Pesonal Comm

Components of Communication

In this section you will learn how communication in action really works. The components of communication are people, messages, channels, feedback, codes, encoding and decoding, noise, and situation.

Building behaviors

Current Behaviors 360 Feedback

Write down at least three communication skills you think you regularly do well in your daily conversations with others. Next, list three communication skills you need to improve on over the course of this semester. Now ask at least three people from different social groups in your life to answer the same questions about you. For example, you could pick a friend, a sibling, and a parental figure. How do their answers compare to yours? What are the top two communication behaviors you want to focus on improving as a result of this class? Let the people in your life know you are working on these skills; their support will encourage you to practice these skills.

PEOPLE

People are involved in the human communication process in two roles—as both the sources and the receivers of messages. A source initiates a message, and a receiver is the intended target of the message. Individuals do not perform these two roles independently, however; instead, they are the sources and the receivers of messages simultaneously and continually.The people with whom we communicate are diverse. They are of different ages and genders and perhaps from different cultural backgrounds. Each of these characteristics associated with diversity can influence the process of communication as people attempt to negotiate the meaning of messages.

THE MESSAGE

The message is the verbal and nonverbal form of the idea, thought, or feeling that one person (the source) wishes to communicate to another person or a group of people (the receivers). The message is the content of the interaction. The message includes the symbols (words and phrases) you use to communicate your ideas, as well as your facial expressions, bodily movements, gestures, physical contact, and tone of voice, as well as other nonverbal codes. The message may be relatively brief and easy to understand or long and complex. Some experts believe that real communication stems only from messages that are intentional, those that have a purpose. However, we believe that some messages can be unintentional. For example, you may not intend to show your emotions in certain situations, but your facial expressions and tone of voice might tip others off that you are angry or anxious. These unintended messages add potentially important information to the communication interaction.

THE CHANNEL

The channel is the means by which a message moves from the source to the receiver of the message. Think about how you communicate with your family. In some situations you are face-to-face and use your voice to send messages through sound waves. In other situations you might use your voice to talk over the phone, and yet other situations might involve text messages or status updates on social media. Each of these examples illustrates how the same communicators—you and your family—can use multiple channels to send messages. Of course, the channel used can potentially influence the meaning assigned to the messages. For instance, what are the implications of breaking up with a partner using text or even Twitter as opposed to a face-to-face conversation?

FEEDBACK

Feedback is the receiver's verbal and nonverbal response to the source's message. Ideally, you respond to another person's messages by providing feedback, so that the source knows the message was received as intended. Feedback is part of any communication situation. Even no response, or silence, is feedback, as are restless behavior and quizzical looks from students in a classroom. It is through feedback that communicators negotiate meaning in the process of communicating. Silence could signal disagreement. A raised eyebrow could imply a lack of understanding. A simple word, “Fantastic!” could show excitement in response to another person's idea. Because we are simultaneously senders and receivers of messages, we are constantly providing feedback to others in an attempt to negotiate meaning.Page 11

engaging diversity

Age Differences in Social Media

The rising dominance of social media poses a challenge for businesses. How is it possible to get messages to consumers? You might think that advertising can simply translate to social media, but are all social media platforms productive? A recent article in Business Insider attempted to explain how one's age influences perceptions of various social media outlets. For instance, older people tend to love Facebook, whereas teens view it like an awkward family dinner with relatives. Adults love Twitter, but teens largely don’t get the point. And, whereas Snapchat is liberating to younger users, older adults have really not figured out that it even exists. The point? Age influences how we interact with social media. As we interact with people of differing ages, we have to remember that the menu of social media alternatives differs.Source: Moss, C. (2015, January 9). A teenager finally explains what adults just don’t get about Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Business Insider ( www.businessinsider.com/what-teenagers-think-of-social-media-2015-1 ).

CODE

A computer carries messages via binary code on cable, wire, or fiber; similarly, you converse with others by using a code called “language.” A code is a systematic arrangement of symbols used to create meanings in the mind of another person or persons. Words, phrases, and sentences become “symbols” used to evoke images, thoughts, and ideas in the mind of others. If someone yells “Stop” as you approach the street, the word stop has become a symbol that you are likely to interpret as a warning of danger.Verbal and nonverbal codes are the two types of code used in communication. Verbal codes consist of symbols and their grammatical arrangement. All languages are codes. Nonverbal codes consist of all symbols that are not words, including bodily movements, the use of space and time, clothing and other adornments, and sounds other than words. Nonverbal codes should not be confused with nonoral codes. All nonoral codes, such as bodily movement, are nonverbal codes. However, nonverbal codes also include oral codes, such as pitch, duration, rate of speech, and sounds like “eh” and “ah.”

ENCODING AND DECODING

If communication involves the use of codes, the process of communicating can be viewed as one of encoding and decoding. Encoding is the process of translating an idea or a thought into a code. Decoding is the process of assigning meaning to that idea or thought. Think about the process you go through when ordering pizza with friends. In response to the typical question of “What do you want?” how often is “I like anything” provided in response? When ordering the pizza, do you take free rein to order a large pie with anchovies, extra onions, and jalapeños? Probably not. You probably know to not interpret “I like anything” too literally. So, you might use feedback to clarify what is off limits. During communication, our use of codes to encode and decode often requires additional explanation to arrive at solid shared meaning. That's why feedback is so important to the communication process.

NOISE

In the communication process, noise is any interference in the encoding and decoding processes that reduces the clarity of a message. Noise can be physical, such as loud sounds; distracting sights, such as a piece of food between someone's front teeth; or an unusual behavior, such as someone standing too close for comfort. Noise can be mental, psychological, or semantic, such as daydreams about a loved one, worry about the bills, pain from a tooth, or uncertainty about what the other person's words mean. Noise can be anything that interferes with receiving, interpreting, or providing feedback about a message.

SITUATION

The final component of communication is the situation, the location where communication takes place. Later in the chapter you will learn about six different contexts for communication, ranging from interpersonal to mass communication. Each context provides a different type of situation in which you communicate. For instance, a conversation between two people tends to be less formal, whereas a public speech before hundreds might be more formal. The relationship between people could also affect the situation. You communicate with your boss differently than with your coworkers. Even the channel can impact the situation—face-to-face communication might be more personal than some forms of social media. The situation combines other elements of the communication process to influence the overall tone of the interaction.