RC Chapter 1 - Summary Real Communication: an Introduction PDF

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Real Communications – Chapter 1 Outline Functional Perspective – examines how our communication helps or doesn’t help others accomplish our goals in personal, group, organizational, public or technologically mediated situations Functional communication helps: 1) Express Affiliation a. Feeling of connectedness with others b. Helps meet practical needs (show respect for your boss) c. Can use media technologies to develop/maintain positive sense of connection 2) Manage relationships a. Interconnections between 2 or more people b. How intimately we know each other or handle conflict c. Interdependence – what we do affects others and what other do affects us (burger ex.) d. Important for managing relationships over time e. Verbal/non-verbal behaviors 3) Influence others a. Communication is influential in one way or another b. Some is intentional (politician) some unintentional (lack of eye contact) c. Control – ability of 1 person, group or org to influence others and the way in which their interactions are conducted d. Control is finite e. More control one person has the less the other person has f. Control varies depending on situation/status g. Redistribution of control is a natural process Characteristics of Communication: To assess the quality, value of communication, examine how well the communication demonstrates the 6 characteristics of communication 1) Extent to which the message is symbolic a. Symbol – arbitrary language/behaviors to refer to objects, people, things/ideas (a “look”) 2) Extent to which the code is shared a. Code – set of symbols that are joined to create a meaningful message b. Encoding – process of mentally constructing a message (putting into symbol that can be sent to someone) c. Decoding – process of interpreting and assigning meaning to a received message d. Examples: baseball teams emoticons e. If you share the same code, you are more likely to accurately encode/decode messages and arrive at the same meaning 3) Degree in which the message is culturally bound a. Culture – shared beliefs, values and practices of a group of people b. Culture includes language, symbols and norms about behavior c. Co-culture – smaller groups of people within a larger culture d. Intersectionality – different aspects of ourselves that can privilege or marginalize us e. Co-cultures can gives us an advantage or present a challenge

4) Sender’s perceived intentionality a. Intentional – sending a message to a friend i. You are GIVING information b. Unintentional – more spontaneous i. You are GIVING OFF information ii. Tend to be seen as more honest cause person can’t sensor reaction iii. Also more ambiguous 5) Presence of a channel a. Channel – method through which communication occurs 6) Degree to which encoding and decoding of messages are transactional a. Communication is a transactional process b. Involves people exchanging messages in sender and receiver roles Competent Communication Communication that is effective and appropriate for a situation – communicators evaluate and assess their own communication process. a. Competent Communication is processed oriented The process (how participants arrive at the outcome) is more important than the outcome (the product of a communications interchange) b. What is said & how it is said is more important than the outcome c. Ethics – study of morals & moral choices is important to effective communications i. Standards of right/wrong effect communications behavior 2) Competent Communication is Appropriate & Effective a. Appropriate (Justin Beiber example) i. Communication is appropriate when it meets the demands of the situation as well as expectations of others present ii. Successful communicators show behavioral flexibility iii. behavioral flexibility – ability to use a number of different behaviors depending on the situation b. Effective (Fourth of July example) i. Must help you meet your goals ii. If you know a little about your partner’s expectations you can more easily determine which message will be the most effective 3) Competent Communication involves communication skills a. Communication skills – behavioral abilities based on social understandings that are used to achieve particular goals b. Ex: asking for a raise, maintaining a relationship c. People can have a skewed impression of their skills (team player example) 4) Competent Communication involves technology a. Technology channels you use can change people’s perceptions of your communication competence b. People comfortable with a technology use it to accomplish their goals Modeling Communication 1) Linear Model

a. Sender originates a message (actions or words) carried through a channel (cables, lines) and encounters noise which changes the message b. Communication only occurs in ONE direction – sender to receiver c. Does not show receivers interpretation of the message 2) Interaction Model a. Communication is a two-way directional process – incorporates feedback b. Feedback – message from receiver to sender about how they are responding c. Feedback can be: i. Verbal – say yes to an invitation ii. Non-verbal (smile, nod) d. Texting – good example of the interaction model in a mediated situation – meaning you get feedback but not in real time Competent Communication Model 1) Competent communication model includes feedback as ongoing (transactional process) 2) Individuals are interdependent – their actions affect each other 3) Simultaneously sending (encoding) and receiving (decoding) 4) Transaction changes in different situations: a. Mediated – Facebook posting, instant message – not simultaneously – delay in feedback 5) Four main spheres of influence in the Competent Communication Model a. Communicators i. Each communicator influenced by cognitions – thoughts they have about themselves & others – awareness, self-esteem ii. Cognitions influence your behavior when you communicate iii. Behavior is observable commination (words, facial expressions, gestures) iv. Cognitions are encoded into messages you send v. Successful communicators have a high degree of cognitive complexity – they consider multiple scenarios b. Relationships i. All communication occurs within the context of a relationship ii. Relationship influences by past history & each person’s expectations & goals for the relationship iii. Relational history – sum of shared experiences between both people c. Situation i. Where communication occurs ii. Situational context- social environment, physical place, situation d. Cultural Setting i. Culture influences which messages are appropriate, strongly affects our cognitions ii. Cultural identity – how you view yourself as part of a culture influences how you communicate and how you interpret messages

Study of Communication Five distinct disciplines: 1) Basic Communication Process a. Basic process of perception, verbal/non-verbal communication, intercultural 2) Interpersonal Communication a. Study of communication between dyads b. Dyads – pairs or individuals 3) Group & Organizational Communication a. Study interactions in groups to develop strategies for managing flow of information and interactions 4) Public Speaking a. How to effectively connect with an audience b. How to be a more critical audience member 5) Mass Communication a. Forces that shape media messages & the effects they can have on behavior/attitudes...