CPLS COURSE STUDYS GUIDE ALL SET ANSWERS
AND QUESTIONS SET A+
✔✔CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION - ✔✔In addition
to the physical and verbal symbols of communication, people around the world have
developed unique nonverbal behavioral symbols that convey important meaning in
social contexts.
•Some of these nonverbal symbols such as smiling, laughing, and crying appear to be
shared across virtually all societies around the world.
•Other nonverbal symbols, however, vary from culture to culture. Indeed, some symbols
have exceedingly different meanings in different cultural contexts.
For example, the practice of forming an "O" by joining the thumb and index finger is a
positive sign indicating "OK" in American society. In some parts of Asia, however, it is
an obscene gesture.
✔✔INTENTIONAL vs. UNINTENTIONAL COMMUNICATION - ✔✔A majority of
nonverbal communication occurs unintentionally. The value of intentional vs.
unintentional communication lies in consciousness.
•When a Marine is conscious of all levels of communication and acts according to the
intended message, that Marine can become a highly effective communicator.
•Marines should intentionally use body language to help communicate their message.
•A simple example is a squad leader on an urban patrol. The squad leader will use
nonverbal communication to portray different messages to different audiences.
-
When attempting to provide presence in an area, the squad leader will remain stern,
keep ballistic glasses on, and maintain a steady pace of patrol.
-
When attempting to build host-nation capability in an area, that same squad leader will
likely stop to engage locals, remove ballistic glasses when speaking with local civilians,
and may even smile.
-
In both instances, the leader is alert and ready to take action, but uses nonverbal cues
to convey the intended message.
, ✔✔SYMBOLS - ✔✔Symbols are used by individuals and groups to communicate their
identity.
•Think of something as obvious as the red stripe on the dress blue uniform. Who wears
it, how thick the stripe is, and its meaning are all well known to Marines. However,
someone unfamiliar with the Marine Corps may not understand its significance. Some
people who see the red stripe might not even think to ask what it means.
•Symbolism is prevalent in Marine Corps culture, as it is in other culture groups.
However, it takes observational skills to interpret.
When you are in a foreign AO, you may notice symbols related to the different culture
groups with whom you are interacting.
•For example, a tattoo or piece of jewelry might identify an individual as belonging to a
specific group, such as an ethnicity or profession.
•A particular marking on a house may indicate allegiance to a specific religion.
Symbols may sometimes reveal cultural change. If you notice symbols changing or
more people using a particular symbol, this may be an indication that something is
changing in the operating environment.
✔✔OBSERVATION AND ORIENTATION OF NONVERBAL CUES - ✔✔Decision-
making follows a cycle: observe, orient, decide, and act (OODA). The human mind
constantly follows this cycle when dealing with simple to complicated tasks. The OODA
loop applies to friendly forces, enemy forces, and noncombatants. It explains how the
mind deals with the outside environment and translates it into action. Proper application
of this cycle allows Marines to make appropriate decisions quicker than their enemies.
Good decisions rely on the accurate assessment of what you have observed.
✔✔OBSERVE - ✔✔Observation is the first step in the decision cycle. It is a search for
information that is relative to the tactical situation.
•Observation begins with the gathering and processing of information obtained through
the senses. The sensory systems (i.e., sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste) collect
information from the environment and translate it into observations.
•Perception is the process that the mind uses to organize the sensory information into
an understandable interpretation of the environment. Our brains interpret sensory
information based upon experience and a variety of other factors; therefore, our
perceptions are not always a true representation of the environment.
•It must be emphasized that this is not a passive step and requires an active effort to
seek all of the available information by whatever means possible.
✔✔ORIENT - ✔✔During orientation, the Marine uses information to form an awareness
of the circumstances. As more information is received, perceptions are updated as
needed.
•Training and experience allows you to quickly and accurately perceive a situation since
you require less detail to make a relationship between observations.
•Orientation emphasizes the context in which events occur so you may facilitate your
decisions and actions.
AND QUESTIONS SET A+
✔✔CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION - ✔✔In addition
to the physical and verbal symbols of communication, people around the world have
developed unique nonverbal behavioral symbols that convey important meaning in
social contexts.
•Some of these nonverbal symbols such as smiling, laughing, and crying appear to be
shared across virtually all societies around the world.
•Other nonverbal symbols, however, vary from culture to culture. Indeed, some symbols
have exceedingly different meanings in different cultural contexts.
For example, the practice of forming an "O" by joining the thumb and index finger is a
positive sign indicating "OK" in American society. In some parts of Asia, however, it is
an obscene gesture.
✔✔INTENTIONAL vs. UNINTENTIONAL COMMUNICATION - ✔✔A majority of
nonverbal communication occurs unintentionally. The value of intentional vs.
unintentional communication lies in consciousness.
•When a Marine is conscious of all levels of communication and acts according to the
intended message, that Marine can become a highly effective communicator.
•Marines should intentionally use body language to help communicate their message.
•A simple example is a squad leader on an urban patrol. The squad leader will use
nonverbal communication to portray different messages to different audiences.
-
When attempting to provide presence in an area, the squad leader will remain stern,
keep ballistic glasses on, and maintain a steady pace of patrol.
-
When attempting to build host-nation capability in an area, that same squad leader will
likely stop to engage locals, remove ballistic glasses when speaking with local civilians,
and may even smile.
-
In both instances, the leader is alert and ready to take action, but uses nonverbal cues
to convey the intended message.
, ✔✔SYMBOLS - ✔✔Symbols are used by individuals and groups to communicate their
identity.
•Think of something as obvious as the red stripe on the dress blue uniform. Who wears
it, how thick the stripe is, and its meaning are all well known to Marines. However,
someone unfamiliar with the Marine Corps may not understand its significance. Some
people who see the red stripe might not even think to ask what it means.
•Symbolism is prevalent in Marine Corps culture, as it is in other culture groups.
However, it takes observational skills to interpret.
When you are in a foreign AO, you may notice symbols related to the different culture
groups with whom you are interacting.
•For example, a tattoo or piece of jewelry might identify an individual as belonging to a
specific group, such as an ethnicity or profession.
•A particular marking on a house may indicate allegiance to a specific religion.
Symbols may sometimes reveal cultural change. If you notice symbols changing or
more people using a particular symbol, this may be an indication that something is
changing in the operating environment.
✔✔OBSERVATION AND ORIENTATION OF NONVERBAL CUES - ✔✔Decision-
making follows a cycle: observe, orient, decide, and act (OODA). The human mind
constantly follows this cycle when dealing with simple to complicated tasks. The OODA
loop applies to friendly forces, enemy forces, and noncombatants. It explains how the
mind deals with the outside environment and translates it into action. Proper application
of this cycle allows Marines to make appropriate decisions quicker than their enemies.
Good decisions rely on the accurate assessment of what you have observed.
✔✔OBSERVE - ✔✔Observation is the first step in the decision cycle. It is a search for
information that is relative to the tactical situation.
•Observation begins with the gathering and processing of information obtained through
the senses. The sensory systems (i.e., sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste) collect
information from the environment and translate it into observations.
•Perception is the process that the mind uses to organize the sensory information into
an understandable interpretation of the environment. Our brains interpret sensory
information based upon experience and a variety of other factors; therefore, our
perceptions are not always a true representation of the environment.
•It must be emphasized that this is not a passive step and requires an active effort to
seek all of the available information by whatever means possible.
✔✔ORIENT - ✔✔During orientation, the Marine uses information to form an awareness
of the circumstances. As more information is received, perceptions are updated as
needed.
•Training and experience allows you to quickly and accurately perceive a situation since
you require less detail to make a relationship between observations.
•Orientation emphasizes the context in which events occur so you may facilitate your
decisions and actions.
