When sitting in a large lecture class with little discussion, people consciously and unconsciously find many ways to express their attitudes in the environment. Perhaps the most obvious of these are people who use the size of the environment to embrace distractions, unconsciously signaling their lack of concern for the subject of the lecture and perhaps even the idea of being a concerned student in general. These are students who surreptitiously text message with friends, do homework from other classes, or even do the reading for the class itself, using the lecture more as a glorified study hall than a place to focus and learn. Such students often sit at the back of the room to avoid attention. They may put their feet up on the seats to create a wall around themselves. Of course, even focused students will sometimes surround themselves with books and coats on the seats flanking them, to reduce the chance someone will sit near them. Unless a lecture hall is very crowded, it requires additional social confidence to ask someone to move.
The opposite end of the spectrum of focus and attention are the students who sit up at the front of the lecture hall, indicating their...
Their open posture, as well as their smiling face and rapt gaze suggest approval and engagement. On the other hand, some students who disagree with the professor will sit with their arms folded, frowning, and feet planted in front of them. Students who do not understand what is being said may have a quizzical expression on their faces. They may also look around from time to time, to see if they are the only ones who are having difficulty understanding the professor.
It is also possible to spot unconscious and conscious social behavior, even in the silence of the classroom. Students may sit very close to one another, even share a book. Having a very open posture towards the person beside the other individual, looking into his or her eyes every so often, hair flipping, even running one’s finger over the page of a book are all suggestive of wanting greater closeness or intimacy. Some couples may hold hands, but a couple does not necessarily need to communicate through kissing or obvious displays of affection that they are much more than friends.…
