Psychological Communication PDF

Psychological communication Definition of communication Communication is the process of producing and imparting information and exchanging ideas, opinions and feelings from one person to another in order to influence it and create a response. Communication Process The communication is a dynami...

Psychological communication Definition of communication Communication is the process of producing and imparting information and exchanging ideas, opinions and feelings from one person to another in order to influence it and create a response. Communication Process The communication is a dynamic process that begins with the conceptualizing of ideas by the sender who then transmits the message through a channel to the receiver, who in turn gives the feedback in the form of some message or signal within the given time frame. Thus, there are Seven major elements of communication process: 1\. Sender: The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the conversation and has conceptualized the idea that he intends to convey it to others. 2\. Encoding: The sender begins with the encoding process wherein he uses certain words or non-verbal methods such as symbols, signs, body gestures, etc. to translate the information into a message. The sender's knowledge, skills, perception, background, competencies, etc. has a great impact on the success of the message. 3\. Message: Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the message that he intends to convey. The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non- verbal such as body gestures, silence, sighs, sounds, etc. or any other signal that triggers the response of a receiver. 4\. Communication Channel: The Sender chooses the medium through which he wants to convey his message to the recipient. It must be selected carefully in order to make the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. The choice of medium depends on the interpersonal relationships between the sender and the receiver and also on the urgency of the message being sent. Oral, virtual, written, sound, gesture, etc. are some of the commonly used communication mediums. 5\. Receiver: The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended or targeted. He tries to comprehend it in the best possible manner such that the communication objective is attained. The degree to which the receiver decodes the message depends on his knowledge of the subject matter, experience, trust and relationship with the sender. 6\. Decoding: Here, the receiver interprets the sender's message and tries to understand it in the best possible manner. An effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the message in exactly the same way as it was intended by the sender. 7\. Feedback: The Feedback is the final step of the process that ensures the receiver has received the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the sender. It increases the effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender to know the efficacy of his message. The response of the receiver can be verbal or non-verbal. Types of Communication: When communication occurs, it typically happens in one of three ways: verbal, nonverbal and visual. People very often take communication for granted. Communicators constantly exchange information, meaning people always seem to be either receiving or giving information. Understanding the different methods of exchanging information is important especially in business and professional settings. Many adults have chosen to go back to school and pursue a communication degree online to ensure they have strong communication skills for a competitive job market. 1\. VERBAL COMMUNICATION Verbal communication seems like the most obvious of the different types of communication. It utilizes the spoken word, either face-to-face or remotely. Verbal communication is essential to most interactions, but there are other nonverbal cues that help provide additional context to the words themselves. Pairing nonverbal communication with the spoken word provides a more nuanced message. 2\. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Nonverbal communication provides some insight into a speaker's word choice. Sarcasm, complacency, deception or genuineness occur within nonverbal communication. These things are often communicated through facial expressions, hand gestures, posture and even appearance, all of which can convey something about the speaker. For instance, a disheveled speaker with wrinkled clothes and poor posture would communicate a lack of confidence or expertise. A speaker with a nice suit, who stood up straight and spoke clearly, may appear more serious or knowledgeable. 3\. VISUAL COMMUNICATION Visual types of communication include signs, maps or drawings as well as color or graphic design. These typically reinforce verbal communication, and they help to make a point. Visual aids can help a speaker remember important topics, give the audience something to look at, and generally help convey the message being presented. Communication patterns 1- intra individual The communication that occurs within the individual, that is, between man and himself, when man speaks to himself, in a conscious or subliminal way, so communication that occurs within the human mind and includes his thoughts, experiences and different perceptions also means the ability of the individual to recognize himself and the relationships that connect him to the world and its knowledge of its qualities, its scope and its limits. A-perceptual field Perception is the mental processes performed by the individual when receiving different information and methods of processing and coding and storage and then retrieval when needed. Psychological mental process, which helps the person to know his external world, and access to the meanings and connotations of things, by organizing sensory stimuli, for interpretation and formulation. 15 Factors Influencing the Perceptual 1\. Needs and Motives: Our need pattern play an important part in how we perceive things. A need is a feeling of discomfort or tension when one thing he is missing something or requires something. Therefore, unsatisfied needs or motives stimulate individuals and may exert a strong influence on their perception. When people are not able to satisfy their needs, they are engaged in wishful thinking which is a way to satisfy their needs not in the real world but imaginary world. In such cases, people will perceive only those items which suit their wishful thinking. Motives also influence the perception of people. People who are devious are prone to see others as also devious. Maslow\'s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow\'s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization. Deficiency needs vs. growth needs. This five-stage model can be divided into deficiency needs and growth needs. The first four levels are often referred to as deficiency needs (D- needs), and the top level is known as growth or being needs (B-needs). Deficiency needs arise due to deprivation and are said to motivate people when they are unmet. Also, the motivation to fulfill such needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. For example, the longer a person goes without food, the more hungry they will become. Maslow (1943) initially stated that individuals must satisfy lower-level deficit needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. However, he later clarified that satisfaction of a needs is not an "all-or- none" phenomenon, admitting that his earlier statements may have given "the false impression that a need must be satisfied 100 percent before the next need emerges. When a deficit need has been \'more or less\' satisfied it will go away, and our activities become habitually directed towards meeting the next set of needs that we have yet to satisfy. These then become our salient needs. However, growth needs continue to be felt and may even become stronger once they have been engaged. Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person. Once these growth needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization. Every person is capable and has the desire to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by a failure to meet lower-level needs. Life experiences, including divorce and loss of a job, may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy. Therefore, not everyone will move through the hierarchy in a unidirectional manner but may move back and forth between the different types of needs. The original hierarchy of needs five-stage model includes: Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behavior. Once that level is fulfilled the next level up is what motivates us, and so on. 1\. Physiological needs - these are biological requirements for human survival, e.g. air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, sleep. If these needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally. Maslow considered physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become secondary until these needs are met. 2\. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear. 3\. Love and belongingness needs - after physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the third level of human needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness. The need for interpersonal relationships motivates behavior Examples include friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love. Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work). 4\. Esteem needs - which Maslow classified into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, mastery, and independence) and (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others (e.g., status, prestige). Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most important for children and adolescents and precedes real self-esteem or dignity. 5\. Self-actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. A desire "to become everything one is capable of becoming" Basic needs Psychologic al needs Self fulfillment needs 2\. Self -Concept: Self-concept indicates how we perceive ourselves which then influences how we perceive others and the situation we are in. The more we understand ourselves, the more we are able to perceive others accurately. For example, secure people tend to see others as warm and friendly. Less secure people often find fault with others. Perceiving ourselves accurately and enhancing our-self-concept are factors that enhance accurate perception. 3\. Past Experience: Our perceptions are often guided by our past experiences and what we expect to see. A person's past experiences mould the way he perceives the current situation. If a person has been betrayed by a couple of friends in the past, he would tend to distrust any new friendship that he might be in the process of developing. 4\. Current Psychological State: The psychological and emotional states of an individual are likely to influence how things are perceived. If a person is depressed, he is likely to perceive the same situation differently than if he is elated. Similarly, if a person is scared out of wits by seeing a snake in the garden, she is likely to perceive a rope under the bed as a snake. 5\. Beliefs: A person's beliefs influence his perception to a great extent. Thus, a fact is conceived not on what it is but what a person believes it to be. The individual normally censors stimulus inputs to avoid disturbance of his existing beliefs. 6\. Expectations: Expectations affect the perception of a person. Expectations are related with the state of anticipation of particular behaviour from a person. For example, a technical manager will expect that the non- technical people will be ignorant about the technical features of the product. 7\. Situation: Elements in the environment surrounding an individual like time, location, light, heat etc., influence his perception. The context in which a person sees the objects or events is very important. 8\. Cultural Upbringing: A person's ethics, values and his cultural upbringing also play an important role in his perception about others. It is difficult to perceive the personality of a person raised in another culture because our judgment is based upon our own values. b- Human personality components Human personality consists of a combination of: motives - habits - tendencies - mind - emotions - opinions, beliefs and ideas - preparations \- abilities -- feelings. All these components or most of them are mixed to be the natural human personality. c- Awareness the state of mind in which the mind of man is aware, and has the ability to communicate easily and directly with himself, and with the people surrounding him, using the five senses that he owns. Factors Influencing the awareness 1- drugs 2- Previous experience 2- Communication between the individual and others Two-way communication is a form of transmission in which both parties involved transmit information. Two-way communication is different from one-way communication in that two-way communication occurs when the receiver provides feedback to the sender. One-way communication is when a message flows from sender to receiver only, thus providing no feedback. Some examples of one-way communication include: radio or television programs or even listening to policy statements from top executives. Two-way communication is especially significant in that it enables feedback to improve a situation. Johari Window 1-The Open Frame When using the Johari Window in your organizational teams, the goal should be to develop the Open area as much as possible for each team member. When we work in this area, we are operating in our most productive and effective space individually and as a group. Working in this area results in open, honest, & transparent communication, and minimizes miscommunication, mistrust, & confusion. New team members often have smaller open areas than established team members. They need time to learn about others, and to share information about themselves. The Johari Window can serve as an important instrument in establishing a culture of open communication. Encouraging continuous development of the 'open area' or 'open self' for everyone by making it safe for others to share information is an essential aspect of effective leadership. 2-The Blind Frame The Blind frame represents information that is known about a person to others but is not known to himself/herself. This is known as their "blind spot." Everyone has blind spots. By soliciting feedback, and by being open to feedback by others, we become more aware of how others perceive us, and we shrink our blind spot. This leads to stronger communication and trust. 3-The Hidden Frame The Hidden frame represents information that person intentionally hides from others. As a person's trust grows, they will increasingly disclose greater information, thereby closing this window and opening the Open window. 4-The Unknown Frame The Unknown frame represents information that neither the person nor the other group members know. This information may come to light through self-development and experiences. Organizations that promote cultures of self-discovery and learning create opportunities for employees to close this window as they develop greater self-awareness.