Chapter 5 – Key Vocabulary: Interprofessional Communication

Flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts from Chapter 5, focusing on definitions that support understanding and recall for exams or clinical practice.

Liminal Space

The transitional ‘in-between’ phase where professionals adjust to new team roles and identities.

Team Interdependence

Mutual reliance among team members that promotes psychological safety and optimal patient outcomes.

Psychological Safety

A team climate in which members feel safe to speak up, share ideas and admit mistakes without fear of ridicule.

Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT)

Theory explaining how speakers adjust their communication to manage social distance, power and identity in intergroup interactions.

Accommodative Communication

Speaker adjustments (e.g., vocabulary, pace, non-verbals) that improve listener understanding and convey respect (convergence).

Non-Accommodative Communication

Failure or refusal to adapt speech, often impairing understanding and reinforcing power distance.

Convergence (CAT)

Intentional adaptation of speech style to become more similar to the listener’s for rapport and clarity.

Divergence (CAT)

Deliberate accentuation of speech differences to maintain distance or assert status.

Maintenance (CAT)

Speaker keeps habitual communication style regardless of listener needs or context.

Closed-Loop Communication

Information transfer technique in which the receiver repeats the message to confirm accuracy, reducing errors.

Listening Barrier: Comparing

Self-referenced judging of another’s performance, diverting attention from their message.

Listening Barrier: Mind Reading

Assuming you already know what the speaker will say, leading to inattentive responses.

Listening Barrier: Interrupting

Cutting off a speaker—e.g., finishing slow sentences—reducing information flow and respect.

Listening Barrier: Monopolising

Talking excessively and restricting others’ opportunity to share vital information.

Listening Barrier: Derailing

Shifting topics or inserting humour to avoid difficult content, leaving communication loops incomplete.

Listening Barrier: Rehearsing

Mentally preparing your reply instead of fully listening to the current speaker.

Listening Barrier: Advising

Premature problem-solving that overrides gathering complete information first.

Listening Barrier: Sparring

Arguing or defending a position, escalating resistance and conflict.

Listening Barrier: Filtering

Selective attention to favoured details while ignoring other critical information.

Listening Barrier: Being Right

Rigid need to avoid criticism, hampering collaboration and feedback.

Listening Barrier: Placating

Over-agreeing to avoid conflict, risking unclear or incomplete information exchange.

Listening Barrier: Judging

Pre-evaluating colleagues or patients, creating bias and reducing listening quality.

Team Climate of Trust

Collective belief that the team supports openness, reliability and mutual respect, underpinning effective communication.