6.29.2008

Levels of Communication

In reference to Nell's comment about the levels of communication: I think most people organize the levels of communication around the number of people participating: intrapersonal (1 person), interpersonal (2 or 3 people), small group (5-10 people), and public speaking (1 speaker with audiences ranging from very small to very large). And then there's mass communication which involves even more people. And then there's interviewing which is often grouped with interpersonal (because it usually involves 2 people but not necessarily people who are close to each other and is increasingly conducted in groups). And then there's computer mediated communication which is really on a different level because it can be interpersonal (as in e-mail), small group (as in chat rooms), or public (as in blogs or newsgroups). If this doesn't answer your question, let me know and I'll try again.

2 comments:

nell said...

thank you so much mr. joe:) thank you for that reply because i really want to know it from the expert. do we have basis for that? can i rightly say we have four levels based from your reply?how about with the components?how many components do we have in human communication?my colleagues are really arguing me about this but i found your book a credible source for human communication which would be my foundational tool in my oral communication class.

please advise.thank you!

Dr. Jeanette Raymond said...

Joe gave a great summary of the macro levels of communication that are situation and context specific.

There are other levels of communication that are more subtle and often unconscious. For example when a couple try to express their needs, disappointments or frustrations, they may come from a younger part of themselves. But the words they use are grown up, so the message is drowned out by adult code. That is why one member of the couple may feel unheard. They are not directing their message to the part of the other person that is receptive and can relate to the message. That's when couples get into conflict and become distant. Neither gets the satisfaction of feeling completely seen and heard.

It is essential to decode the message from both partner's point of view. Using common conflict situations, I do this in my blog
http://wwwcouplesspeakdecoded.blogspot.com/ See if you can begin unraveling the code in your partnership.

You can also check out my blog on dealing with hot buttons:
http://www.howtodealwhenyourhotbuttonsgetpushed.blogspot.com/

Dr. Jeanette Raymond