After losing their positions at their

comfortable New York City university,

three scientists are forced to find work

elsewhere. With a background in the

paranormal Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman,

and Egon Spengler set about the city

trapping spectres, spirits, and ghosts until

they are forced to save the city from

certain destruction.

Additionally,

Ghostbusters presents

viewers with an

opportunity to inspect

varying aspects of

interpersonal

communication as the

characters interact

with one another in

conversational

situations which mimic

those in real life.

Nonverbal Communication, or “all human communication events that transcends spoken or written words” plays as large a role in fictional interaction as it does during real encounters (131).

During an early scene in the film, viewers are presented with an example of how one form of nonverbal communication, body language—the intentional or unintentional movement of various body parts that sends nonverbal messages—transpires and transmits messages about the perpetrators feelings (135).

While still employed by the university, Dr. Peter Venkman can be seen conducting an experiment in which he is testing the effect of negative reinforcement—with the aid of electro-shock therapy—on ESP ability.

Blatantly executing gender bias, Dr. Venkman refuses to shock the attractive female student while consistently shocking her male counterpart. However, as the experiment progresses the student grows visibly nervous, beginning to fidget in his seat. As his physical representation transitions from slumped shoulder and downcast eyes to a rigid spine and rapidly moving pupils, the male student’s body becomes a physical manifestation for the emotions he’s experiencing. While his slumped frame communicates that he feels defeated and downcast, the stiffness of his spine and rapid eye movement shows that not only is he highly aware of the doctor’s movements, but that he is both cognizant fearful of their consequences.

Competence, or another person’s perceptions that your messages are both effective and appropriate in a given relationship, account for a number of interactions throughout the film. Without such confidence (illustrated through both the public and members of the team) in place, the Ghostbusters would be unable to aid New York City to the extent that they do (21).

Dr. Egon Spengler: There's something very important I forgot to tell you.

Dr. Peter Venkman: What?

Dr. Egon Spengler: Don't cross the streams.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Why?

Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad.

Dr. Peter Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?

Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.

Dr Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

Egon is able to convince Ray and Peter that

crossing the streams would be unwise not

only because the trio have a previously

constructed repertoire through which they

have come to understand each other’s

scientific strengths, but because Egon

designed the equipment and understands

better than anyone else that said

equipment has limitations and what those

limitations are.

One of the film’s early scene’s feature

the three scientists standing around a

prone librarian as she recovers from an

encounter with a ghost. During this time

she offers information to the trio that she

would not have otherwise.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Alice, I'm going to ask you a couple of standard questions, okay? Have you or any of your family been diagnosed schizophrenic? Mentally incompetent?

Librarian Alice: My uncle thought he was Saint Jerome.

Dr. Peter Venkman: I'd call that a big yes. Uh, are you habitually using drugs? Stimulants? Alcohol?

Librarian Alice: No.

Dr. Peter Venkman: No, no. Just asking. Are you, Alice, menstruating right now?

Library Administrator: What has that got to do with it? Dr. Peter Venkman: Back off, man. I'm a scientist.

Due to the librarian’s confidence that Dr. Venkman is both a professional and finds substance in his credibility—the extent to which your partner believes in your competence, trustworthiness, and likability— scientist, she feels comfortable disclosing, or revealing confidential or secret information, to him that she would not share with a stranger or passerby on the street (293).

Expert power is the potential to influence

rooted in someone’s subject-specific

knowledge and competence (328). It is

this concept that viewers see utilized by

the Ghostbusters when escorted to see

the mayor.

Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.

Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical"? Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of

God type stuff. Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly. Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers

and seas boiling! Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...

Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave! Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together...

mass hysteria! Mayor: All right, all right! I get the point! ---------- Dr. Peter Venkman: If I'm wrong, nothing happens! We go to jail -

peacefully, quietly. We'll enjoy it! But if I'm *right*, and we *can* stop this thing... Lenny, you will have saved the lives of millions of registered voters.

As the apocalypse looms overhead, the

city’s mayor is seeks a course of action in

hopes of resolving the situation.

Presented with conflicting accounts, the

Ghostbusters argument weighs more

heavily with the mayor as he views them

as a legitimate source of information as

the city moves closer to apocalyptical

brink.

After being told what to expect if their

dimension collides with another, Dr.

Venkman reminds the mayor that he

would not only be saving residents, but

voters. Armed with that in mind, the

mayor makes his final decision,

influenced by both the team’s credibility

and Venkman’s smooth talking.

Interpersonal conflicts occur when a

disagreement arises between “two

interdependent people who perceive

that they have incompatible goals”

(358). The film depicts such a scenario

using the characters Peter Venkman and

Walter Peck.

Dr Ray Stantz: Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by d***less here.

Walter Peck: They caused an explosion!

Mayor: Is this true? Dr. Peter Venkman: Yes it's true.

[pause]

Dr. Peter Venkman: This man has no d***.

Walter Peck: Jeez!

[Charges at Venkman]

Mayor: Break it up! Hey, break this up! Break it up!

Walter Peck: All right, all right, all right! Dr. Peter Venkman: Well, that's what I heard!

While Venkman and Peck began their

first encounter civilly it quickly escalated

after the pair realized that neither was

willing to acquiesce to the other’s wishes.

As such the conflict follows the pair

throughout the movie, reappearing

during their meeting with the mayor.

In order to ascertain if an individual will mesh well with a company, business conduct job interviews in which they hold a “conversation or a series of conversations between a job candidate and representative of the hiring organization…” to gain an understanding of potential opportunities for both the company and the candidate (437).

Winston Zeddimore’s job interview illustrates an interview style that is rarely encountered, if experienced at all.

Janine Melnitz: Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?

Winston Zeddemore: Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.

In terms of authenticity, Winston

Zeddemore’s job interview shares little

similarity with those conducted today.

After Zeddemore is hired after answering

one question it becomes apparent that

he is hired because of his willingness to

perform the job above all else.

Legitimate power is “the potential to

influence others rooted in the authority

granted to a person who occupies a

certain role” (327). As the film

progresses, viewers watch as Dr.

Venkman violates this concept and

insults his counterpart’s position.

Walter Peck: And where do you put these ghosts, once you catch them?

Dr. Peter Venkman: Into a storage facility.

Walter Peck: And would this storage facility be located on these premises?

Dr. Peter Venkman: Yes.

Walter Peck: And may I see this storage facility?

Dr. Peter Venkman: No.

Walter Peck: And why not, Mr. Venkman?

Dr. Peter Venkman: Because you did not use the magic word.

Walter Peck: What is the magic word, Mr. Venkman?

Dr. Peter Venkman: [looking surprised] Please!

Walter Peck: May I *please* see the storage facility, Mr. Venkman?

Dr. Peter Venkman: Why do you want to see the storage facility?

Walter Peck: Because I'm curious. I wanna know more about what you do here! Frankly, I've heard alot of wild stories in the media and we want to assess any possibility of dangerous and possibly hazardous waste chemicals in your basement.

[Peck is angered]

Walter Peck: Now you either *show me* what is down there, or I come back with a court order.

Dr. Peter Venkman: [Venkman snaps back] You go get a court order, and I'll sue your funny ass for wrongful prosecution.

Walter Peck: You can have it your way, Mr. Venkman.

In order to fund their new venture,

Venkman persuades Ray to take out a

second and third mortgage on his house.

Dr Ray Stantz: My parents left me that

house. I was born there.

Dr. Peter Venkman: You're not gonna

lose the house, everybody has three

mortgages nowadays.

By “using verbal messages designed to influence the attitudes and behaviors of others,” Venkman was able to convince Ray that their ejection from the university was a sign that they were meant to go into business for themselves (329). In doing so, Venkman plants a seed that he can later cultivate in order to obtain funds for the trio’s entrepreneurial needs.

Ghostbusters is rife with examples of

back-channel cues as the characters

utilize “verbal and nonverbal signals that

indicate you are listening and

attempting to understand the message”

(213).

[after nearly being crushed by a falling

bookcase]

Dr. Peter Venkman: This happen to you

before?

[Ray shakes his head]

Dr. Peter Venkman: Huh. First time?

[Ray nods]

Although Ray does not verbally respond

to Venkman’s questions, Peter is able to

see that Ray is listening to him as he nods

in repsonse the questions being posed.

Overall I think Ghostbusters accurately

depicts some of the forms of

interpersonal communication

experienced in everyday conversations;

with the content of the story gaining a

level of approachable plausibility

through the inclusion of interpersonal

relationships and the communicative

patterns that transpire within them.

Movie Quotes: imdb.com

Images: Google Images