CHANNELS
The channels that we use are the ways through which we transmit messages to each other. They serve as a container or method of delivery for messages. Channels can be categorized by things such as 1) which of our human carries or receives the message 2) whether the message is delivered orally, using verbal means, nonverbal means, or a combination of both, and 3) the main method we use to communicate the message, such as, face to face social interaction, computer assisted communication, text messaging or a medium that can reach the greater masses such as television. From this we extrapolate the fact that we are multi-channel communicators. Let’s get an idea of how this all functions.
We receive sound messages, such as noises coming from the street outside our homes, messages of sight or the interpretation of another human being’s physical appearance, messages of taste, or the flavour of different types of food and drink, messages of smell, such as the type of perfume or cologne a friend or relative might be wearing, and messages of touch, such as how soft, smooth, rough, prickly and so forth the texture of the material of an article of clothing might be when we rub it between our fingers. Think about what channel you are most accustomed to using in your day to day life, and what you find to be the most comfortable. Why do you think you are most accustomed to this channel type? How much would you say you rely on other channels for communication while using one or avoiding to use others? Communicators that are efficient will recognize the fact that communication in itself is a multi-channel process.
The corresponding dialogue between a husband and a wife provides a visualization of the multi-channel reality of communication:
Wife: What the hell is wrong with you? You’re late getting ready again. We’ll never get to the Smithes’ house on time. Husband: I’m sorry dear, I tried getting ready as fast as I could. Wife: (In a sarcastic tone) Yeah right, you call that “fast”? You’re always trying to do this and that as fast as you can, aren’t you? (Shakes her fist at him) I’ve had it with you and tolerating your stupidity. Husband: (Raising his voice) Oh, you’re tolerating my stupidity? What kind of motivation is a guy supposed to have when he has a nagging hag constantly eating at his soul with her shrieks? Wife: Oh, Mr. Perfect, you think you’re the only one who has to get ready? All you have to do is put on a pair of pants and a shirt, I gotta put on makeup, jewelry, and you think you have it worse?! Husband: (Lowering his voice) Alright, alright, I get you. You have to shave your legs, pluck your unibrow, all that stuff, to look pretty. I don’t have any doubt of what you have to put up with in today’s society to meet standards of beauty, and the pressure is high on you. I’ll have you know, I only took so long in the bathroom because I found a lump on my left testicle! (Puts his hand on the back of her head, petting her) Let’s not blow this out of proportion. Just relax, I’ll tell you all about it on the way to Randy and Wilma’s.
What message is the wife, whom we can refer to as the first source-encoder, sending to her husband, whom takes the role of the receiver-decoder in the communication process? She is using her tone of voice as well as volume, her choice of words, and her physical gestures to notify him of her anger and disappointment in him. Her husband responds in a similar fashion, using a combination of words, vocal cues and nonverbal expressions as a way to implement an explanation for his behavior. They both suffer the same conscequences due to the nature of the situation, in which they are late for a dinner with another family, by their attitudes, in which they express their frustrations to each other, and by their previous experiences, in order to showcase a pattern and illuminate problematic behavior that leads to them being late.
NOISE
When it comes to it’s contextual application to the process of communication, noise is indicative of anything that disrupts our ability to send or receive messages. We though we tend to colloquially think of noise as certain sounds or sets of sounds, noise can be caused both by internal as well as external factors. Internal noise has to do with a communicator’s psychological composition, intellectual ability or state of physical well being. External noise has to do with the environment around us. Therefore, noise can include sounds such as sirens, an offensive smell, and a room that’s too hot and muggy, but also personal factors such as prejudices, daydreaming and feelings of self-doubt, and semantic misinterpretation and pondering about what another person might’ve meant when he or she said something.
CONTEXT
Communication persistently occurs in a context, or situation. Often times the nature of a context is so commonplace that we fail to realize it. In yet other times, the context is so influential that it controls almost every aspect of our behavior. Think about where you may find yourself as you’re reading this, and compare how you would act towards others in that environment as opposed to being in other environments, with other people, under a different set of circumstances. Think about in which environments you would be enticed to adjust your manner of speaking, your attire, your posture of means for social interaction.
FEEDBACK
Whenever we become entangled in an instance of communication with another person, we send as well as receive information back and forth between each other. The verbal and nonverbal indicators that we pick up and send back a reactionary response with some of our own are known as feedback. Feedback gives us a detailed picture of how we are being received by the person with whom we are interacting. Whether it be a smile, a frown, a chuckle, a sarcastic remark, a mumbled thought or defeaning, mentally ill silence, in response to something that we’ve said or done, can lead us to either continue, alter or terminate a communicative transaction. Feedback in which we are encouraged to continue the transaction is referred to as positive feedback; this tends to lead the communicator into amplifying the behavior they think is causing the positive feedback. On the opposite side, negative feedback is meant to terminate a behavior; it is meant to act in a way that is corrective as opposed to reinforcing of a behavior the communicator is exhibiting. Negative feedback can therefore serve to get rid of unwanted, ineffective behaviors. It’s also crucial to note that the words “positive” and “negative” do not directly imply “good” or “bad”; these words are just a way of describing how reactions can affect behavior.
Both positive as well as negative feedback can be derived from internal as well as external sources. Internal feedback is feedback that you give to yourself as you observe your own behavior, usually in the form of self talk or thoughts directed at oneself. You also assess your performance during a transactional social experience. External feedback tends to eminate from other sources, such as other human beings who are participating in the communication instance. In order to successfully communicate, you must be perceptive to both varieties of feedback.
EFFECT
When people communicate, they tend to be changed in various ways as a result of each interaction. Communication has an effect on people and can be perceived as a swapping of influences.
An effect can be emotional, cognitive, physical or any combination thereof. Communication can bring out emotions of happiness, rage or sadness, it can lead you to a physical or verbal altercation, to numb out and become apathetic to whatever is going on, or to proactively avoid dealing with a difficult situation, or it can lead to new epiphanies and realizations, an increase in knowledge and experience, the formation or re-examination of opinions, beliefs and attitudes, or silence or confusion. The fact that effects are not always apparent or observable, there is more to communication than meets the eye or the ear.
COMMUNICATION MODELS
Since we’ve briefly assessed some fundamental components of communication, we can move onto attempting to apply our comprehension of the communication process into a model, picture or some other form of visualization.
Using communication, we are able to send and receive messages from other people, and those messages carry with them meaning that is up to us to interpret in various ways, both consciously and subconsciously. These messages are also sometimes transmitted intentionally, while at other times they are transmitted unintentionally. Communication can therefore be seen as incorporating several components into the process as two or more people wittingly or unwittingly exert influence over eachother.
By this point, it would be safe to say that communication occurs also when one person attributes significance or meaning to the actions and behavior of another human being. The question that might occur to you is whether knowledge of this fact will enable you to cultivate superior relationships with your family, spouse, employer and friends? The answer to this question is indubitably positive! If you attain higher levels of comprehension about these processes, that allow people to establish contact with and influence one another, if you are able to understand what factors are crucial either for the positive or negative influence over a communication event, what it is that can make it turn into a jolly or sour experience, then you will possess enough knowledge where you can adapt these principles to a communication event in such a way that alters the experience either for the better or for the worse. Models of communication like the one in Figure 1.1 and figure 1.2 do a good job of helping you visualize the communication process. These models have excellent utility for achieving the intended purpose.
The model illustrated in Figure 1.1 is meant to be a transactional model of communication. Communication here is depicted as continous circles with a dual, simultaneous interchange of both sending and receiving of messages between both communicators. Each person is both sending and receiving information, which includes feedback, through either a single or multiple channels of transmission, which suggests the exchange will build up on top of the other as more information is transmitted.
