Portfolio Entry # 5 - Communication & Miscommunication

• How miscommunication happens? 

• Summary

“Human communication is incredibly complex”, affirms Katherine Hampsten in this short TED-Ed video. Besides, it seems as if misunderstandings are an inherent thus unavoidable part of this human activity. Two main theories have tried to explain what happens during the communication process: The Transmission Model and The Transactional Model. The former has not succeeded in giving an effective explanation of the communication´s complexity. The latter has taken into account different aspects of the same issue, for instance the intention and the interpretation of the message. Knowledge, past experience, age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and family background are variables on which is based the personal perception. Moreover, there are other stimuli such as emotions that can lead to miscommunication. At this point, the author gives some techniques in order to avoid misunderstanding. First, recognize the verbal and non-verbal feedback as both speaker and listener. Second, fully involved in the communication process. Third, pay attention to what the other person expresses and think carefully the reply. Fourth, be aware of your personal perceptual filters, such as culture, community, family and experience. Thereby, you can upgrade your understanding and improve the communication with others.

• Think Section