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Today's quick tip is: The third element in the communication method is context.
The third element in the communication method is context. Contexts are physical, social, historical, psychological and cultural situations in communicating. Context can affect the way people perceive, accept and behavior in a situation. Let’s begin to understand all five contexts. Physical context is the environment of the conversation. Conversations held on the phone are different than those held in a movie theater or a concert, or even on the Internet. The reason is that the environment calls for different moods. For example, you are more likely to shout at a person in a concert rather than in a movie theater. Social is the second context and this type of communication depends on the relationship of the parties. A person will talk differently with their parent or sibling compared to their boss or co-worker. The third context is historical. Historical context is when participants are aware of the previous communication. For example, Mark and Sam are aware of the school closings and they start to discuss snowboarding. Irene who is not aware of the school closing and her brother’s snowboarding is confused at Sam’s statement to Mark, “Are you ready?” The fourth is the psychological context and it is the feelings a person brings the conversation. Another example is road rage. Most people are safe drivers, but when someone cuts them off; they start the process of road rage. Start yelling at the other driver and honking their horn uncontrollable. Our last context is cultural. Cultural context is based on our beliefs and behaves. It is also how we view ourselves and identify with others. For instance, some tourist develop “cultural shock” when visiting other countries. For example, the opinion of an American and a Parisian may differ on the views of a nude body on a public billboard.
Today’s activity: Have fun in today’s communication process by using all these types of contexts.
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