Introduction to Human Communication: Exhaustive Study Guide

Benefits of Studying Communication

• Improves the way you see yourself     * Studying communication allows an individual to begin developing self-awareness.     * It leads to an increase in self-confidence.
• Improves the way others see you     * Smooth interactions in communication lead to positive outcomes and the ability to manage impressions effectively.     * People generally enjoy communicating with individuals who possess strong communication skills.
• Improves your relationships with others     * Enhanced communication skills lead to better interpersonal connections.
• Teaches you important life skills     * Communication education involves critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution.
• Helps you recognize how communication affects community, nation, and the world     * It covers the intersection of mass communication and politics.     * It addresses polarization, which is defined by conflicting views and a lack of common ground.
• Helps you succeed professionally     * Communication skills are vital for success in the workplace.
• Helps you navigate a diverse world     * Communication study provides tools to interact in a world with varying backgrounds and cultures.

Defining Communication

• Communication: Defined as using messages to generate shared meaning.
• Process: This is an exchange or set of behaviors that occur over time.
• Meaning: Involves the intent by the sender and the interpretation by the receiver.
• Origin: The word comes from the Latin word $\text{communis}$, which means "to make common."

Components of Communication

• 1. People     * Source: The initiator of the message.     * Receiver: The target of the message.     * Note: Individuals act as both sources and receivers simultaneously and continually, meaning they are dependent on one another.
• 2. Message     * Verbatim Definition: "the verbal and nonverbal form of the idea, thought, or feeling that one person (the source) wishes to communicate to another person or group of people (the receivers)."
• 3. Channel     * The means by which a message moves from the source to the receiver.     * The channel used can influence the meaning of the message.
• 4. Code     * Verbatim Definition: "a systematic arrangement of symbols used to create meanings in the mind of another person or persons."     * Verbal Code: Symbols and their grammatical arrangements, commonly known as language.     * Nonverbal Code: All symbols that are not words. This includes bodily movements, the use of space and time, clothing and adornments, and sounds other than words.     * Note on Nonverbal types: All nonoral codes (e.g., bodily movements) are nonverbal. However, nonverbal codes also include oral elements such as pitch, duration, rate of speech, and sounds like "eh" and "ah."
• 5. Encoding and Decoding     * Encoding: The process of translating an idea or thought into a code.     * Decoding: The process of assigning meaning to the idea or thought in a code.
• 6. Feedback     * The verbal and nonverbal response to the source’s message.     * Examples include a raised eyebrow, a thumbs up, an enthusiastic exclamation, or even silence.
• 7. Noise     * Defined as any interference in the encoding and decoding processes that reduces message clarity.     * Physical noise: Loud sounds; distracting sights (such as a piece of food between someone’s teeth); unusual behavior (such as someone standing too close for comfort).     * Mental noise: Internal daydreams.     * Psychological noise: Internal mental states, such as worrying about bills.     * Physiological noise: Internal bodily states, such as pain, a stomachache, or a headache.     * Semantic noise: Uncertainty regarding the meaning of the other person’s words.
• 8. Situation     * The location where communication takes place.

Principles of Communication

• 1. Communication begins with self     * How you perceive yourself influences how you communicate with others.     * Self-perception grows through interactions with others over time.     * Communication is participatory; we are actively involved and relationally responsive in our use of communication.
• 2. Communication involves others     * Through verbal and nonverbal symbols, people learn to accept roles based on the expectations of others.     * The sense of self is developed in and through communication (e.g., a supportive friend group results in higher self-esteem).     * Communication is a dialogic process (Dialogue: the act of taking part in a conversation, discussion, or negotiation).     * Competent communicators consider other people’s needs and expectations when selecting messages.
• 3. Communication has both a content and a relational dimension     * Content dimension: What is in the message; the information.     * Relational dimension: The relationship between the sender and the receiver.     * Messages describe the expected behavior and suggest how it should be interpreted.     * Example: In a workplace, saying "One of us needs to take the returned items back to the shelves" has a task-based content dimension.         * The relational dimension changes based on phrasing: "One of us" suggests equality/teamwork, whereas "You need to do this" implies authority or dominance.
• 4. Communication involves choices     * Choices are made regarding verbal, nonverbal, and behavioral aspects.     * Choices regarding channels used.     * Choices based on the characteristics of the speaker and audience, their relationship, and the situation.
• 5. Communication quantity does not increase communication quality     * Increased communication can sometimes increase conflict.     * Poor listening or empathy skills can lead to misunderstandings of vast quantities of information.
• 6. Communication is pervasive     * Communication occurs every minute. If not communicating with yourself, you are observing others and drawing conclusions (e.g., assuming someone is bored if they yawn).     * Calibrating your message: Changing a message to suit the specific audience.
• 7. Communication cannot be reversed     * Once a message is sent, it cannot be taken back.

Communication Contexts

• Context Defined: A recurring pattern of behaviors and actions that typically take place in similar settings.
• 1. Intrapersonal Communication     * The process of using messages to generate meaning within the self.     * The basis for all communication.     * Involves solving problems internally, resolving internal conflict, planning for the future, and evaluating yourself/relationships.     * Characteristics:         * Number of people: $\text{1}$.         * Degree of formality/intimacy: Most intimate.         * Opportunities for feedback: Complete feedback.         * Need for prestructuring messages: None.         * Degree of stability of roles: Highly unstable; the individual is both speaker and listener.
• 2. Interpersonal Communication     * The process of using messages to generate meaning between at least two people in a situation allowing mutual speaking and listening opportunities.     * Subsets: Dyadic communication and Small-group communication.     * Characteristics:         * Number of people: $\text{2}$.         * Degree of formality/intimacy: Generally intimate (interviews are formal).         * Opportunities for feedback: A great deal of feedback.         * Need for prestructuring messages: Some.         * Degree of stability of roles: Unstable; roles of speaker and listener alternate.
• 3. Small-group Communication     * Interaction among $\text{3}$ to $\text{10}$ people working to achieve an interdependent goal.     * Characteristics:         * Number of people: Usually $\text{3}$ to $\text{10}$; may be more.         * Degree of formality/intimacy: Intimate or formal.         * Opportunities for feedback: Less than intrapersonal but more than public speaking.         * Need for prestructuring messages: Some.         * Degree of stability of roles: Unstable; roles alternate.
• 4. Public Speaking     * Generating meaning where a single speaker transmits a message to a number of receivers.     * Receivers provide nonverbal feedback and sometimes Q&A.     * Characteristics:         * Number of people: Usually more than $\text{10}$.         * Degree of formality/intimacy: Generally formal.         * Opportunities for feedback: Less than small-group but more than mass communication.         * Need for prestructuring messages: A great deal.         * Degree of stability of roles: Highly stable; one speaker with many listeners.
• 5. Mass Communication     * Generating meaning in a mediated system between a source and a large number of unseen receivers.     * Examples: YouTube videos, radio, television.     * Characteristics:         * Number of people: Usually thousands.         * Degree of formality/intimacy: Generally formal.         * Opportunities for feedback: Usually more (delayed).         * Need for prestructuring messages: Almost totally scripted.         * Degree of stability of roles: Stable; on-air speakers, invisible listeners.
• 6. Media Convergence     * The unification of separate channels of communication through new technology.     * Example: Using a phone for social media or newspapers posting videos online.     * Core Characteristic: Integration of multiple communication channels into one platform.
• 7. Online Communication     * Use of the internet, social media, and networking.     * Characteristics: Versatility, transportability (virtually anywhere), facilitation of all communication types, potential to go viral.     * Synchronous communication: Instantaneous sending and receiving (e.g., face-to-face, Snapchat).     * Asynchronous communication: Delayed sending and receiving (e.g., email, discussion boards).     * Technological convergence: Consolidation of voice, data, video, audio, and other communication.

Goals of Studying Communication

• Practicing communication competence: Developing the ability to effectively exchange meaning via a common system of symbols and behaviors.
• Communicating ethically: Utilizing a set of moral principles or values; guided by the belief that people should be open, honest, and reasonable.     * The National Communication Association ($\text{NCA}$) has established a set of ethics guidelines.
• Understanding communication theory and research: Developing clear narratives of how things work to understand the causes, processes, and effects of communication.