Communication is the process of sharing meaning between participants through messages. It involves encoding and decoding messages within a context with potential noise. There are various channels and settings of communication, from interpersonal to electronically-mediated. Communication principles include that it has purpose and is relational, cultural, and learned. Developing communication competence requires motivation, knowledge, and skills.

1. Chapter 1 Communication Perspectives

2. What is Communication? Communication is the process of creating or sharing meaning in informal conversation, group interaction, or public speaking.

3. Parts of Communication Participants – individuals who take turns assuming the role of sender and receiver during an interaction. Sender: where the message originates. Receiver: where the message is received.

4. Parts of Communication Messages – verbal utterances and nonverbal behaviors to which meaning is attributed during communication. Meanings: thoughts in our minds and interpretations of other’s messages. Symbols: words, sounds, and actions that are generally understood to represent meaning. Encoding: the process of putting our thoughts and feelings into words and nonverbal cues.

5. Parts of Communication Meanings (cont.)- Decoding: process of interpreting another’s message. Form of Organization: how the message is arranged.

6. Parts of Communication Contexts- Settings in which Communication occurs. Physical Context: location, environmental conditions, distance, seating arrangements, and time of day. Social Context: the type of relationship that exists between the participants. Historical Context: background provided by previous communication episodes.

7. Parts of Communication Contexts (cont.)- Psychological Context: the mood and feelings of each person. Cultural Context: beliefs, values, attitudes, orientations and underlying assumptions prevalent among people in society.

8. Parts of Communication Channels- The route used to transmit messages and he means of transporting that message. Face to face communication has verbal symbols and nonverbal cues. Online communication has verbal symbols and some nonverbal cues. Other sensory channels.

9. Parts of Communication Noise- any stimulus that interferes with shared meaning, whether physical or psychological. Physical Noise: includes sights, sounds, and other stimuli in the environment that draw people’s attention away from intended meaning.

10. Parts of Communication Noise (cont.)- Psychological Noise: internal distractions based on thoughts, feelings, or emotional reaction to symbols. Internal Noise: thoughts and feelings that compete for attention and interfere with the communication process. Semantic Noise: distractions aroused by certain symbols that take our attention away from the main message.

11. Parts of Communication Feedback – a receiver’s reactions and response to a message.

12. Model of the Communication Process Illustrates the communication process between two people. Sender encodes messages based on their previous experience. Receiver decodes the speaker’s message from within the context of their previous experience. Feedback provides information on how well the receiver understood the message.

13. Model of the Communication Process Context permeates the process. Noise may occur at various points, affecting the participant’s ability to arrive at similar meanings. The process becomes more complex when you include more than two people.

14. Functions of Communication We communicate to: Meet social needs. Enhance and maintain our sense of self. Develop relationships. Exchange information. Influence others.

15. Communication Settings Interpersonal: informal conversations between a small number of people who have relationships with each other. Problem-solving group: participants come together for the specific purpose of solving a problem. Public Speaking: one or more participants deliver a prepared speech to a group.

16. Communication Settings Electronically-Mediated Communication: participants do not share a physical context but communicate through the use of technology. (ex: Email, IM, Text Message, Listservs, Chatrooms, Blogs, Online Games, Social Media)

17. Communication Principles Communication has a purpose. Communication is continuous. Communication messages vary in conscious thought. Spontaneous Expression: spoken without much conscious thought. Scripted: phrasings we have learned from past encounters. Constructed Messages: those messages we put together with careful thought when our known scripts are inadequate for the situation.

18. Communication Principles Communication is Relational. Immediacy: the degree of liking or attractiveness in a relationship. Control: the degree to which one person is perceived as more dominant or powerful. Communication is Guided by Culture. Culture: systems of shared beliefs, values, symbols and behaviors shared by a relatively large group of people. Culture has a strong affect on perception, verbal processes, and nonverbal processes.

19. Communication Principles Communication has Ethical Implications Ethics is a set of Moral Principles and Standards. Truthfulness and Honesty: Refraining from lying, cheating, stealing, deception. Integrity: maintaining consistency or belief and action. Fairness: achieving a balance between interests without showing favor to a any side.

20. Communication Principles Communications has Ethical Implications (cont.) Respect: showing regard for others or their ideas. Responsibility: being accountable for one’s thoughts or actions. Communication is Learned.

21. Increasing Our Communication Competence Must be affective and appropriate. Depends on motivation, knowledge, and skills. Credibility and social ease are also important to communicate competence.

22. Developing Communication Skill Improvement Goals State the Problem. State the Specific Goal. Outline a specific procedure for reaching the goal. Devise a method of determining when the goal has been reached.