Five reasons why we communicate
It meets physical, relational, identity, spiritual, and instrumental needs.
Three models of human communication
? Action Model (AM); one-way (one-direction) communication.
? Interaction Model (IM); circular two-way (alternating talking). Adds two-way process, plus feedbacks and & contexts for sender & receiver, to basic AM.
? Transaction Model (TM); IM plus simulta
Model
A formal description of a process.
Action Model (AM) of communication
One-way (one direction) communication, no response allowed/required/expected. Source encodes, message flows through noisy channel, receiver decodes. Fig. 1.1 on p. 10.
Interaction Model (IM) of communication
Noisy channels plus two-way communication; each person waits for an incoming message to end before replying. A reply can include feedback. Contexts of sender and receiver can affect/shape the messages. Better for face-to-face conversations than AM, but no
Transaction Model (TM) of communication
Both people are simultaneously senders and receivers, both are simultaneously encoding & decoding. Best for most conversations. More realistic than IM. Fig. 1.3 on p. 12.
Noise
Anything that interferes with with the encoding or decoding of a message." For example,
Physical
Psychological
Physiological
Source
The originator of a thought or an idea.
Receiver
The party who interprets a message.
Encode
To put an idea into language or gesture.
Decode
To interpret or give meaning to a message.
Message
Verbal and nonverbal elements of communication to which people give meaning.
Channel
A pathway through which messages are conveyed.
Feedback
Verbal and nonverbal responses to a message.
Context
The physical or psychological environment in which communication occurs.
Instrumental needs
Practical, everyday needs.
Stigma
A characteristic that discredits a person, making him or her be seen as abnormal or undesirable.
Six characteristics of communication
? Multiple channels: words, body language, facial express
? Passes through perceptual filters
? People give it meaning (interpretation)
? Has both literal meanings and relational implications
? Sends [intentional + unintentional] message(s)
? Is governed
Channel-rich context
A communication context involving many channels at once
Channel-lean context
A communication context involving few channels at once"
E.g.: Send a text message to someone. (AM)
Content dimension
Literal information that is communicated by a message
Relational dimension
Signals about the relationship in which a message is being communicated
Symbol
A representation of an idea
Explicit rule
A rule about behavior that has been clearly articulated
Metacommunication
Communication about communication
Implicit rule
A rule about behavior that has not been clearly articulated but is nonetheless understood
Five myths about communication
? "Everyone is an expert in communication." (Expertise!)
? "Communication will solve any problem." (Attitude!)
? "Communication can break down." (Effectiveness!)
? "Communication is inherently good." (Not just talking!)
? "More communication is always bet
Four characteristics of interpersonal communication
? Between two people (not mass- or small-group-)
? Within a relationship (intimate bond)
? Evolves within a relationship (focus changes with time)
? Negotiates & defines relationships (agree to not discuss some topics, etc.)
Dyad
A pair of people
Interpersonal communication
Communication that occurs between two people within the context of their relationship and that, as it evolves, helps them to negotiate and define their relationship.
Intrapersonal communication
Communication with oneself.
Mass communication
Communication from one source to a large audience.
Small group communication
Communication occurring within small groups of three or more people.
Communication competence
Communicating in ways that are effective and appropriate for a given situation.
What communicating competently involves
? Effectively (achieve goals)
? Appropriately (according to rules)
Characteristics of competent communicators
? Self-awareness (aka "self-monitoring")
? Adaptability (to different people/situations)
? Empathy (understand other people's feelings)
? Can handle cognitive complexity
? Ethical (treat people honestly, fairly, avoid immoral or unethical behavior)
Ethics
A code of morality or a set of ideas about what is right."
Ethical communication:
Treating people fairly
Treating people honestly
Avoiding immoral behavior
Ways to understand another person's behavior
? What? (multiple explanations for people's behavior)
? Why? (understand other person's view of situation)
? How? (consider other explanations, aspects, environment, situational causes, & alternative explanations)
? Try! (to delay your response, as you co
Empathy
The ability to think and feel as others do."
or
"The ability of identify, feel, and relate to what others are feeling." (Q.3 on p. 32.)
Cognitive complexity
The ability to understand a given situation in multiple ways.
Effect of communication with friends
Increases a person's life expectancy." (Q. 5 on p.33)