Ten Common Misconceptions About Communication

Two essentially different models of human communication are addressed in this section – rhetorical and interpersonal. The rhetorical model is characterized by intentional nature. The primary elements or components of this model are the source, message, channel and receiver. This model looks at three separate events: what takes place with the source before communication; what takes place during communication; and what takes place with the receiver following communication. The source focuses on the investigation process, which includes: * Conceiving of an idea

* Determining the intent or goal
* Selecting what is necessary to stimulate the mind of the receiver After the investigation process, the source undertakes the encoding process, which includes: * Creating the message
* Adapting it to the receiver
* Deciding on the channel of transmission
The receiver now gets involved and undergoes the decoding process, which includes:
* Sensing the source’s message (hearing, seeing, reading, etc.)
* Interpreting the source’s message
* Evaluating the source’s message
* Responding to the source’s message (feedback)

Rhetorical communication is said to be successful if the actions and/or thoughts that the receiver responds with are what the source intended. One final element can be found in rhetorical communication – noise. Noise is defined as anything that prevents a receiver from accurately being able to interpret a message. Noise can either be internal or external. Internal noise is something, whether psychological or physiological, that preoccupies the receiver’s ability to interpret the message. External noise is anything that is going on in the environment that affects the interpretation of the message. Noise need not be restricted to the channel through which the message is conveyed. One model of interpersonal communication, though there are several, is one that takes place between two individuals and, thus, is considered dyadic. Rhetorical communications can be dyadic. In the dyadic model, both individuals serve as source and receiver, and the discourse is perpetual. In this discourse, which can be face-to-face or separated by miles, any message received can have an effect on subsequent messages that are sent. THINKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION

In order to understand the concepts behind human communication, one must first rid oneself of any preconceptions once held concerning communication. Understanding what communication is and what it isn’t is the first step in comprehending the theories associated with human communication that will be presented in this course.

TEN COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION
The following are the ten most common misconceptions about human communication, along with the opposing truths:
NO.| Misconception| Truth|
1| Meanings are words.| Meanings are in people, not in words, such that no word has meaning apart from the person using it.| 2| Communication is a verbal process.| The process of communication is both verbal and nonverbal.| 3| Telling is communicating.| Telling is only a part of communicating, because how the receiver interprets the message is just as important.| 4| Communication will solve all of our problems.| Communication may solve some problems, but not all. Ineffective communication may create more problems or make the problem worse.| 5| Communication is a good thing.| Communication is neither good nor bad – it is only a tool.| 6| The more communication, the better.| Sometimes, less is better. Quantity should not be confused with quality.| 7| Communication can break down.| Communication is not a piece of machinery. Devices used as channels of communication can break down. Communication can be ineffective, but it does not break down.

8| Communication is a natural ability.| Communication is a learned ability. Previously, this learned process was not included as one of the basic skills along with reading, writing and arithmetic. It is now recognized as a basic skill that needs to be taught.| 9| Interpersonal communication is the same as intimate communication.| All intimate communications are interpersonal, but the converse is not true. All interpersonal communication does not have to be intimate.| 10| Communication competence is the same as communication effectiveness.| A communicator can be competent or knowledgeable about communication behavior, but ineffective in stimulating the receiver to behave in the manner expected. The converse can also be true in that the communicator may be effective, but not competent or knowledgeable about communication skills.|