Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Interpersonal Communication
Shanneika Otesanya Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Introduction Interpersonal communication is communication made between two or more participants within close physical social situations. This is the process that is used to communicate our thoughts, ideas and feelings to another person, the communication could be made either verbal or nonverbal from communicating with the tone of voice, facial expressions and body language this is indicators of personality and mood as well as someone’s emotional state. Interpersonal communication is a message reception with other people, or person, listening, persuading, asserting and non-verbal. You will always have the message senders and the message receivers; the receiver will interpret and understand the communication being sent on a level of understood meanings and implications. The communication made will always be “who, says what, in which channel, to whom and with what effect”. (Harry Laswell, 1948).
Within this essay interpersonal communication will be understood through a primary research observation and an analysis of the communication used between more than one person or groups of people. This will then be related to a theory on interpersonal communication. In order for me to carry out my analysis, an observation of a train journey will be made; observations will be made on body language, facial expression and surroundings.
Research Methodology Interpersonal communication is used in and out of our daily lives, through our social situations in socialising environments. To fully understand interpersonal communication an analytical approach will be made by an observation made on a train journey. An analysis will be made on the surroundings and atmosphere of the train, your surroundings and atmosphere can have an effect on people’s communication with one another whether in good or bad social situations. An observation will also be made on the interaction made between the passengers through their body language and facial expressions. The body language and facial expressions of someone is a good indicator of feelings, comfort and discomfort.
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Findings and analysis Interpersonal communication Is a integral part of human culture that we come across everyday in our daily lives, whether it is talking on the phone to a loved one, going to the shop talking and interacting with the shop keeper or getting on the bus full of passengers, it is apart of our human behaviour. We have many different relationships with people. Some researchers say that our definition of interpersonal communication must account for these differences. These researchers say that interacting with a shop keeper in a store is different than the relationship we have with our friends and family members. Communication manner is not what we say that matters but also the tone we use and how we say it based on our understanding of the person we speak with, listen and understand our intentions and ideas or vice versa. A train journey is a dynamic social environment, with various people making journeys everyday, interacting with one another all the time. A train journey was made from London to Southampton Central; the train time lasted for approximately 1hour 52minutes. Within this time a primary analysis is made through the observation of the surroundings and passengers on the train. One of the first things that was analysed was the surroundings and atmosphere. Again your social surroundings and atmosphere can have effect on your communication with one another; if you feel uncomfortable with your surroundings then your body language and facial will indicate the same thing. A train journey is a lot lengthier than a bus ride, so the surroundings will be more comfortable for the passengers. This will lie within the space between the seats, the comfort of the seats and also the tables you get at the back of each seat, so you are comfortable and able to rest your personal items down next to you. With the comfort created on the train you as a passenger will them become comfortable with your surrounding, and will not feel tense, cramped and awkward when other passengers come on the train and may sit next to you. Passengers on a train will subconsciously asses who they will want to sit next to, we asses this by reading the body language and facial expressions of the other passengers. There gestures and posture give the message of either, its ok to sit here I wont really mind, or I will feel uncomfortable with you here and I will not like you to sit here. This is not a direct message one passenger says to one another, but this is the message one is receiving from the other by there body language and is taking that message and interpreting it into what they think, this is interpersonal communication comes in, through non-verbal communication.
On a train you will come across those who are unsure of were they are going and may seem confused and you will have those who are willing to help. On the journey it was assessed that those who are willing to help others with there journey, asses the situation with the other person, this is done by the facial expression given by the other person unsure of were they are going. The helper reads the ‘message’ by the other person unsure who is unsure on their directions, the message is ready by the facial expressions, this could be a look of confusion and despair. Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications The message is taken and then interpreted by the helper, which make them understand that the person needs help.
Loud music and loud conversations happen all the time in social situations. People on trains tend to listen to there music really loud or have loud conversations amongst themselves and friends or on there phones this could really agitate who ever is sitting next to them or just general others on the train. Some are oblivious to the annoyance that are making to others, this is because they are so wrapped up in there conversations or music. There are those who recognise there annoyance they are creating to others. Some people may say something to the other about the level of noise; you can detect the message of annoyance by the tone of voice they will use, some may take the tone of voice by agreeing and lowering it down and some may receive the message as being disrespectful and they may become annoyed and defensive. Some passengers may not express their annoyance verbally but non-verbally, again through body language and facial expressions. The person listening to the loud music will detect the annoyance by the other person’s facial expressions; this could be an expression of annoyance and body language that shows they are becoming exasperated with you. Again a message was received and then interpreted.
The Theory There are various theories on interpersonal communication, with various research, meanings and models on the communication theory. One of the theories that relates to the primary research carried out, is the ‘Schramm’s Model of Communication.1954’.
The Schramm’s Model of Communication claims that the encoding and decoding are the two essential processes of an effective communication. The encoding initiates the process of communication by converting the thought into content. Decoding is whether the information the communicator has sent is understood. The Schramm model also emphasises that the communication is incomplete unless Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications and until the sender receives a feedback from the recipient. Schramm believed that communication is actually a two way process between the first party and the second party.
This theory of communication relates to the primary research analysis, through the encoding and decoding messages. One of the examples as to how the primary research relates to the theory is the communication made by passengers in various situations. When somebody seems confused on directions or asks for help, it is a simple matter of the person in need of help encoding a message to another, who will then try to ‘understand’ the message and interpret it into what they believe is being communicated to them. The understanding into what they think is being said is then communicated back to the communicator who as well interprets the message and tries to understand it. This is also seen within the loud music and conversation example, a message being sent, understood, interpreted and sent back is what we see within this proximity of a social situation. In both situations the body language and use of tones are the messages being sent, these messages being sent are two ways communication again emphasised in the Schramm model communication is that a message is incomplete unless the sender receives a feedback from the recipient.
Conclusion In conclusion to this essay my primary research analysis, explains and shows that most of our social interpersonal communication with each other is sent through messages of our body language and facial expressions. These two elements are how messages are being sent and received and feedback is given back. The situations of speaking aloud on the phone or in need of help with directions are elements that are come across all the time in a train journey and again the body language and facial expressions allow us to read the signs of the other person of what they are communicating. The Schramm model is a perfect example of no communication is complete without a feedback from the receiver, as our whole communication with each other is based on receiving that feedback, so what you have said, implied or showed is understood. ‘Communication is reciprocal, two ways, even though the feedback may be delayed’ (Wilbur Schramm 1954.) As is known messages all have different meanings, but it’s about how you say it, who you may say it to and what the outcome of what you said is. Our social life is something we do every single day, with our social life it’s not about the social order we are ‘put in’. ‘The social order is not bound together by a moral code, but by tact, this cements the social order’ (Goffman and Dramturgy). Again a simple quote that is used everyday, that has relation to interpersonal communication ‘its not what you say, but how you say it’.
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications
References.
Power and Personality (Harry Laswell, 1948).
The Process and Effects of Communication (Wilbur Schramm, 1954)
Tim Borchers, Moorhead State University,1999, Interpersonal communicatons (Viewed 16th March) Available from: http://www.abacon.com/commstudies/interpersonal/indefinition.html
Shanneika Otesanya/Interpersonal communication/Public relations and communications