Introduction to Communications

• Communications: Cultural and Community - Week 1 Introduction

Learning Outcomes

• Define communications
• Distinguish between categories of communication
• Distinguish between types of communication

Define Communication

• Etymology studies the origins of words
• The word 'communication' originates from the Latin term 'communis', which means common.
• Communication is an action involving two or more people exchanging ideas, facts, feelings, or impressions to gain a mutual understanding of the message's meaning, intent, and use
• Communication involves the act of transmitting or exchanging thoughts, messages, or information through speech, signals, writing, or behavior and interpersonal rapport
• Shannon and Weaver defined communication (1946) as the transmission of information from a sender to a receiver through a medium or channel, potentially affected by noise
• DeVoe (2004) described communication as a process of exchanging information that requires meaning, understanding, and acceptance; misunderstandings are common.

Types of Communication

• Intrapersonal
• Interpersonal
• Group
• Mass
• Extrapersonal

Intrapersonal Communication

• Intrapersonal communication occurs within an individual, acting as both sender and receiver
• This involves self-talk and inner speech, using unspoken words to consciously engage

Interpersonal Communication

• Interpersonal communication involves exchanging information between two or more people
• Interpersonal communication encompasses the exchange of ideas, information, and emotional experiences between people

Group Communication

• Group communication includes sending and receiving messages among multiple members of a group
• Group communication broadens interpersonal communication to include more than two individuals exchanging ideas, skills, and interests
• Group communication offers direct interaction among members and can be effective as a result
• Group communication can be time-consuming and inefficient, mainly in emergencies

Mass Communication

• Mass communication involves imparting or exchanging information on a large scale to a wide audience
• Mass communication is creating, sending, receiving, and analyzing messages to large audiences using verbal and written media
• This is a broad field considering message creation, purpose, and medium, including print, digital media, the Internet, social media, radio, and television

Extrapersonal Communication

• Extra Personal Communication describes how a human interacts with other species or non-human entities

Categories of Communication

• Verbal vs. Non-Verbal
• Formal vs. Informal
• Personal vs. Impersonal
• Instrumental vs. Expressive
• Intentional vs. Unintentional

Verbal Vs Non-Verbal

• Verbal communication conveys messages through words using written and oral forms
• Examples of written communication include letters, texting, and emailing
• Examples of oral communication include face-to-face conversation, speech, and Instagram video posts
• Nonverbal communication uses body language to convey messages, and body language is a main form of this
• Examples of body language include covering the mouth (hiding a smile/frown), head nods (agreement), finger-tapping (impatience), and crossed arms (defensiveness)
• Non-verbal behavior communicates emotions, agreements, and intentions with verbal language
• People with strong language skills but weak non-verbal behaviors may face communication challenges, leading to intercultural conflict, misunderstandings, and ambiguities
• Types of non-verbal communication include sounds, closeness, body contact, facial expressions, eye movements, ways of talking, posture, appearance and head/hand movements

Formal Vs Informal Communication

• Formal communication follows pre-defined official routes and channels
• Informal communication occurs unofficially between two or more people

Personal Vs Impersonal Communication

• Personal conversations occur with someone known intimately, having a deeper context
• Impersonal conversations occur with someone recently met, remaining superficial

Personal Communication

• Entails an interaction that involves a connection between individuals.
• Conversation is more detailed
• People are very close
• Ex: discussing an issues with a friend or parent

Impersonal Communication

• It relies on roles
• Topics are informal or superficial
• People are not personally close
• Ex: interaction with a salesperson

Expressive Vs Instrumental Communication

• Expressive communication conveys verbal and non-verbal cues like gestures and facial expressions
• Expressive talk establishes closeness
• Instrumental communication transmits an intended meaning accurately and effectively to achieve an end
• Instrumental talk solves problems and accomplishes tasks
• Bedside manner in the medical field exemplifies instrumental communication
• Often, medical staff concentrates on instrumental behavior, which patients may perceive as an absence of caring
• A communicative action can be both.
• "Politician hugging a baby to get votes' merges instrumental and expressive to attain a specific outcome.

Intentional Vs Unintentional Communication

• Intentional communication encompasses deliberate words, actions, and visual aids consciously chosen for a particular communication, actively adding to the message itself
• Unintentional communication includes everything else, such as carelessly chosen words, the location, or facial expressions
• A student yawning in class is an example of unintentional communication where the professor may interpret it as boredom, regardless of the student's actual intent
• The professor may then adjust the teaching style which communicates something that was not intended by the student
• The gap between what was intended and what was actually received is the communication gap and is often referred to as being made up of interference or "noise".