Speech Communication Theory

Environmental noise

Any physical noise present in a communication encounter, such as other people talking in a crowded diner.

Cultural context

Aspects of our identity such as race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, and ability that influence our communication.

Identity needs

Communication meets our identity needs by allowing us to present ourselves to others in particular ways.

Instrumental needs

Communication meets our instrumental needs by helping us achieve short and long term goals.

Physical needs

Communication meets our physical needs by helping us maintain physical and psychological well-being

Relational needs

Communication meets our relational needs by helping us initiate, maintain, and terminate relationships.

Channel

Encoded messages are sent through a _____, or a sensory route on which a message travels, to the receiver for decoding.

Critical listening

Goal is to analyze or evaluate a message. It is important in persuasive exchanges so that you can discern whether someone is trying to mislead you, but useful in any situation where information is being exchanged.

Feedback

Includes messages sent in response to other messages and leads to a more complex understanding of the roles of participants in a communication encounter.

Communication as a process

Includes messages that vary in terms of conscious thought and intention. Communication is also irreversible and unrepeatable.

Transmission

The _____ model of communication describes communication as a one-way, linear process in which a sender encodes a message and transmits it through a channel to a receiver who decodes it.

Transaction

The _____ model of communication describes communication as a process in which communicators generate social realities within social, relational, and cultural contexts. This model includes participants who are simultaneously senders and receivers and accounts for how communication constructs our realities, relationships, and communities.

Interaction

The _____ model of communication describes communication as a two-way process in which participants alternate positions as sender and receiver and generate meaning by sending and receiving feedback within physical and psychological contexts.

Physical context

The environmental factors in a communication encounter, such as the size, layout, temperature, and lighting of a space influence our communication.

Noise

The general term for anything that interferes with a message being sent between participants in a communication encounter.

Psychological context

The mental and emotional factors in a communication encounter, such as stress, anxiety, and emotions that can affect our communication.

Encoding

The process of turning thoughts into communication.

Participants

The senders and/or receivers of messages in a communication encounter.

Social context

The stated rules or unstated norms that guide communication, such as don't interrupt people and thank people when they pay you a compliment.

Semantic noise

The type of noise that occurs in the encoding and decoding process when participants do not understand a symbol.

Message

The verbal or nonverbal content being conveyed from sender to receiver.

Decoding

the process of turning communication into thoughts.

Five stages of listening

1. Receiving 2. Interpreting 3. Recalling 4. Evaluating 5. Responding

Four ways to engage in empathetic listening

1. Suspend or attempt to suppress judgement of the other person or their message 2. Responding by paraphrasing to the other person without making it about yourself 3. Mirroring the other person's nonverbal cues 4. Asking questions to not interrupt or interrogate the other person, but instead get a better understanding of the message they are trying to send

Bad listening practices

- Interrupting - Distorted listening - Eavesdropping - Aggressive listening - Narcissistic listening - Pseudo listening

Types of listeners

- People oriented - Action oriented - Content oriented - Time oriented

Seven main purposes for listening

- to focus on messages sent by other people or noises coming from our surroundings - to better our understanding of other people's messages - to monitor nonverbal signals - to indicate that we are interested or paying attention - to empathize with others and show we care for them (relational maintenance) - to engage in negotiation, dialogue, or other exchanges that result in shared understanding of an agreement on an issue

Empathetic listening

This type of listening is key for dialogue and helps maintain interpersonal relationships. In order to reach dialogue, people must have a degree of open-mindedness and a commitment to civility that allows them to believe in and advocate for their own position. It is the most challenging form of listening.

Informational listening

Type of listening used when we listen to news reports, voice mail, and briefings at work. Since retention and recall are important components, good concentration and memory skills are key. Its goals are comprehending and retaining.

Communication ethics

Varies by culture and context and involves the negotiation of and reflection on our actions regarding what we think is right and wrong.

Verbal and nonverbal indicators of listening

Verbal: 1. Referencing previous statements made by the other person 2. Asking questions Nonverbal: 1. Eye contact 2. Head nodding

Discriminative listening

When the listener interprets and assigns meaning to sound rather than to words. The listener interprets the differences and nuances of sounds and body language. The listener is sensitive to attributes including rate, volume, pitch, and emphasis in speaking.

Relational context

When we have an established _____, we may be able to bend or break social norms and rules more easily. We communicate differently with someone we just met versus someone we've known a long time.