Communication Climate Tamara Arrington COM 252 UK & BCTC

Today we’ll talk about… What is a communication climate? Disconfirming & confirming messages Defensiveness Supporting behaviors Your response to criticism

Is this what the communication in your relationships is like? Or, is this more like it?

What is a communication climate? The term communication climate refers to the emotional or social tone of a relationship. It involves the way people feel about each other. It is a relational climate. Communication climates affects/reflects relationships. Every context has a climate – this class, your workplace, and your home. What words best describe emotional climate for Beth, Calvin and Conrad? Beth and Calvin have conflict over how much Beth shows concern for Conrad.

Communication Climates and Conflict Communication climate is an extremely significant factor when people have conflicts.

Factors That Affect The Communication Climate Disconfirming and confirming messages Defensiveness Your response to criticism

Confirming and Disconfirming Communication Developing positive and negative communication climates

Confirming Communication Messages that convey valuing other people Recognition (making contact) Acknowledgment (listening) Endorsement (agreement)

Disconfirming Communication Messages show lack of regard for other Verbal aggression & verbal abuse Complaining Interrupting Impervious responses (ignoring other person’s attempt to communicate)

What is Defensiveness? Protecting oneself from attack Increased defensiveness creates/reflects negative communication climates. Decreased defensiveness creates/reflects more positive communication climates.

Gibb Categories of Defensive and Supportive Behaviors Increasing and Decreasing Defensiveness

Evaluation Vs. Description Evaluative communication involves the listener perceiving judgmental statements that show lack of regard for the listener. “You” language one form of evaluative communication “You are the most disorganized person I’ve ever met.”

Evaluation Vs. Description Descriptive communication focuses on the speaker’s thoughts and feelings. Descriptive messages often expressed as “I” language. “When you don’t put tax information in the proper file, it makes it difficult for us at tax time.”

Control Vs. Problem Orientation (Non-controlling) Controlling communication when speaker seems to be imposing solution on listener with no regard for listener. Non-controlling communication focuses on finding a solution that takes into consideration both communicators.

Strategy Vs. Spontaneity The terms dishonesty and manipulation capture the essence of strategy. Spontaneity means expressing yourself honestly.

Neutrality (Indifference) Vs. Empathy Neutrality (indifference) implies other person is not important to you. Empathy shows care for the feelings and thoughts of others.

Superiority Vs. Equality People who act superior communicate they don’t want to relate on equal terms with others. Communicating superiority encourages others to feel defensive. Best to project feelings of equality.

Certainty (Know It All) Vs. Provisionalism (Open-minded) A know it all (certainty) regards his/her opinions with certainty while disregarding the ideas of others. Demonstrate a lack of regard for the thoughts and opinions of others. Open-minded (provisionalism) communicators no corner on the truth and willing to change with new information.

Responding Nondefensively to Criticism

Seek More Information Ask more information Ask for specifics Guess about specifics Paraphrase the speaker’s ideas Ask what the critic wants Ask about the consequences of your behavior and ask what else is wrong

Agree With The Critic Agree with the truth Agree with the odds Agree in principle Agree with the critic’s perception