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MC109/COMM100: The Principles of Communication
Sulay Jalloh
THE PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
These principles explain what communication is and how it works in a wide variety of situations and contexts. These principles are essential to understanding communication in all its forms and function.
There are EIGHT Principles of Communication
1. COMMUNICATION IS A PACKAGE OF SIGNALS
Communication behaviors usually occur in "packages" of signals. Verbal and nonverbal behaviors reinforce or support each other.
All parts of a message system normally work together to communicate a particular meaning. E.g: You don’t express anger through your posture while your face smiles.
Opposing communication signals from the same source result in contradictory messages.
a) Contradictory messages:
Contradictory messages is the result of the desire to communicate two different emotions or feelings. E.g: You say that you’re happy to see the person but your facial expression and body posture communicate your negative feelings.
Thus, they usually occur when the verbal and nonverbal signals are inconsistent. E.g: Children crying In many cases, the socially acceptable message is usually communicated verbally while the less socially acceptable message is communicated non verbally.
2. COMMUNICATION IS TRANSACTIONAL
See Figure 2.1
"Transactional" means that communication is an ever-changing process. It’s an ongoing activity; all the elements of communication are in a state of constant change. E.g: there can be no source without a receiver. There can be no message without a source. There can be no feedback without a receiver.
One implication of viewing communication as transactional is that each person is seen as both sending and receiving messages
Each person in a communication transaction acts and reacts on the basis of the immediate context, past experiences, attitudes, cultural beliefs, self-image, future expectations, emotions, and a host of related issues.
Thus, two people listening to the same message will often derive two very different meanings. Although the words and symbols are the same, each person interprets them differently.
3. COMMUNICATION IS A PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT
Communication may take place only to the extent that the communicators use the same system of signals. You will not be able to communicate with another person to the extent that your language systems differ.
In reality, however, no two persons use identical signal systems. so the art of communication is identifying the other person’s signals, learning how they’re used, and understanding what they mean.
This principle is especially important in intercultural communication, largely because people from different cultures use different signals and sometimes the same signals to signify quite different things. E.g: Focused eye contact ..
a) Communication Accommodation
This theory holds that speakers will adjust to or accommodate to the speaking style of their listeners to gain, social approval and greater communication efficiency.
Communication characteristics are influenced greatly by culture Thus, the communication similarities that lead to attraction and more positive perceptions are likely to be present in intracultural communication but absent in many intercultural encounters.
4. COMMUNICATION INVOLVES CONTENT AND RELATIONSHIP DIMENSIONS
Communication refer to the relationships between the parties involved. E.g: An employer may say to a worker, "See me after the meeting." This simple message has a content aspect and a relational aspect.
The content aspect refers to the behavioral responses expected as a result of receiving the message. The relational aspect tells how the communication is to be dealt with.
In any communication situation the content dimension may stay the same but the relationship aspect may vary. Or, the relationship aspect may be the same while the content is different.
E.g: "You had better see me after the meeting" or "May I please see you after the meeting?" (The content is essentially the same)/ "May I go away this weekend?" and "May I use the car tonight?" (The relationship is essentially the same)
a) Ignoring Relationship Dimensions
Problems may arise when the distinction between the content and relationship levels of communication is ignored.
In general, research findings show that men focus more on content messages, whereas women focus more on relationship messages. Once we recognize this gender difference, we may be able to develop increased sensitivity to the opposite sex.
b) Recognizing Relationship Dimensions
Arguments over the content dimension are relatively easy to resolve. Arguments on the relationship level, however, are much more difficult to resolve because you may not recognize that the argument is in fact a relationship one.
5. COMMUNICATION SEQUENCES ARE PUNCTUATED (Figure 2.2)
Communicating events are continuous transactions. There’s no clear-cut beginning or ending. As a participant in or an observer of the communication act, you divide up this continuous, circular process into causes and effects, or stimuli and responses.
This tendency to divide up the various communication transactions in sequences of stimuli and responses or cause and effect is referred to as punctuation.
This is done in order to easily understand and remember the communication. Thus, If communication is to be effective, then you have to understand what another person means from his/here point of view.
6. COMMUNICATION INVOLVES SYMMETRICAL AND COMPLEMENTARY TRANSACTIONS
Relationships can be described as either symmetrical or complementary.
a) In a Symmetrical relationship: the two individuals mirror each other’s behavior. The relationship is one of equality, with the emphasis on minimizing the differences between the two individuals. I.e: If one member nags, the other member responds in kind. If one member expresses jealousy, the other member expresses jealousy etc
b) In a complementary relationship: the two individuals engage in different behaviors. At times cultures establish such relationships. Thus the differences between the parties are maximized. I.e: One partner acts as the superior and the other the inferior, one passive and the other active etc…
Generally, research finds that complementary couples have a lower marital adjustment level than do symmetrical couples.
When the complementary and the symmetrical approaches combined, there are nine basic patterns identified:
Three deal with symmetry (similar type messages),
Two with complementarily (opposite type messages),
Four with transitional (neither the same nor opposite type messages). See Table 2.1
7. COMMUNICATION IS INEVITABLE, IRREVERSIBLE, AND UNREPEATABLE
Communication is a process that is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable. Let’s look at these qualities in more detail.
a) Inevitability
In many instances communication takes place even though one of the individuals does not think he or she is communicating or does not want to communicate. In an interactional situation,(Classroom) you can’t avoid communicating. communication is inevitable.
Further, when you’re in an interactional situation you can’t avoid responding to the messages of others. E.g: if you notice someone winking at you, you must respond in some way.
b) Irreversibility
Communication is an irreversible process. Once you say something, once you press the send key on your e-mail, you can’t uncommunicate it. You can of course try to reduce the effects of your message, but regardless of how you try to negate
or reduce the effects, the message itself, once it has been sent and received, can’t be reversed.
In face-to-face communication, the actual signals (the movements in the air) are disappearing; they fade almost as they’re uttered, e-mail, are unerasable.
Because of irreversibility (and unerasability), be careful not to say things you may be sorry for later. Especially in conflict situations, when tempers run hig.
c) Unrepeatability
The reason for communication being unrepeatable is simple: everyone and everything is constantly changing. As a result, you can never recapture the exact same situation, frame of mind, or relationship dynamics that defined a previous communication act.
8. COMMUNICATION IS MULTI-PURPOSEFUL
Purposes may be conscious or unconscious, recognizable or unrecognizable. Five general purposes or motives of communication can be identified: (1) to discover, (2) to relate, (3) to help, (4) to persuade, and (5) to play.
Any communication act serves a unique combination of purposes, is motivated by a unique combination of factors, and can produce a unique combination of results (Figure 02.03).
a) To Discover
One of the major purposes of communication concerns personal discovery. When you communicate with another person, you learn about yourself as well as about the other person.
Today, you rely heavily on the various communications media for information about entertainment, sports, war, economic developments, health and dietary concerns, and new products to buy. You get information from the media to discuss it with other people, and ultimately learn or internalize the material as a result of the interaction between these two sources.
b) To Relate
One of our strongest motivations is to establish and maintain close relationships with others. The vast majority of people want to feel loved and liked, and in turn want to love and like others.
E.g: You communicate with your close friends in school, at work, and probably on the phone. You talk with your parents, children, and brothers and sisters.
You may also use communication to distance yourself from others, to argue and fight with friends and romantic partners, and even to dissolve relationships.
d) To Help
Therapists, counselors, teachers, parents, and friends are just a few categories of those who often communicate to help. As is the case with therapists and counselors, entire professions are built around this communication function.
e) To Persuade
The mass media exist largely to persuade us to change our attitudes and behaviors. The media survive on advertisers’ money, which is directed at getting us to buy a variety of items and services.
A great deal of your time is also spent in interpersonal persuasion, as both sources and receivers. In your everyday interpersonal encounters you try to change the attitudes and behaviors of others.
f) To Play
You probably also spend a great deal of your communication behavior on play. As viewed here, communication as play includes motives of pleasure, escape, and relaxation.