Introduction to Human Communication

Benefits of Studying Communication

  • Improves self-perception and how others perceive an individual.

  • Enhances relationships with others and teaches life skills.

  • Exercises and promotes freedom of speech.

  • Helps individuals succeed professionally and navigate a diverse world.

Definition and Components of Communication

  • Definition: A process using messages to generate shared meaning.

  • Primary Components: People, Message, Channel, Code.

  • Additional Components: Encoding and Decoding, Feedback, Noise, Situation.

Fundamental Communication Principles

  • Begins with the self and involves others.

  • Has content and relational dimensions.

  • Involves choices.

  • Quantity does not increase quality.

  • Is pervasive and cannot be reversed.

Goals of Communication Study

  • Understanding communication competence.

  • Understanding ethical communication.

  • Understanding communication theory and research.

Differences Among Communication Contexts

  • Intrapersonal Communication:

    • Involves 1 person (the individual acts as both speaker and listener).

    • Most intimate context with complete feedback and no need for prestructured messages.

    • Role stability is highly unstable.

  • Dyadic Communication (Interpersonal):

    • Involves 2 people.

    • Generally intimate (formal for interviews), requiring some prestructured messages and offering a great deal of feedback.

    • Role stability is unstable as speaker and listener alternate.

  • Small-Group Communication (Interpersonal):

    • Involves usually 3 to 10 people (may be more).

    • Intimate or formal setting requiring some prestructured messages.

    • Feedback opportunity is less than intrapersonal but more than public communication.

    • Role stability is unstable as speakers and listeners alternate.

  • Public Communication:

    • Involves usually more than 10 people.

    • Generally formal with a great deal of need for prestructured messages.

    • Feedback opportunity is less than small-group but more than mass communication.

    • Role stability is highly stable (one speaker with many listeners).

  • Mass Communication:

    • Involves usually thousands of people.

    • Generally formal and almost totally scripted, requiring prestructured messages.

    • Role stability is highly stable (on-air speakers and invisible listeners).

  • Digitally Mediated Communication:

    • Involves 2 to billions of people.

    • Can be intimate or formal.

    • Feedback ranges from none to a great deal.

    • Prestructured messages range from none to totally scripted.

    • Role stability ranges from unstable to highly stable.