his communication skills. Works Cited:Social Prejudice. Motivation Tools. Web. 9 December 2012.