REPORT-GROUP DYNAMICS(COMMUNICATION)

COMMUNICATION: It is defined as the sharing of the messages which could be expressed in form of
verbal expression. The main objective is to establish a degree of understanding between the sender and
the receiver.

A. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. One cannot stop to communicate.
2. There is a content or informational value to message sent and received that explains what the
message sent and received that explains what the message is about and expresses how the sender
regards the receiver.
3. The message sent is not necessary.
4. Messages contain overt and covert meaning.
5. Communication becomes dysfunctional when a person does not assume responsibility for this
communication.

B. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

1. Observer cannot always be sure of the correct interpretation of the feelings expressed non-verbally.
2. The same feeling can be expressed non-verbally in more than one way. For example, anger may be
communicated by aggressiveness or excessive body motion or by a frozen stillness. A variety of feelings
such as embarrassment, pleasure or anger can be expressed by a single non-verbal cue as blushing.
3. To observer, non-verbal behavior efficiently requires a systematic approach. As part of an initial
assessment, one should observe the overall physical appearance, posture, gait and adornments. Then
assess the specific parts of the body such as the face and hands.

C. WAYS IN WHICH INFORMATION IS EXCHANGED THROUGH NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
No part of the body is as expressive as the face, particularly the muscles around the eyes and mouth.
Feelings of joy, sadness, fear, surprise, anger, and disgust can be consciously controlled although actors
learn to control these muscles to convey emotions to audiences.

EYE CONTACT
Mutual eye contact acknowledges recognition (respect) of the other person and a willingness to
maintain communication. A glance (known as attention getting method) may capture a person's
attention prior to communication. For example, eyes fixed in a stare (means anger), eyes which tend to
narrow (means disgust), and eyes which open wide (means fear).

POSTURE AND GAIT

These are the ways people walk and carry themselves. They are often reliable indicators of self-concept,
current mood and health. For example, erect posture and an active purposeful stride suggest a feeling of
well-being. A slouched posture and slow, shuffling, gait suggest physical discomfort. A tensed posture
and rapid, determined gait suggest anxiety or anger. Likewise, the sitting or lying posture can
communicate feelings.
HAND MOVEMENTS AND GESTURES (KINESICS)
The hands are also expressive. They can communicate feelings at any given time. For the deaf, the hands
are invaluable in communication. For an ill person who is unable to reply verbally, the hands can devise
a unique communication system. An anxious person may wring his hands or bite his nails. A relaxed
person may interlap his fingers over his lap or allow his hands to fall on his side. Hands also
communicate by touch. For example, slapping someone's face or caressing another's head. Frequently
involved gestures are the handsake, the victory sign, and the wave of goodbye.

MODE OF DRESS AND GROOMING

One's type of clothing and grooming practices carry significant non-verbal messages. For example,
healthy persons with good self-esteem tend to pay attention to details of dress while the person with
low self-esteem shows much less interest in them.

SOUNDS
Crying, moaning, gasping, and sighing are oral but non-verbal forms of communication. Interpretation of
such sounds can be numerous. For example, a person may cry because he is sad or he may cry for joy.
Gasping indicates fear or pain. A sigh may be a sigh of reluctant agreement to something or a sigh of
relief.

VOICE INFLECTIONS (PARALANGUAGE)

The pitch and degree of loudness of the voice carry messages. For example, a person may shout for joy
or anger. The time and volume of the voice may also carry messages of anxiety, fear, or discomfort.

SILENCE

Period of silence during communication carries important non-verbal messages. The silence between
two persons may indicate complete understanding of each other or it may mean anger with each other.

GENERAL PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Most illnesses cause at least some alteration in general physical appearance. Observing for changes in
appearance is an important nursing responsibility to help detect a particular illness or to evaluate the
effectiveness of care and therapy. For example, insufficient intake of fluids results in dry skin that
wrinkles easily, the eyes may be sunken and dull in appearance, the muscle is poor. On the other hand, a
person in good health tends to radiate his health status in his general physical appearance.

D. LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION

A.
1. Intrapersonal Type - Communication with one's self
2. Interpersonal - From one person to another

3. Group Individual - Occurs in two levels, one to many and many to one
4. Group to group - Organizational type of communication.
1. Absolute Openness-mutual sharing

2. Affective Expression

3. Giving own impression and judgment

4. Sharing information that are factual

5. Cleche (kle-shai)-Com-mon Expression

Figure 5. Degree of openness of communication according to John Powell.

B. Nonverbal communication - is stronger than verbal

communication. Albert Mebrabian mentioned that the

importance of communication is divided into the following:

7% - Verbal

38% Tone and vocal inflection

55% Facial expression, body posture and gesture nonverbal or body language.

It can be noted that real language is behavior – actions speak louder than words. Every move you make
may reveal your attitudes and feelings.

Nonverbal communication is exchange of information without the use of words. It is sometimes called
body language. It is what is not said.

Majority of communication is nonverbal. It often tells others more about what a person is feeling than
what is actually said, because nonverbal behavior is controlled less consciously than verbal behavior. It
either reins forces or contradicts what is said verbally.

For example, a nurse may say to a patient, "I'd be happy to sit here and to talk to you for a while." Yet, if
she glances nervously at her watch at every few seconds, the actions contradict the verbal message. The
patient is more likely to believe the nonverbal behavior which conveys "I am very busy."

C. Simplest classification on nonverbal communication

1. Sign language (dactylology) - substitution of gesture for words, number and manual alphabet.

2. Action language - all movements

3. Object language - display of material things

D. Other types of language classifications:

1. Kinetic Behavior - body motion - gestures, facial position and body movement could reflect attitudes,
moods, emotions and even deception and lies.

2. Paralanguage - voice qualities, laughing, yawning, volume (loud or soft), pitch (high or low), rate (fast
or slow), reflect personality, level of education, and attitudes.

3. Proxemics - spaces or distances of people in daily interactions.

a) Fixed features - structures of towns and cities.

b) Semi-fixed features space - patterns which drive people apart (sociofugal spaces) or divide people
away (sociopetal spaces).

c) Informal features - intricate intimacy, status and willingness to interact.

1. Intimate Close - distance from touching to about 6 inches. Example: wrestling, comforting, growing,
and lovemaking.

2. Intimate Far Distance - 6 to 8 inches involve the use of sight more than the intimate close space.

3. Personal Distance - 18 inches to four between, reserved for close friends, husband and wife.

4. Social Distance - 4 to 12 feet distance, for business meeting and minimum emotional involvement.

5. Public Distance - 12 to 15 feet or even more; one-way commu-nication from a speaker.

6. Chronemics -Time expresses certain things. Time language can communicate sense of responsibility,
interest, and respect.

7. Use of Artifacts - clothing, perfumes, wigs, false eyelashes, skin, hair, and even objects surrounding
the speaker.

8. Tactics - the use of touch, stroking, hitting, greetings, use of holding and guiding are effective means
of communicating.

9. Oculesics - study of the role of eye contact.

RULES ABOUT EYE CONTACT

1. A looker may invite interaction by staring at another person who is across the room.

2. Mutual friendly gaze connotes positive interaction.

3. Direct eye contact while speaking manifests sincerity and honesty.

4. If the usual short intermittent gazes of longer duration, tendency to be interpreted as the task to be
less important.

E. Communication Process - Basic Steps

1. Develop an idea
2. Encode an idea into suitable words or symbols
3. Transmit - careful timing so as to be free from interference
4. Receive - accept the message
5. Decode - understanding the message
6. Use - application and performance of the message

Figure 6 - Feedback For Two-Way Communication

*Sender transmits the message and the receiver feedback to the sender, there is effective two-way
communication, frustration is reduced and favorable feelings usually are generated.

Simplest Steps for Communication Process

1. Encode - sender transmits the message.
2. Decode - Receiver understands the message but
blocking of the message caused by the barriers or interference such as:

a. Personal Barriers - emotional problem, in-attentiveness, status or biases

b. Physical barriers - differences in meanings or the frame or references

Figure 7. COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Studies on Facial and Visual Expression as Nonverbal Communication

1. Facial Expression - Secord P.F. study on facial features and inference processes in interpersonal
perception made mention of how eyebrows and the eyes can express certain ideas.

Fully raised - disbelief

Half raised - surprised

Normal - relaxed

Half lowered - puzzled

Fully lowered - angered

Linda Johnson, a student of Secord gave a description of a fictitious person and requested subject to
describe distinctive features of the hypothetical man (Secord P.F. 1958).

A. Man - is warmhearted, has good sense of humor, responsible, and confident.

B. man - is ruthless, hostile, and unsympathetic

The given distinctive feature based on the visual expression is shown below:

Table 6 - Eye Expression (Secord, 1958)

A – MAN
B - MAN

Directness of gaze

Direct

Overt

Brows

Upward

Downward

Relaxed

Distended

Nose

Cover up

Cover down

Mouth

PUPILLARY RESPONSE - Changes in size of pupil expresses pleasant or unpleasant feeling (data from Hess
and Polt 1960).

Figure 8 - Pupillary Response

Figure 7 shows the size of the pupil area in response to various stimuli. Pupil dilates when it perceives
pleasant stimuli, constricts when it perceives unpleasant stimuli. Homosexual could be distinguished
from the normal on the basis of pupillary responses to pictures of female pin ups.