Intro to Communications Chapter 2

 Process of creating understanding through the exchange of messages  Ex. Talking is not communication unless the other person understands what you are saying  Seldom perfect – room for constant improvement  Class will teach you strategies to improve your ability to communicate effectively

 It is an ongoing activity – no real beginning or end  Starts before you ever speak  Continues after you finish – audience analysis  Involves feedback from audience – often non- verbal – frowns, smiles, nodding etc  Affects others and is affected by others  Complex Process

 Communication Model  Sender – Person who has message to communicate  Receiver – Person to whom the message is intended, could be one or many  Message – Idea the sender wants the receiver to understand – THIS IS CRUCIAL!!  Feedback – Verbal or non-verbal response to message

 Verbal – Any Communication, spoken or written, that uses words (any language)  Non-verbal – Does not use words. Facial expressions, gestures, vocal inflection, head movement, laughter, or even silence.

 Context – physical, social, psychological, and time elements which communications takes place in  The Physical Place - indoors or outdoors, individual or group setting  The Social Aspect – relationship between people involved, familiar or stranger, shared experiences, age  Psychological – attitudes or behaviors of people involved, hostile or friendly, formal or casual, common goals?  Time – Actual time, point in relationship or stage of relationship, morning or evening

 Channel – The means of communication, could be verbal or non-verbal  Interference – Anything that prevents effective communication.  Can occur at any point in the process.  Can be caused by sender or receiver – lack of attention, fail to speak clearly  Outside factors – failure of sound system, time of day affects interest level  Channel Distortion - aids are too small, visual impediments

 Intrapersonal –  Most basic level occurs within yourself  Thinking.  Key level for speech preparation  Must be honest with yourself

 Interpersonal-  Communication between people  Can be formal or informal  More complex because it involves multiple people

 Small Group Communication  Interaction between 4-12 individuals  Often used for problem-solving sessions  Working on group assignments

 Public Speaking  One person communicating with many  Continuous presentation in a face-to-face setting  Most feedback from audience is non-verbal as the setting is to large for individual contact between all members  Delayed feedback in the form of questions and answers at the end of the discussion

 Mass Communications  Electronic or print technologies  TV, radio, internet, social media, newspapers, online journals or magazines  State of the Union addresses  Public speaking for person delivering the message

 Feedback Loops –  Pre-speech – incorporates intrapersonal communications and relies heavily on perceptions  Presentation – involves interpersonal and public speaking levels, and the speaker and audience react, sending feedback to one another  Post Speech – interpersonal or small group feedback, and intrapersonal communication ▪ Think about speech ▪ Talk about and discuss speech ▪ Analyze success and failures of speech

Encoder Decoder Meaning Encoder Sending Channel Decoder Meaning Feedback Channel Noise Context