Spring 2003
UNIT
I: PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
Notes for Chapters 1, 2, 9, 10 and 6
Chapter 1 Foundations
of Human Communication
Communication
Characteristics
n
Communication is inescapable
n
Communication is irreversible
n
Communication is complicated
n
Communication emphasizes content and relationships
n
Communication is governed by rules
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?
n
To improve your employability
n
To improve your relationships
n
To improve your physical and emotional health
Overview
of Communication Principles for a
Lifetime
n
Be Aware of Your Communication with Yourself and Others
n
Effectively Use and Understand Verbal Messages
n
Effectively Use and Understand Nonverbal Messages
n
Listen and Respond Thoughtfully to Others
n
Appropriately Adapt Messages to Others
Be
Aware of Your Communication with Yourself and Others
n
Effective communicators are present when communicating
n
Effective communicators are aware of the choices they make
when communicating
Effectively
Use and Interpret Verbal Symbols
n
Effective communicators use appropriate symbols
n
Effective communicators accurately encode and decode messages
Effectively Use and Interpret
Nonverbal Symbols
n
Nonverbal messages are the primary way we communicate
feelings and attitudes
n
Nonverbal messages are more believable than verbal messages
n
Effective communicators are skilled in interpreting nonverbal
messages of others
Listen and Respond Thoughtfully to Others
n
Listening can be hard because it looks easy
n
Effective communicators develop sensitivity to others
n
Being other-oriented means
considering the needs, motives, desires, and goals of others
Appropriately
Adapt Messages to Others
n
Adapt your response to your
listeners
n
Adapt the structure or organization of what you say
n
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.
n
small group communication
n
dyad
n
teams
Communicating
with Others: Public Communication
Public Communication occurs
when a speaker address a gathering of other people to inform, persuade, or
entertain.
Communication
Models
Human Communication
as Action
n
Information source
n
Receiver
n
Message
n
Channel
n
Noise
Communication
Models
Human
Communication as Interaction
n
Feedback
n
Context
Communication
Models
Human
Communication as Transaction
n
Simultaneously interactive
n
Meaning is based on mutual, concurrent sharing of ideas and
feelings
n
This model most accurately describes human communication
Self-Awareness
and Communication
3
Fundamental Questions:
n
Who am I?
n
Who are You?
n
What are we doing here together?
Self-Concept:
Who Are You?
n
Attitude-- a learned predisposition to respond to a person,
object, or idea in a favorable or unfavorable way.
n
Beliefs—your structure of your understanding of reality
(true/false).
n
Values--enduring concepts of good and bad, right and wrong.
One
or Many Selves?
n
The Material Self
n
The Social Self
n
The Spiritual Self
The
Material Self
The
material self is a total
of all the tangible things you own:
n
your body
n
your possessions
n
your home
The
Social Self
The
social self is that
part of you that interacts with others:
n
You change based on interaction with others.
n
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:
n
It is the essence of who you think you are.
n
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
n
Our communication with other individuals
n
Our association with groups
n
Roles we assume = “Student”
n
Our self-labels = “I am average”
n
Direct definitions = “Good Girl”
n
Identity Scripts = “Halverson’s don’t waste money”
Self-Concept:
Communication With Others
n
We don’t come to know and understand ourselves in a vacuum.
n
Charles Horton Cooley first
advanced the notion of the figurative looking glass.
n
Self-concept development begins at birth.
Self-Concept: Association With Groups
n
Our awareness of who we are is often linked to who we
associate with:
n
religious groups
n
political groups
n
ethnic groups
n
social groups
n
Peer pressure is a powerful
force in shaping attitudes
and behavior.
Self-Concept:
Assumed Roles
n
Your self-concept likely reflects the roles you assume:
n
mother
n
brother
n
teacher
n
student
n
Gender asserts a powerful influence on the self-concept from
birth on.
Self-Concept: Self-Labels
n
Self-concept is affected by others but we are not blank
slates.
n
Self-reflexiveness is the
human ability to think about what we’re doing while we’re doing it.
n
Through self-observation we discover strengths which
encourage us to assume new labels.
Self-Esteem: What Is Your Value?
n
While self-concept refers to your description of who
you are, self-esteem refers to your evaluation
of who you are.
n
Your self-esteem can fluctuate and rise or fall within the
course of a day.
Self-Esteem: Gender Differences
n
In patriarchal cultures, women and girls suffer loss
of self-esteem to a greater degree than men and boys.
n
Boys often feel better able to do things than girls.
n
Differential reinforcement (athletics)
Self-Esteem: Social Comparisons
n
We become more aware of ourselves by measuring ourselves
against others, a process called social
comparison.
n
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
n
Self-expectations are those
goals we set for ourselves.
n
Self-esteem
is affected when
you evaluate how well you
measure up to your own expectations.
n
Be weary of placing unrealistic demands on yourself.
Self-Esteem: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
n
The self-fulfilling prophecy refers to
the idea that what you believe about yourself often comes true because you
expect it to come true.
n
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
n
Our feelings of low self-worth may contribute to many of our societal problems:
n
choosing the wrong partners
n
becoming addicted to drugs, alcohol, or sex
n
experiencing problems with eating
n
Communication is essential
in the process of building
and maintaining self-esteem.
Communication
and Self: Engage in Positive Self-Talk
n
Intrapersonal communication involves communication within
yourself--self-talk.
n
Your self-concept and self-esteem influence it.
n
Your inner dialogue has an impact.
n
Builds and helps maintain one’s self-concept.
Communication
and Self: Visualize
n
Visualization involves “seeing” yourself exhibiting some
desirable behavior.
n
Apprehensive public speakers can manage their fears by
visualizing positive results:
n
reduces negative self-talk
n
enhances confidence and speaking skill
Communication
and Self: Develop Honest Relationships
n
Have at least one other person that will give you honest,
objective feedback.
Communication
and Self: Surround Yourself with Positive People
n
Surround yourself with people who have higher levels of
self-esteem.
n
Don’t engage in pity parties.
n
Immunize yourself from negativity.
Communication
and Self: Loose Your Baggage
n
Avoid constantly reliving negative experiences.
n
Let go of past experiences that cause your present
self-esteem to suffer.
The
Perception Process
n
Stage One: Attention and Selection
n
Stage Two: Organization
n
Stage Three: Interpretation
Enhancement
of Perceptual Accuracy
n
Increase Your Awareness
n
Avoid Stereotypes
n
Check Your Perceptions
n
indirect perception checking
n
direct perception checking
n
I noticed that ______
n
I am wondering if _____ or _____
n
What’s up?
Chapter 9
Understanding Group and Team
Communication
Communication
Principles
Research
Regarding
Group and Team Performance
n
Groups and teams come up with more creative solutions to
problems than a person working alone.
n
Working with others in groups improves the comprehension of
the ideas presented.
n
Group and team members are more satisfied with the conclusions
and recommendations if they participated in the discussion.
n
Groups have more available information by tapping the
experiences of group members.
Understanding
Group and Team Communication
n
Groups and Teams Defined
n
Types of Groups and Teams
n
Group and Team Dynamics
n
Group and Team Phases of
Development
n
Diversity in Groups and
Teams:
Adapting to Differences
Groups
and Teams Defined
n
Communicating In Small Groups
n
consists of a small number of people
n
common purpose
n
sense of belonging
n
members exert influence on others in the group
Small
Group Defined
n
Small group communication is the
transactive process of creating meaning among 3 to 15 people who share a common
purpose, who feel a sense of belonging, and who exert influence on each other.
Teams
Defined
n
Communicating In Teams
n
A team is a coordinated group of people organized to work
together to achieve a specific, common goal.
Groups
vs. Teams
n
Distinctions Between Groups and Teams
n
Teams develop clearly defined responsibilities for team
members.
n
Teams have clearly defined rules for team operation.
n
Teams develop clear goals.
n
Teams develop a way of coordinating their efforts.
Understanding
Types of Groups and Teams
n
Primary Groups
n
exist to fulfill the basic human need of associating with
others
n
Study Groups
n
meet to learn new ideas
n
Therapy Groups
n
exist to provide treatment for the personal problems that
group members may have
n
Problem Solving Groups
n
exist to resolve an issue or overcome an unsatisfactory
situation or obstacle to achieve a goal
n
Focus Groups
n
small groups of people who are asked to discuss a particular
topic or issue
n
Social Groups
n
exist just for the joy of socializing with others
Understanding
Group and Team Dynamics
n
Roles
n
consistent ways you communicate with others in a group
n
Types of Roles
n
task
n
social
n
individual
n
Norms
n
standards that determine what is appropriate and
inappropriate behavior in a group
n
Status
n
an individual’s importance and prestige
n
Power
n
the ability to influence others’ behavior
n
Types of Power
n
legitimate (respect for position)
n
referent (based on attraction)
n
expert (influence from a person’s
knowledge)
n
reward (ability to satisfy needs)
n
coercive (sanctions and punishment)
n
Cohesiveness
n
degree of attraction that members of a group feel toward one
another and the group
Group and Team Dynamics
n
Communication Interaction Patterns
n
a pattern of communication that identifies the frequency of
who talks to whom
n
Networks of Communication
n
all-channel
n
chain
n
wheel
n
All-Channel Network
n
everyone talks to everyone else
n
Chain Network
n
people convey a message through one person at a time
n
Wheel Network
n
one person receives most of the messages