PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION PCOM

MODULE 1

What is Communication?

Communication can be defined as a process by which information, meanings and feelings are shared by persons
through a common system of verbal and nonverbal symbols, signs or behavior.

As a process, communication is characterized as:

1. dynamic – it is constantly changing because it relies on human perception that can change
overtime; therefore, it is irreversible and unrepeatable;
2. continuous – it is an ongoing exchange of meaning-sharing behaviors between/among individuals
who operate within a frame of experience; it does not have a beginning, an end, a fixed sequence of
events;
3. adaptive – it adjusts to the changes that occur in its physical and psychological environment;
4. systemic – it involves components that are interrelated and interacting in a cyclic order; and
5. transactional – every communication is a unique combination of people, messages and events; it
consists of unending sharing (transmission and reception) of messages between/among people on
some occasion.

Forms of Communication
1. Intrapersonal Communication is talking to oneself (self-talk) through internal vocalization or
reflective thinking due to some internal or external stimulus. In other words, this type of
communication takes place within the person. For example, you may talk to yourself about what you
want to drink because of the internal stimulus of thirst, or you may think about a car accident you
have witnessed. In contrast with other forms of communication, intrapersonal communication takes
place only inside a person’s head.
2. Interpersonal Communication is a form of communication wherein individuals are engaged
actively in the overt and covert transmission and reception of messages.
○ Dyadic Communication is a two-person communication such as telephone conversation,
job interview and doctor-patient conversation.
○ Small Group Communication ideally consists of three to six persons such as committee
meeting, buzz session and brainstorming activity.
3. Public Communication is conveying information to a large audience. It is more sender- focused
than intrapersonal and interpersonal forms of communication.
 ○ Speaker – Audience Communication is talking to a large number of people who
are gathered for some occasion. The speaker centers the communication event on the
audience. He analyzes the audience to determine the content, language usage and
listener expectations. Effective communication occurs because the speaker can tailor
messages to the needs of the listeners.
○ Mass Communication is the “process whereby media organizations produce and
transmit messages to large publics and the process by which those messages are sought,
used, understood, a

Models of Communication

1. Transmission Model considers communication as a one-directional exchange in which the message is

purposely conveyed by a speaker to a listener (Ellis & McClintock, 1990). This model centers on the
sender and information present in a communication environment. Despite the inclusion of the receiver
in this communication model, this function is regarded merely as target or destination and not a part of
a continuous exchange of meanings. Therefore, communication is considered simply as source and
destination of messages.
2. Interaction Model describes communication as a process in which communicators change roles as
sender and receiver and produce meaning by exchanging messages within their own environment and
experiences (Schramm, 1997). Rather than illustrating communication as a linear, unidirectional
method, the interaction model incorporates feedback that makes communication significantly
collaborative, two- way method. Feedback is conveyed as a response to received messages. From this
standpoint, communication can be described as producing exchanges of meanings within physical and
behavioral settings.
3. Transaction Model explains communication as a way of creating realities based on our social,
relational and cultural backgrounds. This model shows that communication is not a mere exchange of
experiences. It rather shows that we intend to build relationships, create intercultural understanding,
form our self- identity, and interact with others to engender societies. In other words, transactional
communication aims towards creating experiences instead of merely talking about them. It considers
communication as an amalgam of our constant engagements with other people to not only construct
experiences but modify them as well.

Social context can be described as the declared rules or undeclared norms that guide communication. As we get
integrated with different communities, we become acquainted with rules and indirectly get along the norms for
sharing experiences. Some common rules that influence social contexts include don’t lie to people, don’t
interrupt people, don’t pass people in line, greet people when they greet you, thank people when they pay you a
compliment, and so on. These rules are often overtly taught to children or students by their parents or teachers.
Rules may be stated over and over, and there may be punishment for not following them.
Relational context involves our erstwhile socializations and type of association we have forged with other
people. We communicate differently with someone we just met versus someone we’ve known for a long time.
First time encounters with individuals are inclined to be dictated by established rules and norms; however, once
we have a strong relational context, we tend to disregard or alter social norms and rules more easily.

Cultural context consists of an individual’s self-concept and self-perception in relation to nationality, ethnicity,
religion, social class, race, gender and sexual orientation. We have not just one but multiple identities that
influence our communication. Our awareness of these identities adversely impact the way we interact with
others, especially when we feel inferior to other cultures. Similarly, people with identities that are dominant or in
the majority - who think highly of their culture - show more confidence in the way they communicate with
others particularly those that have been historically oppressed and downgraded.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Verbal communication can be defined as the exchange of ideas that occurs through words. This can be
both written and oral.

● Verbal communication allows individuals to exchange ideas, opinions, values and suggestions, and
creates an atmosphere where an individual can connect with another.
● Verbal communication may take place face-to-face or through some media such as the telephone.
● When a person engages in a conversation with a friend, this is verbal communication because it allows
them to use words to communicate with each other. Through letters, various documents, memos, text
messages, and bills, people communicate with others. Both situations exemplify verbal communication
in oral and written form, respectively.
● Since words are man’s primary symbols, verbal communication creates a condition where transferring
information becomes very clear.

Nonverbal communication is wordless exchange of information, thoughts, feelings, etc. between or among
individuals.

● People communicate a lot nonverbally through intonation and stress, gross bodily movements such as
gestures and facial expressions, material things such as hair style and jewelry, and touching, kissing and
hugging.
● These nonverbal elements give deeper meaning and intention to words.
● Nonverbal signals can give clues and additional information and meaning over and above verbal
communication.
● Nonverbal signals are more vulnerable to misunderstanding.

It includes the following types:

 1. Paralanguage (Vocalics) refers to vocal qualities that go along with verbal message, such as pitch,
volume, rate, vocal quality, and verbal fillers (Andersen, 1999)
2. Action Language (Kinesics) refers to gross bodily movements such as walking and eating. It consists
of (a) gesture, (b) facial expression, (c) eye contact and (d) posture.
3. Sign Language consists of body movements that are used as substitute for letters, words, numbers,
phrases and even sentences.
4. Object Language (Objectics) refers to the intentional or unintentional display of material things such
as the clothes you wear, hair style, the decoration of a room, jewelry, implements, machines, the human
body, etc.
5. Tactile Language (Haptics) is communication by touch such as a kiss or a tap on the back. It is the
most elementary mode of communication and the first an infant experiences.
6. Space/Distance (Proxemics) expresses certain types of messages. In America, there are four primary
distance zones: (a) intimate, (b) personal, (c) social and (d) public distance.
7. Time (Chronemics) refers to man’s use of time in sending certain types of messages. Time as a form of
nonverbal communication can be best explained by the concept of punctuality, willingness to wait and
interactions.
8. Silence is the lack of audible sound, or the presence of sounds of very low intensity. It can be best
explained by the statement “What is not said is as important as or even more important than what is
said.” Sometimes silence can communicate better than any words.

Combining Verbal and Non-Verbal Cues

Both verbal and nonverbal communications are part of the complete interaction process and, in practice, are
inseparable. A combination of verbal and non-verbal signals is a good style to effectively convey information,
thoughts and feelings. Smiling, laughing, and using a friendly tone of voice while saying, “That is so funny,” lets
your listener know that you really do think the situation is funny. However, making the same statement while
using an unfriendly tone of voice accompanied by no smile, clearly lets your listener know that you do not, in
fact, find the situation humorous. Another example that shows successful integration of verbal and nonverbal
communication is using your finger to point to the direction you are describing.

Causes of Misunderstandings in Communication

1. Problems in developing the message

a. Indecision about the message content. This is due to the fact that the sender has too much
information on the subject, which gives rise to the difficulty in choosing what to include and what
to exclude. When the message has too much information then the receiver can get confused.
 b. Lack of familiarity with the situation or the receiver. The sender should get all the necessary
information and find out to whom the message is to be sent. This would enable the sender to state
the message in a language that is appropriate to the situation and clearly understood by the
receiver.
c. Emotional conflicts. There are times when the message has to be delivered that would cause
emotional disturbance to the receiver. In such a case, without being defensive, the sender should
state the message in a manner that would avoid emotional conflict.
d. Difficulty in expressing ideas. This is due to the lack of experience in writing or speaking that the
sender may have and cause difficulty in expressing his/ her ideas. One must possess sufficient
knowledge of language to express using appropriate words.
2. Problems in transmitting the message
a. When speaking, the sender may find that the acoustics in the place is poor, or there may be no
proper facilities for the audience to hear the speaker.
b. There are written messages that are difficult to understand because of illegibility due to poor
printing quality.
c. When more than one message is sent on the same subject there is a good possibility of
contradictions. In such a case, the receiver is uncertain and interpretation may be confused.
d. When there are too many links in the communication line there could be distortion of message.
For instance, when the message has to pass through many people there is a possibility of each
person interpreting the message in his or her way. By the time the message gets to the actual
receiver, the message would have undergone change that would be far from the intended meaning.
3. Problems in receiving the message
a. Physical distraction: The receiver may have physical impairment (difficulty of hearing, poor
eyesight) that could cause hindrance in understanding the message.
b. Lack of concentration: The receiver may not have enough capacity to concentrate and may get
his/her mind wander off the message-i.e. sometimes we are thinking of some other issue when a
person is telling us something else. This is a big hindrance in the communication process.
4. Problems in understanding the message
a. Different cultural background, such as education, social status, economic position, etc. could
become a hindrance in the process of understanding the message.
b. Different interpretation of words: This happens when the receiver is not familiar with a particular
language. For example, the receiver may not be computer literate and hence, may not understand
the computer language that the sender is using.
c. Different emotional reaction: The message consists of both the content meaning and relationship
meaning. The message may be clear, but the manner in which it is expressed or worded may not be
acceptable to the receiver. When the message is not acceptable, then it may give rise to negative
feelings and the communication can break down and not receive proper response.