Communication Principles, Self-Concept, and Perception
Communication Fundamentals
Why Study Communication?
Studying communication is important for several reasons:
- To improve the way you see yourself.
- To enhance how others perceive you.
- To increase your understanding of human relationships.
- To learn essential life skills.
- To help you exercise your right to freedom of speech.
- To succeed professionally.
Communication Components
The core components of communication include:
- People
- Message
- Channel
- Feedback
- Code
- Encoding & Decoding
- Noise
Linear Communication Model
The Linear Model describes communication as something one person does to another. Information flows in one direction, from a starting point to an endpoint. A sender encodes ideas and feelings into a message and conveys them through a channel to a receiver who decodes them.
Interactive Communication Model
The Interactive Model views communication as a two-way exchange. It reflects the fact that we usually send and receive messages simultaneously, incorporating elements like feedback and individuals’ fields of experience.
Transactional Communication Model
The Transactional Model depicts communication as a multi-directional, two-way exchange where participants mutually influence one another’s communication behavior. In this model, there are no distinct senders or receivers; instead, participants act as communicators constantly exchanging verbal and nonverbal messages and creating meaning together.
Earliest Communication Book Author
The Egyptian sage Ptahhotep wrote one of the earliest known books addressing communication principles, dating back thousands of years.
Aristotle on Rhetoric
Aristotle taught his students that effective persuasive speakers should demonstrate credibility (ethos), provide logical reasoning (logos), and appeal to the emotions of the listeners (pathos).
Six Types of Communication
Communication can be categorized into six main types:
- Intrapersonal Communication (with oneself)
- Interpersonal Communication (between two people)
- Small Group Communication
- Public Communication (speaking to an audience)
- Mass Communication (via mass media)
- Mediated Communication (using technology)
Communication Effectiveness
Effectiveness in communication signifies the ability to use communication strategically to accomplish desired goals.
Communication Ethics
Ethics in communication refers to the set of moral principles that guide your behavior toward others during interactions.
Five Communication Principles
Fundamental principles of communication include:
- Communication begins with the self.
- Communication involves others.
- Communication is relational (defines relationships).
- Communication is complicated.
- An increased quantity of communication does not automatically increase its quality.
Understanding Self and Perception
Defining the Self
The self consists of who you think you are as a person. It encompasses your values, attitudes, and beliefs, as well as how you feel about your self-worth.
Defining Self-Concept
Self-concept is your overall assessment of who you are. It is based on your beliefs (convictions that certain things are true), attitudes (evaluations of yourself), and values (enduring principles that guide your behaviors).
Defining Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the overall value, positive or negative, that you assign to yourself. It strongly shapes your communication, relationships, and general outlook on life.
Improving Self-Concept: Key Steps
To improve your self-concept, consider these steps:
- Have a clear goal or objective.
- Make your goal realistic and achievable.
- Find information about how to achieve your goal.
- Exercise control and restraint in your actions.
- Gain the support of friends and family.
- Accept yourself, including strengths and weaknesses.
Most Crucial Step for Self-Concept
The most important step in improving your self-concept is self-acceptance.
The Perception Process
The perception process involves three key stages:
- Selection: Focusing your attention on specific information from your environment.
- Organization: Structuring the selected information into an understandable pattern.
- Interpretation: Assigning meaning to the organized pattern based on your knowledge and experience.
Defining Attribution
Attribution is the process of assigning an explanation for why things are happening the way they are, or why people behave in certain ways.
Explaining Self-Serving Bias
The self-serving bias is a common perceptual error. It is the tendency to credit yourself for successes by making an internal attribution (e.g., “I succeeded because I’m smart”) while blaming external factors for failures (e.g., “I failed because the test was unfair”).