The 21st century is the century of intensive development of information technologies, which does not exclude live human communication. How much a person knows how to build a dialogue with the outside world often depends on his personal fate and the fate of his business: to be able to convince means to be able to win.
A bit of terminology
Dialogue is not possible if the speakers speak different languages. It is also impossible to understand the essence of the subject, if you do not master the specific words denoting its concepts. That is terminology. To understand the topic of “communication”, you should understand the following well:
- communication - the process of information exchange in society;
- subject of communication - a person transmitting information;
- object of communication - the one to whom it is addressed;
- communication channel - a method of transmitting information: written, with the help of technical means, light or noise signals; the transfer of information from the subject to the object can be done with the help of another person (for example, a courier);
- forms of communication - a) verbal, or verbal; b)nonverbal - movements, look, facial expressions.
Other terms that require more detailed explanation will be discussed in separate sections of the article.
The concept of communication levels
This question has been treated differently in the scientific literature. Some authors determine the level of communication by the number of participants in the process: interpersonal, in a small group or mass. Others (Konetskaya V. P., 1977) - by means of communication:
- Sign, or semiotic level - the transfer of information with the help of generally accepted conventional signs, perceived visually, by ear. For example, wreaths at monuments to heroes are a sign of respect and memory of them; the image of the sun in the weather forecast denotes a sunny day; the siren at the crossing warns of an approaching train.
- Verbal, or linguistic. The word - spoken or written - is the main way people communicate.
- Interlingual or metalinguistic level of communication. It is typical for the scientific field, where the use of special terms that are understandable to a narrow circle of people prevails.
- Nearlinguistic or paralinguistic level. Information is transmitted using non-verbal means and their combinations: gesture, movement, gaze, interjections, voice height, etc. They can be used intentionally and unconsciously to have a greater impact on the interlocutor.
- Artificial (synthetic) level. The transfer of expressive information using a variety of visual and non-visual arts - cinema, graphics, music, etc. Its goal isthe formation of aesthetic and moral feelings, experiences, knowledge.
In practice, there is not an isolated, but a mixed use of these methods, forms of communication with the aim of compact transmission and the most understandable information for the object.
Communication: high and low level
Many misunderstandings and even human tragedies occur due to the fact that the object does not know how to correctly format and convey information, or its perception by the subject is incomplete or distorted.
The highest level of communication is observed where its object and subject:
- Able to easily establish interpersonal contacts.
- Have a culture of communicating with individuals, with their group or large mass.
- Experience interest in the topic of communication and its results.
- Not indifferent to each other.
The highest level of communication is observed when partners are connected by family, friendship, spiritual ties.
The quality of communication depends, of course, on how a person speaks or hears, on his emotional state. Slurred speech, illiterate, saturated with unfamiliar vocabulary, poor hearing or lack of it in the listener, inability to understand the speaker's non-verbal signals and their incorrect interpretation, biased or hostile attitude towards the partner are the reasons for the distortion of information during its transmission or perception. Another reason is the lack of interest in the subject of discussion,when, for example, a listener falls asleep at a boring lecture for him. That is, these are signs of a low level of communication.
Organization of the communication process
On the entire route from the subject to the object, information can be distorted, disappear, be misunderstood, as a result of which the goal of communication is not achieved. The organizer of the communication process should know when, how and why such a failure can occur.
The levels of communication organization correspond to the stages of its passage from the object to the subject.
1 stage - preparation by the subject, that is, the initiator, of goals, content, form, means of communication. He must seriously consider how adequately the object is able to perceive his information. For example, the most vivid, emotional, visual presentation of scientific data will be for schoolchildren. And more rich scientific terminology, technical facts, diagrams and graphs - for university students.
2 stage - choice of message encoding: oral, written, in the form of a plan, graphics, video, etc., taking into account the number of addressees (for an individual user, for a group or for a large mass of the population) and their level of preparedness. The preparation of, for example, reports on the achievements of medicine for a special journal and for the public in the media will differ significantly.
3 stage - the choice of the most effective means of communication. Oral or written communication, order, order using technical means or through intermediaries. The director of the institution issues a written order and makes an oral order at the meetingheads of departments to bring it to the attention of the staff, to provide clarifications in case of questions.
4 stage - decoding, decryption, understanding the information received by the object and making decisions about some actions.
5 stage - a return signal from the object to the subject about the reception of information and the reaction to it.
The response actions of the object swap it with the subject: the first now becomes the sender, source, and the second the receiver of information.
Communication between the levels of enterprise management, the organization is the more effective, the less interference (“noise”) that distorts its meaning occurs on the way it follows from the source to the object. These may be non-performance, unauthorized intentional or unintentional actions of performers, technical failures, etc.
Social communication: classification criteria
The sender of information, as well as its recipient, can be not one person, but a group of people, a team, an organization, a society. The volume of the communication process can be small (passers-by greeted each other) and large-scale, global, covering many countries (resolving territorial claims).
This defines the following levels of social communication:
- Autocommunication - communication with your "I". A person alone with himself learns, evaluates his own capabilities and abilities.
- Interpersonal - interpersonal interaction of two or more persons.
- Group communication differing in the number of participants andthe content of communication (business, friendship, etc.) in various ways: an individual with a group, members of the same group among themselves, members of different groups.
- Personal-group (lecturer - audience).
- Public - concerns social issues and interests. As a rule, this is communication between representatives of power structures with the people, workers in the sphere of trade, service, education, culture with clients.
- Interstate - communications between states at the diplomatic level on issues of war and peace, cultural exchange, trade, science, etc.
- Global covers vast territories of the Earth, provides international communication of its population.
- Mass communication.
- Organizational is carried out between the hierarchical levels of the management pyramid.
Mass communication is aimed at large audiences and comes from various subjects with their own goals, means and ways of influencing the consciousness of the population.
Tasks
People's needs for information are satisfied through mass communication - an activity that has its own functions, its own system of knowledge, techniques, norms and rules, means.
The main tasks of mass communication are:
- educational;
- regulatory - the formation of public consciousness and connections between the individual and society;
- control - supervision of various processes in society, promotion of desirable norms of behavior;
- cultural-philosophical, or culturological -acquaintance with traditions, heritage, achievements in the field of art, development of interest in creativity.
Acting at all levels of communication, mass communication through persuasion, education, suggestion through the media forms public opinion, organizes social activities, both individual and various groups of the population.
Levels of intercultural communication
In a multinational country, which, for example, is Russia, communication between people of different ethnic groups is inevitable. At the same time, there is a mutual acquaintance with the norms of moral behavior, customs, beliefs, national traditions at the level of both personal and public, business, industrial relations.
The study of these processes led to the allocation of levels of intercultural communication depending on the number of its participants.
- Interpersonal level of communication between people of different ethnic groups. In direct communication, a person voluntarily or involuntarily demonstrates not only linguistic features, but also behavioral ones. An important role in establishing the interpersonal level of communication is played by his gender, age, appearance, education, social status. Willingness to understand and respect the national characteristics of a communication partner inspires confidence and a desire to maintain business or personal contacts.
- Intercultural communication of members of small groups can be carried out within the framework of business meetings (participation in events, exchange of experience, coordination of production activities) or occurs by chance(travel, travel). Features of speech, behavior, thinking of people of different nationalities have a serious impact on the nature of their communication. They can cause negative reactions if partners demonstrate their exclusivity and are not ready to look for forms of communication acceptable to both parties.
- Intercultural communication at the ethnic level (large groups) contributes to the renewal and mutual enrichment of the cultures of neighboring peoples. But at the same time, it gives rise to tendencies towards the preservation of national self-consciousness, features of life, beliefs, and traditions. Violent suppression of the culture of any ethnic group by another, dominating the common territory, leads to its complete or partial destruction.
In multinational states where there is an economic and political unity of the peoples inhabiting them, a national level of intercultural communication is possible.
Conditions for effective interaction
External manifestations of goodwill towards the interlocutor or the audience, openness, good manners and speech evoke reciprocal feelings of sympathy and willingness to communicate. Establishing business relations requires from their initiator some special knowledge and skills, some training. They concern both verbal and non-verbal behavior during communication.
If the subject wants to achieve his own goals, then he must prepare well for the conversation, having previously studied the goals and behavior of the opposite side. This will help you choose arguments to protect your interests,provide for controversial, conflict issues and compromise solutions.
Understanding the psychological state of a partner by non-verbal signals, knowledge of manipulative techniques and ways to neutralize them, the ability to restrain or demonstrate one's own emotions - this is a small part of the skills that make up communicative competence.
Conclusion
War of any scale - for the most part is the result of the opponents' inability to civilly resolve controversial issues. Success household, professional - any! - contacts depend on how a person communicates with others, what he demonstrates and what he hides deep in himself.
It can be said that the science of communication is the science of winning. Purposeful study of the psychology of communication should become mandatory if one wants to learn how to successfully defend their interests. It will reveal in every person a practicing psychologist, internally ready for any life gifts and surprises.
