1) Strong social relationships and avoiding loneliness provide significant health benefits, while social isolation is a major risk factor for disease. 2) Communication is a complex process where people interact through symbols to create and interpret meanings in a systemic way. Early models of communication focused on simple linear exchanges, but modern models recognize the transactional nature of communication. 3) Many factors can introduce noise or ambiguity into communication exchanges, including environmental factors, internal states, and the symbolic and personal nature of deriving meaning from words and messages. Establishing shared contexts is important for effective communication.

1. FOUNDATIONS
of Communication

2. HEALTH BENEFITS
Of Interpersonal Communication

3. • White blood cells of the chronically lonely display
abnormalities
• Socially isolated people are 4 times more susceptible
to common cold than non-isolated people
• People who lack strong relationships have
2-3 times the risk of early death regardless
of whether they smoke, exercise, drink
• Social isolation is a major risk factor
contributing to coronary disease
• Divorced, separated, widowed people
are 5-10 times more likely to need
mental hospitalization than couples

4. INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS
in your personal, social and professional life
Values: personal id & health, relationship, professional & cultural

5. Communication is a
systemic process in which
people interact with and
through symbols to create
and interpret meanings.

6. Hmm, nice guy.
Good morning,
officer!
Receiver
Message
Channel
Linear Communication Model
Shannon & Weaver, 1949
Source
Who? Says what? In what channel?To whom? With what effect? - Laswell 1948
S
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7. He smiled! Hmm, nice guy.
Good morning,
officer!
Receiver
Message
Channel
Interactive Comm. Model
Source
Added verbal/non-verbal; intentional/unintentional feedback
- Schramm 1955
Feedback
S
t
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8. Transactional Model
Context/Environment/Field of Experiences
Feedback
/Receiver /Source
Message
Channel
N
o
i
s
e
Receiver
Source
Added time & simultaneous nature of sender/receiver role

9. Message
Channel
Source Receiver
?
Decoding
Encoding
Encoding/Decoding

10. Internal Noise External/Physical Noise
- daydreaming
- prejudices
- worrying
- physiological noise
- semantic noise
- loud air-conditioner
- microphone interference
- cough
- crying baby
TYPES OF NOISE

11. Need to adapt comm. to the environment
Time, place, cultural & social-psychological setting in
which the communication takes place
Need to plan for and control the environment
THE CONTEXT

12. FEEDBACK
reactions to what is said
Important because:
- tells us how a message is received
- helps us adjust our message

13. Watch the feedback
What type of noise is there?

14. COMMUNICATION
IS SYMBOLIC

15. ?
Communication is symbolic
• Words have no inherent meaning
• Symbol: arbitrary signals created by humans to represent
experiences, objects, or concepts
• Referent: the object or experience to which a symbol refers
Communication is personal
• Meaning is in the people, not in the words
REASONS FOR AMBIGUITY

16. SIGNIFIERS & REFERENTS
Thoughts / Reference
Symbol Referent
C H A I R
an open back
wooden red chair
with lattice
scrollwork and
velvet cushion
Symbol
Thoughts / Reference

17. Arbitrary
yet powerful

18. GREEN
Requires your brain to respond to conflicting information
Takes longer because the mind automatically determines the semantic
meaning of the word (it reads the word "green" and thinks of the color
"green"), and then must override this first impression with the identification
of the color of the word -- a process that is not automatized.
60 second brain game

19. Love
Consider the meaning of the following words:
COMMUNICATION IS PERSONAL
Meaning is in the people, not in the words
Beauty
Excellence

20. Meaning involves a content & relational level

21. AREAS OF STUDY
• Interpersonal Interaction
• Group Communication
• Organizational Communication
• Health Communication
• Mass Communication/Social Media
• Intercultural Communication
• Public Communication