Self-Concept and Self-Image in Communication - Coursework Example

Noise is a major hindrance to communication as it interferes with the whole process.

Context: When in my first year at the university, I always found it hard to communicate with my friends from the Middle East due to cultural differences.

Sender: communicating with an African American is sometimes difficult as they relate debates with racial discrimination against their community.

Receiver: when the new neighbors from Germany came to our estate, we could not communicate, as they did not understand English.

Channel: When I was in Paris for a vacation, I could hardly talk with my parents, as the telephone line was not in service.

Culture is an important factor that determines the effectiveness of communication. Notably, cultural and social stereotypes affect psychological communication as the receiver or sender can have prejudiced opinions regarding the other party. For example, a discussion or debate between an African American and a White American might have stereotypical influence from both parties. Specifically, the White might view the Black as unintelligent while the Black might see the White as biased. Consequently, for practical communication, such stereotypes and prejudice must be eliminated.

Question three

The three levels of metacommunication are reflective, adaptive, and anticipatory. Reflective metacommunication is the process whereby an individual thinks about the communication after the conversation is over. I would rate myself ‘good’ as I reflect on the conversation to determine my strengths and weaknesses and make proper decisions on how to improve my skills in the future. Anticipatory metacommunication is the process of planning to communicate. In this category, I would rate myself ‘fair’ because I frequently plan to tell my friends or parents about some issues I need to discuss with them. Finally, adaptive metacommunication is the listening skills theory that detects the ability to listen actively and thoughtfully. In this category, I would rate myself fair because if am sometimes hindered from listening attentively due to concentration on my Smartphone.

Question four

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When working as a manager, there are crucial times when you need to prepare what to say. Specifically, this entails giving the reason for a particular reaction. For example, when transferring a worker from one location to the other, the manager must offer adequate reasons why the selected candidate is the most important and how the new opportunity will benefit the individual and the organization. However, some activities, mostly in sports, do not require pre-planning. For example, in a football match, the coach does not plan what to tell the players on the field. However, communication occurs through game analysis.

Question 5

The assessment of the variables that impact the delivery of the message based on audience-specific needs is necessary. Therefore, the sender must consider the location, time, occasion, relationship, and level of closeness that might interfere with the communication. In addition, an evaluation of the psychological, emotional, and physical hindrances is essential.