Getting to know your audience is equivalent to getting to know yourself as a communicator, both of which will be beneficial in the process of sending and receiving effective messages...
Getting to know your audience is just one key component of communication. Communication is a process of verbally and non-verbally, sending and receiving messages.Your audience, is a great indicator of how to develop, direct and deliver you're intended message. So in other words, to communicate effectively, you must first understand who it is you're communicating with. Fortunately for all, communication is a highly respected and researched topic.
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To understand your target audience, you must first understand the process of interpersonal communication.You can be in two positions within the communication process, you're either the sender (sending messages of intent) or receiver (receiving messages with expectation). Communication as an interaction, is reoccurring. The act of sending and receiving of messages is shared amongst communicators. Turner, L. & West, R. (2010). states that "Interpersonal communication is face to face communication between people." Interpersonal communication takes place with yourself and your audience, your audience size will very from one person to many people. Regardless of your audience size, being able to captivate and maintain their attention is key to your message being clearly understood by its receiver.
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Communication as Interaction: The Interactional Model (p 112-114).
- Two way communication process between communicators
- Communication moves in two directions from sender to receiver and receiver to sender
- Essential element: Feedback (response to the message)
- Field of experience is recognized as one's culture, experience and heredity and how it affects the ability to communicate with another
Interpersonal communication involves two roles, bot a Sender and Receiver. Within both roles, are specific jobs. Part of your job in both positions is to assure the desired outcome is met. As a communicator you have expectations. For example, imagine being talked to by a co-worker, a co-worker who is offensive in smell. This co-worker always stands exceptionally close to whomever it is their speaking with. Today, that person whom their talking with is you. The Expectancy Violations Theory, covers expectations of a communicator in an interpersonal setting Space relations are an expectation of space. Proximity is the distance that you place in between yourself and who it is your engaging with EVT, continues to explain space and the feelings attributed with the space given. EVT introduces four spaces; Intimate (0-18in), Personal (18in-4ft), Social (4ft-12ft) and Public (12ft+).
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Situations such as invaded space and body odor are defined items that detract from what it is you're trying to accomplish. There's more that contributes to the interaction both before, during and after. Similar to the Expectancy Violations theory is the Uncertainty Reduction Theory. URT is structured on initial interaction, but is very relevant to other interactions as well. URT discusses the questions that arise within an initial interaction. Questions range from "What did that mean?", to "Did he like me?" many more question arise based on the individual and the encounter. URT determines that most individuals are uncertain and possibly even nervous about meeting new people. Uncertainty affects the outcome of the interpersonal interaction.
Expectancy Violations Theory: Understanding the importance of non-verbal communication and its affects on messages in a conversation (p 130-141).
- Space Relations
- Proxemics the study of proximity (person's use of space)
- Four Zones: Intimate (0-18in) close enough for an ear whisper, Personal (18in-4ft) distance of holding hands-sales clerk and buyer, Social (4ft-12ft) casual settings, conversation with co-workers, Public (12ft +) fairly formal discussions such as those between a teacher and students
- Expectancies: thoughts and behaviors anticipated in conversations
- How messages are presented to others
- Pre-interactional expectations- knowledge or skills brought to the interaction (prior knowledge and experiences), Interactional expectations- the individual's ability to carry out the interaction (eye contact and attentive eyes while listening.
Turner, L. & West, R. (2010). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Communication. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. (4th ed.)
There are many uncertainties that accompany our daily experiences. One daily experience that's directly effected is the act of and person of communication. URT (from above) explains that seven concepts are involved. Verbal output is the tone used with a specific word choice, the emotion behind the words. Nonverbal warmth are nonverbal acts such as eye contact, leaning in, smiling, etc. Information seeking is the inquiry for more information (aka asking questions). Self-disclosure is on the opposite end of the interaction and is disclosing information about one's self. Reciprocity of disclosure is exactly how it sounds, its when the person whom you're communicating with either does or does not reciprocate the disclosure of personal information. Similarity refers to the common interests and experiences that the communicators share. This concepts is relevant to the field experience mentioned above. Liking is the desire to continue with the engagement, because its enjoyable.
Uncertainty Reduction Theory (p. 146-156).
7 Concepts of uncertainty (p. 149).
Uncertainty Reduction Theory (p. 146-156).
•When interaction increases, uncertainty
decreases. As uncertainty reduces, verbal communication increases.
•As nonverbal expressiveness increases,
uncertainty levels decrease.
•High levels of uncertainty, cause
increases in information seeking behavior. As uncertainty levels decline, so do
information behavior.
•High
levels of uncertainty, cause a decrease in intimacy level of communication
content.
•High
levels of uncertainty, produce high rates of reciprocity.
•Similarities
between people reduces their uncertainty.
•Increases
in uncertainty , produce decreases in liking.
7 Concepts of uncertainty (p. 149).
1. Verbal Output
2. Nonverbal Warmth
3. Information seeking
4. Self-disclosure
5. Reciprocity of disclosure
6. Similarity
7. Liking
There are many influences on expectancies (EVT), Individual communicator factors (gender, personality, age, appearance and reputation), Relational factors (prior relational history, status differences, levels of attraction and liking) and Context factors (formality/informality, social/task functions, environment restrictions and cultural norms. The influences on expectancies can also be considered attitude.You as a communicator have attitude, therefore naturally, your audience will also have attitude. Your attitude directly relates to your field of experience, which is attributed to your behavior and vise versa for your audience.
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| Model image created by Lauren Daniels |
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Turner, L. & West, R. (2010). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Communication. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. (4th ed.).
Within either role of communication, you're a complex being, who's forever changing based on your exposure. In order to understand your audience, understanding yourself as a communicator is imperative. Knowing this, would suggest that you as a facilitator, superior, or mother would take the initiative to find the similarities between yourself and with whom you communicate, in order to learn how to best engage with that individual(s). With that said, Kant's Categorical Imperative Theory comes to mind.
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- An individual should act as if the choices one makes for oneself could become universal law
- You should act so that you're treating each individual as an end
- Reads similarly to the Bible's golden rule: Do onto others as you would have others do onto you.
Borchers, T.A. (2005). Persuasion in the Media Age. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. (2nd ed).
After getting to know your audience, you have a stable idea of who it is your engaging with. You should also know by now, what the context of your interaction will be. You know who it is your communicating with, you know what its is your communicating about, now is time to take a brief look at a few ways to engage in interpersonal communication. As a communicator you have many options regarding your opportunity to present yourself and your context in which ever way you so desire.
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| Image retrieved from google images PERSUASION |
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| Image retrieved from google images SLANTING |
Three examples that can be used to enhance your delivery are persuasion, slanting and discovering one's bias. (Examples of all three are included in advertisement form).
Persuasion is the use of language and symbols, to make audiences identify with a specific individual or group. The co-production of meaning is based upon persuasion, but not with just toe tools used by the persuaders or the attitudes of the receivers. Instead it's focus is on how the sender and receiver come together and create a shared reality (Borchers, 2005, p. 16-20). Slanting refers to implied judgement, the question remains, will you ever be able to be impartial?
As long you're continuing to use everyday language, you won't! Slanting is the process of selecting
As long you're continuing to use everyday language, you won't! Slanting is the process of selecting
details that are favorable or unfavorable to the audience. This act gives no explicit judgments, but it differs from deliberately reporting or inadvertently making judgments (Hayakawa, 1991, p.28-31). Discovering one's bias is the assumption of believing that whats may be important to you, is also important to your audience. People that are bias have a difficult time seeing that each subject has many different points of view(Hayakawa, 1991, p. 28-31).
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| Image retrieved from google images DISCOVERING BIAS |
Borchers, T.A. (2005). Persuasion in the Media Age. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. (2nd ed).
Hayakawa, S.I. & Hayakawa, A.R. (1991). Language in Thought and Action. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company. (5th ed).
To be a good communicator, you must know, what a good communicator is made of. The above information is just a brief peek into the world of interpersonal communication. You've been provided with important concepts, models and theories that'll assist you in knowing your audience (your other communicator). Communication is key, so master it.
By: Lauren Daniels
PCM 499
2/19/2012
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