Com 200 - Interpersonal Communication

Big Bang Conflict

Charles Rogall

COM 200:  Interpersonal Communication

Instructor: Perry Spann

Interpersonal Communication

June 10, 2017

Big Bang Conflict

        Why watching a television show you will see at times that there is communication

 conflicts that are much like the ones we have in our everyday life. These conflicts can be

as simple as a misunderstanding in words or a more complex problem. By understanding

 communication whether its non-verbal or verbal can help one to understand one’s intentions

towards you. In the television show Big Bang Theory, I will describe a situation in the show that

involves an interpersonal communication problem and how it was handled on the show.

        While watching the season ten, twenty fourth episode of Big Bang Theory there was a

communication conflict between Sheldon and Dr. Norwisky.This conflict started with Dr.

Norwisky was making non-verbal and verbal passes towards Sheldon. This became an issue

because Sheldon’s girlfriend Amy was out of town for a few months. Leonard, Koothrappali,

Howard, and Penny see what Dr. Norwisky is doing to Sheldon but was not sure if it was going

to be a problem. Penny addressed this situation with Sheldon and he just thought Dr. Norwisky

was just being friendly. When Sheldon brought this up to Dr. Norwisky she kissed him. Sheldon

reacted by leaving his office and went to New Jersey where his girlfriend Amy was located at

and proposed to her. The conflict was that Dr. Norwisky wanted more from Sheldon then he was

willing to give her.

        This conflict could have been handled much better if Sheldon was able to identify Dr.

Norwisky’s intention. “The ability to identify and competently manage conflict will improve the

quality of your relationships and make relationships (Bevan and Sole 2014).” Understanding non

verbal communication suck as a little touch on the shoulder to laughing at a joke that most do not

think is funny are a couple of non-verbal forms of communication. If Sheldon was able to see

that Dr. Norwisky was flirting with him, then he could have stopped her before she kissed him or

assumed that her actions were appropriate. It was not until Dr. Norwisky kissed Sheldon that he

know what she wanted. Those can pose a problem especially if you were in Sheldon’s place. Dr.

Norwisky displayed positive eve contact, physical contact, and her voice tune when they were

together, but because Sheldon was oblivious to these signs he misunderstood her intentions

towards him.

        In the episode Dr. Norwisky was sender her message that she was interested in Sheldon but

Sheldon was not receiving the same message. He just assumed that she was trying to be a good

friend towards him. “Consistently disconfirming a person is not recommended, as it can reduce