The Communication Process Section 5.1. Communication is an exchange of information between two or more people. It is a two-way process that involves both.

The Communication

Process

Section 5.1

Communication is an exchange of information between two or more people. It is a two-way process that involves both sending and receiving messages.

Sender transmits or sends the message

Receiver hears and interprets the message

Good communication occurs when the sender of the message and the receiver end up with a shared meaning about the message.

Types of Communication

Nonverbal communication is a way of sending and receiving messages without using words.

Verbal communication is the use of words to send and receive messages.

As you become more aware of how you send messages to others, you can begin to develop better communication skills.

Nonverbal Communication

Developing your nonverbal skills are important

1. You become aware of the nonverbal messages you send and receive

2. You can learn to send clearer nonverbal messages

3. Your actions need to support the words you say otherwise this will lead to confusion

Nonverbal Communication

Body language involves sending message through body movements. Through body language, people can express their thoughts, feelings and emotions.

1. Facial Expressions

2. Gestures

3. Body Motions

What are some examples of body language that could be interpreted in different ways, depending on your cultural background.

Verbal Communication

Your environment influences the words your use and the way you use them to express yourself.

Word meanings may vary from one part of the country to another, or from one culture to another.

Your tone of voice can change the meaning of the word

Verbal Communication

Communicating well with others begins with you. By developing your skills in expressing yourself, you will send clearer messages

Developing your listening skills is an equally important part of communication. To be a good listener, you need to develop your skills in active listening

Expressing Yourself

“I-statements are used to express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas and can help you speak for yourself—from your point of view

I-statements give you responsibility and control over what you communicate to others.

Types of I-statements

Descriptive

Used to report what you have seen or heard

Describe information taken in through your senses

“I see the scale reads 135 pounds”

“I smell smoke”

Thought

Start with words such as “I think,” “I wonder,” or “I believe”

Tell others how you interpret what you have seen or heard

“I wonder if it will rain today.”

“I believe I am gaining weight.”

Feeling

Let others know how you feel

“I feel discouraged because I failed the test”

“I feel worried that it will rain during the ball game”

Intention

Let others know what you want to do

Start with words such as “I want” or “I wish”

“I want to pass this course.”

“I wish I could lose some weight.”

Action

Let others know what you are doing now, have done in the past, or will do in the future.

Use action verbs

“I studied two hours last night”

“I plan to memorize that information before the test”

Avoid You-statements

Attack the person, not the problem

Attack the senders self-esteem

The receiver may respond in a defensive manner

They may feel that his or her thoughts, opinions and feelings are unimportant.

Receiving Messages

Passive Listening- they hear words without always listening for meanings

Don’t know if the message was understood

Active Listening-when you give the sender some type of sign that you are listening

Giving feedback shows that you are listening and encourages the sender to keep talking

Checking out means using questions to clarify a message. Ex- “Did you say that his car is wrecked?”

Reflecting you repeat in your own words what you think has been said

Keys to Good ListeningShow interest in what the other person is saying by sitting forward and using eye contact

Try to block out interruptions

Let the sender complete his or her thoughts

Accept the sender’s ideas and feelings

Use good verbal skills in giving feedback. Ask questions, reflect feelings, or restate an idea when appropriate

Control your nonverbal messages. Make sure that they are positive and reinforce your comments

Be aware of strong emotions. Understand that they can affect a message’s clarity, and the way that you might respond.

Don’t let silence make you nervous. Silence provides time for both people to think about what was said

Factoring Affecting

Communication

Section 5.2

Your Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is an important factor in the way messages are sent or received.

People with low self-esteem have more problems communicating effectively. They may not be quite sure of their own feelings.

Sharing thoughts and feelings with another person is a good way to build self-esteem.

Negative Communication Patterns

Lying is a negative communication pattern in which people are not honest. They do not share observations, thoughts and feelings in an accurate way.

Blaming is a pattern in which people accuse other for everything that goes wrong.

Placating is a pattern of communication in which people will say or do something just to please others or keep them from getting upset. Going along with the crowd is easier for people with low self-esteem

Distracting is when people just ignore unpleasant situations. They may put the issue aside as not really being important.

When a friend is using a negative communication pattern, how could you respond to help improve your

friend’s self-esteem?

Your Emotional State

Before trying to communicate, you need to recognize your emotional state.

Intense emotions get in the way of sharing complex thoughts and ideas. If your emotions are intense let the other person know you need time to sort your emotions out.

Your Environment

The times of day or the amount of time you have can make a difference.

Avoid busy and noisy environments

Fatigue or illness can keep a person from showing interest

Distance between the two who are communicating makes it harder to interpret body language and nonverbal signals

Communicating via the internet or even over a phone makes it hard to get a complete picture of the sender’s total message.

What are some common items used to communicate in today’s society? How do you

think current technology affects a person’s ability to fully understand and interpret

another’s message?

Communication Barriers

People with closed minds shut out or ignore opinions and beliefs that are different from their own.

Prejudice occurs when a person forms opinions about others without complete knowledge of facts.

How can you overcome communication barriers?

Keep an open mind

Avoid mixed messages

Overcome prejudice other other by asking questions and getting all the facts before forming an opinion

Practice active listening when others speak. Do not let your mind wander. Respond only when the speaker is finished and it is your turn

Gender and

Communication

Quiz Time!!!True or False

Women search for the meaning behind words more than men.

TRUE

When men and women are together in a group women talk more than men.

FALSE

Women use more direct eye contact than men.

TRUE

Men, more than women, take the initiative to start and maintain conversations.

FALSE

Women ask more questions than men ask.

TRUE

Women ask for assistance more frequently than men do.

TRUE

Men use less confrontational body language than women.

FALSE

When listening, women appear to be more attentive.

TRUE

Females dominate public discussions more than men.

FALSE

Males interrupt women more frequently than women interrupt men.

TRUE

Goals during Talking

Males view talking as a competition

Females view talking as a way to connect with people.

How do you think this creates differences when males and females try to communicate?

Women try to get closer through conversation and men want to win the conversation.

“It’s Complicated”

Literal-take words at face value

Implied- reading between the lines

Describe (tell all about) a time when what you were saying was taken out of context or misconstrued.

Questions in Conversations

Males often see questions as a literal request for an answer.

Females often use questions to start conversations.

5 ways Men and Women’s Speech Patterns Differ

Tag endings are questions tagged on to the end of sentences. They make speakers

appear more unsure of themselves.

SHE: “That test was tough, wasn’t it?”

HE: “That test was tough!”

Upward inflections is a rising intonation at the end of a sentence that gives a sense of uncertainty. Making a statement, as a statement sounds authorative.

She: “My neighbor played his stereo all night, so I didn’t get any sleep?”

He: “My neighbor played his stereo all night so I didn’t get any sleep.”

Emotional verbs- women use more emotional verbs, such as, “I feel…I love…I hope..”

She: “I love the student evaluation form you designed. I feel the report should be laid out using excel.”

He: “The student evaluation form you designed is excellent. The report should be laid out using excel.”

Qualifiers are words like “a bit” and “kind of”

“Third quarter seems a bit long”

Quantifiers such as “always, never, all or none” sound more confident, less tentative.

“The third quarter always seems so long”

Disclaimers is a phrase at the beginning of a sentence that weakens the following statement.

“I’m not sure but…”

Hedge weakens an idea by including words:

“Maybe” and “Sort of”

Skills for Conflict

Resolution

Section 5.3

Conflict occurs when any two people disagree on the same issue. Some conflict is a normal part of most relationships. Even when people attempt to communicate clearly, conflict can occur.

Conflict occurs for many reasons, it is often due to different personal values.

People often respond to a disagreement by arguing.

Arguing is a negative form of communication and is used to protect their self-esteem. It attacks the person not the problem.

Name-calling and blaming are two types of You-Statements. Both are destructive to a relationship as they create more hostility. The real conflict is left unresolved.

In what ways would conflict be harmful to a relationship?

Steps to Resolving Conflicts

Conflict Resolution is one skill that can help you resolve conflicts in a positive way. Using this skill builds relationships.

Steps to Resolving Conflict1. Identify the problem

2. Identify who owns the problem

3. Accept ownership of the problem

4. Solve the problem

1. Identify the Problem

• Use good communication, I-statements and active listening

• Take time to analyze and identify the real problem

2. Identify who owns the problem

• Problem Ownership is the person bothered by the situation owns the problem.

• If the problem affects or disturbs more than one person, both people share ownership jointly.

3. Accept Ownership of the Problem

• If two people own the problem, they must work together to find a solution.

• Sometimes only one person accepts the responsibility for a joint problem. In this case it can be difficult to reach a solution that is fair to both people.

4. Solve the Problem

• Negotiation is a communication process in which people alternate between sending and receiving messages

• Reach an agreeable solution

• Keeping open communication

• Compromise is a give-and-take method that allows both people to express themselves. It is an effective way to resolve conflict

When Problem Solving you need to:

Identify the Problem

Identify the alternative solutions

Evaluate the alternatives

Choose the best solution

Implement the solution

Evaluate the solution. Was it effective in solving the problem?

Activity: Think It Through on pg 123