English Midterm Assignment
COMM 1011- Fundamentals of Communication
Chapter 1
University of Colorado Denver
What is human communication?
A transactional process through which people generate meaning through the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in specific contexts, influenced by individual and societal forces and embedded in culture.
Seven components of communication
Message creation
Meaning creation
Setting
Participants
Channels
Noise
Feedback
1) Message creation * Encoding * Decoding * Symbolic nature of communication which is arbitrary
2) Meaning creation
Content meaning
Denotative meaning
Connotative meaning
4
Context – physical setting, culture, individual traits and etc
Participants – relational context
Channels
Noise – external & internal
Feedback – interplay
5
Models of communication
Linear model
Synergistic model/transactional model (greater than sum)
Dynamic
Simultaneous
Interpretive
Contextual
6
Communication Influences
Communication is influenced by individual forces
Field of experience, but individualism is constrained
Communication is influenced by societal forces
Political/social discourse
Communication is influenced by culture
Expectations, values, norms
Communication is influenced by context
Physical context
8
Communication Ethics
Ethics: Standards of what is right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral
Communication ethics: Standards of right and wrong that one applies to messages that are sent and received
Truthfulness
Sharing or withholding information (privacy vs. secrecy in disclosure)
Benefit and harm of a message
Absolutism vs. relativism
Intent vs. impact
Not binding—flexible across range and context
9
Putting it all together
Communicating with competence
Appropriateness
Effectiveness
Think and share
Make a list of top 5 careers that you believe require good communication skills.
Why do you think communication skills matter in these careers?
How does communication relate to your future professional career?
What are the top 3 communication skills that you`d like to learn? Why?