The Importance of Communication: A Comprehensive Analysis, Study notes of Social Work

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Why we communicate

Between 1220-1250 B.C emperor Fredrick the second of Roman Empire carried out experiments on language deprivation by forbidding mothers and nurses from talking to infants and children

Unfortunately the experiment failed due to the death of the infants

He forbid the parents to nurse,bathe, and wash them due to wanting to learn if the children would be able to speak Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or arbric

In a study of isolation 5 volunteers were paid to stay in a locked room alone and all the participants were able to stay between 2hr-8 days. Scientists concluded that it’s a form of torture

During COVID 19 pandemic, experts warned that loneliness resulting from extended isolation could become a health hazard

Physical needs

People who talk out their negative feelings experience improved life satisfaction as well as enhanced mental and physical health

In extreme cases, communication can be a matter of life or death

Navy pilot Senator John McCain was shot down over north Vietnam and was held prisoner of war (POW) for 5 years mostly in solitary confinement He tapped on the walls to send messages using codes Socially connected people, with strong networks of friends and family live an average of 3.7 years longer than people socially isolated People with strong relationships have significantly lower risks of coronary disease, hypertension, and obesity than people with less social integration Divorced, widowed, or separated people are 5-10 times more to be hospitalized for mental illness Married people have lower incidence of phenomena, surgery or cancer than single people

Identity needs

Communication is a primary way we learn who we are In the 1800s , the famous case of “wild boy of aveyron” a boy spent his early development without human contact He was found digging for vegetables in a French village garden He couldn’t speak and showed no human behavior until being with his foster mother 2 studies showed that 20% and higher of Americans feel lonely or socially isolated Many years, the study was based on people in retirement, relocation or death of loved one Recent studies showed that loneliness is among younger people Many people blame technology Contemporary accounts support an essential role communication plays in shaping identity Feral children those raised with limited or no human contact Demonstrate communication patterns similar to animals they have grew up with Each of us enter the world with little to no sense of identity.we gain an idea of who you are by how people define you

Social needs

Communication with others is a primary goal of human existence and fundamental to life satisfaction An anthropologist calls the drive meeting social needs through communication “the human career” There’s a strong link between quality of communication and success of relationships Examples: children who grow up in strong conversation-oriented family’s report having more satisfied friendships and romantic relationships when they are adults Socializing contributes more to a satisfying life than virtually any other activity Many people aren’t very successful at managing their interpersonal relationships Ongoing relationships aren’t the only way to meet social needs Example: 1/3 Americans never interact with their neighbors and 1/5th said the same thing decades ago Small talk with strangers such as Cashier Fellow dog owner People standing in line with yow Generally raises happiness for all parties involved Communication skills are crucial in finding and succeeding in a job Employers look for “uniquely human skills” in new hires the ability to listen Attentiveness and attention to detail Effective communication: oral communication skills and particularly interpersonal communication Critical thinking Strong interpersonal abilities The drive to keep learning

Practical needs

Communication is important outside of work and it’s supported access cultures Example: married couples with effective communication have happier relationships than people less skillful The effects of work is a common occurrence that negatively affects marital satisfaction and can be fixed with constructive communication Maslow’s hierarchy Physical: sufficient air,water, food, rest, and the ability to reproduce as species (most basic needs) Safety: protection from threats to our wellbeing Self-esteem: the desire to believe we are worthwhile, valuable people Self-actualization: the desire to develop our potential to the maximum to become the best person we can be 10 minutes of talking a day, face to face or by phone improves memory and boosts intellectual function

What makes communication interpersonal?

Defining interpersonal communication

Quantitative approach the number of communicators Dydad (dyadic) two people interacting Qualitative approach treating one another as unique individuals (impersonal approach) The scarcity of interpersonal communication contributes its value Interpersonal v.s impersonal communication Uniqueness: Unspoken foundation of relationship Relational culture Each relationship is defined by its own specific language, customs, and rituals Interdependence Interpersonal communication exchanges the fate. of partners is connected Qualitative interpersonal communication the other’s life affects you Self-disclosure In Impersonal exchanges you reveal little about yourself In interpersonal exchanges you share important thoughts and feelings reflecting your comfort with the other person Intrinsic rewards Impersonal, you seek extrinsic rewards payoffs that have little to do with the people involved Best pay off in close relationships is being with the other person Interpersonal and impersonal communication: a matter of balance Hugh quality interpersonal communication is important but takes a lot of energy Time away from others can be away of recharging emotional batteries and gaining perspective on the relationship Most relationships are neither interpersonal or impersonal There’s often a personal element even in the most impersonal situation The quality of interaction not the quantity of people interacting distinguishes interpersonal communication Interpersonal communications in contrast to interpersonal communication the interpersonal variety is distinguished by the qualities of uniqueness, independence, self disclosure, and enterinstant rewards

Communication competence Principles of communication competence Communication competence the ability to achieve one’s goal in a manner that is ideally both effective and appropriate Effective communication would get the results you want Appropriate communication would avoid damaging the relationship There’s no single “ideal” or “effective” way to communicate Some communicators can be Serious Humor Gregarious Quieter Straightforward Hint diplomatically A type of communication that is competent in one setting might be colossal blunder in another Flexibility is especially important when members of different cultures met The definition of appropriate communication is given situation is very considerably from one culture to another Competence is situational Competent varies from one situation and person to another More accurate to talk about degrees or areas of competence Competence can be learned Biology is a factor Certain personality trait predispose people toward a particular competence skills A set of skills that anyone can learn and has been shown to help communicators in a variety of professional fields Without systematic training it’s possible to develop communication skills through observation and trial and error

Characteristics of competent communication

A Langer repertoire of skills Sometimes it’s best to be blunt, tactful, speak up, or be quiet Reaching your personal and rational goals increase with the number of options you have about how to communicate Starting a conversation with a stranger Introducing yourself Seeking assistance Ask questions about a topic Adaptability Competence researchers call it “the hallmark of interpersonal communication skills” Becomes more challenging when communicating online They are careful to “code-switch” when moving between casual and formal modes of texting Ability to perform skillfully Practice is key to skilled performance Interplay will introduce you to new tools for communicating Empathy or perspective taking is an essential skill partly because others may not express their thoughts and feelings clearly Vital to communicate that understanding through verbal/ nonverbal response Cognitive complexity The ability to construct a variety of remote to view an issue Interpreting the behavior of others leads to greater “conversational sensitivity” increasing chances of acting in ways that will produce satisfying results Self -monitoring the process of attending to one’s behavior and using these observations to shape the way the one behaves “I’m making a fool of myself” “I’d better speak up now” “This approach is working well. I’ll keep it up” Research shows a connection between cognitive complexity and empathy