Communicating Effectively

Chapter 7:

Human AdjustmentJohn W. Santrock

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Chapter Outline

Exploring Interpersonal Communication

Verbal Interpersonal Communication

Nonverbal Interpersonal Communication

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Learning Goals

1. Describe the basic aspects of interpersonal communication.

2. Explain the keys to effective verbal interpersonal communication.

3. Describe the elements of nonverbal interpersonal communication.

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7-4EXPLORING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Messages

The Transactional Aspect of Communication

Context

Defining Interpersonal Communication

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Messages

Encoding - act of producing messages Decoding - act of understanding messages

Noise - environmental, physiological, and psychological factors that decrease likelihood a message will accurately be encoded or decoded

Message = information being delivered from sender to receiver

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7-6The Transactional Aspect of Communication

Communication includes both context and relationship dimension

Communication is transactional - ongoing process between sender and receiver

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Context

Context - environment in which messages are sent and received– context influences form and content of social

communication

– context especially important in cross-cultural communication

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Defining Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication - ongoing transactional process that involves at least two individuals, each of whom acts as both sender and receiver

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7-9Figure 7.1 Some Important Components of Interpersonal Communication

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Review - Learning Goal 1

–What are key aspects of messages?

–Why is interpersonal communication described as transactional?

–How does context influence communication?

–How can interpersonal communication be defined?

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7-11VERBAL INTERPERSONAL

COMMUNICATION

Speaking Skills

Listening Skills

Self-Disclosure

Conflict and Assertiveness

Gender and Verbal Communication

Barriers to Effective Verbal Communication

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Speaking Skills

To communicate effectively, speakers need to consider background, needs, and abilities of listeners

Denotation - objective meaning of words Connotation - subjective meaning of words

–Speakers must consider connotative meanings of words for listeners

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Speaking Skills

Messages conveyed more effectively when spoken in simple, concrete, and specific way

Good speakers make verbal and nonverbal messages consistent

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Listening Skills

Hearing - physiological sensory process in which auditory sensations are received by the ears and transmitted to the brain

Listening - psychological process of interpreting and understanding what someone says

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7-15Figure 7.2 Percentage of Time Spent by College

Students in Different Communication Activities

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7-16Adjustment Strategies

for Becoming a Better Listener

1. Don’t hog the conversation

2. Pay careful attention to person talking

3. Use reflective listening and paraphrasing

4. Actively synthesize themes and patterns you hear

5. Give feedback in competent manner

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Self-Disclosure

Self-disclosure = communication of intimate details about ourselves

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The Johari Window

Johari Window divided into four areas:–open self (known to you and others)–hidden self (known to you but not to others)–blind self (known to others but not to you)–unknown self (not known to you or others)

Johari Window = model of self-disclosure that helps us understand proportion of information about ourselves that we and others are aware of

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Self-Disclosure in Relationships

Self-disclosure can deepen relationships–Deep relationships require risky self-disclosures which leave

you vulnerable

–Disclosing psychologically painful information requires that we trust the listener

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Figure 7.4 Some Self-Disclosure Risks

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7-21Adjustment Strategies

for Increasing Self-Disclosure

1. Proceed gradually

2. Recognize that people have different levels of intimacy needs

3. Begin with facts

4. When comfortable, include thoughts, feelings and needs

5. Try here-and-now communication

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Conflict and Assertiveness

People deal with conflict in one of four ways:–aggressive (often angry, being insensitive to others’

feelings)

–manipulative (make others feel sorry or guilty)

–passive (submissive, nonassertive; don’t express themselves)

–assertive (act in own best interest by standing up for legitimate rights and expressing views)

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7-23Adjustment Strategies

for Becoming More Assertive

1. Evaluate your rights

2. Designate a time for discussing what you want

3. State problem in terms of how it might affect you

4. Describe the problem objectively

5. Express your feelings about the situation

6. Ask for what you want

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Gender and Verbal Communication

Women - less assertive in communication Men - more aggressive in communication

Women - more rapport talk (conversation aimed at establishing connections and negotiating relationships)

Men - more report talk (talk designed to provide information)

Women - rely on self-disclosure more than men Men - interrupt conversations more than women

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Barriers to Effective Verbal Communication

Judging may take the form of:– criticizing

–name-calling and labeling

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Barriers to Effective Verbal Communication

Proposing solutions may take the form of:–advice

–questioning

–order

– threat

–moralizing

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Barriers to Effective Verbal Communication

Avoiding the others’ concerns may take the form of:–diverting

–one-upping

– logical argument

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7-28Adjustment Strategies

for Effective Verbal Expression

1. Make your message direct

2. Deliver your message immediately

3. Make your message clear

4. Deliver a straight message

5. Make your message supportive

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Review - Learning Goal 2

–What are some important aspects of speaking skills?

–What are some important aspects of listening skills?

–What role does self-disclosure play in interpersonal communication?

–What are four ways of dealing with conflict in communication?

–Do men and women communicate differently?

–What are some barriers to effective verbal communication?

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7-30NONVERBAL INTERPERSONAL

COMMUNICATION

Dimensions of Nonverbal Communication

Body Communication

Spatial Communication

Silence and Paralanguage

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Dimensions of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication includes:–body communication (gestures, facial expression, touch)

– spatial communication

–paralanguage (voice)

Nonverbal communication = messages that are transmitted from one person to another by other than linguistic means

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7-32Characteristics of Nonverbal

Communication Nonverbal leakage - communication of true emotions

through nonverbal channels even when person tries to conceal the truth verbally

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Detecting Deception

Liars tend to:–Blink more and have dilated pupils

–Show more self-manipulating gestures

–Give shorter, negative, generalized responses

–Speak in distancing way

–Speak in higher pitch

–Take more time to plan what to say

People are not very good at detecting deception

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Gender and Nonverbal Communication

Women tend to be better at reading people’s emotional cues

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Body Communication

Gestures - a motion of the limbs or body made to convey a message to someone else

Gestures are not universal

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Body Communication

Facial expressions can communicate important messages

Some facial expressions appear to be universal, but they can also vary among cultures

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Eye Communication

In the United States, eye contact serves four functions:–monitor feedback

– signal a turn in the conversation

– signal the nature of a relationship

– compensate for physical distance

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Touch Communication

Touch plays important role in nonverbal communication

Touch expresses:–Sexuality

–Consolation

–Dominance

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Spatial Communication

Hall (1969) identified four zones in which we interact:– intimate distance

–personal distance

–social distance

–public distance

Proxemics = study of communicative function of space

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Silence and Paralanguage

By being silent, a good listener can:–attend to the other person through body posture

–observe the other by watching speaker’s eyes, posture, gestures

– think about what other person is communicating

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Paralanguage

Paralanguage includes aspects such as:– rapidity of speech

– volume of speech

–pitch of speech

Paralanguage = the nonlinguistic aspects of verbal communication