Communication Flashcards
Why do we communicate?
We are wired for communication.
Communication and relationships are rewarding.
To fulfill social, physical and identity needs and achieve practical goals.
Physical needs and communication
Negative relationships have negative affects on health.
Marriage, friends, religious and community ties increase longevity.
Positive relationships increase memory, increase intellectual function, and decrease stress hormones.
Identity needs and communication
We enter the world with no identity and we learn about ourselves from others. Interactions with other people help us learn about ourselves from seeing how people react to us. No communication leads to no sense of self.
Social needs and communication
Communication helps satisfy need for pleasure, affection, companionship, escape, relaxation and control. People with a rich social life are happy. However, there is a decline in close relationships. Educated people tend to have larger and more diverse networks.
Practical goals
They are instrumental goals that aim at getting things done. Some are basic and some are more important. Effective communication increases career success. Skills such as speaking, listening, reading, writing, problem solving, positive attitudes, positive behaviour and adaptability are all important.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (bottom up)
Physical needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem, self-actualization.
Linear communication model
Communication is a one-way event where the sender encodes a message, sends it through a channel where it is received by the receiver who must decode it while dealing with noise.
Transactional communication model
Communication is ongoing and irreversible. Both people are sender and receiver at the same time, while in a different and overlapping environment.
Environment
Experience and cultural background that lead a person to make sense of another person’s behaviour. it is not always obvious.
How does environment effect communication?
A smaller shared environment increases difficulty in communication.
Noise
Distractions that interfere with transmission. It ca be external, physiological or psychological.
Interpersonal communication
Continuous transactional process involving participants with different and overlapping environments, who create relationships with the exchange of messages, many of which are effected by noise.
Communication principles
- It can be intentional or unintentional.
- It is irreversible.
- It’s not impossible.
- It is unrepeatable.
- It has context and relational dimensions.
Communication misconceptions
- More is always better.
- Meanings are in words.
- Successful communication always involves understanding.
- Single person can cause another person’s reactions.
- It solves all problems.
Quantitive definition of interpersonal interaction
Interpersonal communication is face to face between two people.
Impersonal communication
Treats people as objects as opposed to individuals.
Qualitive definition of interpersonal communication
Parties consider each other unique individuals. It is characterized by minimal use of labels, unique idosyncratic rules and high exchange of information.
Relational culture
Describes people in close relationships who create their own unique ways of interacting.
Features of qualitative interpersonal relationships
- Irreplacability
- Interdependence
- Uniqueness
- Disclosure
- Intrinsic rewards
Balance of personal and impersonal
Most relationships fall on a spectrum. The balance in relationships changes overtime.
Mediated communication
The use of computer based tools for human interaction.
Benefits to mediated communication
- It does not threaten relationships.
- Families are more likely to stay in touch.
- It enriches networks between generations.
- Asynchronous nature allows connection in different time zones.
- It promotes and reinforces communication.
Challenges of mediated communication
- Leaner messages from lack of nonverbal cues, careful management of identity or hyper personal interactions.
- Disinhibition
- Permanence
Communication competence
The ability to accomplish personal goals so it enhances and maintains relationships.