bcrm module i (1)

8/6/2019 Bcrm Module i (1)

1/27

Behavioral Communication and Relationshipmanagement

Module-1-scope-process-guidelines for developing human communication skills-relevance of BC in Relationship management;

SCOPE OF BEHAVIORAL COMMUNICATION

The need to communicate is part of mans inherent being. Since the beginning of time the human

race has communicated using different techniques and methods. Circumstances and available

technology have dictated the method and means of communications. Many early forms ofcommunication were writing, depicted on cave walls. Then communication advanced by the

development of language and the use of symbols. Papers were used to record communication forlater use. Smoke signals ; the drums , the towers, wall are indications of the desire tocommunicate beyond the immediate physical boundaries of space. Story tellers around the camp-

fire are a good example of communication, using animation, gestures and sound to communicate

their message to other members

.In 1948, a model of communication was proposed by Claude Shannon. Shannon worked for the

Bell Telephone Company in America, and was concerned with the transmission of speech across

a telephone line. Warren Weaver, in association with Shannon, wrote a preface to this model andit was published as a book in 1949. Weaver saw the applicability of Shannon's model of

communication to a much wider sphere than just telephony, and it has served as a basis for

explaining communication since that time.

Now, we are living in the era of e-communication ,ie one world one chip. But, the scope of BCIS UNLIMITED AND IT IS PART AND PARCEL OF LIFE TO MAINTAIN IPR.

What is Communication?

Any communicationinvolves a particle whichcan be in one of fourcategories: an object. . .

How does one talk so that another person listens and understands? Howdoes one listen? How does one know if he has been heard andunderstood?


2/27

These are all points about communication that have never before been analyzed orexplained.

People have known that communication is an important part of life but until now no onehas ever been able to tell anyone howto communicate.

. . . a written message. . .

The subject of communication had received emphasis upon written message in thelanguage of the individuals. Any attention given to it was mechanical.

To master Behavioral communication, one must understand it and predict theconsequential reciprocation.

In Scientology, communication has been defined an accomplishment that has led to amuch deeper understanding of life itself.

. . . a spoken word. . .

Communication, in essence, is the shift of a particle from one part of space to anotherpart of space. Aparticle is the thing being communicated. It can be an object, a writtenmessage, a spoken word or an idea. .

This simple view of communication leads to the full definition:

. . . oran idea.Communication is the consideration and action of impelling an impulse or particle fromsource-point across a distance to receipt-point, with the intention of bringing into beingat the receipt-point a duplication and understanding of that which emanated from thesource-point.

Duplication is the act of reproducing something exactly. Emanatedmeans came forth.


3/27

The formula of communication is cause, distance, effect, with intention, attentionand duplication with understanding.

The definition and formula of communication open the door to understand the need forthe BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS by dissecting communication into its component parts.

we can view the function of each and thus more clearly understand the whole.

Any successful communication contains allthe elements shown here.

Any failure to communicate can beanalyzed against these Componentsto isolate what went wrong.

Definitions

Theo HaimannCommunication is the process of passing information and understanding fromone person to another It is the process of imparting ideas and making oneselfunderstood by others.

Newman and SummerCommunication is the transmission and interchange of facts, ideas, feelings, orsource of actions.

Process of Behavioral Communication

Behavioral Communication is a process of exchange of ideas, facts, opinions and themanner by which the receiver of message shares meaning and understanding with oneanother. It is the whole sequence of transmission and interchange of facts, ideas,feelings etc. The process is a course of action. Communication as an organizationprocess affects all. It enables us to transfer information from one person to another,from one department to another and from one small or big group to another group, fromoutside to the organization, no matter whether the organization be individual, firm,

society or body corporate. The ultimate object is that information transferred must beunderstandable to the receiver.

In organizational process a group of individuals and group activities are involved. Everyinformation-transmission involves a reader or a listener who responds to the message.This organizational process is also the means of preparing information and circulating itto the others in the organization.


4/27

In the process, the transmitter uses a set of media to convey ideas, opinions ,facts,feelings to another. The media may be written media, or oral media, visual and audio-visual media, visual communication media carry slides, neon-hoardings, posters,LCD-projections, Television, film etc..

Communication is a process that uses a set of media to transmit ideas, facts, feelingsfrom one person to another. Media challenge the communication to select them with anawareness of their purpose to the listener or reader. So, a good communicator mustunderstand the receiving and understanding capabilities of the recipient not only to thetransmitting message but also to their effect.

According to Freud Luthans, communication process is the classicalorganizational structure consists of:

i. Instructions and commands are communicated down to the chain ofcommand from one person to another directly below him in the hierarchy.

ii. Report, enquiries and requests are communicated up the chain of command,and only to the one person directly above the communication in the hierarchy.

iii. Subgroups do not communicate directly with other subgroups at their level onthe chart, but instead communicate up the chain of command until themessage arrives at an office where both the subgroups share a supervisor,and then down the chain of command to the recipient subgroups.

iv. The staff plays the role of communication to collect and disseminate non-authoritative information in its role as an extension of the boss. Even in themodern business society, there are organizations which share this traditionalview of communication.

v. The ultimate purpose of communication is to reach the receiver. The processof communication is not complete unless the response is known from thereceiver. It is necessary to ascertain whether the receiver accepted messageor rejected or seeking clarifications, modification or offering suggestions. Thisis possible with feedback, which means interaction or interface between thesender and receiver of the message. Communication is a transmission andexchange for it to be successful information must flow back to the originatoror transmitter. Knowing the reaction of the receiver is the feedback. Thisenables the communication to change the messages to make it complete and

effective. Thus feedback is an important component of communication process to make communication-process a complete cycle in nature.


5/27

PROCESS-MODELS OF BC

THE SHANNON/ WEAVER MODEL OF COMMUNICATION

As was said earlier, communication might be thought of as the glue that holds asystem together. Communication occurs when one part of the system becomes atransmitterand creates or produces a relationship, called the signal, that travelsthrough space and time to make contact with a second part part of the system,the receiver. These terms are taken from the model of communication that wasfirst introduced by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver in the late 1940s. Thediagram shows a simple version of the model.

.A focus on the the transmitter, for example, might produce questions such as:where do messages come from? And how are they prepared for transmission?

A focus on the the signal might suggest questions such as: what is a signal,exactly? How do signals move from place to place?

Or, a focus on the receiver might suggest questions such as: does the receiverreceive precisely the same signal that the transmitter transmitted? How does thereception of a message affect the receiver? Must the receiver be affected at all?

These questions lead to additional insights into the nature of the Behavioralcommunication process.

Clearly, the signal is generated by the transmitter and "noticed" by the receiver,therefore, it must be something physical. Further thought suggests that the signalrepresents a pattern, or a disturbance, in some substance that forms part of the

environment of both transmitter and receiver. The transmitter and receiver areimmersed in this substance, which is usually called the medium ofcommunication. The transmitter creates a signal by shaping, changing ordisturbing the medium, and the receiver notices the signal by recognizing thesechanges.For example ,
http://www.rdillman.com/HFCL/GLOSS/hfclglossM.html#MEDIUMhttp://www.rdillman.com/HFCL/GLOSS/hfclglossM.html#MEDIUM


6/27

In human speech the medium is the air. Signals are patterns or "waves"formed in the air by the vocal cords of the transmitter and noticed by theear of the receiver.

In dolphin communication the medium is water. The signals are patterns or

"waves" formed in the water by one dolphin and noticed by another.

In computer communication the medium is an electric current. Signals arepatterns in a flow of electrons that are produced within the transmitting computerand detected by the receiving computer.

When communication is observed, it is often the case that the signal captured bythe receiver is not identical to the signal generated by the transmitter.Sometimes, and somehow, the signal changes as it travels from one to the other.This behavior is explained by noticing that there are ways that the signalmight be interfered with as it travels through the medium. The

Shannon/Weaver Model illustrates this by adding a term called noise.

And, in order to emphasize path of the signal, this more complex version of themodel also specifies that a certain part of the medium, called the channel,directly connects the transmitter and receiver. In a perfect communicationprocess, the signal would travel along the channel with no interference at all,even though other signals might be moving through the same medium outside ofthe channel. In the real world, however, most signals are subject to varyingamounts of noise.

Here are some examples of how signals flow from transmitter to receiver via well-defined channels, and of how noise sometimes gets into the flow.

A telephone cable package consists of bundles of single, insulated wires

wrapped together and coated with plastic or similar substances. Each wirein the bundle is a channel, capable of carrying one signal. The bundles ofwire group these channels together so that many signals may travel in thesame direction. The cable is insulated to prevent noise, however, you maybe talking to someone one day when a lightening flash from a nearbythunderstorm generates an electrical charge that interferes with the signaland adds static, or noise, to your phone call.


7/27

In a lecture hall you might notice that only the professor speaks. Thefact that all but one person are quiet, creates a "silent" channel thatallows the sound of the professor's voice to flow unimpeded to theears of the students. However, in the midst of a particularlyuninteresting lecture, some students might begin to whisper among

themselves. As these sounds creep into the channel and combinewith the professor's sound waves, the lecture becomes garbled and"noisy" to students in the back of the room.

In a print medium, such as this book, the signals are patterns of inkpressed to a white piece of paper. A channel is formed by forcing the printto take on certain forms such as sentences, paragraphs, pages andchapters. Furthermore, only certain patterns of ink are acceptable. Thischannel, known as "spelling," may be enforced by a computer programthat checks each word to make sure that it is acceptable. Nonetheless,noise creeps in.

A Communication process -Model

There is always a sender and a receiver in communication. At least there is an intendedreceiver. In the diagram above A is the sender, B is the receiver.

A and B have different personal realities. They each have their own world formed by

their experiences, their perceptions, their ideas, etc. They will perceive, experience, andinterpret things differently. The same event will always be perceived a little different byeach of two people.

For the consideration to communicate to appear at all there must be some kind ofshared space. The participants must have some kind of concept of each other's location


8/27

and of a possible channel of communication existing between them. They must agreesufficiently on these to agree that communication is taking place.

The sender will have some kind of meaning she wishes to convey to the receiver. Itmight not be conscious knowledge, it might be a sub-conscious wish for communication.What is desired to be communicated would be some kind of idea, perception, feeling, ordatum. It will be a part of her reality that she wishes to send to somebody else.

Something will be transmitted across a distance in the shared space. We can regard itas an object, a particle, or as a wave, or flow. It might be sound vibrations, rays of light,words, pieces of paper, cannon balls, body language, telepathy, or whatever.

Between humans there will be several layers of the message being sent. There willoften be a verbal portion, something that is being expressed in language, spoken orwritten. And there is also a non-verbal portion, covering everything else, most notablybody language. Sometimes the verbal and non-verbal messages don't agree with eachother, they are incongruent. If they do agree we say that they are congruent.

Based on what the receiver perceives, and based on her interpretation of the verbal andnon-verbal input, she will form a concept in her reality of what the meaning of themessage is. It will mean something to her. It might or might not be what was intendedby the sender.

In successful communication the perceived message will approximate the intendedmessage to the sender's satisfaction. However, the sender will only know that if shereceives a message back that is congruent with what she had in mind.

One can never take for granted that the receiver has the same reality as the sender.One can never take for granted that the receiver will interpret the message the sameway as the sender intended it.

Communication is not an absolute finite thing. Particularly, communication withlanguage is always vague and misleading to some extent.

If A says a word, like for example "trust", she has a certain meaning attached to it in herreality. She has had certain experiences with the subject matter, she has made certainconclusions about it, and she has certain perceptual filters concerning it. The meaning

of the word is all the stuff it is associated with in her reality. However, because wordsalso have nice, finite dictionary definitions it might appear as if the word is somethingvery precise.

What travels across the communication channel is NOT all the associations that Amade about the word, and NOT the intentions she had with using it. What crosses thedistance is symbols.


9/27

When B hears the word or sentence she will interpret it based on her experiences,perceptions, and opinions. She might supplement the verbal information with non-verbalinformation such as body language. She might also hallucinate what it is supposed tomean. In one way or another she arrives at the meaning she assigns to it.

There is wide agreement, at least within a particular culture, on what common physicalobjects are. When you say "car" or "refrigerator" most people will have anunderstanding very close to yours. But if you say words for abstract qualities, like "trust","love", "right", "wrong", and so forth, then there is wide variance on what people mean.

To have effective communication one needs to take all the factors into consideration.The different realities, the space the communication takes place in, verbal as well asnon-verbal messages, the intended meaning versus the perceived meaning.

Exercises

- Notice some occurrences of non-verbal communication around you.

- Notice in an actual conversations between two other people how theyexchange symbols, but each maintain different associations to thosesymbols.


10/27

TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS

The list below represents some of the most common communication types you'll use.Typically, each of these is distinguished by its content and organization. However, you'llfind variations on these types in both academia and in industry. For example, oneinstructor might identify the written results of a lab test as a Lab Report, while anotherinstructor might call it a Project Report. Always check with your instructor or companypolicy to know what type is expected and what to include. To read more about eachtype, choose any of the items below:

Graphics

PresentationsJOURNAL OF SUCESS Project Notebooks Letters, Memos, E-mail Proposals Narrative Writing Engineering Reports Operating Manuals Standards Poster Sessions

Graphics

Graphics provide illustrated information to readers. In general, graphics are designed tomake it easier for readers to understand your ideas. Deciding when to insert a graphic

depends on the information you need to convey. For example, as you're writing, you findyourself struggling to describe a complex concept. Fitting your description within a fewparagraphs is impossible, so you decide to create a graphic. Often, graphics are usefulwhen concepts, designs, or processes are too complex or cumbersome to describe inwritten or oral form.

Presentations
http://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3b.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3h.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3i.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3c.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3j.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3d.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3l.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3e.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3n.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3g.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3b.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3h.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3i.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3c.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3j.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3d.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3l.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3e.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3n.cfmhttp://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/ee-com/pop3g.cfm


11/27

MBA Students give Presentations when they work on projects. Often, professionalPresentations require you to verbally and graphically present preliminary designs tocolleagues. On the other hand, if you attend technical meetings or academicconferences, you'll discover the use ofPoster Sessions to present research and othertechnical information

JOURNAL OF SUCCESSItis an important part of every MBA student to participate in a "hands-on"experience that no textbook or lecture can provide. Writing a journal of sucessrequires you to reflect on these experiences.

Project Notebooks

As a MBA student , you should always keep a Project Notebook, containing notesof all your work. The Project Notebookprovides a convenient place to keep trackboth of what you think about and the work you do on lengthy projects.

Letters, Memos, E-mailYou might assume that as MBA, you won't have to write business letters, memos or e-mail. This assumption is wrong! Any college instructor will tell you that these skills arenecessary in industry. Every project you work on will demand that you communicatewith other engineers and clients about your ideas and research.

Proposals

Engineers write Proposals to present a topic to be researched or to suggest a plan ofaction. Typically, consulting engineers send Proposals to other companies in order toget work. The Proposalthen works to convince its recipient that a particular engineer orfirm is the right choice for the job.

Narrative WritingAs an engineer, much of the writing you do is not specifically essay or creative writing,such as the writing you might do for a composition or poetry class. However, NarrativeWritingis useful for explaining concepts or depicting situations that might otherwise bedifficult to understand.

Engineering ReportsJust about every engineering project requires engineers to produce numerous reports.Some situations require only one report while others demand several reports tocommunicate work progress. The number of reports written typically depends on thetype of project and who funds the project.

Operating Manuals


12/27

Operating Manuals depict how to use equipment. These manuals typically list thespecific steps necessary for safety and proper use. At times, engineers write OperatingManuals for the equipment or machinery they design or build. Other times, companieshire technical writers to produce these documents.

StandardsWhen engineers develop designs for their projects, they consider many issues. In particular,electrical engineers follow a strict set of restrictions known as Standards. These Standardshelp them create designs that conform to safety regulations. For instance, IEEEdevelopsStandards affecting electrical engineering, radio, and electronics. To visit the IEEEsite, clickon the Visit Site icon. If you visit the site, you will leave the Writing Center. You can return byusing your browser's "Back" button. Poster Sessions

As an engineer, you'll participate in Poster Sessions during conferences and groupmeetings. A Poster Session allows you to display and discuss your work on a project orthe results of your research. These sessions are popular in both academia and industry.

To read more, choose the item below. Use your browser's "Back" button to return to thisunit

ASPECTS OF INTERPERSONAL COMUNICATIONS& RELATIONSHIP

The following table lists the more common layers that form the basis of modern coursesin communications.

CommunicationType

Explanation

Intra PersonalCommunication one has with oneself, thoughts,

daydreamingInter Personal Communication one has with another person

GroupCommunication one has with a group of people (groupdiscussion, party)

OrganizationalCommunication within or between organizations(newsletters, memos)

National Communication within or between nations (trade, war)

GlobalCommunication on a global scale that affects all peopleon the planet (greenhouse effect)

.

Objectives

1. Human RelationsCommunications job is to help and promote human relations, making useamong their things, medium or media. There can be no mutual


13/27

understanding without communication and mutual understanding inhuman relations is possible only through communication

2. EmpathyEmpathy is feeling with the other person, expressed by speech. Sympathyis feeling sorry for him expressed by words.

3. PersuasionPersuasion is a process convincing and motivating to get things done.Speech is one of the methods to persuade a person. A sense of humaninterest in the person who is being persuaded will make him understandand appreciate the cause and effect of his action.

4. DialogueDialogue is a process of conversation or speech with purpose. It involvesexchange of ideas. It is for influencing behaviour. Conciliation andcompromise are generally involved. Dialogue is a democratic, civilized andconstructive weapon. It takes the form of discussion, criticism anddeliberation. Others view points should be considered and there is no

place for monopoly of the conversation in dialogue.5. InformationIn the new Information order of the world, information transmission is theprocess of getting things done. In complex business organizations,effective decisions depend upon collection, storage and supply ofinformation. It is a continuous process in organizations.

6. To InfluenceThe object of transmitting information is to change the behaviour of therecipient. Communication is aimed to influence, to persuade, to motivateor activate towards the desired goals.

7. Understanding

The main cause for conflict in interpersonal situation is the lack of mutualunderstanding the problems of people. Possibly the most importantmanagerial function to bridge the gap in communication; without it mutualunderstanding cannot be achieved.

8. To Discourage Mis-informationThe object of communication is not only to pass and exchange policies,rules, orders, procedures and objectives but also to avoid distortions incommunication. Communication is used to discourage the spread of mis-information, rumours, gossip and release the emotional tensions of theworkers.

9. Suggestions and CompliantsAnother objective is to encourage ideas, suggestions from subordinatesfor an improvement in the product and work conditions for reduction in thetime or cost involved and for the avoidance of the waste of raw material.

10.Free ExchangeThe two way communication model ensures free exchange of informationand ideas improvement in the product and work conditions for reduction inthe cost or time involved and for the avoidance of the waste of rawmaterial.


14/27

11.Better RelationsCommunication improves employee and managemant relations bykeeping both in contact with each other. House journal and other labourunion publications promote good understanding by mutual exchange ofideas.

12.Fostering AttitudeMotivation, Co operation and job satisfaction are more essential toachieve organizational objective. The purpose of communication is tofoster an attitude which is necessary for motivation, co-operation and jobsatisfaction.

Four Principles of Interpersonal Communication

These principles underlie the workings in real life of interpersonal communication. Theyare basic to communication. We can't ignore them.

1.Interpersonal communication is inescapable

We can't not communicate. The very attempt not to communicate communicatessomething. Through not only words, but through tone of voice and through gesture,posture, facial expression, etc., we constantly communicate to those around us.Through these channels, we constantly receive communication from others. Even whenyou sleep, you communicate. Remember a basic principle of communication in general:people are not mind readers. Another way to put this is: people judge you by yourbehavior, not your intent.

2.Interpersonal communication is irreversible

You can't really take back something once it has been said. The effect must inevitablyremain. Despite the instructions from a judge to a jury to "disregard that last statementthe witness made," the lawyer knows that it can't help but make an impression on the

jury. A Russian proverb says, "Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can neverswallow it again."

3.Interpersonal communication is complicated


15/27

No form of communication is simple. Because of the number of variables involved, evensimple requests are extremely complex. Theorists note that whenever we communicatethere are really at least six "people" involved: 1) who you think you are; 2) who you thinkthe other person is; 30 who you think the other person thinks you are; 4) who the otherperson thinks /she is; 5) who the other person thinks you are; and 6) who the other

person thinks you think s/he is.

We don't actually swap ideas, we swap symbols that stand for ideas. This alsocomplicates communication. Words (symbols) do not have inherent meaning; we simplyuse them in certain ways, and no two people use the same word exactly alike.

Wiio's Laws--and Some Others (Espoo, Finland: Welin-Goos, 1978):If communication can fail, it will.If a message can be understood in different ways, it will be understood in just that waywhich does the most harm.There is always somebody who knows better than you what you meant by your

message.The more communication there is, the more difficult it is for communication to succeed.These tongue-in-cheek maxims are not real principles; they simply humorously remindus of the difficulty of accurate communication.

4. inter personal communication is contextual

In other words, communication does not happen in isolation. There is:Psychological context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction. Yourneeds, desires, values, personality, etc., all form the psychological context. ("You" hererefers to both participants in the interaction.)

Relational context, which concerns your reactions to the other person--the "mix."Situational contextdeals with the psycho-social "where" you are communicating. Aninteraction that takes place in a classroom will be very different from one that takesplace in a bar.Environmental contextdeals with the physical "where" you are communicating.Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day, all are examples offactors in the environmental context.Cultural contextincludes all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. Ifyou come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rudeto make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the otherperson comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness,

then we have in the cultural context a basis for misunderstanding.


16/27

Intrapersonnal Communication

In the field of communication studies there is a widely held belief in intrapersonalcommunication as a unique process of message exchange and informationtransformation within the individual. Of all the commonly acknowledged forms ofcommunication--interpersonal, small-group, organizational, non-verbal and masscommunication--intrapersonal communication (hereafter cited as IaC) is the youngestand least developed notion, and the one about which the least has been published. For

all that, however, it is regularly mentioned and defended in the literature as an importantcomponent in the spectrum of communication types. Indeed, one of the strongestclaims made repeatedly is that IaC is the basis and foundation of all other forms ofcommunication. Quite simply, IaC has become an accepted model in communicationtheory, especially in the areas of speech and interpersonal communication.

Recently, questions have been raised (Cunningham, l989) aboutdifficulties just in trying to define IaC. For the most part, however, it remains anuncontested model. Its theorists assume that IaC, either as a reality or as a powerfulmodel, comprises a range of functions, and that it augments our understanding of bothwhat communication is and what it means to be a human being. Many IaC theoristsrefer to the work of psychologists and neurophysiologists to reinforce their point that IaC

comprises a number of intrapersonal processes. At first glance, that kind of referencingseems to lend scientific credence to Iac, but some weighty assumptions have beenmade. In most cases the scientific authorities alluded to are usually not talking about aform of communication, but, more conservatively, about inner processing in general:cognitive, perceptual and motivational episodes. To call these psychophysiologicalprocesses `communication' is to exercise a transformation that exceeds the interestsand insights of the allegedly supporting authorities. The fact that relatively few paperswritten on IaC have explicitly employed it as an investigative tool suggests that its


17/27

empirical utility and scientific status are even more problematic. It is significant,perhaps, that the index of the International Encyclopedia of Communications (l989)contains no entry for IaC, nor does any listing for it appear in any of the dictionaries orencyclopedias of related scientific disciplines, such as The International Encyclopediaof Social Sciences or The International Encyclopedia of Psychiatry, Psychology,

Psychoanalysis and Neurology.

Now, an essential requirement in the life of any theory is those reflectivemoments in which its adherents adjudicate competing interpretations and respondunflinchingly to challenges directed against the model itself. Just as the phenomenon ofmass communication has been exposed to a declension of competing interpretations inthe course of efforts to understand what it is, how it works and what kinds of effects itgenerates, there is a corresponding need for the same kind of interpretative exercisesvis-a-vis IaC. The timing is propitious: The recent publication of IntrapersonalCommunication Processes (Roberts & Watson, 1989), a compendium of 26 originalstudies, marks a point of critical mass at which the literature is now sufficiently ample

and sophisticated to invite serious reflective analysis of the IaC construct. Unless anduntil IaC is prepared to withstand this sort of assessment, its theoretical probity remainsuntested, and its utility uncertain at best.

what theorists say about IaC in order to see whether it really has any distinctive valuein communication theory. The essay comprises both a review of IaC descriptions andevaluation. Within the latter, an effort is made to unearth and assess the kinds ofreasoning and motivation that have prompted communication theorists to posit IaC.Altogether, the procedure involves four steps:

1. a brief description of the settings in which IaC is mentioned, used anddefended;

2. a representative inventory of the operations and properties commonlyattributed to IaC;3. a sequence of criticisms that probe the soundness of the IaC construct;4. a number of inquiries that must be answered if the concept of IaC is to

remain on the books.

THE PUBLIC FACE OF INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.

IaC has emerged in three areas of communication literature: in lexicons; inintroductory speech and mass communication textbooks; in conference papers and intheoretical writings of a more advanced nature.

Blake and Haroldsen in A Taxonomy of Concepts in Communication (l975)give a full-page entry in which we are told that IaC is a "distinct concept" (p. 25). It hasalso been itemized in Key Concepts in Communication by O'Sullivan, Hartley,Saunders and Fiske (1983). Watson and Hill in A Dictionary of Communication andMedia Studies (l989) conclude that "it is what makes us unique" (p. 91).

The term appears with mounting frequency in other sectors of theliterature. A number of mass communication textbooks state or assume that IaC is agenuine part of the communication spectrum, but in most cases treatment amounts to


18/27

little more than a mention or a sentence. A few (e.g., Bittner, 1980, pp.8-9) give longertreatment. Introductory speech texts and a number of theory-level sources are muchmore ample. For example, Applbaum et al. (1973, pp.12-31) devote an entire chapterto it. One of the earliest elaborations of the IaC construct was an influential journalarticle by Barker and Wiseman (1966). In 1980, Barker and Edwards published a 52-

page instructional booklet entitled Intrapersonal Communication. Their work wasupdated in 1987 with co-author Charles Roberts under the title IntrapersonalCommunication Processes (Roberts, Edwards, & Barker, 1987).

The widening recognition accorded to IaC has been enhanced by itsrecurrence in the conference forum. In the last decade or so, the SpeechCommunication Association has regularly scheduled multiple sessions and seminarsdedicated to this model. In 1986, that recognition was formalized by the establishmentof the Commission on Intrapersonal Communication Processes within the SCA. Eachyear a dozen or more presentations dealing with IaC and its applications are now listedin its conference program. To date, half or more of the material written about IaC is inthe form of unpublished conference papers. For that very reason it is of limited value.

Accordingly, the publication of a collection of 26 papers in Intrapersonal CommunicationProcesses: Original Essays (Roberts & Watson, 1989) marks the first point at which thepublished literature is now sufficiently ample and complex to invite a review andassessment of this concept.

OPERATIONS AND PROPERTIES OF INTRAPERSONALCOMMUNICATION

Collectively, the literature makes a surprising number of claims about IaC.Many of these claims identify functions, events or operations such as inner dialogue,reasoning or the processing of information. Other claims have more to do with thecharacteristics or properties of IaC. For example, some believe that IaC is the

foundation of all communication, and that it is an important source of self-knowledge.Accordingly, as a first step in understanding what IaC is supposed to be, it is importantto provide a catalog of these operations and characteristics.

In the inventory that follows, both functions and properties commonlyattributed to IaC have been identified and assembled into numbered classes. i Theseclassifications do not pretend to be complete, but they are representative.

Operations1. Talking to oneself, the process of communicating with(in) oneself, of inner

speech, or a self-contained communication system within the person is oftenmentioned

2. An internal dialogue or interchange of meanings between parts of the person,such as consciousness and the unconscious, or between the "I"--that "part ofourselves that is fundamentally idiosyncratic and personal"--and the "Me"--that "part of ourselves that is social product" is also mentioned. A relatedoperation is the transfer of messages between the brain and an individual'sother parts


19/27

3. A process whereby a person transacts with the environment or adapts to theenvironment; a process of manipulating cues (stimuli) impinging upon us fromwithout or even from within

4. Perception is another operation, a process whereby the individual receives,

stores, and retrieves information or symbolic abstractions

5. An interactive process whereby the "raw data" of perception are endowedwith meaning or transformed into information of a more conceptual nature

6. Data processing functions are described as well. Given the functionsrecorded in #4 and #5 above, it is not surprising that some authors choose tothink of IaC in metaphorical terms as a "data processing center". Where thatmetaphor is not explicitly invoked, the recurrent use of the data andinformation-processing idioms encourages that and other sorts ofbiomechanical interpretations

7. Feedback is sometimes identified, but more often than not is only implicit insome of the operations identified in #3-#6 above.8. Though individual accounts may stress this or that aspect, the literature

attributes a wide assortment of mentalistic operations to IaC--that is, a rangeof epistemic functions that do not seem to be reducible to purely materialchanges or elements. These include the following:

9. the assignment of meaning to, or interpretations of, perceptions, events andexperiences

10.thinking and understanding

11.problem solving, conflict resolution, applied thinking, evaluation, planning,decision making

12.memory

13.introspection; awareness, self-consciousness and self-knowledge; reflection;metacognition

14.dreaming;

15.imaging;

16.feeling;

17.IaC comprises or is allied to a number of dispositions and emotional statesthat, in turn, affect overt behavior and speech. These inner states rangeanywhere from willingness to communicate to unconsciousness andmindlessness.


20/27

18.In a move that is highly reminiscent of Immanuel Kant's intuition of time,Bruneau (1989) suggests that IaC is that whereby we experience time in allits modalities. IaC, he writes, is "basically and essentially temporalitiesconcerning internal time dimensions, cycles, periods, rhythms and kinds ofsequential phenomena" (p. 79).

19.IaC crops up as an easily recognizable synonym in the literature ofpersuasion. More precisely, "self-persuasion" is taken to be an internalprocess involving the production and intransitive movement of messageswithin the individual. Thus, Burks (1970) writes that there is "no intrinsicdifference in the persuasion of another and the persuasion of self" (p.

20.The self-persuasion paradigm, we are told (Smith, 1982),21.entails no external producer of messages. Rather people generate their own

original meanings, containing reasons for changing beliefs or behaviors....theprocess of actively thinking about an issue regarding the self or the

environment usually results in a number of self-generated persuasivemessages. (p. 18)22.Self-persuasion, or the "active participation paradigm" as it is also called, has

attracted the interest of communication scholars because it represents anarea in which the individual is no longer interpreted as a passive recipient ofexternally induced messages or influences. Rather the individual is now seenas playing a more active participatory role in the modification of one's ownattitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Agency and initiation, not passivity, are thekey notes. Much of this clearly coincides with, and recapitulates, theinternalized message-production factor in IaC theory.

Properties and Characteristics

1. IaC is exclusively a neurophysiological activity, and it can be "defined"through experimental procedures in purely neurophysiological terms (Brooks,1978, p. 13; Roberts, 1985, 1986; Vinson, 1985). It is something that is"mainly a concern of the psychologist and neurologist" (Merrill & Lowenstein,1979, p. 8). Roberts (1986) states that "all of the communication within theindividual is physiological" (p. 6). Some argue, with less desire for precision,that IaC can be viewed as a mental process, a physical state, and as abiological-psychological system (e.g., Stacks & Sellers, 1989).

2. IaC is virtually a continuous process in our waking state

3. From the earliest days of this theory, the relationship of IaC to language andsymbols has been problematic (Barker & Wiseman, 1966, p. 178) ThoughBudd and Ruben (1979) raise the possibility that "language may not be arequirement for Intrapersonal Communication" (p. 111), the consensusamong most is that language (or some form of encoding/decoding) plays a"decisive role" and an "important part" (Applbaum et al., 1973, p. 27; Linkugel


21/27

& Buehler, 1975, p. 17; O'Sullivan et al., 1983; Roberts et al., 1987; Rogers,1984, p. 7; Stacks & Sellers, 1989, pp. 245, 255-263; Whetmore, 1985, p.5).

4. IaC is essential both to the reality of, and to our understanding of, allcommunication. "[A]ll communication is to some extent intrapersonal

communication" (Blake & Haroldsen, 1975, p. 25). IaC is the basis orfoundation of all communication Barker and Edwards (1980, p.20) are notalone when they say that interpersonal communication cannot occur withoutIaC going on simultaneously. Littlejohn (1983) says that it is "so pervasivethat it cuts across all other contexts, making it a universal theme" (p. 8).Larson (1983) enthusiastically universalizes the significance and import ofself-persuasion in a manner which parallels the claims made for IaC: "In onesense", he writes, "all persuasion is self-persuasion--we are rarely persuadedunless we participate in the process" (p. 6).

5. IaC, or knowledge of IaC adds to our knowledge of ourselves and to our

understanding of the process of communication with others (Applbaum et al.,1973, p. 13; Apple, 1989; Emmert, 1989; Hikins, 1989, pp. 32) It is a sourceof personal development and self-discovery, of self-understanding, of ourview of ourselves---both as a part of and apart from our environment

6. IaC has therapeutic value. By developing this level of communication, we canpromote inner harmony, the union of body and soul; we can regain health andstability, and improve physical functioning

7. IaC has a valid role in empirical research (Brooks, 1978; Roberts, 1985, 1986;Surlin & Costaris, 1985; Vinson, 1985). It is something that can be studiedthrough empirical methods.


22/27

Barriers

One of the most common complaints from clients entering mediationis that they cannot communicate with each other. All of us have

experienced, at one time or another, the frustration of feeling

misunderstood and being unable to make ourselves understood by

another person. In mediation, the first step toward resolving a

conflict is for the mediator to understand the point of view of each

person, and then to help the parties understand each other. The

more people understand each other, the more likely they can resolve

their conflict. However, this requires both listening and assertionskills which are different from our typical ways of communicating.

Therefore, such skills must be learned. Here at the Northern

California Mediation Center, we spend a good deal of time teaching

these skills in our trainings and modeling such skills with our

clients. The response has been so positive that we would like to share

some of these basic communication skills with you in this series of

arti This article introduces the concepts of good communication and

discusses some of the common barriers to communication. Future

articles will address what is good listening and constructive

assertion, and how to do each effectively.

Good communication skills are mutual respect skills.Ideally, each person will show respect for the other as well as


23/27

respect for self. You show respect for the other person bylistening fully and demonstrating that you "get" what thatperson means; and you respect yourself when you assert or"give" your own legitimate self-interest without aggression.

To have a complete communication, each person must both"get" and "give."

Let us look at some of the conversational bad habitswhich often interfere with full and complete communication.Anything which blocks the meaning of a communication is abarrier to communication.

These usually fall into one of three categories:judging,

sending solutions or avoiding the other person'sconcerns.

Some common examples follow:

CRITICIZING "Well, you brought that on yourself."

NAME-CALLING "You bull headed ,stupid jerk."

DIAGNOSING "You are only saying that because you feel guilty."All of these responses judge the other person and therefore impose the speaker'spoint of view. The other person will often feel misunderstood and unsafe, and is morelikely to react in a defensive or self-protective manner.

ORDERING "Go fix that right now."

THREATENING "If you don't agree to these terms, I will sue you."

MORALIZING "You ought to apologize to her."

EXCESSIVE/APPROPRIATE QUESTIONING "When did it happen?" "Are you sorry?"

ADVISING "If I were you, this is what I would do..."

Each of the above are attempts to solve the other person's problem. They arevariously direct, manipulative, self-righteous or coercive. Even when caringly intended,the solution is often proffered without a full understanding of the problem. Suchresponses may make the problem worse, or create a new issue without resolving the


24/27

original problem. They also demean the other person's capacity to handle his or herown problems, and are likely to foster anxiety and resentment.

DIVERTING "If you think that's bad, let me tell you what happened to me."

LOGICAL ARGUMENT "If you leave your keys in the car, you can expect someone tosteal it."

REASSURING "You have the tools to handle this. You'll get over it."

The last three responses avoid the other person's concerns and enable us to keepan emotional distance from the person or from an uncomfortable topic. By using suchresponses, we often are trying to make ourselves feel more comfortable, rather thantruly being helpful to the other person.

Dos and Donts in Communication

1. Avoid judgmental words and loaded terms.Avoid the words that communicate to your spouse that she isflawed. Ie; "Total lack of effort"...."childishbehavior"...uncooperative....that selfish way of yours....you are sohelpless...poor me attitude.....

2. Avoid global labels.Avoid attacks on the person. "He/ She is an asshole", evil,bitch, lazy, or useless. These words attack the person, not the behavior.

3. Avoid "you" messages of blame and accusation.

Avoid using "You" when addressing a problem. For instanceyou wife comes home late and you say, "You're always late and spoiling ourevening." Or "You're never around when there is work to be done."

4. Avoid old historyAvoid bringing up old garbage from arguments anddisagreements past. Bringing up the past as a source of constructivecritique may be helpful at times. But in the heat of an argument it mightbecome a club to harm rather than to help.

5. Avoid negative comparisons.Don't consistently compare your mate with the negative.When you bring up a behavioral problem you see in your mate strive to build

up, not tear down.

6. Describe your feelings rather than attack with them.When you describe your feelings address them directly. "I'membarrassed" ....."I'm angry". Do this instead of ACTING OUT your emotion.Communicate your emotion through intellect, not through outburst.

7. Keep body language open and receptive.


25/27

You have heard this before, but it is effective. Watch your bodylanguage. Keep your arms uncrossed. Maintain eye contact. Keep your bodyopen when communicating to your spouse.

8. Use whole messages.Whole messages are those which convey, observations, thoughts, needs or wants.

Observations are statements of actuality, like a reporter from a neutral perspective.Thoughts are your interpretations of an event or occurrence. Needs and wants are yourpersonal request for something. Try using all of these components in yourcommunications to get the whole message of what you are trying to say across.

9. Avoid ThreatsDon't use threats to get someone to perform in the way you want. For instance, "If you goout with the boys/girls tonight, don't' expect me to be here when you get back!" Threatsare destructive to a relationship.

10. Use clear messagesUse messages based on clear observation absent from subjective conclusions. Forinstance don't assume a partner's silence means they are mad at you or that anything isnecessarily wrong. The point: Don't play beginning mind-reader.

Ten Commandments of Communication

1. It's not what our message does to the listener, but what thelistener does with our message, that determines oursuccess as communicators.

2. Listeners generally interpret messages in ways which makethem feel more comfortable and secure.

3. When people's attitudes are attacked head on, they arelikely to defend those attitudes and, in the process, to

reinforce them.

4. People pay most attention to messages which are relevantto their own circumstances and point of view.

5. People who feel insecure in a relationship are unlikely to begood listeners.

6. People are more likely to listen to us if we also listen to them.

7. People are more likely to change in response to acombination of new experience and communication than inresponse to communication alone.

8. People are more likely to support a change which affectsthem if they are consulted before the change is made.

9. The message in what is said will be interpreted in the light ofhow, when, and by whom it is said.

10. Lack of self-knowledge and an unwillingness to resolve our


26/27

own internal conflicts make it harder for us to communicatewith other people.

Model Qusetions What is Communication? Explain the importance of Communication.

Explain the process of Communication Explain the Communication Process proposed by Fred Luthans.

What are the various types of Communication?

What are the various modes of Communication?

What are the various objectives of Communication Differentiate between the interpersonal and Intra Personal Communication Explain in detail about Inte Personal Communication Explain in detail about Intra Personnal Communication

What are the barriers of Communication

What are the Commandments of Communication

.


27/27

i

bcrm module i (1)

Documents