Communication Flashcards
(37 cards)
communication
transmission of messages from one person to another
- use of different media can affect the way message is received
- messages can be verbal or non verbal
- what is communicated depends on the contents of the message and how it is conveyed
ways communication is social
- involves inter relationships among people
- requires people to acquire shared understanding of what particular sounds, words and gestures mean
- means whereby people influence others and are in turn influenced by them
for communication to work, it requires
- speaker of message
- listener of message
- message itself
ways communication can be complex
- speaker can also be the listener
- there may be multiple messages, some of which may contradict one another
communication styles
styles in which we learn to communicate depends on the culture in which we were raised, our socioeconomic background and our gender
Bernstein
- claimed that working and middle class people in UK used different language codes
- children from working class families had language deficit because they could only use restricted code
- claimed that this limited their ability to benefit from education
language code
types of language used that reflects particular social groups
restricted code
- short and simple sentences used
- much of meaning only makes sense if the context is known
- carries social message of inclusion and implicitly acknowledges that the person addressed is ‘one of us’
elaborated code
- long and complex sentences used
- meaning is clear from the sentence alone
- covers more details so everyone can understand
African American Vernacular English
- considered as just as complex and rule governed as standard english and should be considered different not deficient
- criticism: usage of double negative where in standard english, it is greatly shunned upon
- Labov argued that several European countries also used double negative the same way as AAVE
Malcolm et. al
- considered that Australian Aboriginal children were still required to submit education that only recognizes standard english in which teachers have little appreciation for the differences in speaking and listening style
- Aboriginal children find it threatening and embarrassing when interacting with teachers during Q&A sessions
- highlighted importance of understanding and respecting differences in communication styles for effective communication
Deborah Tannen
- described communication styles that she considered to be typical of men and women
- recorded conversations between men and women to identify and understand gender differences in ways of speaking
report talk
- type of talk used in public speaking and for sharing information
- use talk as way of gaining and holding the attention of audience and to negotiate and maintain status
- gets more air time and exchanges information with little emotional connection
rapport talk
- based on establishing relationships and intimacy, developing understanding and negotiating differences
- focuses on personal and small talks
- tend to talk over one another, overlapping and simultaneous talk
socialization
communication styles evolved from childhood where boys and girls were socialized differently in terms of expectations about language styles
- girls are taught to maintain relationships through talk
- boys are taught to maintain relationships through actions
understanding differences
- friction between men and women can occur because of lack of understanding of differences of communication styles
- Tannen considered that if men and women simply understood each other, a lot of anguish can be avoided
other research findings
- women use more confirmatory noises like ‘mmm’ and ‘yeah’ to indicate that they’re listening
- women use grammatical form known as hedges to soften requests or statements
- hedges are words or phrases used to soften the impact of statements or requests being made
persuasive communication
communication designed to try to change the beliefs, feelings and behaviors of others
Petty & Cacioppo
1986
- developed the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion
- in this model, people think about the argument being made when they receive a message
- persuasion follows one or two routes and the route chosen depends on the amount of elaboration or scrutiny required
central route
- consists of thoughtful consideration of the contents of a message by the receiver as an active participant in the process of persuasion
- can only occur if the listener has both the motivation and ability to think about the message and its contents
- if the listener doesn’t care about the topic or understand it, they will lack motivation to process it
- advantage: attitudes changed from central route to persuasion are more likely to have longer lasting effects
- disadvantage: if the message is not clear and convincing, the listener will not be persuaded and would require cognitive effort to listen to the message
peripheral route
- occurs when listener decides whether to agree to the message based on cues other than the contents of the message
- listeners engaged in peripheral processing are more passive than those doing central processing
- advantage: quick and does not require cognitive effort
- disadvantage: listeners don’t always have the motivation and ability to think about the contents of the message
variables in context in which persuasion takes place
- source of message
- nature of communication
- characteristics of audience
sources of message
expertise
- accepts message from people with perceived expertise in that area which comes from occupation
- experts are seen as more trustworthy or knowledgeable and competent
fast talkers
- Smith and Shaffers found that as long as the gist of the message can be understood, listeners will assume that fast talkers are more intelligent and knowledgeable
- fast presentations make it more difficult for listeners to evaluate the contents properly
trustworthiness
- a person who is seen as trustworthy is more likely to persuade someone
likeability
- physical attractiveness can impact a persons likeability and make that person more persuasive
nature of communication
- contents of a message as well as the medium used for communication between the source and audience
- tone of language can be formal or informal, accusatory or conciliatory, polite or rude