Sometimes when we engage in conversations with people or visit retail establishments, we may not be fully aware of all the stimuli (i.e. signals) that one communicates with us. Becoming more aware of stimuli can improve your interpersonal relationships.

Identify a retail establishment (e.g. drugstore, grocery store, restaurant, clothing, shoes, make-up, etc.) that you tend to visit frequently. Think about your behavior-how do you act while in the store? How do you converse with employees or someone with you? ***PLEASE USE A SEPHORA MAKE-UP STORE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT***

After thinking your behavior, visit this establishment again. Now answer the following questions to yourself:

What are the colors of the wall?
What are the colors of the floor?
What direction or directions are the floor tile?
What type of music is played?
What does it smell like?
Is the temperature comfortable or unpleasant?
How do the employees interact with each other?

Did you notice all of the stimuli before? If not, what barriers kept you from noticing the stimuli? If you did notice all of the stimuli before, what barriers do you believe keeps people from noticing the stimuli?

Reflect on how the stimuli may subconsciously impact your attitudes and behavior when you visit this retailer. What did you notice after thinking about the stimuli? How does this impact how you perceive your current self and how you perceive others?