REVIEWER-FOR-PURPOSIVE-COMMUNICATION-2024.docx

**THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATION** **[Lecture 1: DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION]** The word communication comes from the Latin verb "communicare" which means "to share" or 'to make something common". It is *a two-way process by which information is exchanged within, between, or among individuals through...

**THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATION** **[Lecture 1: DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION]** The word communication comes from the Latin verb "communicare" which means "to share" or 'to make something common". It is *a two-way process by which information is exchanged within, between, or among individuals through a common system of signs, symbols, and behavior.* **COMMUNICATION IS A PROCESS** Communication is a process. And not just any process but a "two-way" one. Let's discuss this part of the definition using Shannon and Weaver's Model of Communication. In 1948, Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver developed a foundational model of communication that you will see in most textbooks. From their view, communication happens when an information source has a message and transmits it in the form of a signal through a channel. Then that signal is received and finally reaches its destination. Along the way, there might be some noise in the communication system that could negatively affect the process. The concept of feedback is not part of Shannon and Weaver's Model of Communication. This is as oppose to what is being depicted in latter versions of the model. It is not part of the original illustration and was not included as a concept in the article that appeared in The Bell System Technical Journal. Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication is a linear model that describes how a message is transmitted, rather than exchanged. INFORMATION EXCHANGE IN COMMUNICATION The phenomenon of information being shared can be best explored through Wilbur Schramm's Model of Communication. As far as illustrations go, there are multiple versions of Schramm's model. So rather than focusing on how it looks, let us talk about its components and how they interact and show us how information are exchanged. The participants in Schramm's model are called Encoder-Sender and Receiver-Decoder. He used a Venn diagram to show the respective fields of experiences of the communicators. Field of experience pertains to the totality of a communicator's experiences and knowledge which affects the message formation (encoding) and interpretation (decoding). The overlapping of these circles denotes a start in conversation. The bigger the overlapping areas, the stronger the signal becomes. Feedback is also included as an element in this model. The more the communicators interact with each other, the more information are exchanged. Thus, resulting to the expansion of their respective field of experiences. LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION Communication happens "within, between, or among individuals". This part of the definition highlights the levels of communication. From doing it intrapersonally (or talking to one's self) to interacting with the public, communication may involve different number of participants. 1\. Intrapersonal communication -- communication within one's self (self dialogue) 2\. Interpersonal communication -- the process of exchange of information, ideas, and feelings between two or more people through interaction; often includes the face-to-face exchange of information in the form of voice, facial expressions, body language, and/or gestures 3\. Small-group communication -- refers to interactions among three or more people who are connected through a common purpose, mutual influence, and/or shared identity, just like in social organizations such as civic groups, clubs, church assemblies, and so on 4\. Public communication -- takes place when individuals and groups engage in dialogues in the public sphere in order to deliver a message to a specific audience 5\. Mediated communication -- refers to communication carried out by the use of information communication technology and can be contrasted to face-to-face communication; usually requires some technical expertise to operate mediating technologies like texting, using telephone or cellular phones, e-mailing, and video conferencing COMMON SYSTEM OF SIGN SYMBOLS AND BEHAVIOR The last part of the definition describes communication as being done "through a common system of signs, symbols, and behavior". A common system enables successful transmission of ideas within, between, or among communicators. And these ideas may come in different forms. A sign is an indicator or marker for something very specific, very concrete, and in general, unambiguous in meaning. For example, road markers are called signs because they usually convey something very specific like STOP, a street name, or a certain speed limit. On the other hand, a symbol can have complex meanings and nuances that differ from one person to another depending on their experience, culture, upbringing, et cetera. It conveys a message of deeper meaning and is open to multiple interpretations. For example, in Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Greece, the thumbs up is more of an obscene gesture, similar to saying "f you". And lastly, behavior. Communicative behavior as a psychological construct influences individual differences in the expression of feelings, needs, and thoughts as substitute for more direct communication. Say, someone who is trying to condole a friend hugs the latter. The friend appreciates the hug but another person saw it and, without knowing the context of the situation, ended up putting malice into it. Again, *communication is a two-way process by which information is exchanged within, between, or among individuals through a common system of signs, symbols, and behavior*. **[Lecture 2: ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION]** 1\. ***SENDER-RECEIVER*** -- in most situations a person/human; also *Communicator* 2\. ***MESSAGE*** -- consists of thoughts feelings, ideas, attitudes, sentiments, etc 3\. ***CHANNEL*** -- means, direction, or route of the message to reach the other participants in communication 4\. ***FEEDBACK*** -- response of the receiver (verbal or non-verbal) to the sources' message 5\. ***CONTEXT*** -- interrelated conditions of communication that affect how people understand the message 6\. ***NOISE*** -- anything that blocks or interferes with the meaning of a particular message **[Lecture 3: BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION]** 1\. BARRIERS THAT INVOLVE WORDS *Semantic Noise*. This occurs when a receiver experiences confusion over the meaning of a source's word choice. Take for example the word COMPOUND. One of the common reasons why we misunderstand each other is when we become too technical in language use. If we have an area of expertise and we use its excessively technical vocabulary, all those jargons can cause a real barrier. We have to remember to speak in everyday language to connect with people in a more natural way. Aside from special jargon and unique word usage, words/phrases from foreign languages (rendezvous, alta sociedad), mispronunciation (gerund, purposive, cupboard, Arkansas, southern), and euphemism (passed away instead of died, sanitation engineer instead of janitor) could also result to semantic noise *Disorganized Messages*. If you are talking in a stream of consciousness and end up being incoherent, it is going to be very hard for people to follow. So instead, give an orderly presentation of ideas and always apply conciseness. (Boiling hot, the secretary served coffee VS The secretary served boiling hot coffee) *Information Overload*. If someone is talking to you for an extended period and it just gets overwhelming, it's very hard to keep track of every bit of information. Take lots of short talking turns and bounce the conversation back and forth with occasional checking in. That way, there will be much more opportunity to clarify if anything needs to be clarified. 2\. PHYSICAL BARRIERS In this context, physical could mean two things: First, physical as in the condition of the person or ***physiological barriers*** to communication which pertains to the limitations of the human body. Physiological barriers may result from individuals' personal discomfort caused by ill-health, poor eye sight, hearing difficulties, among many others. Second, physical as in the environmental barriers which are Time, Place, Space, Climate, and Noise. These are the barriers that are perceived and or experience in a communicator's immediate surrounding (basically though the five senses). Some are easy to overcome while some may prove to be tough obstacles in the process of effective communication. These factors may just cause distraction leading to inattentiveness or totally alter the message, causing miscommunication. 3\. TECH BARRIERS This has fully evolved into a varied and commonly encountered category of interferences. While using technology, there are barriers that make the process of communication complex. When audio quality is poor or video signals are weak, the message may not clearly reach the target group. Erratic power supply and device-related glitches are also under this type of barriers 4\. PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS Psychological barriers are due to the emotional character and mental limitations of human beings. These barriers result into absent-mindedness, the fear of expressing one's ideas to others, overexcitement, and emotional instability --- all accounting to an overwhelming number of communication problems. Some common forms of psychological barriers a. Attitudes and Values An attitude is a pre-learned disposition that can be linked closely to a person's beliefs and values system. Whether your attitude is positive or negative, it can influence the communication process. Say, when your religious or political views are being threatened, you are likely to react emotionally instead of listening attentively to the message. b. Negative Self-image If someone lacks self-confidence or has a poor self-image, he or she might entertain fearful thoughts. For example, judging oneself as not intelligent enough to understand the message. c. Apathy An apathetic communicator creates a barrier due to a lack of emotion or interest in what is being sent or received. Apathy causes communication to break down because it interrupts effective listening. d. Emotions An emotional communicator is unable to organize messages properly. For example, a nervous presenter keeps on repeating the same words and expresses his blurred thoughts with gesticulations. An angry person does not understand that the message he wants to convey is ruled by uncontrolled emotion and he is misdirected as the emotion makes him turn a blind eye to reason. Anyone who comes across such an irritated person becomes a victim of his unfocused negative emotions. The perplexed, nervous, and excited states of mind never allow smooth flow of communication. **[Lecture 4]** PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION 1\. Communication is a process It is an activity or exchange that moves forward from a starting point. It starts long before the words begin and can last long after the words stop. 2\. Communication is a system It involves a group of interrelated elements that affect one another. Its components -- sender-receiver, message, channel, feedback, context, and noise -- are connected as parts of one system and the absence of even just one would result to an impairment. 3\. Communication is dynamic Communication cannot be a static process because it is ever-changing. Human communication is a symbol-using information processing system. Communication relies on the nature of human perception which can change over time. 4\. Communication is both interactional and transactional It is a process in which participants alternate positions as sender and receiver or do both simultaneously to generate meaning by sending messages and receiving feedback within contexts. To say that communication is transactional means that the process is cooperative; the sender and the receiver are mutually responsible for the effect and the effectiveness of communication. 5\. Communication can be intentional or unintentional Intentional communication happens when a communicator sends a message in a purposeful manner. Alternatively, communication sometimes happens unintentionally. This refers to situations when a person does something that is interpreted by another person as a message, even if the originator did not mean it as such. It often comes in forms that are demonstrated unconsciously (e.g., physical posture, tone of voice, behavior, et cetera). BASIC PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION 1\. To discover 2\. To relate 3\. To persuade 4\. To entertain/ be entertained MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION 1. Communication can solve all problems This first misconception lies in the notion that communication has the magical powers to solve all our problems. Actually, the act of communicating with others does not carry any guarantees. It is true that without communication, we cannot solve our problems; but sometimes, communication can also create problems. Communicating does not make any difference, what WE COMMUNICATE does. 2. The more we communicate, the better Most of us assume that the more we communicate, the better off we will be. People who communicate a great deal are often perceived to be more friendly. However, the quantity of communication is not the same as quality. Therefore, it is not the amount of communication but its content that makes the difference. 3. Communication can break down We have heard people say that "We had a communication breakdown." But in reality, communication does not breakdown -- the people engaged to it do. Communication is neither good nor bad; it is a tool used to convey something. Like any tool, it ca be used effectively or ineffectively. Hence, the more we understand about communication and its use, the better communicators we can become. 4. Meanings are in words and/or actions The notion that words contain meanings is probably the most serious misconception of all. Words only have meaning when we give them meaning. No two people have the same background. Hence, no two people share the same meanings and interpretations of words. Therefore, meanings are in people and not in the words we use. 5. Communication is a natural ability The ability to communicate, like almost everything we do, is learned and not naturally endowed. This ability requires not only that we be physically capable but also that we comprehend how communication works and that we have the opportunity to use the knowledge. **[Lecture 5: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION]** Non-verbal communication is a system consisting of a range of features often used together to aid expression. The combination of these features is often a subconscious choice made by native speakers or even sub-groups/sub-cultures within a language group. The main components of the system are: Kinesics (body language) - Body motions such as shrugs, foot tapping, drumming fingers, eye movements such as winking, facial expressions, and gestures Haptics - Touch Oculesics - Eye contact Olfactics - Smell Chronemics - Use of time Proxemics (proximity) - Use of space to signal privacy or attraction Paravocalics/Vocalics - Tone of voice, timbre, volume, speed Sound symbols - Grunting, mmm, er, ah, uh-huh, mumbling Silence - Pausing, waiting, secrecy Posture - Position of the body, stance Adornment - Clothing, jewelry, hairstyle Locomotion - Walking, running, staggering, limping **Nonverbal communication can play five roles:** Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you're making verbally. Contradiction: It can contradict the message you're trying to convey, thus indicating to your listener that you may not be telling the truth. Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your facial expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever can. Complementing: It may add to or complement your verbal message. As a boss, if you pat an employee on the back in addition to giving praise, it can increase the impact of your message. Accenting: It may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can underline the importance of your message. **How emotional awareness strengthens nonverbal communication:** In order to send accurate nonverbal cues, you need to be aware of your emotions and how they influence you. You also need to be able to recognize the emotions of others and the true feelings behind the cues they are sending. This is where emotional awareness comes in. Emotional awareness enables us to: 1\) Accurately read other people, including the emotions they're feeling and the unspoken messages they're sending. 2\) Create trust in relationships by sending nonverbal signals that match up with your words. 3\) Respond in ways that show others that you understand, notice, and care. 4\) Know if the relationship is meeting your emotional needs, giving you the option to either repair the relationship or move on. **[Lecture 6: LISTENING]** **The Listening Process\ \ Reception** (hearing) Auditory system picks up the stimuli **Recognition** (selective attention) Receiver distinguishes a sound from other sounds **Interpretation** (meaning association) **Recall** (Remembering) Calling to mind a previously encountered information **Types of Listening According to Function** **Informative Listening** vocabulary + concentration + memory **Empathic Listening** attending + supporting + empathizing **Appreciative Listening** presentation + perception +previous experience **Critical Listening** ethos (expertness and trustworthiness) + logos (well-supported arguments) + pathos (emotional elements) **Discriminative Listening** phonemic variation + emotional variation + visual acts as listening