You’ll derive the benefits just mentioned through our exposure and mastery of the major forms of human communication, which can vary from oneperson communication (in which you talk to yourself) to communication with millions (as in public speaking, mass communication, and computer-mediated communication). Here we look briefly at each of these forms (see the preview summary in Table 1.1).
Intrapersonal Communication
Intrapersonal communication is communication you have with yourself. Through intrapersonal communication you talk with, learn about, and judge yourself. You persuade yourself of this or that, reason about possible decisions to make, and rehearse messages that you plan to send to others. In intrapersonal communication you might, for example, wonder how you did in an interview and what you could have done differently.
You might conclude you did a pretty good job but that you need to be more assertive when discussing salary. Increasing your self-awareness, your mindfulness, and your ability to think critically about all types of messages will aid you greatly in improving your own intrapersonal communication. And this information—on the self, perception, listening, and verbal and nonverbal messages—will provide a foundation for learning about the various forms of human communication.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is communication between two persons or among a small group of persons. Most often, the communication emphasized in the study of interpersonal communication is communication of a continuing personal (rather than temporary and impersonal) nature; it’s communication between or among intimates or those involved in close relationships—friends, romantic partners, family, and coworkers, for example. These relationships are interdependent, meaning that the actions of one person have some impact on the other person; whatever one person does influences the other person. Sometimes interpersonal communication is pleasant, but sometimes it erupts into conflict—making each person’s communication especially significant for the other.
Interviewing
Interviewing is communication that proceeds by question and answer. Through interviewing you learn about others and what they know; you counsel or get counseling from others; or you get or don’t get the job you want and ultimately the career you’re preparing for in college. Today much interviewing (especially initial interviews) takes place through e-mail and (video) phone conferencing. Many of the skills for interviewing are the same skills noted for interpersonal and small group communication. The skills more specific to interviewing are covered in the companion text, The Interviewing Guidebook, second edition.
Small Group Communication
Small group communication is communication among members of groups of about five to ten people. Small group communication serves relationship needs such as those for companionship, affection, or support as well as task needs such as balancing the family budget, electing a new chairperson, or designing a new ad campaign. Through small group communication you interact with others, solve problems, develop new ideas, and share knowledge and experiences. You live your work and social life largely in groups, from school orientation meetings to executive board meetings; from informal social groups to formal meetings discussing issues of local or international concern. You also may live a good part of your life in online chat rooms, where you may interact with people from different cultures living thousands of miles away, and in social networking (for example, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn) where you learn about and communicate with others.
Organizational Communication
Organizational communication is communication that takes place within an organization among members of the organization. Conferencing with colleagues, working in teams, talking with a supervisor, or giving employees directions are just a few examples of organizational communication. The study of organizational communication offers guidelines for improving your own formal and informal communication in an organizational setting.
Public Speaking
Public speaking, also termed public communication or presentational speaking, is communication between a speaker and an audience. Audiences range in size from several people to hundreds, thousands, and even millions. Through public communication, others inform and persuade you. And you, in turn, inform and persuade others—to act, to buy, or to think in a particular way.
Much as you can address large audiences face to face, you also can address such audiences electronically and through the mass media. Through newsgroups, blogs, or social networks, for example, you can post a “speech” for anyone to read and then read their reactions to your message. And with the help of the more traditional mass media of radio and television, you can address audiences in the hundreds of millions as they sit alone or in small groups scattered throughout the world.
Computer-Mediated Communication
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a general term that includes all forms of communication between people that take place through some computer, electronic, or Internet connection, for example, e-mail, texting, blogging, instant messaging, tweeting, or chatting on social network sites such as Facebook or MySpace or on your phone. All of these computer-mediated forms, like their face-to-face counterparts, are used both socially and in the world of business.
Some CMC (such as e-mail or blogging) is asynchronous, meaning that it does not take place in real time. You may send your message today, but the receiver may not read it for a week and may take another week to respond. Consequently, much of the spontaneity created by face-to-face real-time communication is lost in asynchronous communication. You may, for example, be very enthusiastic about a topic when you send your e-mail or post on your blog, but practically forget it by the time someone responds. Other forms of CMC (such as tweeting, chatting on social network sites, interactive websites, and instant messaging) are often synchronous—they occur at the same time and are similar to phone communication except that CMC is largely text-based rather than voice-based.
Table 1.2 presents some of the similarities and differences between face-to-face and computer-mediated communication. As you review the table, you may wish to add other similarities and differences or take issue with the ones identified here.
Mass Communication
Mass communication is communication from one source to many receivers, who may be scattered throughout the world. Mass communication takes place via at least the following media outlets: newspapers, magazines, television, radio, film, and video. The coverage of mass communication in this book focuses on media literacy and aims to help you to become a wiser, more critical user of the media. Beginning with the next chapter and in each subsequent chapter, Expanding Media Literacy boxes will help you achieve this crucial skill.
As you can see if you glance through your college catalogue, each of these forms of communication is likely to be covered in separate and more detailed courses in public speaking, small group communication, interpersonal communication, mass communication, and so on. In this course and in this text, the essentials of these communication forms are introduced, giving you the knowledge and skills to become a more effective communicator, and at the same time giving you the background to move on to more detailed study, whether in more in-depth courses or in your own reading.
Intrapersonal Communication
Intrapersonal communication is communication you have with yourself. Through intrapersonal communication you talk with, learn about, and judge yourself. You persuade yourself of this or that, reason about possible decisions to make, and rehearse messages that you plan to send to others. In intrapersonal communication you might, for example, wonder how you did in an interview and what you could have done differently.
You might conclude you did a pretty good job but that you need to be more assertive when discussing salary. Increasing your self-awareness, your mindfulness, and your ability to think critically about all types of messages will aid you greatly in improving your own intrapersonal communication. And this information—on the self, perception, listening, and verbal and nonverbal messages—will provide a foundation for learning about the various forms of human communication.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is communication between two persons or among a small group of persons. Most often, the communication emphasized in the study of interpersonal communication is communication of a continuing personal (rather than temporary and impersonal) nature; it’s communication between or among intimates or those involved in close relationships—friends, romantic partners, family, and coworkers, for example. These relationships are interdependent, meaning that the actions of one person have some impact on the other person; whatever one person does influences the other person. Sometimes interpersonal communication is pleasant, but sometimes it erupts into conflict—making each person’s communication especially significant for the other.
Interviewing
Interviewing is communication that proceeds by question and answer. Through interviewing you learn about others and what they know; you counsel or get counseling from others; or you get or don’t get the job you want and ultimately the career you’re preparing for in college. Today much interviewing (especially initial interviews) takes place through e-mail and (video) phone conferencing. Many of the skills for interviewing are the same skills noted for interpersonal and small group communication. The skills more specific to interviewing are covered in the companion text, The Interviewing Guidebook, second edition.
Small Group Communication
Small group communication is communication among members of groups of about five to ten people. Small group communication serves relationship needs such as those for companionship, affection, or support as well as task needs such as balancing the family budget, electing a new chairperson, or designing a new ad campaign. Through small group communication you interact with others, solve problems, develop new ideas, and share knowledge and experiences. You live your work and social life largely in groups, from school orientation meetings to executive board meetings; from informal social groups to formal meetings discussing issues of local or international concern. You also may live a good part of your life in online chat rooms, where you may interact with people from different cultures living thousands of miles away, and in social networking (for example, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn) where you learn about and communicate with others.
Organizational Communication
Organizational communication is communication that takes place within an organization among members of the organization. Conferencing with colleagues, working in teams, talking with a supervisor, or giving employees directions are just a few examples of organizational communication. The study of organizational communication offers guidelines for improving your own formal and informal communication in an organizational setting.
Public Speaking
Public speaking, also termed public communication or presentational speaking, is communication between a speaker and an audience. Audiences range in size from several people to hundreds, thousands, and even millions. Through public communication, others inform and persuade you. And you, in turn, inform and persuade others—to act, to buy, or to think in a particular way.
Much as you can address large audiences face to face, you also can address such audiences electronically and through the mass media. Through newsgroups, blogs, or social networks, for example, you can post a “speech” for anyone to read and then read their reactions to your message. And with the help of the more traditional mass media of radio and television, you can address audiences in the hundreds of millions as they sit alone or in small groups scattered throughout the world.
Computer-Mediated Communication
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a general term that includes all forms of communication between people that take place through some computer, electronic, or Internet connection, for example, e-mail, texting, blogging, instant messaging, tweeting, or chatting on social network sites such as Facebook or MySpace or on your phone. All of these computer-mediated forms, like their face-to-face counterparts, are used both socially and in the world of business.
Some CMC (such as e-mail or blogging) is asynchronous, meaning that it does not take place in real time. You may send your message today, but the receiver may not read it for a week and may take another week to respond. Consequently, much of the spontaneity created by face-to-face real-time communication is lost in asynchronous communication. You may, for example, be very enthusiastic about a topic when you send your e-mail or post on your blog, but practically forget it by the time someone responds. Other forms of CMC (such as tweeting, chatting on social network sites, interactive websites, and instant messaging) are often synchronous—they occur at the same time and are similar to phone communication except that CMC is largely text-based rather than voice-based.
Table 1.2 presents some of the similarities and differences between face-to-face and computer-mediated communication. As you review the table, you may wish to add other similarities and differences or take issue with the ones identified here.
Mass communication is communication from one source to many receivers, who may be scattered throughout the world. Mass communication takes place via at least the following media outlets: newspapers, magazines, television, radio, film, and video. The coverage of mass communication in this book focuses on media literacy and aims to help you to become a wiser, more critical user of the media. Beginning with the next chapter and in each subsequent chapter, Expanding Media Literacy boxes will help you achieve this crucial skill.
As you can see if you glance through your college catalogue, each of these forms of communication is likely to be covered in separate and more detailed courses in public speaking, small group communication, interpersonal communication, mass communication, and so on. In this course and in this text, the essentials of these communication forms are introduced, giving you the knowledge and skills to become a more effective communicator, and at the same time giving you the background to move on to more detailed study, whether in more in-depth courses or in your own reading.
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