Weekly Reflection Last week's lesson led me to revisit an area in which I received specialized training during my career as a Special Agent. I became a Special Agent in May 1990, while a member of the United States Air Force. During the twelve weeks of training I received specialized training in the field of non-verbal communication. The training was identified as behavioral analysis and designed to aid in interviews and interrogations. The training was very helpful when I had to interview potential suspects. The behavior analysis training focused on determining whether or not someone was being sincere based on their nonverbal communication. According to a study by Albert Mehrabian, 55% of nonverbal communication consists of body movements that include facial expressions, gestures, and posture (Oberg, 51). The training was designed to allow us to ask control questions to elicit truthful responses and see the nonverbal during those responses. So when we asked questions where we expected a lie from the subject, we would see several nonverbal behaviors that indicated that someone was not telling the truth. This was helpful and usually helped me elicit a confession when I could tell a person was lying. These skills have been developed throughout my career. However, I must admit that there have been times in my life where having these skills felt like a curse. Specifically, in relationships this training came into play when I felt there were some trust issues involved. I am usually disappointed when I confirm that someone is being dishonest with me. I also realize that nonverbal communication is not just about truth or lies. It is also about simple communications...... middle of paper ......athos, Logos and Ethos approach (Aristotle's theory of persuasion) to elicit confessions. Appeal to your emotions and present the logic related to the investigation and the facts, observing the non-verbal actions and playing on those that usually led to confessions. The Ethos approach has been less successful and I think this approach would be less successful when dealing with a criminal because if you try to appeal to their ethical side, they probably won't demonstrate ethics from the start or would sit in front. of you. The topics discussed and read this week simply strengthen my understanding of how interpersonal communication impacts our daily lives. This learning continues to help me understand myself better and will undoubtedly help me understand others. As a result, it can only improve my communication with others.