Communication is the backbone of human interaction. It serves various functions, from informing and persuading to entertaining and building relationships. Understanding these functions helps us navigate social situations and convey our messages effectively.

Verbal and nonverbal cues work together to create meaning in our interactions. While words express explicit ideas, nonverbal signals often reveal underlying emotions and attitudes. Recognizing both aspects enhances our ability to communicate clearly and interpret others' messages accurately.

Communication in Human Interactions

Primary Functions of Communication

• Communication serves to inform by conveying knowledge, facts, news, or instructions between individuals or groups
  • Sharing details about events, people, places, processes, or other information allows for the dissemination of ideas and learning
  • Informative communication helps to reduce uncertainty, increase understanding, and facilitate decision-making (news reports, educational lectures)
• Communication functions to persuade by influencing the attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviors of others
  • Persuasive messages aim to convince the audience to think or act in a certain way, often by appealing to emotions, logic, or credibility
  • Persuasion can be used to promote products, advocate for causes, or change opinions (advertisements, political speeches)
• Communication entertains by providing amusement, enjoyment, or emotional experiences
  • Entertaining content captures attention, evokes feelings, and provides a pleasurable escape from reality
  • Various forms of media and art use communication to entertain audiences (movies, music, comedy shows)

Relational and Identity Functions of Communication

• Communication builds and maintains relationships by establishing connections, trust, and understanding between people
  • Interactions help to develop a sense of closeness, support, and social bonds through the exchange of thoughts, feelings, and experiences
  • Regular communication is necessary to sustain and strengthen interpersonal relationships over time (friendships, romantic partnerships)
• Communication helps to manage identity by expressing oneself and presenting a desired image to others
  • Individuals use communication to convey their unique personalities, values, and roles within social contexts
  • Impression management involves strategically controlling the information shared to influence how others perceive and evaluate the communicator (job interviews, social media profiles)

Verbal vs Nonverbal Communication

Characteristics of Verbal and Nonverbal Messages

• Verbal communication uses spoken or written language, consisting of words, to convey meaning
  • It relies on shared understanding of definitions, grammar, and syntax to effectively encode and decode messages
  • Verbal communication allows for the explicit expression of ideas, but can be limited by language barriers or differing interpretations (conversations, emails)
• Nonverbal communication is the sending and receiving of messages without using words
  • It includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, touch, space, and paralanguage that implicitly convey meaning
  • Nonverbal cues often communicate emotions, attitudes, and relational messages more powerfully than verbal content (smiling, crossed arms)

Interaction of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

• Verbal and nonverbal messages can complement each other, contradict each other, substitute for each other, or accent/regulate the flow of communication
  • Congruent verbal and nonverbal cues reinforce the meaning and credibility of the overall message (saying "I'm happy" while smiling)
  • Contradictory verbal and nonverbal signals can create confusion or undermine the intended message (saying "I'm fine" while appearing visibly upset)
  • Nonverbal behaviors can replace verbal messages in some contexts, especially when expressing basic needs or emotions (pointing, nodding)
  • Nonverbal cues also regulate turn-taking, provide feedback, and control the pace of verbal interactions (leaning forward, raising eyebrows)

Interpersonal, Group, and Public Communication

Characteristics and Purposes of Interpersonal Communication

• Interpersonal communication occurs between two people and is characterized by mutual influence, interdependent roles, and the development of a unique relational culture
  • Participants continually adapt to each other's messages and behaviors, creating a dynamic and personalized interaction
  • Over time, repeated interactions lead to established patterns, inside jokes, and shared understandings that define the relationship
• The purposes of interpersonal communication are to exchange information, manage relationships, express identity, and influence each other
  • Interpersonal interactions allow for the sharing of personal experiences, ideas, and feelings that build intimacy and trust (self-disclosure)
  • Relational maintenance behaviors, such as giving compliments or offering support, help to sustain and enhance the quality of the relationship
  • Identity management involves presenting oneself in a way that aligns with desired relational roles and elicits positive responses from the other person

Characteristics and Purposes of Group and Public Communication

• Group communication happens when three or more individuals interact with a common purpose and mutually influence each other
  • Group members develop a unifying identity, take on interdependent roles, establish norms for appropriate conduct, and form a status hierarchy
  • The purposes of group communication are to share information, solve problems, make decisions, and provide emotional or task support (team meetings, study groups)
• Public communication is a sender-focused presentation of information to an audience that limits immediate feedback
  • It is characterized by formality, structure, prescribed roles, and limited interaction between the speaker and listeners
  • The purposes of public communication are to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire a larger audience (lectures, sermons, keynote addresses)

Mediated Communication in Society

Characteristics of Mediated Communication

• Mediated communication is interaction that relies on technology or a third-party to convey messages, rather than direct face-to-face contact
  • Contemporary examples include phone calls, email, text messaging, social media, and video conferencing
  • Mediated channels vary in their affordances, such as synchronicity, permanence, reach, and cue multiplicity, which shape the nature of the interaction
• Mediated messages often lack the nonverbal cues and immediate feedback present in face-to-face interactions
  • Reduced nonverbal information can lead to misinterpretation, impersonal exchanges, and difficulty establishing trust or emotional connections
  • The asynchronous and distant nature of some mediated channels can reduce inhibitions and lead to more aggressive or hurtful messages (cyberbullying, trolling)

Impact of Mediated Communication on Society

• Mediated communication has increased access and speed of information exchange, enabling communication across physical and temporal boundaries
  • This has transformed business practices, personal relationships, and cultural interactions on a global scale (remote work, long-distance relationships)
  • However, constant connectivity can also lead to information overload, distraction, and fragmented attention
• Mediated communication has blurred the boundaries between public and private life by increasing visibility of personal information
  • Social media and other digital platforms enable broader surveillance and raise concerns about privacy and control of personal data
  • The spread of misinformation and fake news through mediated channels can distort public discourse and undermine trust in institutions
• Mediated communication can enhance multitasking and efficiency by allowing asynchronous exchanges and engagement in multiple conversations simultaneously
  • However, this can also lead to reduced quality of interaction, superficial connections, and neglect of face-to-face relationships