The Communication Process

Question 0

Why do we communicate?

Answer 0

by communicating we full fill at least one of the objetives
-TASK/INSTRUMENTAL OBJECTIVES
acquire info, get stuff we want (“give me that stapler”), influence others
-INTERPERSONAL/RELATIONAL OBJECTIVES
developing and maintaining relationships; meet social/psychological needs
-IDENTITY OBJECTIVES
presenting an image of ourselves to others (get people to like us- “give me the stapler, please”); develop sense of self

Question 1

Definition Communication

Answer 1

The process through which people create and manage their relationships, exercising mutual responsibility in creating meaning.

• ongoing process (impossible not to communicate)
• can be intentional and unintentional
• body language is also communication

Question 2

Transmitting a message

Answer 2

(communicating) to someone else involves putting thoughts/feelings/ideas/images/attitudes into a form that can be recognised by another person

Question 3

Factors that influence transmission

Answer 3

• sender & receiver characteristics
• encoding & decoding process
• noise
• feedback
• context

Question 4

Sender & Receiver (participant characteristics)

Answer 4

-social & personality factors
-perception of the situation
-emotional state
-mindfulness (being aware whats going on around you)
-communication resources: cognitive (thinking), affective (feelings), behavioural, ethics
=> all these factors influence behaviour & communication

Question 5

the Message

Answer 5

• the verbal utterances (inc. words), and non-verbal behaviours used, that communicate meaning
• MEANING: thoughts in our minds + the interpretation that the other person makes of our message
• meanings not automatically transferred-but created together during an exchange
• SYMBOLS: words, sounds & non-verbal behaviours that are generally understood to convey meaning. Listeners interpret these
• involves ENCODING (by sender) & DECODING (by receiver)

Question 6

Noise

Answer 6

-anything that interference with the communication of meaning
EXTERNAL sights, seconds, etc that can distract attention from the message
INTERNAL thoughts/feelings that distract attention from the message
SEMANTIC emotional reactions or distractions caused by interpretations of symbols

Question 7

Feedback

Answer 7

• a response to a message that indicates whether & how it was received & interpreted
• can be verbal or non-verbal
• allows sender to adjust their message to enhance understanding
• can be provided & acted upon even while initial message is being sent

Question 8

Context

Answer 8

• the setting - including what precedes&follows what is said
• context affects participants, the meaning & subsequent behaviour

PHYSICAL inc. location, environmental conditions, distance between people, time of day
SOCIAL type of relationship that already exists
HISTORICAL previous episodes of communication
PSYCHOLOGICAL moods & feelings of each person
CULTURAL inc. beliefs, attitudes, meanings, social hierarchies, religion, ethnicity & roles of the participants

Question 9

Source/Sender

Answer 9

originator of a thought or feeling, who puts it into a code that can be understood by a receiver

encode-> to translate ideas feelings, and thoughts into code
decoding-> to interpret ideas, feelings, and thoughts that have been translated into a code

Question 10

Channel

Answer 10

Pathway through which messages are sent

• auditory (speaking on the phone with someone)
• visual (see)
• olfactory (smell)
• tactile (feel)

Question 11

Receiver

Answer 11

person who decodes a message and attempts to make sense of what the source has encoded