Ch. 10: Communication Climate Flashcards

Communication Climate

• Refers to the social tone of a relationship and how individuals feel about each other during communication.
• Shared perception among all participants, influenced by feelings of being valued.
• Composed of behaviors and perspectives that define overall communication experiences.

Confirming Communication

• Conveys messages that emphasize the value of the other person.
• Examples include affirmations like "You matter" and "You're important."
• Lack of such messages can lead to emotional and developmental issues, especially in children.

Disconfirming Communication

• Signals a lack of regard for others, expressing messages like “I don’t care about you.”
• Can manifest through silence or neglect, adversely affecting relationships.

Confirming Messages

• Increasingly positive communications that recognize and endorse the other person.
• Can include physical gestures (e.g., nodding, hugging) and eye contact.
• Represents the highest level of valuing in communication.

Disagreeing Messages

• Positioned between confirming and disconfirming communications, expressing that someone is wrong.
• Includes elements of recognition but can lead to negative outcomes; three subtypes are argumentativeness, aggressiveness, and complaining.

Argumentativeness

• Involves presenting and defending personal viewpoints while critiquing others’ positions.
• Positively employed can enhance learning and discussion when focused on issues rather than personal attacks.

Complaining

• Personal grievances expressed without preparation to argue, often escalating conflict.
• Requires respect to avoid damaging relationships.

Aggressiveness

• The most destructive disagreement style, attacking others’ self-concepts.
• Can inflict psychological harm and lead to physical altercations.
• Emphasizes the importance of assertiveness rather than aggression.

Disconfirming Messages (Subtler)

• More damaging than disagreeing messages, often conveying negation of existence or value.
• Frequent instances create a negative communication climate.

Impervious Response

• Communication fails to recognize or acknowledge the other person's attempts, resulting in "stonewalling."

Interrupting

• Occurs when one person interjects while another is still speaking, showcasing a lack of respect.

Irrelevant Responses

• Contributions made are unrelated to the conversation, disrupting flow and understanding.

Tangential Responses

• Acknowledges the other person's message but redirects the conversation elsewhere.

Impersonal Communication

• Involves one-sided monologues with abstract, detached comments, lacking personal interaction.

Ambiguous Messages

• Messages that possess multiple meanings, often leading to misunderstandings.

Incongruous Messages

• Contain conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication, creating confusion.

Defensiveness

• A common reaction to negative messages, protecting oneself from perceived attacks.
• Often increases when facing justified criticism, indicating vulnerability.

Climate Patterns

• Negative communication often follows reciprocated spiral patterns, where one negative behavior leads to another.
• Recovery from these patterns is essential for restoring a positive climate.

Reducing Defensiveness: Gibb Categories

• Introduces contrasting behaviors to defensive communications, promoting respect and cooperation.
• Employs invitational rhetoric to improve intercultural interpersonal success.

Evaluation

• Involves negative judgment without specifics, often using "you" language.
• Recommendations include descriptive, constructive feedback using "I" language.

Control

• Imposing solutions without considering the needs of the other person reflects a controlling attitude.
• Adopting a problem orientation encourages cooperative solution-seeking.

Strategy

• Concealing ulterior motives in communication can be detrimental.
• Utilizing spontaneity fosters honesty and transparency in interactions.

Neutrality

• Displays indifference, leading others to feel unimportant.
• Empathy serves as the contrast, demonstrating care for others' feelings.

Superiority

• Messages implying one’s superiority create barriers in communication.
• Equality in viewpoint encourages respect and acknowledgment of mutual talent.

Certainty

• A firm belief in one's correctness disregarding other perspectives.
• Provisionalism fosters open-mindedness and encourages dialogue.

Constructive Criticism

• Reduces defensiveness through a four-step process: checking motives, timing, buffering negatives with positives, and following up.

Transforming Negative Climate

• Seeking more information and agreeing with critiques can help shift communication dynamics positively.

Agree With The Truth

• Recognizing the validity of criticism when accurate supports personal growth.

Agree With The Odds

• Acknowledging possible consequences of one's actions reflects accountability.

Agree In Principle

• Agreement with underlying ideals, even when the comparison is unfavorable, aids in conflict resolution.

Agree With The Critic's Perception

• Validating others' perceptions fosters mutual respect and understanding in communication.