MISCOMMUNICATING AND MISUNDERSTANDING

Language, Messages, and Meanings in Communication

• The Complexities of Human Interaction (Who's on first?)

encode transmit receive decode

"Ed" "De"
E D
MEANING MEANING
MEANING Messages MEANING

D Channel E

Noise Context

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 Communication is complicated by language codes:

o Encoding – coding meaning into symbols
o Transmitting – sending coded message via selected channel
o Receiving – discerning coded message from its channel
o Decoding – translating coded message into meaning
 Communication is complicated by interfering noise:
o Noise originates from the mind – psychological noise
o Noise originates from the body – physiological noise
o Noise originates from the setting – environmental noise
 Communication is complicated by context:
o Varying backgrounds, experiences, and cultures of each
communicator (Sinking)
o Type of relationship and various relational expectations existing
between communicators
o Influencing characteristics of the situation (preceding, present, and
subsequent events) and setting (physical location)
• Characteristics of Language Codes
 The set of symbols shared by a community
 Exchanged through messages of packaged symbols
 Serves to facilitate shared meanings in the minds of users
 Reductionistic – always reduces (imperfectly represents) meanings

Ogden & Richard's Triangles of Meaning

INTERPRETER INTERPRETER

Ed De
(communicator) (communicator)

MEANING MESSAGE MEANING

(referent) (symbol) (referent)

• Messages, Meanings, and Misunderstanding

 Messages move outside people, while meanings remain inside people:
o Meanings are in messengers, NOT in messages
o Messages may have intended or implied meanings, but NOT
inherent meanings
o Messages are NOT like presents – received messages are empty
and must be supplied with meaning by the receiver
 Expecting others to fully understand is unrealistic – beware of
unrealistic expectations for exact or complete understanding:
o “That’s not what I said”
o “Listen to what I say”
 Understanding is a shared responsibility that takes mutual effort:
o Work hard at expressing meaning and frequently seek feedback –
“How are you understanding what I said?”
o Work hard at listening for meaning and frequently offer feedback –
“Here’s how I am understanding what you said.”
o For important messages, follow up lean modes (written memos,
email, or texts) with rich modes (F2F, Skype, or phone)