Key Points: Perception, Self-Concept, and Verbal Communication

Self-concept and other-orientation

  • Effective communication is other-oriented; also called person-centered.
  • To be other-oriented, you must first have accurate self-understanding.
  • Without an accurate self-concept, you won’t know how you come across or how to design messages for social goals.

Self-esteem and its impact

  • Self-esteem = the overall value we assign to ourselves.
  • It directly affects how you communicate.
  • Social and cultural forces (gender, sexual orientation, culture) shape self-esteem and can distort self-worth, influencing communication with others and yourself.
  • Negative self-talk reflects nontrue beliefs about yourself.

Perception and perception checking

  • Perception and its processes are foundational to communication.
  • Perception checking is a key practice for developing communication competence and critical thinking.
  • Being interested in becoming a better communicator means attending to how we perceive others and situations.

Verbal communication: basics

  • Verbal messages are the primary tool of human communication.
  • Language is symbolic, governed by rules, conveys meaning, and is intertwined with culture.

Language as symbols

  • Letters and words are symbols representing meaning, but symbols themselves are ambiguous.
  • Context clarifies meaning (e.g.,
    • "My cat's name is Fluffy" vs. a reaction to allergies).
  • Meanings reside in people, not in the symbols themselves.

Cooperative principle and I/We language

  • Improve verbal skills by adhering to the cooperative principle.
  • Use I and we language to foster collaboration and mutual understanding.
  • Through language, people create and negotiate meaning.

Denotation vs connotation

  • Denotative meaning: literal dictionary definition.
  • Connotative meaning: subjective and emotional associations; often more powerful.
  • Words carry emotional weight based on individual experiences and social context.

Language, culture, and identity

  • Language and culture are intertwined.
  • Names matter: names are symbols and can carry positive feelings; disliked names may evoke negative associations due to stereotypes or past experiences.

Relationships and communication impact

  • The way we talk to one another can build or destroy relationships.

Closing reminder

  • Perception, self-understanding, and mindful verbal communication are essential for improving communication competence and critical thinking.