Defining communication methods
Depending on the form of information presentation, verbal and non-verbal information can be distinguished. This typology is not the only one, but it allows us to divide all channels into two groups. Nowadays, one can notice the growing influence of the Internet as a method of communication, which is somewhat beyond the scope of this typology.
Definition
Conversation directly, the exchange of words, is a verbal process of interaction. Nonverbal exchange of information involves the use of non-verbal methods and signs.
Nonverbal communication can be carried out through facial expressions, signs, gestures, and when creating associations.
By what means did they communicate?
The German used words, and the Hungarian used gestures and body movements. Both one means of communication and the second occupy a lot of space in our lives.
What means of communication do people prefer? There is a Scandinavian saga about communication, which was retold by academician A.A. Beletsky. It tells how one day a dispute took place between a sage theologian and a Viking eye. The theologian showed one finger, to which the one-eyed Viking responded. showing two fingers.
The theologian showed three fingers, after which the Viking showed his fist, then the theologian ate the cherry and spat out the pit. The Viking found a gooseberry in his pocket and ate it.
Here the theologian admitted defeat. “What were you arguing about?” — The jury members asked the theologian. “I showed one finger, indicating that there is only one God in the world. He objected with two fingers, besides God the Father, there is also God the Son. I then showed three fingers, meaning that to be precise, there is also the Holy Spirit. To this he showed his fist, answering that the Trinity is still one.
I felt that I could not defeat him in theology, and changed the topic of the debate.
After eating the cherry, I said that life is sweet. But even here he answered me very aptly: having eaten gooseberries, he confirmed that one must live even when life is sour, “What were you arguing about? “They asked the one-eyed Viking. “I didn’t even think of arguing with him on theological topics. This impudent person showed that I have one eye. I told him that my one eye is worth his two.
He continued: he and I together have three eyes. After that, I said that impudent people like him should be taught not with scientific disputes, but with the fist. So I ate gooseberries to show that his life after this would be sour.”
Typology of communication methods
Let's look at the typology of communication in more detail.
So, verbal communication. As noted earlier, the exchange of information verbally involves the use of speech. Language in this case acts as a sign system that encodes communication and allows one to convey one’s thoughts. Speech in this case can act as:
- A lengthy process, activity expressed in one of two forms - either oral or written;
- A result reflecting the process and goals of interaction.
Despite the fact that language and speech are not alien concepts, the problem of synonymizing them often arises, which is fundamentally wrong. Their differences are as follows:
- Language is a standardized set of symbols, while speech is unique;
- Language is static, but speech is dynamic;
- Speech is situational, it has no order, it depends on the context.
Nonverbal communication is the exchange of signs without the use of speech. To clarify this point, let’s consider the typology of this communication. The following methods are distinguished:
Motor:
- Communication through movement and body position. Gestures, gait, posture and facial expressions are important sources of information for communication participants;
- Position, direction of gaze, pupil movement, openness of gaze, duration of eye contact.
Features of speech:
- Not the meaning of what was said, but the intonation, volume of the voice, features of diction, pauses, emotional accompaniment, etc.
Bodily interaction:
- Handshake, pat, kiss, etc.
Orientation of communication participants:
- In space - at what distance they are located, how they are located relative to each other;
- In time – punctuality, status ratio, etc.
Features and types of lack of communication
Communication of modern people is changing. Electronic correspondence is becoming increasingly important, replacing full-fledged dialogues. In this case, the emotional state of the other person cannot be determined; the interlocutors themselves figure out the missing points, and then analyze the information received.
American psychotherapist Eric Berne, back in the mid-20th century, compared a lack of communication with hunger, which he classified as follows::
- Hunger for stimulation. Lack of any verbal communication. In completely isolated people who have no contact with others, after just a few days their consciousness begins to change for the worse. The most catastrophic consequences are for young children left unattended or for some other reason lacking attention.
- Hunger for recognition. Unfamiliar people and environments often have a negative impact on a person. Even if he finds himself in a crowd, in another city or country, he will not be able to initiate a single confidential conversation that meets his needs. Closed, uncommunicative people endure such changes in life the hardest. Being depressed and alienated can cause depression in them.
- Lack of quality communication. Interactions between work colleagues often have a very formal tone. And if there are no additional communication contacts that fully fill this gap, the person begins to feel hungry. This state is most typical for creative people who find themselves in an alien, primitive environment.
- Hunger for events. Even in a circle of familiar and interesting people, a person may feel a lack of communication. Teams of workers are well familiar with this type of communication deficit, whose work can be described as monotonous and monotonous. To get at least a little new impressions, people actively engage in all sorts of discussions and gossip. No one should be blamed for this, because it is extremely important for men and women who maintain vitality in such a simple way.
- Hunger for achievements and results. Goals implemented have a stimulating effect on a person’s future life. But if the bar is lowered, apathy and disappointment set in. Some become dependent on alcohol.
For many people, the lack of simple human attention results in mental disorders of various forms.
Modern means of communication
The development of modern means of communication contributes to the fact that direct communication is practically disappearing. In this regard, the ability to communicate via the network is being updated. The Internet and technical innovations are restructuring the entire communication process - remote capabilities allow people to communicate without direct interaction, which practically eliminates the receipt of non-verbal signals in the communication process. Of course, even at a distance you can use video communication thanks to the abundance of modern software, but such a replacement still reduces the effectiveness of “pure” communication and formalizes it.
The important point is also that there is no need to open up in the future. Real names were replaced by nicknames, real people - by fakes and bots. The Internet has become not only a platform of opportunities, but also a platform of risks. At the same time, you can find reviews on the Internet for phone numbers, products, companies, and even individuals, which makes it possible to carry out verification accessible to any user.
And yet, the trend of networking cannot be avoided, so it makes sense to consider the rules of effective communication via the Internet, excluding the use of non-verbal signals:
- To be understood correctly, it is important to formulate your thoughts correctly, observing the grammatical and punctuation rules of the language. Minimize the use of specialized and professional vocabulary.
- The flow of information favors the fact that when answering your interlocutor’s questions, you must use the elements of the question. Otherwise, the interlocutor will lose the line of conversation and the dialogue will reach a dead end.
- Try to convey the emotion in words or use emoji (emoticons), this will greatly simplify communication.
- Use moderation and do not overload the text with highly specialized words, abbreviations and slang expressions. To add informality to communication is appropriate, but there is still a risk of being misunderstood.
- The use of electronic means involves many other points in the chain between the sender and the recipient, so it is important to consider the element of confidentiality. If your information is sensitive and not intended for prying eyes, it is wiser to exclude such transfer.
Communication deficit: possible consequences of a negative state
Most people have a hard time with loneliness and are consumed by fear. They convince themselves of their own worthlessness and make assumptions that aggravate the true state of affairs.
Communication deficits affect all age groups, including:
- Small children;
- non-communicative, withdrawn teenagers;
- young people with a distinct personality that does not conform to generally accepted norms;
- uncommunicative, secretive personalities;
- elderly or sick people.
Lack of communication may depend not only on character traits, but also on circumstances. The forced isolation of some patients, restriction of freedom, and loneliness in a huge metropolis increase the impact of this factor, which worsens personal development and health. People with communication deficits cannot count on special longevity; their life expectancy usually does not exceed 70 years.
In the second half of life, the following troubles await them::
- constant doubts and uncertainty, difficulty in making decisions;
- a whole set of bad habits caused by a lack of adequate criticism;
- lack of incentives for self-development;
- diseases of the vascular system, heart attacks;
- dementia;
- obesity and diabetes.
To avoid the appearance of mental disorders and serious diseases of vital organs, it is enough to lead an open life - communicate with friends and relatives, value your family, appreciate every minute spent with interesting people.
The structure of speech (verbal) communication is:
- Meaning and meaning of words, phrases. An important role is played by the accuracy of the use of the word, its accessibility and expressiveness. Phrases must be constructed correctly and be intelligible to the listener. Sounds and words must be pronounced correctly; intonation should be expressive and correspond to the meaning of what was said.
- Speech sound phenomena: speech rate (fast, medium, slow); voice pitch modulation (smooth, sharp); voice tone (high, low); rhythm of speech (uniform, intermittent); voice timbre (rolling, hoarse, creaky); intonation, diction of speech. Observations show that the most attractive in communication is calm, smooth, even speech.
- Expressive voice qualities. These include characteristic specific sounds that arise during communication: laughter, chuckles, sighs, whispers, crying; separating sounds - coughing, sneezing; zero sounds - pauses; sounds of nasalization - “uh-uh”, “hmm-hmm”, etc.
However, words, sounds and intonations in a person’s daily communication account for (according to research) only 45%, and the remaining 55% comes from non-speech interaction.