Ch 1 - Summary of the Chapter including Key Terms, Lesson Tear Outs as well - Looking Out, Looking In PDF

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Summary of the Chapter including Key Terms, Lesson Tear Outs as well...

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CHAPTER 1 A First Look at Interpersonal Communication L01 Why We Communicate Assess the needs (physical, identity, social, and practical) that communicators are attempting to satisfy in a given situation or relationship It turns out that interpersonal communication is more than haphazard interaction. We communicate to satisfy physical needs (e.g., touch is therapeutic and comforting). Communication also helps us discover what we’re like as individuals (our identity needs) and to attain the pleasure, affection, and relaxation that come when our social needs are met. Finally, communication helps us achieve instrumental goals such as getting a deal, meeting someone special, or finding the nearest Tim Horton’s.

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Wired for interaction Humans really want communication and relationships Feel cut off without electronic devices We communicate to fulfill the following: o Physical Needs:  Golden hour, where new moms bond with their infant  Socially isolated people are four times more susceptible to the common cold…  Socializing 10 mins a day improves memory and boosts intellectual function, stress hormones decline the more often people hear expressions of affection  Social prescribing where physicians prescribe prosocial activities, instead of pills. o Identity Needs:  Gain sense of identity through interactions not the mirror o Social Needs:  Satisfies pleasure, affection, companionship, escape, relaxation and control  Link between interpersonal communication and happiness  Close friendships are in decline  Educated people have larger and more diverse relationship networks. o Practical Needs:  Instrumental Goals: aimed at getting things done. E.g.: telling a hairstylist how much hair to cut.  Career success too; speak and listen effectively are top factors that helped university students find jobs  Psychologist Abraham Maslow suggested that the physical, identity, social, and practical needs fall into 5 hierarchical categories, each of which must be satisfied before moving to the next.  The most basic needs are physical: air, water, food, rest, and ability to reproduce.

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Second level is safety: protection from threats to our well-being. Social needs Self-Esteem: the desire to believe that we are worthwhile, valuable people. Self-Actualization: the desire to develop our potential to the maximum, to become the best person we can be.

LO2 The Process of Communication Apply the transactional communication model to a specific situation. Before reading this chapter, you might have thought of interpersonal communication as two people sending messages back and forth (the linear model). But communication is more complicated than that. In transactional communication, communicators send and receive messages simultaneously, and their individual interpretations of messages are influenced by the degree to which they share an environment or by the external, physiological, or psychological noise they are experiencing.

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How communication between individuals takes place: o A Linear View:  One way between sender and receiver and vice versa.  Linear Communication Model: One-way event in which a message flows from sender to receiver.  Actually describes what happens when we text, but, texting is an inadequate form of communication because it lacks the host of nonverbal cues. o A Transactional View:  Transactional Communication Model: simultaneous sending and receiving of messages in an ongoing, irreversible process.  Communicator instead of sender and receiver  Example: negotiating chores with a housemate  Different cultural backgrounds and personal experiences affect communication.  Environments: The field of experiences that lead a person to make sense of another’s behaviour  Noise: External, physiological, or psychological distractions that interfere with the accurate transmission and reception of a message.  3 forms:  External Noise: sounds, running motors, talking, music, temperature, smells  Physiological Noise: Biological factors that interfere with accurate reception. E.g.: Pain, hunger, fatigue, visual problems, pounding heart, body temperature, thirst, itch, dizziness

Psychological Noise: forces within that interfere with the ability to understand a message accurately. E.g.: Embarrassment, anger, disappointment, confusion, nervousness, joy, pressure, apathy. Models are a snapshot but communication resembles a “motion” picture. Transactional communication isn’t something we “do” to others; rather, it is an activity we do with them. Interpersonal Communication: A continuous transactional process involving participants who occupy different but overlapping environments and create relationships through the exchange of messages, many of which are affected by external, physiological, and psychological noise. 

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LO3 Communication Principles and Misconceptions Describe how communication principles and misconceptions are evident in a specific relationship Regardless of our situation, several communication principles hold true: Communication can be intentional or unintentional; it is both irreversible and unrepeatable; we cannot stop communicating because we continually send nonverbal cues, and finally, all communication events have content and relational dimensions. Communication misconceptions are rampant: We tend to think that more communication is always better, that meanings are in words, that successful communication always involves shared understanding, that people or events cause our reactions, or that communication solves all problems.

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What What What What o

communication is is does is isn’t it can’t accomplish Communication Principles:  Communication can be intentional or unintentional  Communication is irreversible  It’s impossible not to communicate  Communication is unrepeatable  Communication has a content and a relational dimension  Content Dimension: A message that communicates information about the subject being discussed  Relational Dimension: A message that expresses the social relationship between two or more individuals o Communication Misconceptions:  More communication is always better  Meanings are in words  Successful communication always involves shared understanding  A single person or event causes another’s reaction  Communication can solve all problems

LO4 The Nature of Interpersonal Communication Describe the degree to which communication is qualitatively impersonal or interpersonal, as well as the consequences of this level of interaction. You can look at interpersonal communication from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective. A quantitative definition involves two individuals (a dyad) in impersonal communication, like that between a clerk and a customer. A qualitative view entails much more. Communication is more personal, with the people involved treating one another as unique and irreplaceable. This view of communication is also characterized by interdependence (the other’s joy is our joy) and the disclosure of thoughts and feelings. Finally, individuals in qualitatively interpersonal relationships communicate for intrinsic rewards—that is, for the joy of it.

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Two Views of Interpersonal Communication: o Quantitative: usually face to face, between two individuals  Dyad: Two people interacting. This type is dyadic communication.  Dyadic and interpersonal are interchangeable  Example: Sales clerk talking to a customer or police officer issuing a ticket are probably Impersonal: Behaviour that treats others as objects rather than as individuals. o Qualitative: Communication in which parties consider one another as unique individuals rather than as objects. Such communication is characterized by minimal use of stereotyped labels; by unique, idiosyncratic rules; and by a high degree of information exchange.  Features that distinguish qualitative communication from less personal communication:  Uniqueness: unique rules and roles, so every relations is different. o Relational Culture: people in close relationships who create their own unique ways of interacting  Irreplaceability: because they are unique, they cannot be replaced, E.g. why we feel sad when someone dies.  Interdependence: others experiences affect you as well. Pleasure or burden.  Disclosure: of personal information. We disclose in qualitative interpersonal relationships but not in impersonal relationships.  Intrinsic Rewards: spending time with family, friends, lovers and other is enjoyable and personally rewarding.  Because the above features are rare, qualitatively interpersonal communication is relatively scarce.

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The personal – impersonal balance in relationships changes over time. The challenge is to balance the two types.

LO5 Social Media and Interpersonal Communication Diagnose the effectiveness of various communication channels in a specific situation Communicating through text messages, tweets, or by using Instagram, Skype, or FaceTime can be as effective as face-to-face communication. New technologies allow us to connect with people with similar interests or to interact with individuals anywhere in the world. They also help us to enhance our present relationships and to make new friends. But there are challenges: These messages are generally leaner than face-toface communication in that they lack nonverbal cues, often making them difficult to interpret. We also tend to send messages without considering the consequences (disinhibition) and to forget about the permanent nature of the Internet. Those weekend photos might not appeal to a potential employer.

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Social Media: Collectively describes all the channels that makes remote personal communication possible. Benefits of Social Media: low friction opportunities to create and share, staying in touch, part of groups, more trusting. Challenges of Social Media: o Leaner Messages: no nonverbal cues. Also, hyperpersonal communication; accelerating the discussion of personal topics and relational development beyond what normally happens. E.g. why online lovers rush into marriage. o Disinhibition: The tendency to transmit messages without considering their consequences. 2 forms:  Volunteering personal information you may not want some receivers to see  Individuals may be more direct, often in a critical way. o Permanence: Nothing goes away on the internet. Competence in Social Media: o Think before you post o Be considerate:  Respect the needs of your face-to-face conversational partner  Keep your tone civil  Don’t intrude on bystanders

LO6 What Makes an Effective Communicator? Determine your level of communication competence in a specific instance or relationship Just as you learn new computer applications, so too can you learn new communication skills. For instance, communication competence depends on the situation and your relationship with the other person; thus, there’s no “proper” way to communicate. But competent communicators do share some similarities. They possess a wide range of behaviours and choose the most appropriate depending on the context, the goal, and

the other person. They also demonstrate empathy, cognitive complexity, and selfmonitoring and have an understanding of intercultural communication. These strengths allow them to fare well in the workplace.

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Communication competence defined: o Communication Competence: The ability to accomplish one’s personal goals in a manner that maintains or enhances the relationship in which it occurs. o Characteristics:  There is no “ideal” way to communicate  Competence is situational: because competent communication behaviours varies from one situation and one person to another, more accurate to talk about degrees or areas of competence  Competence can be learned o Characteristics of Competent Communicators:  A wide range of behaviours: Poor communicators easy to spot because of their limited range of responses. E.g. chronic jokers, some that are quiet or belligerent. Having a repertoire of options available to manage unwanted offers to help is something people with disabilities have learned.  Ability to choose the most appropriate behaviour: when to use which skill. 3 factors:  Context: time and place will almost always influence how you act. E.g. low-key communication at a funeral  Goal: E.g. inviting a new neighbour over for teach if you want friendship  Knowledge of the other person: E.g. if a person is very sensitive, you would shape your approach.  Skill at performing behaviours: Difference between knowing about a skill and putting it into action. 4 stages in learning communication skills:  Beginning Awareness: E.g. as a tennis player learns a new serve, improving power and accuracy.  Awkwardness: Initial attempts may be awkward  Skilfulness: keep working on it to get better  Integration: when you are able to perform well without thinking about it. It becomes automatic.  Cognitive complexity: The ability to construct a variety of frameworks for viewing an issue. E.g. a long time friend is angry at you. Considering the issue from several angles might prevent you from overreacting or misunderstanding the situation.  Empathy: ability to project oneself into another person’s point of view, so as to experience the other’s thoughts and feelings.

The most important aspect of communication competence.  Self-monitoring: The process of attending to your own behaviour and using these observations to shape the way you behave.  Commitment: commitment to another person like marriage. o Competence in Intercultural Communication: different cultures behave differently. Several ingredients:  Rules of the specific culture  Attitudes and skills called “culture-general” that help communicators build relationships with people from other backgrounds  Helpful to possess the following attributes:  Motivation: desire to communicate successfully.  Tolerance for Ambiguity makes it possible to accept equivocal and sometimes incomprehensible messages that characterize intercultural communication. Ambiguity is a fact of life and a challenge.  Open-Mindedness: about cultural differences.  Knowledge and Skill: Knowing the rules and customs of other cultures. Engage in mindfulness – awareness of your own behaviour and that of others. People who lack this blunder through intercultural encounters mindlessly. 3 strategies: o Passive observation: noticing the behaviours used by members of a different culture. o Active strategies: reading, watching films, and asking experts or members of the other culture how to behave, as well as taking classes. o Self-disclosure: volunteering personal information to people from the other culture with whom you want to communicate, like cultural ignorance. 

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Communication at Work Metacommunication: verbal and nonverbal messages that communicators send to one another. It is basically communication about communication, and it helps to determine how messages should be interpreted and how we should behave....