(B. Sc. Agriculture) SEMESTER: II
Course No. – EXTN 123 (2+0)
Title: Communication Skills and personality Developments
MOST PROBABLE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
1) Define Personality. Enlist Factors affecting Personality & Describe Process of Personality development
Personality is multi-dimensional, heredity, learning, perception, thinking, motivation and emotion combine and
interact differently in each of us producing the most complex aspects of human behaviour called 'personality'.
Factors affecting Personality
(1) Biological factors
(2) Environmental factors
1) Biological factors
Human nature begins with biology. No
feature of personality is developed of
hereditary influences, but it is mostly genes.
a) Physical structure
The physical structure grows and develops. Within the pattern of this growth may lie some of the elements that
affect behaviour traits. A person may be unusually tall or unusually short, overly stout or very thin, large nosed
or small footed, or symmetrical or asymmetrical featured. He may even suffer from a definite physical
abnormality. The physical factors themselves may little or no effect upon a person's behaviour characteristics.
However, the attitude towards him on the part of his associates as a result of that are a part of his personality.
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b) Endocrine glands
The endocrine or ductless glands discharge their secretions (hormones) directly into the blood stream, appear to
influence the behaviour of individuals according to their balance or imbalance. Over-secretion or under-
secretion of any of these glands may exert a tremendous influence upon an individual’s development and
consequently upon his personality. For example, the secretions of the pituitary, pineal, thyroid and sex glands
control growth very definitely. Furthermore, the thyroid, islands of Langerhans, and adrenal influence
metabolism and the use of food taken into the body.
2) Environmental influences
The social or environmental factors affect the personality even of young infants is evidenced in the results of
studies of their behaviour.
a) Home influences: The attitude of parents toward the child, toward one another, and toward other people,
events, and objects exercises a potent influence upon the child's developing personality. Factors such as
enjoyment of group family life, little if any work done away from home by the mother, amount of punishment,
welcoming of the young people's friends to the home, emotional control and good health of the parents, and a
sharing with the parents of joys and sorrows seem to lead good adjustment on the part of adolescents.
b) School experiences: The influence of school experiences upon a young person's developing personality is
greater. Suitability of curricular offerings, teacher attitudes, playground activities, and home background of
training that the child brings with him to the school - all are important factors of influence.
C) Birth order: The oldest child is said to be domination his position in the family and identify himself with
his parents.
Development of personality is influenced by two major factors namely.
(i) The organic constitution of the individual -
The organic constitution determines the personality of the individual. A large man has certain physical
advantages over a smaller man. The smaller man may develop behaviour tendencies characteristics in which he
is superior and away from his below average physique.
(ii) The stimulation provided by the environment -
Process of Personality Development.
The environment influences that surround a person during the growth and development influence his personality
Development of personality is influenced by two major factors namely.
(i) The organic constitution of the individual - The organic constitution determines the personality of the
individual. A large man has certain physical advantages over a smaller man. The smaller man may develop
behaviour tendencies characteristics in which he is superior and away from his below average physique.
(ii) The stimulation provided by the environment - The environment influences that surround a person during
the growth and development influence his personality.
2) Define Body language. State uses of Body language.
Body language refers to the non-verbal communication expressed through physical movements, gestures, and
facial expressions. It plays a crucial role in conveying emotions, attitudes, and intentions without using words
explicitly. Body language is an essential aspect of interpersonal communication, often complementing or
contradicting verbal messages.
Uses of Body Language:
1. Expressing Emotions: Body language allows individuals to express emotions such as happiness, sadness,
anger, fear, or excitement. Smiles, frowns, tears, and other facial expressions are powerful indicators of
emotional states.
2. Conveying Interest and Attention: Leaning forward, maintaining eye contact, and nodding are ways to
show that you are actively listening and interested in what someone is saying.
3. Showing Confidence: Standing tall, maintaining an open posture, and making steady eye contact can project
confidence and assertiveness during interactions.
4. Building Rapport: Mirroring or imitating someone's body language, such as gestures or postures, can create
a sense of connection and rapport in social interactions.
5. Signaling Agreement or Disagreement: Nodding to show agreement or shaking one's head to indicate
disagreement are common examples of using body language to express opinions.
6. Managing Interactions: Gestures, such as waving a hand to say goodbye or beckoning someone to come
closer, help manage social interactions smoothly.
7. Demonstrating Interest in a Romantic Context: Flirting often involves subtle body language cues, like
touching hair, maintaining prolonged eye contact, or smiling suggestively.
8. Displaying Dominance or Submissiveness: Body language can convey power dynamics, with dominant
individuals adopting more expansive postures, while submissive individuals may display closed or guarded
gestures.
9. Regulating Conversations: Pausing, raising a hand, or leaning forward can signal the need to speak or
control the flow of conversation.
10. Enhancing Public Speaking: Effective public speakers use body language to engage and captivate their
audience, using gestures and movements to emphasize key points.
3) Define Listening. Enlist various barriers of Listening. Explain Active & Passive listening.
Listening is both a physiological as well as a cognitive process, a sort of qualitative add-on to
hearing. Listening also helps the cultivation of smooth interpersonal relationships with fellow
workers, which is essential for efficient functioning of the organization.
Barriers to listening:
i) Adverse physical atmosphere: Proper physical environment induces good listening.
ii) Lack of motivation: The lack of a strong desire to understand, to learn, to acquire skills, or to gain
knowledge binders effective listening.
iii) Improper perception: A distorted or truncated perception of the relevance and usefulness of the topic
affects listening adversely.
iv) Negative traits: Studies on the relationship between listening and personality traits show that in general,
those persons who are self-centered, boastful and down.
(1) Active Listening
Active listening is when the listener is fully engaged and reacts to the ideas presented by the speaker. This is
usually through non-verbal cues such as nodding, smiling, facial expressions in response to the ideas of the
speaker, making eye contact, etc. The listener can also ask questions, clarify ideas, and even comment on
certain points that have been presented.
(2) Passive Listening
In passive listening, the listener does not react to the idea of the speaker but merely listens. In this case, the
listener makes no attempt to interrupt the speaker, by asking questions and commenting on the ideas that have
been presented. This, however, does not mean that the listener is not paying much attention to the speaker. On
the contrary, even though he is listening he makes no attempt to react.
4) What do you mean by Attitude? Explain types of attitude.
Definition-
According to G.W. Allport, "Attitude is a mental and neutral state of readiness, organized through experience,
exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual's response to all objects and situations with which
it is related.
"Attitude can be defined as positive or negative evaluation of peoples about object, events and activities or
about anything in our environment."
Types of attitude
Positive Attitude: A positive attitude involves having optimistic and favorable views towards people,
situations, or objects. Individuals with positive attitudes tend to focus on the bright side of things, look for
opportunities, and are more resilient in the face of challenges.
Negative Attitude: A negative attitude is characterized by pessimism and unfavorable opinions. Individuals
with negative attitudes may be critical, skeptical, and tend to dwell on problems rather than seeking solutions.
Neutral Attitude: A neutral attitude indicates a lack of strong feelings or emotions towards a particular person,
situation, or object. It implies a state of indifference or disinterest.
Ambivalent Attitude: An ambivalent attitude involves having both positive and negative feelings towards the
same person, situation, or object. This ambivalence can lead to conflicting emotions and uncertainty in decision-
making.
Implicit Attitude: Implicit attitudes are unconscious and automatic evaluations that people may hold, often
without being aware of them. These attitudes can influence behavior even when individuals do not consciously
endorse them.
5) Define Communication. Enlist different barriers in communication. Explain process of communication.
Communication Process
The communication is a dynamic process that begins with the conceptualizing of ideas by the sender who then
transmits the message through a channel to the receiver, who in turn gives the feedback in the form of some
message or signal within the given time frame. Thus, there are seven major elements/components of
communication process:
Sender:
The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the conversation and has conceptualized the idea
that he intends to convey it to others. Encoding: The sender begins with the encoding process wherein he uses
certain words or nonverbal methods such as symbols, signs, body gestures, etc. to translate the information into
a message. The sender's knowledge, skills, perception, background, competencies, etc. has a great impact on the
success of the message.
Message:
Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the message that he intends to convey. The message can be
written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such as body gestures, silence, sighs, sounds, etc. or any other signal that
triggers the response of a receiver.
Communication Channel:
The Sender chooses the medium through which he wants to convey his message to the recipient. It must be
selected carefully in order to make the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. The choice
of medium depends on the interpersonal relationships between the sender and the receiver and also on the
urgency of the message being sent. Oral, virtual, written, sound, gesture, etc. are some of the commonly used
communication mediums.
Receiver:
The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended or targeted. He tries to comprehend it in the best
possible manner such that the communication objective is attained. The degree to which the receiver decodes
the message depends on his knowledge of the subject matter, experience, trust and relationship with the sender.
Decoding:
Here, the receiver interprets the sender's message and tries to understand it in the best possible manner. An
effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the message in exactly the same way as it was
intended by the sender. Feedback: The Feedback is the final step of the process that ensures the receiver has
received the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the sender. It increases the effectiveness
of the communication as it permits the sender to know the efficacy of his message.
The response of the receiver can be verbal or non-verbal.
6) What is Leadership? Explain types of Leadership.
Leadership is defined as an activity in which effort is made to influence people to cooperate in achieving a goal
viewed by the group as desirable - Rogers and Olmsted
Leadership is defined as the role and status of one or more individuals in the structure and functioning of group
organizations, which enable these groups to meet a need or purpose that can be achieved only through the co-
operation of the members of the group - Hepple
7) How to prepare for a group discussion?
Preparation for group discussion
Ensure you contribute to the group - Ensure you contribute to the conversation. Often candidates take up
behaviors or actions that aren't actively contributing to the group's outcome. For example, taking lead of the
group, standing up to make notes on a board. Be careful not to fall into the trap of regarding these behaviors as
earning you some positive points. In some cases these behaviors can even lead to you being alienated by other
group members.
Manage your body language - Ensure good body language and maintain relaxed eye contact.
Make sure when you are listening to others you are attentive and demonstrate this through nods and gestures of
agreement. If you feel uncomfortable in terms of how you are sitting, simply 'mirroring' other people will help.
Smiling always helps too. Manage conflicts effectively - Avoid confrontation and ensure you allow everyone a
chance to speak. If someone is consistently rude and aggressive, do not resort to this behaviour yourself.
Assessors will pick this up. Avoid being forceful or speaking over anybody.
Manage your time - Keeping a check on the time will earn you points. Suggesting that you will keep a check on
the time and providing regular updates throughout the discussion will also work well. However, if you commit
to this responsibility then make sure you maintain that check. There is nothing worse than the session running
out of time when you have appointed yourself as timekeeper.
Include others Keep an eye out for those who do not say anything and take the opportunity to ask them for their
opinions. This will gain you both assessors' appreciation and other group member's gratitude.
Ensure you are ateam player - More often than not, the group discussion exercises
require coming to an agreement on a particular issue. For example, you may be given individual proposals and
asked to agree on two of these as a group. In these situations, remember you do not always have to get your
ideas accepted. Try to do what is better for the company or organisation as presented in the exercise, rather than
what you think might benefit you.
8) Explain in brief important note taking tips for Students. Why to take lecture notes? Suggestednote taking techniques.
i. Come to class prepared
ii. Start a new page for each new class
iii. Don't try to write down every word
your teacher says
iv. Write down the big ideas
v. Use abbreviations for commonly
occurring names and words
vi. Leave lots of room on the page
vii. Use diagrams and pictures wherever necessary
viii. Write down corresponding page numbers from your textbook
ix. Review your notes for accuracy
x. Obtain notes for missed classes
9) What is Précis? Give guidelines for good Précis writing.
Précis "Précis is a French word and concerned with the English word precise. A good précis is a straight
forward condensed statement of the salient features, ideas or information contained in the original passage and
it is written in a clear and concise way in the writing own words. A precise is a summary, and précis - writing
means summarising. It is the gist or main theme of a passage expressed in as few words as possible. It should be
lucid, succinct and full (including all the essential points) so that anyone, on reading it, may be able to grasp the
main points and general effect of the passage summarized. It is a clear statement of base facts without any
unnecessary frills.
Guidelines for good précis writing.
1. Read the passage at least two times to familiarise yourself with the theme and the main ideas contained in the
passage.
2. Give the passage a little, a suitable title would help you to identify the name of the passage.
3. Write down important points and arrange them in the same sequence as the original passage.
4. Make a rough draft. A précis should not be more than 1/3 of the original unless otherwise directed.
5. Write the precise in the indirect form of narration using only the third person.
6. Scrupulously avoid all examples figures of speech, illustrations and comments.
7. Retain all those facts and ideas which are related to the main ideas, reject those which have minor
importance.
8. Drop all redundant words and expressions.
10) What is Presentation? Describe purpose of Presentation. Enlist types and give tips for Effective Presentation.
A presentation is the process of presenting a topic to an audience. It is typically a demonstration, introduction,
lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, or build good will. The practice of showing and explaining the
content of a topic to an audience or learner is known as presentation.
Types of presentation
(1) Informative presentations
Include talks, seminars, proposals, workshops, conferences, and meetings where the presenter (s) share their
expertise and information is exchanged.
(2) Persuasive presentations
These are the presentations in which you might attempt to convince the audience to buy your products or
services, to support your goals or concepts, or to change their minds or attitudes. Sometimes called
transactional, are often with a motivational. Persuasive presentations are designed and delivered to come out
specific goal in mind.
(3) Goodwill presentations
Goodwill presentations, which often take the form of speeches which are often designed to be entertaining for
example by sharing video highlights of President's 10 years or anecdotes based on some past experiences. The
purpose of goodwill presentations for peers, colleagues and superior is pretty obvious to build goodwill, to
make people feel good about themselves and to build respect for the organization.
(4) Multipurpose presentations
Presentations usually have more than one purpose. A presentation to employees may be announced as an
informative session on new regulations but in reality may also be an all-out effort to persuade workers to bug
into the new rules.
(5) Sales
Probably the single most prevalent category of presentation is the sale scenario. Throughout our lives we are
'Selling' ourselves to teachers, prospective mates, neighbours, or colleagues. In the business world, we are most
often selling our products, services or ideas. Sales techniques are complex and require two essential items for
success in sales presentations which are knowing and understanding your audience, and building rapport.
(6) Political presentations
Presentations in the political arena are primarily grouped in the persuasive category. To be effective they must
include lots of information and so build goodwill.
(7) Motivational presentations
Motivation is another form of persuasion, that somehow takes on a more fervent, highly charged tone.
Presentation must use high energy presentation tactics in order to capture and hold the audience's attention for
the entire message
(8) Interviews
When a writer, actor, artist, expert, scientists appears on a radio or television talks or is interviews for an online
or print article (newspaper / magazine) that person is making a presentation. A Job Interview' is yet another
presentation form, one where the presenter should make an effort to identify his or her immediate audience, but
also take great pains to know as much as possible about the larger audience.
Suggestions for an effective group presentation
1. Appoint one of the speakers to be in charge. If this is not done and something unexpected occurs, no one has
the responsibility for the group which my lose credibility because of uncertainty in how to respond. In addition,
when & question is asked, the speaker-in-charge immediately refers it to the person with the appropriate
expertise; thus there is no uncertain pause because no one knows who will answer the question.
2. Each speaker should know what the other speakers are going to say. This knowledge will help them avoid
duplication of material and they can make appropriate references to another speaker's coment if it applies. This
knowledge helps insure continuity among the different speakers.
3. The last words of each speaker should synchronize with what the next speaker will cover. This adds unity to
the entire presentation and gives the new speaker a smooth opening to his or her material. An example might be,
"Now Susan will cover the financial aspects of our proposal and help you understand the benefits this will give
you."
4. If possible, the strongest speaker should end the group presentation. The ending is the most important part of
the presentation; people remember best what you say last. You want to have an ending speaker who can show
passion and enthusiasm for the topic.
5. Finally, a dress rehearsal is essential. The group members need to get a feel of the complete message to see
how they can best contribute. In addition, with several people speaking it is hard to judge the time the speakers
will take. This dress rehearsal allows the group to time the presentation and to make adjustments in each portion
in order to be under the time limit; the more people involved the more unpredictable the total time. With
everyone hearing the other speeches, each speaker can give feedback to the others that will improve the quality
of the whole presentation. Extraneous and redundant material can be eliminated as well.
11) What is Public Speaking? Give types & Strategies for Public Speaking.
Public speaking is the process of communicating information to an audience. It is usually done before a large
audience, like in school, the workplace and even in our personal lives. The benefits of knowing how to
communicate to an audience include sharpening critical thinking and verbal/non-verbal communication skills.
Public speaking (also called oratory or oration) is the process or act of performing a speech to a live audience.
This type of speech is deliberately structured with three general purposes: to inform, to persuade and to
entertain. Public speaking is commonly understood as formal, face-to-face speaking of a single person to a
group of listeners
12) Give structure of Impromptu speech. Describe techniques for delivering a good impromptu speech.
Structure of an impromptu speech
An impromptu speech is simply a mini-speech and therefore it has:
a. an Opening,
b. Body and
c. Conclusion
1. Opening
-Open by addressing the Chairman or Master of Ceremonies, e.g. Mister / Madam" Chairman
-Brief introduction/opening sentence attention getting
2. Body
-Cover the main points (Try to find one or two central themes)
-Use clearly worded simple sentences and try to link the themes
3. Conclusion
-Be brief and look for an elegant closing that links back to the opening
-End by acknowledging the Chairman or Master of Ceremonies
Techniques for delivering impromptu speech
1. Give yourself time to prepare
-Take deep breaths
-Rise slowly from your chair and walk slowly to the lectern (or stand behind and away from your chair)
-Use this time to collect your thoughts and decide on the purpose and plan of your speech
-Think about the opening sentence.
-Always remember that never start the speech immediately.
2. Feel confident
-Look around at audience and smile. Stand tall. Don't slump, don't fidget, don't grasp the lectern/podium, don't
put hands in your pockets
-Speak and act in a confident manner
3. Slow delivery
- Gives you time to think ahead. -The audience has time to absorb and react to what you are saying.
-Helps you reduce 'umms' and 'ahhs'.
4. Focus
-Keep the focus on the subject while talking. -Don't think of any negatives (e.g. being unprepared).
-Talk directly to the audience and adapt to their feedback. -Maintain good eye contact with the audience.
-Be brief and to the point.
-Don't rumble or say too much on the subject.
-Speak at the audience's level.
