The Essentials of Human Communication

Chapter 1

What does communication mean to you?

What does communication mean to you?

What do you expect to get out of this class?

What do you expect to get out of this class?

How is the study of communication important to your life and career?

How is the study of communication important to your life and career?

What experiences do you have with communication?

What experiences do you have with communication?

Skills of Human CommunicationSkills of Human Communication

• Self-Presentation Skills: presenting yourself to others as confident, credible, likeable and approachable.

• Relationship Skills: knowing how to initiate, maintain, repair, or dissolve relationships.

• Self-Presentation Skills: presenting yourself to others as confident, credible, likeable and approachable.

• Relationship Skills: knowing how to initiate, maintain, repair, or dissolve relationships.

• Interviewing Skills: being able to gather and share information in a variety of situations.

• Group Interaction and Leadership Skills: participating as an effective group member in relationship and task groups.

• Interviewing Skills: being able to gather and share information in a variety of situations.

• Group Interaction and Leadership Skills: participating as an effective group member in relationship and task groups.

• Presentation Skills: speaking to small and large audiences to inform or persuade.

• Media Literacy Skills: being a critical user of mass media encountered on a daily basis.

• Presentation Skills: speaking to small and large audiences to inform or persuade.

• Media Literacy Skills: being a critical user of mass media encountered on a daily basis.

What are some popularly held myths about human communication?

What are some popularly held myths about human communication?

The more you communicate, the better your communication will be.

Research finds that if you practice poor communication habits, you grow less effective as a communicator.

The more you communicate, the better your communication will be.

Research finds that if you practice poor communication habits, you grow less effective as a communicator.

When two people are in a close relationship, neither person should have to explicitly communicate needs and wants.

People are not mind readers. To assume otherwise inhibits open and honest communication.

When two people are in a close relationship, neither person should have to explicitly communicate needs and wants.

People are not mind readers. To assume otherwise inhibits open and honest communication.

Interpersonal or group conflict is a reliable sign that the relationship or group is in trouble.

Research suggests that interpersonal or group conflict is inevitable and can be beneficial to the relationship or group.

Interpersonal or group conflict is a reliable sign that the relationship or group is in trouble.

Research suggests that interpersonal or group conflict is inevitable and can be beneficial to the relationship or group.

Fear of public speaking is detrimental and must be avoided.

Most speakers are nervous; learning to manage anxiety effectively can enhance your public speaking skills.

Fear of public speaking is detrimental and must be avoided.

Most speakers are nervous; learning to manage anxiety effectively can enhance your public speaking skills.

Like good communicators, leaders are born, not made.

Communication is a skill, not a talent. Anyone can learn to be an effective communicator.

Like good communicators, leaders are born, not made.

Communication is a skill, not a talent. Anyone can learn to be an effective communicator.

Levels of Communication

Intrapersonal Communication

Intrapersonal Communication

Talking with oneself to better learn and judge yourself.

When do you engage in intrapersonal communication?

Talking with oneself to better learn and judge yourself.

When do you engage in intrapersonal communication?

Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Communication

• Interactions between two or more people.

• Maintain, build, repair, or terminate relationships.

• Interactions between two or more people.

• Maintain, build, repair, or terminate relationships.

InterviewingInterviewing

• Communication that proceeds by question and answer.

• Method of self-learning, gaining counsel, and achieving goals.

• Communication that proceeds by question and answer.

• Method of self-learning, gaining counsel, and achieving goals.

Group CommunicationGroup Communication

• In small groups (5-10), you work with others to solve problems, develop new ideas, and share knowledge and experiences.

• In small groups (5-10), you work with others to solve problems, develop new ideas, and share knowledge and experiences.

Public CommunicationPublic Communication• Speaking to large or

small groups, public speakers inform or persuade others to act, buy, or think.

What are some public speaking situations you have been in, or may be in in the future?

• Speaking to large or small groups, public speakers inform or persuade others to act, buy, or think.

What are some public speaking situations you have been in, or may be in in the future?

Mediated CommunicationMediated Communication

• Messages sent by electronic means (asynchronous and synchronous).

Examples?

What are the similarities and differences between F2F and CMC?

• Messages sent by electronic means (asynchronous and synchronous).

Examples?

What are the similarities and differences between F2F and CMC?

Mass CommunicationMass Communication

• One source (sender) delivers the same message to a large, unseen audience (receivers).

• One source (sender) delivers the same message to a large, unseen audience (receivers).

Communication Models and Concepts

• Linear View: the speaker speaks and the listener listens.

• Interactional View: speaker and listener exchange turns at speaking and listening.

• Transactional View: each person serves simultaneously as speaker and listener.

• Linear View: the speaker speaks and the listener listens.

• Interactional View: speaker and listener exchange turns at speaking and listening.

• Transactional View: each person serves simultaneously as speaker and listener.

Seven Elements of Human Communication

Seven Elements of Human Communication

• Speaker:• Credibility, knowledge of subject,

preparation, manner of speaking, sensitivity to audience and setting.

• Speakers encode meaning into their messages.

• Speaker:• Credibility, knowledge of subject,

preparation, manner of speaking, sensitivity to audience and setting.

• Speakers encode meaning into their messages.

• Message:• Signal or combination of signals sent

to a receiver (listener).• Goal is for the intended message to

be the one that is actually communicated.

• Message:• Signal or combination of signals sent

to a receiver (listener).• Goal is for the intended message to

be the one that is actually communicated.

• Channel: • The means of communicating a

message.• Face to face, email, commercial,

telephone, etc.• Vocal channel, visual channel, tactile

channel.

• Channel: • The means of communicating a

message.• Face to face, email, commercial,

telephone, etc.• Vocal channel, visual channel, tactile

channel.

• Listener: • Receiver of message.• Message is filtered through their

frame of reference. What does this mean for you as a sender/speaker?

• Listener must decode message.

• Listener: • Receiver of message.• Message is filtered through their

frame of reference. What does this mean for you as a sender/speaker?

• Listener must decode message.

• Feedback: • Tells speaker what effect they are

having on listeners.• What are some examples of positive

or negative feedback you may receive?

• How can you adjust your communication based on feedback received?

• Feedback: • Tells speaker what effect they are

having on listeners.• What are some examples of positive

or negative feedback you may receive?

• How can you adjust your communication based on feedback received?

• Noise: • Anything that interferes with a

message being received or communicated.

• Physical noise, physiological noise, psychological noise, semantic noise.

• Noise: • Anything that interferes with a

message being received or communicated.

• Physical noise, physiological noise, psychological noise, semantic noise.

• Situation: • Time and place when communication

occurs.• How can this effect the

communication experience?

• Situation: • Time and place when communication

occurs.• How can this effect the

communication experience?

Source-Receivers Source-Receivers

Each person involved in communication is both a source (speaker) and receiver (listener).

Speaker - encodes messagesListener - decodes messages

Each person involved in communication is both a source (speaker) and receiver (listener).

Speaker - encodes messagesListener - decodes messages

Communication ContextsCommunication Contexts

All communication exists in a context - what does this mean?

PhysicalCulturalSocial-psychologicalTemporal (time)

All communication exists in a context - what does this mean?

PhysicalCulturalSocial-psychologicalTemporal (time)

MessagesMessages

• Messages: conveyed with words and nonverbal elements

• Feedback messages• Feedforward messages • Metamessages• Message Overload

• Messages: conveyed with words and nonverbal elements

• Feedback messages• Feedforward messages • Metamessages• Message Overload

Competent Communicating

Competent Communicating

Knowledge of how communication works and the ability to use communication effectively.

- think critically and mindfully- Be culturally sensitive- Be ethical- Be an effective listener

Knowledge of how communication works and the ability to use communication effectively.

- think critically and mindfully- Be culturally sensitive- Be ethical- Be an effective listener

Principles of Communication

Principles of Communication

- Communication is a process of adjustment.

- Communication accommodation- Communication is ambiguous- Communication involves content and

relationship dimensions.- Content: literal meaning of message- Relationship: how interactants feel about

the message or each other

- Communication is a process of adjustment.

- Communication accommodation- Communication is ambiguous- Communication involves content and

relationship dimensions.- Content: literal meaning of message- Relationship: how interactants feel about

the message or each other

Content vs. Relationship Messages

Content vs. Relationship Messages

What is the content and relational messages of each statement?

You’re wearing that?He’s calling you?Did you say you’re applying to medical school?You’re in love?You paid $100 for that?

And that’s all you did?

What is the content and relational messages of each statement?

You’re wearing that?He’s calling you?Did you say you’re applying to medical school?You’re in love?You paid $100 for that?

And that’s all you did?

- Communication has a power dimension.

- Communication is punctuated. - Communication is purposeful.

(learn, relate, help, influence, play)- Communication is inevitable,

irreversible, unrepeatable)

- Communication has a power dimension.

- Communication is punctuated. - Communication is purposeful.

(learn, relate, help, influence, play)- Communication is inevitable,

irreversible, unrepeatable)

Culture and Communication

Culture and Communication

• What is the importance of cultural understanding in communication?

• What is ethnocentrism, and how does it influence communication?

• What is the importance of cultural understanding in communication?

• What is ethnocentrism, and how does it influence communication?

Dimensions of CultureDimensions of Culture

• Uncertainty avoidance (risk-taking vs. predictability)

• Masculinity/Femininity (traditional gender roles)

• Power distance (difference between those in authority and common people)

• Individualism/Collectivism (emphasis on individual or group)

• High and low context (extent to which explanation of information is needed)

• Uncertainty avoidance (risk-taking vs. predictability)

• Masculinity/Femininity (traditional gender roles)

• Power distance (difference between those in authority and common people)

• Individualism/Collectivism (emphasis on individual or group)

• High and low context (extent to which explanation of information is needed)