the process of creating meaning through symbolic interaction

• It is symbolic (and arbitrary)
• It is an ongoing process 

a.       Intrapersonal-with oneself

b.      Dyadic/interpersonal-with one other person

c.       Small group

d.      Public

            e.      Mass communication 

a.       Physical needs

b.      Identity needs

c.       Social needs (for pleasure, affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation, control)

d.      Practical needs 

·   Sender/receivers

·   Encode and decode the messages

·   Sent through channels

·   Can be interrupted by noise

·   Environments, or the communicators field of experiences, are considered

·   Communicators

·   Simultaneously senders and receivers

·   We send feedback in response to the message, in addition to our own messages

·   Replaces encodes with responds because responses are both purposeful and unintentional

·   Fluid, not static

·   Relational, not individual 

 Common misconceptions about communication (the truth)

a.       It does not always require complete understanding

b.      Will not solve all problems

c.       Isn’t always a good thing

d.      Is not simple

e.      More is not always better 

• culture
• the communication we receive about ourselves from significant others 

How do perceptual tendencies and situational factors influence perceptions 

a)      Selection- we see the things that we think pertain to us, are intense, are a change, and it is dependent on our emotional state

b)      Organization- we group things together based on physical, role, interaction, and psychological constructs.

c)       Interpretation – our interpretations are based on our degree of involvement with the person, our relational satisfaction, our personal experience, assumptions about human behavior, our expectations, and our knowledge of others 

• words have more than one meaning, and can easily be misunderstood
• try to explain/ask someone to explain if you feel there has been a misunderstanding 

• words gain their meaning in comparison, meaning that one persons opinion will be different from anothers (hot/cold, big/small)
• use a more precise word instead

• slang is language used by a group of people who belong to a similar coculture or group
• jargon is a specialized vocabulary that acts as a short hand for people with common background and experience 
• refrain from use in front of people who are not part of that culture or group, and in professional settings 

• speech that refers to objects only vaguely 
• can lead to stereotyping 
• to avoid it, use behavioral descriptions moving down the abstraction ladder, using the questions who is involved, in what circumstances does the behavior occur, and what behaviors are involved 

• label the things you know are facts and what are opinions in your head, and when presenting an opinion, begin by saying "in my opinion" or something similar 
• to check your inference, use the perception check: a description of the behavior, your interpretation, and a request for varification 

• words that sound like they are describing something, but are actually announcing the speakers attitude toward the subject 
• acknowledge each others use of the language, and accept differing opinions on the subject 

Troublesome Language: eupemisms 

• a pleasent term substituting a more direct, less pleasant one
• can be polite, but should be avoided 

• a deliberately vague statement that can be interpretted in more than one way 
• situationally a good or bad thing. 

• content 
• reasons for communicating 
• conversational style 

• occupation and social role 
• sex role 

• listening and hearing are not the same thing 
• listening is not a natural process
• all listeners do not receive the same message

1. hearing 
2. attending- the act of paying attention
3. understanding 
4. responding 
5. remembering 

• pseudolistening-appear attentive, actually arent listening or paying attention at all 
• selective listening - responds only to the parts that interest them 
• defensive listening - take innocent comments as personal 
• ambushing- looking for info for a later attack 
• insulated listening- avoid certain topics completely
• insensitive listening- incapable of looking beyond words
• stage hogging - try to turn the topic of conversations into something about themselves 

• message overload
• rapid thought - we have time to focus on other things than the words, mentally, so our brain tends to wander 
• psychological noise
• physical noise 
• hearing problems 
• faulty assumptions

• has value 
• primarily relational 
• ambiguous
• differs from verbal 
• it is important 

Verbal: one dimmension (words only),intermitten flow (speaking and silence), less subject to misunderstanding, less impact if verbal and nonverbal are contradictory, usually deliberate 

Nonverbal: multiple dimmensions, continuous flow, more ambiguous, stronger impact, often unintentional 

• repeating 
• substituting 
• complementing 
• accenting 
• regulating 
• contradicting 
• deceiving 

• more than an acquaintance
• rare
• self disclosure
• intimacy 

• physical, emotional, intellectual
• gender and culture both influence intimacy

• cultural influence is considered 
• usually occurs in dyads
• both parties should be sharing the same amount of information 
• occurs incrementally
• relatively scarce 

• unwilling/incapable of expressing feelings in a conflict
• lets others choose in decisions
• low self sufficiency 
• gives in 
• others respond with disrespect, guilt, anger, frustration 
• succeeds by luck or charity of others

• attacks the other persons position
• chooses for other people 
• high or low self sufficiency 
• other people are hurt, defensive, humiliated in response 
• succeeds by beating out others 

• expresses hostility in an obscure way 
• chooses for others without them knowing 
• seemingly high self sufficiency, but is low 
• uses a concealed attack (crazy making) 
• others become confused, frustrated, and feel manipulated
• wins by manipulation

• conveys the message in a roundabout way 
• chooses for others without them knowing it 
• high or low self sufficiency 
• they are strategic, and oblique 
• people unkowingly comply or resist 
• they gain unwitting compliance of others

• chooses for themselves, but is accepting that the other person may not aggree
• usually high self sufficiency 
• they dirctly confront the problem 
• mutual respect 
• attempts win-win situation 

• manuscript 
• memorized
• impromptu
• extemporaneous