Mastering Communication: Definition, Examples, and Effectiveness

Posted on Apr 2, 2025 in Other subjects

Definition of Communication

Communication is receiving and supplying information.

Examples of Receiving

  1. Reading books
  2. Listening to the news
  3. Attending a lecture
  4. Taking information from the internet

Examples of Supplying

  1. Writing letters to others
  2. Writing a report or memo
  3. Talking to a friend on the phone
  4. Delivering a lecture
  5. Designing a presentation on the computer

How Communication Works

The supplier provides communication through signs or signals.

The receiver senses them through their five senses.

Then, the receiver recognizes them as data to filter it for information according to their previous knowledge.

Dr. Wilder Penfield’s Experiments (1951)

In 1951 Dr Wilder Penfield began a series of scientific experiments. Penfield proved,

  • The human brain acts like a tape recorder; even if we ‘forget’ experiences, the brain still records them.
  • Along with events, the brain also records the associated feelings, and both feelings and events stay locked together.
  • It is possible for a person to exist in two states simultaneously (because patients replaying hidden events and feelings could talk about them objectively at the same time).
  • Hidden experiences, when replayed, are vivid and affect how we feel at the time of replaying.
  • There is a connection between mind and body, i.e., the link between the biological and the psychological, e.g., a psychological fear of spiders and a biological feeling of nausea.

What is a Transaction?

Transaction is the reaction of the addressee (the person you are talking to).

For example: “I do something to you, and you do something to me.”

Roots of Transactional Analysis Theory (TA)

In the 20th century, Sigmund Freud explained that the human psyche is multifaceted. We react differently at different times according to different circumstances.

Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis Theory

During the 1950s, Eric Berne founded Transactional Analysis Theory of modern psychology. He said, “Verbal Communication is at the center of human social relationship and psychoanalysis.”

This theory enables us to enrich our public dealings and even better self-understanding.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

People need to communicate their needs, ideas, suggestions, knowledge, etc., to others. Their need to communicate varies from being very little to important.

Maslow, who published his work about people’s levels of need to communicate, divided these levels into:

  1. Physical needs such as food and shelter
  2. Safety
  3. Social needs such as belonging, friendship, and love
  4. Esteem needs such as respect from others
  5. Self-fulfillment such as personal development and recognition of achievements

Effective Versus Efficient

Effective

Effective means achieving the required result with minimum effort.

Effective means getting it right.

Efficient

It means working very hard at achieving the required result but not necessarily achieving them 100%.

Doing the right thing.

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Effective Communication

An effective communication process is when the receiver interprets the information exactly as the supplier had in mind.

Effective communication is communication that is clearly and successfully delivered, received, and understood.

Skills for Effective Communication

Some skills associated with effective communication include:

  • Being a good listener
  • Using and recognizing body language and non-verbal communication
  • Taking control of emotion and stress
  • Understanding and empathizing with others

Common Methods of Communication

The most common methods of communication include:

  • Vocal communication
  • Written communication
  • Visual communication
  • Non-verbal communication

Common Barriers to Effective Communication

  • Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
  • Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
  • Lack of interest at the receiver side: For example, your friend may not be interested in the story you are telling him.
  • Unsuitable environment: For example: The room where the teacher is giving a class is too hot.
  • Stress. When people are under stress, they are more apt to inject communication barriers into their conversation.
  • Slouching, tired-looking
  • Perceptual: distortion from past, motives,
  • Emotional: fear, lack of confidence, inferiority….…etc.
  • Non-assertive behavior
  • Tunnel vision