Communication:
Principles for a Lifetime

Steven A. Beebe, Susan J. Beebe,

and Diana K. Ivy

Prepared by Stephen Hunt, Illinois State University

UNIT I: PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

Chapter 1

Foundations of Human Communication

Communication Defined

Human communication is the process of making sense out of the world and sharing that sense with others through verbal and nonverbal messages.

Effective Communication

1. The message should be understood.

2. The message should achieve its intended effect.

3. The message should be ethical.

Effective Communication-Ethics

Ethics are the beliefs, values, and moral principles by which we determine what is right or wrong.

Why Study Communication?

– To improve your employability

– To improve your relationships

– To improve your physical and emotional health

Communication Models

Human Communication as Action

Communication Models

· Human Communication as Action

– Information source

– Receiver

– Message

– Channel

– Noise

· Human Communication as Interaction

– Feedback

– Context

· Human Communication as Transaction

– Simultaneously interactive

– Meaning is based on mutual, concurrent sharing of ideas and feelings

– This model most accurately describes human communication

Communication Characteristics

– Communication is inescapable

– Communication is irreversible

– Communication is complicated

– Communication emphasizes content and relationships

– Communication is governed by rules

Communication Principles for a Lifetime

– Be Aware of Your Communication with Yourself and Others

– Effectively Use and Understand Verbal Messages

– Effectively Use and Understand Nonverbal Messages

– Listen and Respond Thoughtfully to Others

– Appropriately Adapt Messages to Others

– Effectively Use and Interpret Verbal Symbols

– Effective communicators use appropriate symbols

– Effective communicators accurately encode and decode messages

– Communication Principles for a Lifetime

– Be Aware of Your Communication with Yourself and Others

– Effective communicators are present when communicating

– Effective communicators are aware of the choices they make when communicating

Communication Principles for a Lifetime

Effectively Use and Interpret Nonverbal Symbols

– Nonverbal messages are the primary way we communicate feelings and attitudes

– Nonverbal messages are more believable than verbal messages

– Effective communicators are skilled in interpreting nonverbal messages of others

Communication Principles for a Lifetime

Listen and Respond Thoughtfully to Others

– Listening can be hard because it looks easy

– Effective communicators develop sensitivity to others

– Being other-oriented means considering the needs, motives, desires, and goals of others

Communication Principles for a Lifetime

Appropriately Adapt Messages to Others

– Adapt your response to your listeners

– Adapt the structure or organization of what you say

– Adapt the general style of your message

Communicating with Others: Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication occurs when we interact simultaneously with another person and attempt to mutually influence each other.

Communicating with Others: Group and Team Communication

Groups have goals, their members feel they belong to the group, and the group members influence others in the group.

– small group communication

– dyad

– teams

Communicating with Others: Public Communication

Public communication occurs when a speaker address a gathering of other people to inform, persuade, or entertain.

Chapter 2

Self-Awareness and Communication

Copyright © 2001 Allyn and Bacon

Communication Principles

Self-Concept: Who Are You?

Self-Concept Components

– Attitude--a learned predisposition to respond to a person, object, or idea in a favorable or unfavorable way.

– Beliefs--the way in which you structure your understanding of reality (true/false).

– Values--enduring concepts of good and bad, right and wrong.

One or Many Selves?

– The Material Self

– The Social Self

– The Spiritual Self

The Material Self

The material self is a total of all the tangible things you own:

– your body

– your possessions

– your home

The Social Self

The social self is that part of you that interacts with others:

– You change based on interaction with others.

– Each relationship you have with another person is unique.

The Spiritual Self

Your spiritual self consists of all your internal thoughts and introspections abut your values and moral standards:

– It is the essence of who you think you are.

– It is a mixture of your spiritual beliefs and your sense of who you are in relationship to other forces in the universe.

How the Self-Concept Develops

– Our communication with other individuals

– Our association with groups

– Roles we assume

– Our self-labels

Self-Concept: Communication With Others

– We don’t come to know and understand ourselves in a vacuum.

– Charles Horton Cooley first advanced the notion of the figurative looking glass.

– Self-concept development begins at birth.

Self-Concept:Association With Groups

– Our awareness of who we are is often linked to who we associate with:

– religious groups

– political groups

– ethnic groups

– social groups

– Peer pressure is a powerful force in shaping attitudes and behavior.

Self-Concept:Assumed Roles

– Your self-concept likely reflects the roles you assume:

– mother

– brother

– teacher

– student

– Gender asserts a powerful influence on the self-concept from birth on.

Self-Concept:Self-Labels

– Self-concept is affected by others but we are not blank slates.

– Self-reflexiveness is the human ability to think about what we’re doing while we’re doing it.

– Through self-observation we discover strengths which encourage us to assume new labels.

Self-Esteem:What Is Your Value?

– While self-concept refers to your description of who you are, self-esteem refers to your evaluation of who you are.

– Your self-esteem can fluctuate and rise or fall within the course of a day.

Self-Esteem: Gender Differences

– In patriarchal cultures, women and girls suffer loss of self-esteem to a greater degree than men and boys.

– Boys often feel better able to do things than girls.

– Differential reinforcement (athletics)

Self-Esteem: Social Comparisons

– We become more aware of ourselves by measuring ourselves against others, a process called social comparison.

– It can be self-defeating to take social comparisons too far, to cause your self-esteem to suffer because you compare yourself unrealistically to others.

Self-Esteem: Self-Expectations

– Self-expectations are those goals we set for ourselves.

– Self-esteem is affected when you evaluate how well you measure up to your own expectations.

– Be weary of placing unrealistic demands on yourself.

Self-Esteem: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

– The self-fulfilling prophecy refers to the idea that what you believe about yourself often comes true because you expect it to come true.

– Your level of self-esteem affects the kinds of prophecies you make about yourself and colors your interpretation of events.

Communication and the Enhancement of Self-Esteem

– Our feelings of low self-worth may contribute to many of our societal problems:

– choosing the wrong partners

– becoming addicted to drugs, alcohol, or sex

– experiencing problems with eating

– Communication is essential in the process of building and maintaining self-esteem.

Communication and Self: Engage in Positive Self-Talk

– Intrapersonal communication involves communication within yourself--self-talk.

– Your self-concept and self-esteem influence the way you talk to yourself.

– Your inner dialogue also has an impact on your self-concept and self-esteem.

– Self-talk is related to the building and maintaining of one’s self-concept.

Communication and Self:Visualize

– Visualization involves “seeing” yourself exhibiting some desirable behavior.

– Apprehensive public speakers can manage their fears by visualizing positive results:

– reduces negative self-talk

– enhances confidence and speaking skill

Communication and Self: Develop Honest Relationships

– Have at least one other person that will give you honest, objective feedback.

Communication and Self: Surround Yourself with Positive People

– Surround yourself with people who have higher levels of self-esteem.

– Don’t engage in pity parties.

– Immunize yourself from negativity.

Communication and Self: Loose Your Baggage

– Avoid constantly reliving negative experiences.

– Let go of past experiences that cause your present self-esteem to suffer.

The Perception Process

– Stage One: Attention and Selection

– Stage Two: Organization

– Stage Three: Interpretation

Communication and the Enhancement of Perceptual Accuracy

– Increase Your Awareness

– Avoid Stereotypes

– Check Your Perceptions

– indirect perception checking

– direct perception checking

Chapter 3

Understanding Verbal Messages

Copyright © 2001 Allyn and Bacon

Communication Principles

Understanding Verbal Messages

– Why Focus on Language?

– The Nature of Language

– The Power of Words

– Confronting Bias in Language

– Using Words to Establish Supportive Relationships

Why Focus on Language?

– Words are powerful.

– You choose language.

The Nature of Language

– A language is a system of symbols (words or vocabulary) structured by grammar (rules and standards) and syntax (patterns in the arrangement of words) common to a community of people.

– Words dictate and limit the nature of our reality.

Words Are Symbols With Meanings

– The meaning of a word is how a person interprets or makes sense of a symbol.

– Bypassing occurs when the speaker’s and the receiver’s meanings do not correspond.

Denotative and Connotative Meaning

– The denotative level of language conveys content.

– The connotative level of language conveys feelings.

Words Reflect Concrete and Abstract Meanings

– A word is concrete if we can see it, touch it, smell it, taste it, or hear it.

– If we cannot, the word is abstract.

– Concrete messages are more clear, abstract terms are more difficult to understand or agree upon.

Words Are Culture-Bound

– Culture consists of the rules, norms, and values of a group of people that have been learned and shape from one generation to the next.

– The meaning of words can change from culture to culture.

Words Are Context-Bound

– Symbols derive their meaning from the situation in which they are used.

The Power of Words

– Words have the power to create and label experience.

– Words have the power to impact thoughts and actions.

– Words have the power to shape and reflect culture.

– Words have the power to make and break relationships.

Confronting Bias in Language

– Words that reflect bias toward other cultures can create barriers for listeners.

– Political correctness involves the use of language that does not exclude or offend listeners.

Biased Language: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion

– Allness occurs when words reflect unqualified, often untrue generalizations that deny individual differences or variations.

– Keep abreast of linguistic changes and adopt the designations currently preferred by members of the ethnic groups themselves.

Biased Language: Gender and Sexual Orientation

– Sexist language reveals bias in favor of one sex against another.

– The use of a masculine term as though it were generic.

– To avoid sexist language, use either she or he, he/she, or s/he.

– Homophobic language reveals insensitivity or intolerance toward persons who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Biased Language: Age, Class, and Ability

– Inventory your language for terms that are disrespectful to elders or patronizing to younger persons.

– Monitor references to socioeconomic differences (e.g., blue- and white-collar workers).

– Avoid drawing attention to a person’s physical, mental, or learning ability.

Using Words to Establish Supportive Relationships

– Trigger words are forms of language that arouse certain emotions.

– Verbal behaviors can contribute to feelings of either supportiveness or defensiveness.

Using Words to Establish Supportive Relationships

• Describe Your Own Feelings Rather Than Evaluate Others

• Solve Problems Rather Than Control Others

• Be Genuine Rather Than Manipulative

• Empathize Rather Than Remain Detached From Others

• Be Flexible Rather Than Rigid Toward Others

• Present Yourself as Equal Rather Than Superior

Chapter 4

Understanding Nonverbal Messages

Copyright © 2001 Allyn and Bacon

Communication Principles

Understanding Nonverbal Messages

– Why Focus on Nonverbal Communication?

– The Nature of Nonverbal Communication

– Codes of Nonverbal Communication

– How to Interpret Nonverbal Cues More Accurately

Nonverbal Communication Defined

Communication other than written or spoken language that creates meaning for someone