Transactional Communication Model

Summary

This video script delves into the transactional communication model, a framework for understanding and visualizing communication patterns in conflict. It emphasizes the ongoing process of meaning co-creation through message exchange and interpretation. The script discusses the importance of recognizing communicator characteristics, shared and unique experiences, and the impact of different communication channels, including the rise of technology like Zoom. It highlights the distinction between content and relational messages, the influence of noise, and the role of relational and contextual factors in shaping communication within conflicts.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Interpersonal communication is an ongoing process of co-creating meaning through the exchange of messages between parties.
• 📦 Meaning is not directly transmitted but is co-created through a process of encoding, sending, decoding, and interpreting messages.
• 👤 The characteristics of communicators, including their communication styles and fields of experience, influence how messages are conveyed and received.
• 🌐 Fields of experience shape our values, perceptions, and mental models, which in turn affect our communication, especially in conflict situations.
• 🔁 Communication involves both shared and unique experiences that can either facilitate or challenge the understanding between communicators.
• 📡 Channels of communication include face-to-face and mediated forms, with each having distinct implications for message transmission.
• 🌐 Face-to-face communication encompasses verbal and nonverbal cues, while mediated communication relies on technology to convey messages.
• 🔄 The distinction between content and relational messages is crucial in conflict analysis, with content focusing on the topic and relational on feelings and relationships.
• 👁️ Paying attention to relational messages is vital as they often reinforce pre-existing assumptions about others, especially in conflicts.
• 👂 Noise, both external and internal, can interfere with communication, affecting the clarity and reception of messages.
• 🔍 Analyzing communication patterns within a conflict requires considering various factors including the history of interactions, power dynamics, and contextual norms.

Q & A

What is the basic definition of interpersonal communication according to the video?

Interpersonal communication is defined as a constant, ongoing process of co-creating meaning through the sending/receiving, decoding, and interpreting of messages between two or more parties.

Why is it said that we cannot not communicate?

Even when we are not speaking, we are still communicating through non-verbal cues such as body language, eye contact, and the way we occupy space. Ignoring someone is also a form of communication.

What does it mean when the video mentions that 'meaning is co-created'?

Meaning is co-created because it involves a process where messages are encoded, sent, received, decoded, and interpreted by the recipient, rather than being directly transmitted without alteration.

What are the characteristics of the communicators that should be considered when analyzing communication patterns within a conflict?

The characteristics include communication styles, fields of experience, values, perceptions, beliefs, and mental models that shape how individuals communicate.

What is the significance of shared fields of experience in communication?

Shared fields of experience can make communication more fluid as they provide a common ground for understanding, such as a shared language or common experiences in a classroom setting.

How does the video differentiate between face-to-face and mediated communication channels?

Face-to-face communication is direct and includes both verbal and nonverbal cues, while mediated communication involves technological means such as letters, text messages, emails, and phone calls.

What is the role of nonverbal behavior in face-to-face communication?

Nonverbal behavior in face-to-face communication includes body movement, posture, and proximity to others, which often convey feelings about the situation or the other person.

What is the distinction between content and relational messages in communication?

Content messages are about the topic or information being conveyed, while relational messages convey feelings about the other person, the relationship, or the interaction, often through nonverbal means.

Why is it important to pay attention to relational messages in conflict situations?

In conflict situations, people are more attuned to relational messages as they look for cues that reinforce their pre-existing assumptions about the other person, which can be conveyed through body language and tone of voice.

What are the different types of noise that can interfere with communication?

The types of noise include external noise (environmental factors), physiological noise (bodily states), and psychological noise (emotions and intrusive thoughts).

How do contextual factors impact communication patterns?

Contextual factors such as institutional norms and accepted ways of interacting can greatly influence the dynamics of communication, making it different in various settings like a classroom or a social gathering.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Interpersonal Communication Dynamics

This paragraph introduces the transactional communication model as a tool for understanding and visualizing communication patterns within conflicts. It emphasizes the ongoing and unavoidable nature of communication, highlighting that even non-verbal cues and body language are forms of communication. The concept of meaning being co-created through the process of encoding, sending, decoding, and interpreting messages is discussed. The paragraph also touches on the influence of individuals' fields of experience on their communication styles and mental models, and how shared or differing experiences can affect the fluidity of communication.

05:00

📡 Channels and Types of Communication

The second paragraph delves into the different channels of communication, distinguishing between face-to-face and mediated communication. Face-to-face communication is characterized by direct verbal and nonverbal cues, while mediated communication can include letters, text messages, emails, phone calls, and computer-mediated communication (CMC) like Zoom. The paragraph also explores the blurring lines between these two categories due to technological advances. It further discusses the importance of differentiating between content and relational messages, with content focusing on the topic or information being conveyed and relational messages reflecting feelings towards the other person or the relationship, often communicated nonverbally.

10:00

🔍 Analyzing Communication in Conflict

This paragraph focuses on the analysis of communication within conflict situations. It discusses the significance of paying attention to relational messages, as they can reinforce pre-existing assumptions about others during conflicts. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'noise' in communication, which can be external, physiological, or psychological, and how it can interfere with the sending and receiving of messages. Additionally, it considers relational factors such as past interactions and power dynamics, as well as contextual factors like institutional norms, which can impact communication patterns. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the complexity and speed of the communication process and the value of using models like the transactional communication model to dissect problematic aspects of communication exchanges.

Keywords

💡Transactional Communication Model

The Transactional Communication Model is a framework for understanding the process of communication as an interactive exchange rather than a one-way transmission. In the video, it is used to analyze communication patterns within conflicts. The model emphasizes the dynamic interplay between sender and receiver, highlighting how meaning is co-created through the exchange of messages and feedback.

💡Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Communication refers to the ongoing process of creating meaning through the exchange of messages between individuals. The video script describes it as unceasing, with even non-verbal cues and silence being forms of communication. It is central to the theme as it lays the groundwork for understanding how conflicts arise and are managed through communication.

💡Co-creating Meaning

Co-creating meaning is the concept that meaning in communication is jointly constructed by the participants rather than being solely the sender's intent. The script uses this concept to explain the complexity of communication, where messages are encoded, decoded, and interpreted, emphasizing the collaborative nature of understanding in conflicts.

💡Fields of Experience

Fields of Experience are the sum of an individual's life experiences that shape their values, perceptions, and beliefs. The video discusses how these fields influence communication, particularly in conflict, as they form the mental models and schemas that individuals use to interpret the world and the messages they receive.

💡Mental Models

Mental Models are the internal representations individuals use to understand and make sense of the world around them. The script explains that these models, formed by one's fields of experience, affect how individuals perceive and engage in communication, especially during conflicts.

💡Channels of Communication

Channels of Communication are the mediums through which messages are conveyed. The video distinguishes between face-to-face and mediated channels, with the latter including technologies like email, phone calls, and computer-mediated communication. The choice of channel can influence the clarity and interpretation of messages in a conflict.

💡Content and Relational Messages

Content messages refer to the explicit information being communicated, while relational messages convey feelings about the other person or the relationship. The script illustrates that understanding both types is crucial in conflict resolution, as they can be expressed verbally or nonverbally and can significantly impact the dynamics of a conflict.

💡Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication encompasses body language, eye contact, posture, and other physical cues that convey messages alongside or instead of verbal communication. The video script notes its importance in relational messaging, particularly in expressing emotions and attitudes within conflict scenarios.

💡Noise

Noise in communication refers to any interference that can distort or impede the transmission of messages. The script outlines different types of noise, such as external, physiological, and psychological noise, which can affect the clarity and effectiveness of communication during conflicts.

💡Contextual Factors

Contextual Factors are the environmental and situational elements that influence communication patterns. The video mentions institutional norms as an example, highlighting how different settings can dictate acceptable communication behaviors and potentially affect conflict communication.

💡Conflict Analysis

Conflict Analysis is the process of examining the elements of a conflict to understand its nature and dynamics. The video script suggests using the Transactional Communication Model as a tool for this analysis, focusing on problematic and effective aspects of communication exchanges to determine the direction of a conflict.

Highlights

Interpersonal communication is an ongoing process of co-creating meaning through message exchange.

Meaning in communication is co-created and not directly transmitted.

The transactional communication model is a framework for visualizing communication patterns in conflict.

Characteristics of communicators, including communication styles, are crucial in conflict analysis.

Fields of experience shape individuals' values, perceptions, and beliefs, influencing communication.

Shared fields of experience can facilitate more fluid communication interactions.

Different channels of communication, such as face-to-face and mediated, impact message transmission.

Zoom blurs the line between face-to-face and mediated communication.

Content and relational messages are key aspects to analyze in conflict communication.

Relational messages often convey feelings and are commonly shared nonverbally.

Attention to relational messages is particularly important in conflict to avoid reinforcing pre-existing assumptions.

Meaning exists between people due to the ongoing process of message sending, receiving, and interpreting.

External noise, such as a loud room or Wi-Fi issues, can impede communication.

Physiological and psychological noise can also affect the ability to send and receive messages.

Relational factors like past interactions and power dynamics impact communication during conflict.

Contextual factors, including institutional norms, influence communication patterns.

The transactional communication model helps analyze problematic and functioning aspects of communication in conflict.

Transcripts

in this short video I'm just going to

expand a bit upon the transactional

communication model so this is really

just kind of a complement of the stuff

that I've already posted online

overall I suggest that much like

conflict maps onions escalators and

other tools you can use this model as a

framework for visualizing aspects of the

conflict in this case specifically

aspects of the communication patterns

which characterize the conflict so let's

start with just a really short

definition of interpersonal

communication so we can understand

interpersonal communication as a

constant ongoing process of co-creating

meaning through the sending/receiving

decoding and interpreting of messages

between two or more parties

so again interpersonal communication is

something that is constantly happening

it's ongoing we cannot stop

communicating we cannot not communicate

we're always sending signals if not

through our words then through our

bodies through the way in which we take

up space the way we move our eyes and

move our bodies and our hands even not

communicating is a form of communicating

if you are ignoring someone and not

talking to them that in itself is

something that sends a message that in

itself is a form of communication also

the sort of the second major aspect to

consider is this idea that meaning is

co-created we don't just send perfect

packages of messages which are then

perfectly interpreted by another person

rather there's a whole process where we

kind of package and code what we're

going to say we send it to the other

person who receives it and then they

have to unpack it they have to decode it

and then interpret the messages that we

sent to try to grasp the underlying

meaning this is why we say that meaning

is always in between people it's

something that's constructed rather than

directly transmitted so now let's talk a

little bit about the transactional

communication model itself and I want to

focus on some specific things that you

should think about when you're analyzing

communication patterns within a conflict

the first thing you can consider is the

characteristics of the communicators

themselves we haven't gotten into it yet

but we will talk a little bit about

different sort of communication styles

including communication styles within

the context of families so you can look

at kind of the actual characteristics of

the individuals who are communicating

part of this includes looking at the

different fields of experience which

kind of I guess sort of surround each of

the communicators fields of experience

include all of our experiences and the

ways in which these shape our values

perceptions beliefs our mental models

and schema about the way in which the

world works now while these fields of

experience are often very different

there are also aspects that are often

shared between communicators if you're

speaking with someone who speaks the

same language as you then there's some

kind of shared field of experience

because you have a shared upbringing in

terms of that language you know shared

experiences even if you're in a

classroom and you know everyone in that

classroom might have different fields of

experience you all have the shared

experience of being in that class so

there's the some element where your

fields of experience were overlap

generally the more overlap there is

between those fields of experience kind

of the the you know I don't want to say

easier necessarily but maybe the more

fluid the way the communication

interactions will occur obviously the

less overlap the less sort of sharing

amongst the field of experience the more

challenging the communication processes

will be and again this is all because

these things shape our mental models and

schema schema being kind of like the

boxes that we use in our heads to sort

information and to make sense of our

world so again these fields of

experience shape the way we perceive

things which obviously shaped the way in

which we engage in communication and

particularly communication in conflict

settings the next major thing we can

talk about is channels again these are

sort of the the mediums through which

our messages are sent and generally we

can talk about sort of two major

categories of channels we can talk about

face-to-face

which is direct communication through

both verbal which usually means sort of

language based means as well as

nonverbal means and nonverbal behavior

includes a host of different things I

contact hand movement body movement

posture as well as how far or how close

we sit or stand next to someone all

these sort of ways in which we use our

bodies to communicate messages usually

these are messages which communicate how

we feel about the situation or the other

person or the relationship so that's

sort of the one the first major category

the second is is mediated and mediated

communication usually immediately

communication refers to the usage of any

kind of technological means through

which we will actually pass messages

through and by technology I mean this

really broadly sending a letter to

someone is a form of mediated

communication as is a text message or an

email and a phone call these are all

forms of mediated communication

specifically any kind of mediated

communication that occurs over computers

is usually referred to computer media as

computer mediated communication or CMC

however there's lots of sort of modes of

communication that have kind of come

about in the last 10 years due to

advances in technology they kind of blur

the boundaries between these two things

zoom is a great example of something

which blurs the line between

face-to-face communication and mediated

communication I mean what would you call

zoom is it face-to-face or mediated well

technically it's both right includes the

verbal and nonverbal direct elements and

direct feedback elements of face-to-face

communication but it is still mediated

it still is qualitatively different than

if we were to meet with the person and

talk to them face-to-face the next major

thing we can kind of look at when we're

looking to analyze conflict analyze

communication in a conflict situation is

the distinction between content and

relational messages content has to do

with the topic the

information we're seeking to actually

convey through our message to be

anything it could be you know how you're

feeling what the weather is like how you

want your haircut talking about a TV

show or a movie talking about a

philosophical idea all of these things

would be sort of related to content

messages relational messages convey how

you feel about the other person about

the relationship and about the

interaction overall content messages are

usually shared more explicitly through

verbal means relational messages are

more commonly shared through nonverbal

means again the usage of your tone of

voice I contact body posture all these

things convey relational messages now I

mean sometimes you might convey a

relational message directly you might

actually say how you feel about the

person or the relationship or the

situation but more commonly we do this

through more subtle sometimes often

unconscious means of engaging the point

is we can kind of pay attention to these

two things and indeed in complex

situations it's particularly important

to pay attention to relational messages

because where when we're in conflict

we're more attune and and looking for

sort of relational messages that will

help reinforce our pre-existing

assumptions about the other person so if

we presume that this other person is

angry at us or otherwise you know thinks

badly of us will look for messages

particularly in body language and voice

and things like that that confirm that

expectation so we need to be really

careful of these and particularly we

need to focus on this and pay attention

this because again this is kind of an

ongoing process this constant process of

sending messages receiving feedback

adapting our messages and so on so this

is a really fast process and again much

of it is unconscious so it's important

an important thing to consider

particularly within conflict situations

this kind of back-and-forth process

again is why we can say that meaning

exists in in between people because

again it's about back-and-forth sending

receiving

interpreting based upon the feedback and

then resending and reinterpreting etc

it's an ongoing thing

the next major thing we can think about

is noise there's a couple of different

forms of noise so we can talk about the

first is external noise noise external

noise has to do with anything within the

sort of communication environment that

is kind of impeding or interfering with

the sending of messages so you know and

face-to-face interactions this could be

a loud room or a really cold room or an

uncomfortable space through mediated

communication it could be things like

static or when your Wi-Fi drops you know

when you're in the middle of a zoom call

and suddenly someone freezes and it's

because somebody's Wi-Fi is not Aggies

kind of acting up right that would count

as a form of external noise because it's

impeding the sending and receiving of

messages the other two main categories

of noise are physiological noise and

psychological noise physiological noise

has to do with any kind of bodily state

that impedes your ability again to send

or receive messages this could include

things like hunger or being really tired

psychological noise has to do with

emotions and thoughts kind of intrusive

thoughts it might be you know impeding

your ability to talk to someone or

feelings of worry or fear and the way in

which these things can actually impact

our ability to send again send and

receive messages moving on we can take

into consideration all of the different

relational factors that might impact the

way in which the messages are being sent

and received this can include a history

of the interactions between people you

know the way in which people have

engaged with each other in the past as

well as things like power relationships

could be really important particularly

in conflict situations there's a host of

different factors all of which you could

also see as being part of kind of the

underlying relationship or the

underlying epicenter which characterizes

the conflict lastly we can think in

terms of contextual factors things like

institutional norms that might be sort

of impacting the way in which

communication patterns are occurring you

know obviously communication that say

would occur within the context of

classroom would be very different than

communication that might occur outside

when you're hanging around with your

friends so again both of those settings

would have completely different norms

different ways of interacting commonly

accepted ways of interacting and so we

need to factor in these various

contextual factors now putting all of

this together it's actually a really

kind of complex and dynamic and often

very fast process so it can be kind of a

tricky thing to analyze which is why

it's important sometimes to sit back and

to look at a model like the

transactional communication model to try

to pick apart again which aspects of a

communication exchange are problematic

and what aspects are actually

functioning really well and that can

help us again to try to determine you

know what is causing a conflict to move

in a more constructive or destructive

direction