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MC109/COMM100: Preliminaries to Communication

Sulay Jalloh

PRELIMINARIES TO COMMUNICATION

DEFINITION:

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages from one person to another. This process, however, is:

a) distorted by NOISE

b) occur within a CONTEXT

c) have some EFFECT

d) provide some opportunities for FEEDBACK

1. COMMUNICATION CONTEXT:

All communication takes place in a context that has at least four dimensions:

a) physical

b) cultural

c) social-psychological

d) temporal.

a) The physical context:

The tangible or concrete environment in which communication takes place. E.g: the room or hallway or park.

b) The cultural context:

Refers to the communicators’ rules and norms, beliefs and attitudes that are transmitted from one generation to another. E.g: In some cultures, direct eye contact between child and adult signifies directness and honesty; in others it signifies defiance and lack of respect.

c) The social-psychological context:

The status relationships among the participants, the roles and the games that people play, and the cultural rules of the society in which they’re communicating. E.g: Friendliness

d) The temporal (or time) context:

Includes the time of day as well as the time in history in which the communication takes place. E.g: For many people, the morning is not a time for communication. For others, the morning is ideal.

2. NOISE

Noise is anything that distorts the message or prevents the receiver from receiving the message.

Noise is divided into four:

1. Physical Noise

2. Physiological Noise

3. Psychological Noise

4. Semantic Noise

All communications contain noise. Noise cannot be totally eliminated, but its effects can be reduced.

3. FEEDBACK MESSAGES:

Feedback are messages sent back to the speaker reacting to what is said .

On the basis of this feedback, the speaker may adjust the messages by strengthening, de-emphasizing, or changing the content or form of the messages.

Feedback can be looked upon in terms of five important dimensions:

1. Positive Vs Negative,

2. Person focused Vs Message focused,

3. Immediate Vs Delayed

4. Low monitoring Vs High monitoring, and

5. Critical Vs Supportive.

4. COMMUNICATION EFFECTS:

Communication always has some effect on one or more persons involved in the communication act. For every communication act, there is some consequence.

Three types of Effects:

1. Cognitive effect

2. Affective effect

3. Psychomotor Effect

TYPE OF COMMUNICATION

The major types of communication are:

1. Intrapersonal Communication

2. Interpersonal Communication

3. Intercultural Communication

4. International Communication

5. Small Group Communication

6. Public Communication

7. Mass Communication

Let’s look them more closely:

1. Intrapersonal Communication: is talking with yourself. You learn about and evaluate yourself, persuade yourself of this or that, reason about possible decisions to make, and rehearse the messages you intend to send to others.

2. Interpersonal Communication: is interacting with others, learn about them and about yourself, and reveal yourself to others. Whether with new acquaintances, old friends, lovers, or family members, it’s through interpersonal communication that you establish, maintain, sometimes destroy your personal relationships.

3. Small Group Communication: is interacting with others, solving problems, developing new ideas, and sharing knowledge and experiences. From the informal social group having coffee to the formal meeting discussing issues of international concern.

4. Public Communication: is the process of others informing and persuading you. And you in turn inform and persuade others—to do, to buy, or to think in a particular way, or to change an attitude.

5. Mass Communication: is the process of being entertained, informed, and persuaded by the media—movies, television, radio, newspapers, and books.

6. Intercultural Communication: is the process in which you communicate with members from other cultures, that is, people who follow different customs, roles, and rules.

7. International Communication: is communication within governments and nations. E.g: Communication in United Nations.