CJ 105-001 UWEC

Human communication

Process of making sense of the world, sharing that sense with others by creating meaning through verbal/nonverbal messages

Presentation

What (subject/object) is shown

Representation

How it (subject/object) is interpreted

The “what” of the transaction model

Message

The “how” of the transaction model

Channel/medium

Encoding

the process of translating ideas, feelings, and thoughts into a code

Decoding

the process of interpreting ideas, feelings, and thoughts that have been translated into a code

Receiver

The person decoding/making sense of a message

Message

Written, spoken, and unspoken elements of communication to which people assign meaning

Channel

pathway through which messages are sent

Noise

Interference that hinders encoding/decoding of a message

Feedback

Response to a message

Interaction

The active exchanging of a message

Context

Physical, historical, and psychological communication environment

Semantic

Meanings of words

Syntactic/Syntax

Arrangement of words

Pragmatics

Use of words in proper context

Ten most common forms of nonverbal communication

Eye contact

Facial expression

Gestures

Body language/Kinesics

Haptics/touch

Paralinguistics

Chronemics

Proxemics

Physical appearance

Use of objects

Language

System of symbols structured by rules that makes it possible for people to understand one another. Controlled by rules agreed on by society.

Symbols

Word/sound/gesture/visual image that represents something

Meaning

Created through how you understood a message

Bypassing

Speaker and receivers meanings don’t correspond because the same words mean different things to different people

Denotation

Literal meaning of the word

Connotation

Conveys a made up or a definition of a word thats based off of feeling

Abstract

We cannot connect by seeing, smelling, touching, or hearing

The decoding process

• Attention

• Interpretation/Evaluation

• Response

• Memory

Euphemisms

Substituting mild/pleasant phrases for something that is considered unpleasant or offensive

Doublespeak

Speech that is used to intentionally deceive

Slang

Informal speech often restricted to a particular context

Jargon

Technical language often used by specialists in a given field or profession

Bias

Favoritism

Culture-bound

One being “nice”, the other being “obscene”

Rule governed

What is considered appropriate

Expectancy violations theory

Developing expectations for appropriate non-verbal behavior in ourselves and in others based on out cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and knowledge of those we interact with

Ambiguous

One word having multiple meanings

Perception checking

Skill of asking other observers or person being observed whether your interpretation of nonverbal communication was

Multi channel

Communicated in multiples or cluester but we process individually

Territoriality

How people use space and objects to communicate

Memory

Storage and retrieval thats enhanced/affected by response

Barriers to effective listening

Noise/distraction

Pseudo listening

Selective attention

Information overload

Glazing over

Rebuttal tendency

Close mindedness

Interrupted/competitive listening

Nervous listening

Media

Technologies that allow communication to break barriers of time and space

Closeness in interpersonal relationships

Liking

Romantic love

Infatuation

Fatuous love

Empty love

Compassionate

Consummate love

Liking

Intimacy without passion or commitment, friendship

Infatuated love

Passion without intimacy or commitment, “puppy love”

Empty love

Commitment without passion and intimacy, an empty marriage

Romantic love

Passion and intimacy without commitment, an affair

Companionate love

Intimacy and commitment, best friends

Fatuous love

Passion and commitment without intimacy, “love at first sight”

Consummate love

Intimacy, passion, commitment. The most satisfying adult relationship

Listening includes…

Selecting, attending, understanding, remembering, responding

Selecting

Focus

Attending

Keeping focus

Understanding

To assign meaning

Remembering

To recall information, recalling memory

Responding

Letting the other person in the conversation know that you understand

Listening types

Relational, analytical, critical, task oriented

Relational

Listening to peoples feelings, searching for a common interest, seeking to empathize

Analytical

Listening to facts and withholding judgment before reaching a conclusion

Critical

Evaluating heard information, catching errors in logic

Task-oriented

Focused on a specific outcome other than the communication when listening to others

Improving listening skills

Turning off competing messages

Stopping internal noise

Social Decentering

Listening with your eyes

Attend to nonverbal message

Understand both details and major ideas

Identify listening goals

Do not interrupt

Listen actively

Social decentering

Stepping away from your own thoughts to experience the thoughts of someone else’s

Self awareness

Reflecting on your own mental state

Self concept

Interior identity or subjective description of who you think you are

Self image

View of yourself in a particular situation or circumstance

Self esteem

Your assessment of your own value

Avowed identity

An identity you assign to yourself and portray

Ascribed identity

Characteristics others attribute or assign to you

Culture

Learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitude, beliefs, values, and norms that are shaped by a group of people and shaped from one generation to the next

Cultural identity

Sense of belonging to a certain culture

Culture shock

Feelings of confusion or shock one may experience when encountering a culture different from their own

Culture barriers

Assuming superiority

Assuming similarity

Assuming differences

Stereotyping/prejudice

Assuming superiority

Belief that ones own culture is better than others

Assuming similarity

Trying to find commonality

Assuming differences

Assuming the person of the other culture will be very different

Interpersonal communication

Communication that occurs between two people who simultaneously attempt to mutually influence each other. Usually for the purpose of managing relationships

Attraction theory

Similarity/difference

Proximity

Reinforcement

Physical attraction

Personality

Status

Reciprocating of liking

Uncertainty reduction theory

Driving human motivation to increase predictability by reducing the unknown in ones circumstances

Passive strategy

Non communicative strategy for decreasing uncertainty by observing others and situations

Group dynamics

Actions, processes, and changes that occur within and between groups that come from characteristics of the group, not the individuals that make it up

Group synergy

Team chemistry

Paradox of group cohesion

You don’t want a group that is too cohesive or not cohesive enough. You want that happy Goldilocks median

Formal versus informal structure

Formal would have a “leader”, whereas an informal group would collaborate together

Shared behavioral standards

Unwritten rules of a group

8 symptoms of groupthink

• Invulnerability - illusion thereof

• Rationale - to discount or ignore warnings

• Morality - belief in inherent rightness

• Stereotypes - flawed, one sided views

• Pressure

• Self-censorship - keeping doubts to yourself

• Unanimity - illusion thereof

• Mindguards - preventing adverse info from coming in

Groupthink as a dynamic

• Not all symptoms are needed

• Arises naturally

• Group cohesion strengthens groupthink

• Makes you feel good and productive

Formal downward communication

Type of organizational communication originates with those higher in the hierarchy, directed at those lower in the hierarchy

Skills for communication in organizations

Develop five types of communication fluency, master specialized encoding/decoding skills

Five types of communication fluency

• Production/task

• Maintenance/authority

• Social/relational

• Innovation

• Political/influence

Formal upward communication

Has a perceived or actual lack of receptivity, a power differential, and an upward distortion of skewing or filtering messages (brown nosing)

Formal horizontal (lateral)

Competitive (productive and/or counterproductive) specialized with jargon, can be territorial

Informal

Mid level employee participation, holding people accountable, contains competence network