Archives

Uncategorized — No Comments
07
Oct 21

The Importance of Communication Skills

Communication skills are a major component in the everyday life that we live in. According to an article, “Interpersonal skills were defined as the ability to work on teams, teach others, serve customers, lead, negotiate, and work well with people from culturally diverse backgrounds” (Parton, 429). We grew up learning communication skills from family, friends, and teachers and continue to expand our knowledge on communication skills as we get older. Since we are young children we learn through school and family the importance of communication skills. Throughout adolescence, skills are expanded and are expected to be better. Careers as well require everyone to have communication skills that build up their work career. Communication skills are like active listening, respect, friendliness, confidence, public speaking, and many more.

Since childhood, we learn many different communication skills that are a big part of our life. Some communication skills are like respect, friendliness, active listening, confidence, etc. According to the textbook, “Semin (2007) suggests that communication is the most fundamental topic social psychologists can address because it represents the foundation of social life” (Gruman 271). communication is a very important aspect in our life. Going to elementary school we learn to develop communication skills like respect and friendliness. We learn how to respect teachers, students, parents, and any person. For example, as I was a child, my school used to require a course in which we learned the importance of these skills in our daily lives. Respecting a teacher helps a student get good grades and have great communication with teachers and faculty. While students, for example, do not respect a teacher and keep talking over the teacher and not listening, it causes communication to become more difficult with each other. Another communication skill is friendliness in which as we are young we are more innocent and we become friends with other students easily. This skill helps students communicate with each other easily and being able to work with groups. If a student is not liked, he or she might be bullied or no student would want to be friends with him or her.

As we grow older, our communication skills expand and relate to our life even more deeply. We continue to learn different communication skills as we grow older. In college, we learn how to develop confidence, independence, and being open minded. Through specific courses, for example, we learn how to speak properly using the proper language, as well as having proper gestures. I took a communication course last semester where I developed more communication skills and learned how to speak more properly through presentations and group work. Through the presentations I was to express my interest with my words of choice but making sure I used the proper language and gestures while presenting. As well as giving me confidence through the presentation and speaking in front of a class. College also teaches a person how to become independent and be open minded through the different courses that we take. Being open minded helps a person think outside of the box.

College allows us to expand our skills and apply them to our work fields which require us to have certain requirements. For example, if a person wants to work as a translator or a teacher then good language skills are required in order to expand on to other students that are being taught. Another job that requires a skill is like a doctor in which confidence in yourself is important because you have to be confident in yourself to have a procedure done on another person. These skills apply to every career there are with many different communication skills. Study “found 49% of entry-level ads included requirements for basic skills related to communication, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking” (Parton, 430). The most important skill in the work field is body positivity and talking skills (whether verbal or non-verbal). Our gestures in the career field are important to have a positive communication set with others. Connecting to the ideas that we learned through the textbook, we notice the importance of verbal, non-verbal through messages that are being coded and decoded.

Communication skills are the process in which we give information and we receive in return through verbal or non-verbal gestures. These skills are being implied to our life since we are children through family, friends, and schools. As we grow older our skills that we learned, like respect, confidence, friendliness, continue to expand on in our lives. Colleges allow our skills to expand and become more prominent in our daily lives. Our communication skills continue to grow with us and fall in the work fields which help everyone in their communication asset with others. These skills are very important in our daily lives, whether in school, home, work, or anywhere. What are some communication skills that you think are most important to you?

 

References: Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE.

Parton, S. R., & Kinnick, K. N. (2005). Workplace communication: What the apprentice teaches about communication skills – Katherine N. Kinnick, Sabrena R. Parton, 2005. Retrieved October 07, 2021, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1080569905282099?casa_token=00lX3YLPq4EAAAAA%3AwIfxspcDV0JV6h8gZyLd38RJkm9QgyuLSZfX7ftXEbrV4qbc1dlBVCtnS_VyTCqPa_nDD-gw_AVN

Uncategorized — 3 Comments
30
Sep 21

Gender Differences

Gender Differences

Gender differences have been a major issue in the society that we live in. People immediately give off stereotypes stating what a person can and cannot do. Gender differences can be seen whether they are stated verbally or non-verbal. Stereotypes lead to assumptions and norms about what activities, sports, and dress codes are considered masculine or feminine. Gender differences play a huge role since childhood and continue to expand as a person gets older. Biological and social factors affect the result of gender differences. A child’s gender influences the outcome of education, social life, and the judgment against them.

Gender differences is a way that we stereotype ourselves and keep ourselves in groups. There are different categories in which we separate for males and females. The activities, dress code, and sports are ways that we stereotype ourselves. For example, when we think of ice hockey, we think of males playing the game instead of females. While thinking about cheerleading, we think of majority females. Gender refers to “social or learned characteristics that are associated with being male or female” (Gruman 393). The way that we act in the social world is the way that we are being characterized. There are social norms that state things to be masculine and other things being feminine.

Even in early childhood, kids separate themselves based on being a male or female. Children separate themselves in activities, classrooms, and playgrounds. If you were to see a boy in a line of girls, then other kids would make fun of him for not being with them. When I was a child, I could relate to gender differences because I would only accept things that are pink and considered girly. I loved to have my hair done, nail polish, and dressing up as a princess. I used to also stay in areas around other girls and play with activities that are not as masculine. When playing a game or activity, do you normally pick others in the same gender or the opposite sex? Not only do our physical actions affect our gender differences, but also our verbal actions. The way that we express our feelings and emotions are different and might be expressed as being emotional for women. According to the textbook, “when a male child cries, people will often explain the behavior by saying that he is angry, whereas when a female child cies, they will often describe her as frightened” (Gruman 394). The way that we express our emotions as perceived differently in males and females. Men are considered to being angry and weak if they cry, while females are considered to be frightened and emotional.

Gender differences are the result of biological and social factors that influence a child’s response. Depending on the biological and social factors that a child grew up in, their responses might differ. If you were to tell a boy, what job do you want to work as you grow older, his answers might be like police officer, fireman, or athletics coach. They would consider jobs that are considered more masculine. On the other hand, if a girl is asked, she would say something like a teacher, model, doctor, or artist. Girls tend to choose careers that are feminine and less masculine. Not only do our choices affect the way that we choose things but also our biological and social factors. Some children might choose to be police officers because the social environment they live in might not be too safe.

In conclusion, the way that we are raised as children is the way that create gender differences and will be the same for future generation. In the society that we live in, gender differences have had a huge impact in our lives. Gender differences cause stereotypes in which we preserve ourselves and consider what and what not to do. Separating ourselves based on gender even developed since childhood and continues to expand as we grow. Gender differences expand to create stereotypes that create social norms since childhood. There are biological and social factors that influence gender differences. Does gender play a role in the way that you interact and communicate with others?

References:

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE.

Uncategorized — No Comments
17
Mar 21

Email Communications: Effectiveness, Limitations, and Potential Pit Falls

The ability to communicate effectively is important in organizational and personal settings alike. Whether pitching an idea to a supervisor, handling a customer complaint, or maintaining a relationship with a significant other or acquaintance, effective communication is paramount. From the mechanistic perspective locus of communication (Fischer, 1978), “communication is seen as a process of transmitting a message”, one where the medium used to transmit the message factors into the messages overall effectiveness (Gruman, Schneider & Coutts, 2016, p 349). Therefore, the prevalence of modern technological advancements in communication, such as email, bring with them their own strengths and hurdles in regards to effective communication compared to spoken messages.

Much like a letter dropped off in a mailbox, control over the content and meaning of email communication is generally lost and left to its recipient’s interpretation once the “send” button is pressed. The inherent danger in email communication rests in not only its sender’s ability to concisely and deliberately explain their intent through written word, but is also reliant on its recipient’s ability to comprehend the message. Email has to do without the nonverbal cues that research (Allbritton, McKoon, & Ratcliff, 1996; Price, Ostendorf, Shattuck-Hufnagel, & Fong, 1991) has shown to be so supportive in face-to-face communication, and research (Abrahams, 1962; Clark, 1996; Drew, 1987; Goffman, 1959) showing that even audible tones, pauses, and inflections that convey sentiment and context available during verbal communication (e.g. during phone calls) (Kruger, Epley, Parker & Ng., 2005, p 926).

I am notorious amongst current and previous superiors, peers, subordinates, and those on occasion that have been courtesy copied on any number of heated and passionate but [in hindsight] irresponsible emails that I have sent over the course of my career. The sage advice that one should never email when angry, or to read and then sit on a composed email long enough to calm down before re-reading it and making a final decision to send or delete the message, has apparently never fully sunk in with me. Nonetheless, I pride myself in my attempt to compose messages that as much information as I am trying to convey, while being easily understandable and concise, yet well-written enough so as not to be mistaken for a message from a fourth-grader.

The fact is, similar to letters dropped off in a locked mailbox, emails cannot easily be taken back. Even more worrisome, is that their near immediate delivery, and the recipient’s likelihood of quickly accessing the message, sometimes in near real-time (considering someone actively at a desk monitoring emails, or receiving a ping from the phone they keep with them at virtually all times). This means that even a quick clarifying phone call, text message, follow-on email, or running down the hall to the recipient’s office, might not deconflict the original message in time. Take it from me, the lesson here is that while email is one of the greatest leaps forward in interpersonal communication to date, the immediacy of its delivery, near inability to retract, and inadequate capacity to convey context cues create additional roadblocks and limitations to effective communication that they would otherwise be unlikely to face in person or through verbal communication.

References

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology : Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. ProQuest Ebook Central. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com. Accessed on 3/7/2021. p 349

Uncategorized — 2 Comments
22
Oct 20

Do You Really Want to Send That Text or Email?

Why Written Communication Might Not Be the Best Way to Communicate

Have you ever received a text and wondered “What do they mean?” or “How do I respond to this?” Maybe you have sent an email or commented on a social media post and received a response that seemed to come from leftfield, thinking “How on earth could they have possibly thought that’s what I meant?”

 

While so many of us believe that we are far better communicators in writing, the fact is that we simply are not. In a study detailed in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think?, we learn that we tend to overestimate our ability to communicate via writing, and it often leads us to draft messages whose meaning is unclear. However, that is not entirely our fault. Written communication can be quite ambiguous. It does not include certain non-verbal cues that are found in verbal or face to face communication such as tone of voice or facial expression, making miscommunication more likely. Humor and sarcasm are especially difficult to convey in written communication and may be taken literally and even construed as insults. And if you are like me, dripping in sarcasm, you may have been misunderstood too.

 

While personal communications are a little bit easier to navigate due to helpful tools such as emoticons, memes, and gifs that help better convey those nuances found in verbal communication that are missing in writing, miscommunications can still occur. Knowing this, it is important to be extra cautious in written business/professional communications. Be aware of your audience, and understand even those who may know you well, may still misunderstand your joke or sarcasm. It is prudent to make sure you are keeping your communications as literal as possible, leaving little room to misinterpret. When possible, conduct the conversation in person or pick up the phone and call. Nothing beats face to face communication, however verbal is a close second.

 

References

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.

Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 925-936. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.925

Richards, R. (2019, February 11). The Disadvantages of Written Communication. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://bizfluent.com/info-8130487-disadvantages-written-communication.html

create an entry — 1 Comment
08
Apr 17

Is Jealousy Healthy or Problematic in the Nature of Relationships?

         Allport (1985) conceptualizes social cognition as, “the process of thinking about ourselves and other people to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.”  Interpersonal magnetism is fueled by a strong desire for tête-à-tête.  Anticipation of favorable experiences sparks excitement while enduring relations with your significant other.  All of a sudden, partner infidelity may come on as a surprise during your relationship.  In other words, deep feelings for your companion may stimulate a strong emotional response that many of us are familiar with.  Jealousy can be experienced at different intensities depending on the situation.  In fact, desirous feelings could promote relationship quality.  For instance, one of the partners may respond to jealousy as being a direct threat to the relationship in which they value their relationship enough to protect it.  Except that is not always the case in most relationships affected by jealous emotions.  Many similar instances are influenced by misunderstanding a situation or failing to emphasize the importance of communication between partners.

        Most relationships experience three distinct types of jealousy including – reactive, anxious, and possessive (Pfeiffer & Wong, 2007).   These forms are distinguished between whether they reside with emotional, cognitive, or behavioral attributions.  John Wiley (2007) explored relations between different types of jealousy, as well as self and partner perceptions of relationship quality.  He defined Reactive Jealousy as, “the degree to which individuals experience negative emotions, such as anger and upset, when their mate is or has been emotionally or sexually unfaithful (Wiley, J., 2007).”  Furthermore, Anxious Jealousy is when a partner creates false perceptions and images in their head in which they begin feeling distrustful or worried.  Finally, Possessive Jealousy involves an individual taking excessive measures in order to prevent their partner from socializing with anyone of the opposite sex, and forbidding them to socialize with others.  According to Buunk’s typology, reactive jealousy relies on emotional  aspects, anxious jealousy consists of cognitive elements, and possessive jealousy is attributed to behavioral components (Buunk & Dijkstra, 2006).  Relatively, Andersen et al. (1995) discovered that cognitive jealousy negatively impacts relational satisfaction.  Whereas, Pfeiffer and Wong (1989) specified emotional jealousy to be positively associated to love.  Determining relationship quality should always take into consideration both partners’ feelings toward how they feel, and how their partner feels, engaging in their interpersonal connection.

          Relationship quality is determined by interaction between two partners.  Communication between each other is a key component for maintaining an open and sound relationship.  Many people are too invested in wanting to just express how they perceive a situation, and will disregard how their partner feels.  In a relationship, one of the best things I have learned is that there are always three sides to a story – their side, your side, and the real side.  Also, do not try to discuss a tense topic unless you are both rational enough to respectfully listen to each other.  Relatively, jealousy affects the content of the communication (what they communicate), as well as the type of communication they engage in (how they communicate) (Wiley, J., 2007).

         High levels of intimacy and affection is associated with how well you and your partner respects the others’ feelings, understand each other, refrain from negative sources of jealousy, and be a companion to your significant other.  Do not try to compete or evoke feelings of jealousy in your partner to cover your own insecurities.  Take into account that you are your partner are a team and are in this together.  If you both want to keep your commitment, then refrain from problematic experiences, and rather enhance your relationship quality.

        Do you ever experience jealousy in your relationship?  What are some ways that you strive to improve the quality of your relationship?  If you are not in a relationship, what are some things you would want to try for relationship satisfaction?

Thanks for reading!

Barelds, D. P. H., Barelds-Dijkstra, P. (2007). Relations between different types of jealousy and self and partner perceptions of relationship quality. Clinical Psychology and Psychopharmacology. Retrieved April 8, 2017 from

http://rebeccajorgensen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/25353937Types-of-Jealousy-and-Relationship-Quality.pdf

Lesson 12 Commentary (n.d.). Relationships/Everyday Life. Retrieved April 8, 2017 fromhttps://psu.instructure.com/courses/1834710/modules/items/21736698

Uncategorized — 2 Comments
27
Feb 17

Homogeneity Breeds Prejudice

Growing up, I was constantly being introduced to different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds. I remember being fascinated at the vast amount of cultural traditions and nuances, and I craved to meet new people, people with different stories. In Damascus, Syria, attending an International High School quenched my thirst for meeting different people, as the student making up the school were mostly children of diplomats who were stationed in Damascus. I had friends from all four corners of the world – from Buenos Aires, to Ghana, to Amsterdam. For me it felt natural being in a diverse environment, and I wouldn’t know any other way of interacting.

That was until I move to Yerevan, Armenia around four years ago. During the first few months, it was both comforting yet strange to be in a country where everyone is of the same ethnicity, of the same nationality, and of the same religion – everyone is Armenian, following the Apostolic church. It first felt comforting because I felt like I was ‘home’, being in my own country with ‘my’ people. But it was also strange at the same time because I was not used to the homogeneity. It was when I enrolled at the American University of Armenia that I began to notice the prejudice that existed here.

There was only one international student in the freshman class, and he was from India. I will not disclose any names for the protection of this individual’s privacy. I first was oblivious to it, since I had never witnessed first hand people exhibited prejudice towards another person. Slowly but surely, I noticed the whispers when this student walked into a class; I noticed how everyone else created a bubble around if as if he were contagious. This student was picked on, laughed at, and publicly humiliated on many occasions. I was ashamed and appalled at my peers’ behavior, and the first thing I did was blame it on their characters – believing that they were a bunch of disrespectful bullies, who are also immature for exhibiting this type of behavior – ultimately falling prey to the fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error underlies that we find it easier to explain other people’s behavior in terms of personal dispositions, rather than thinking about situational factors that could have played in a role in their actions (Schneider et al., 2012). The more people I saw exhibiting prejudiced behavior towards another, the more people I ended up attributing being disrespectful and horrible to.

It was not until much later that year on a day that I was reminiscing my high school days when I had an epiphany. I was introduced to diverse environment growing, but Armenians who were born and raised in Armenia here never had. There is little to no diversity in Armenia, so how could these people ever be accustomed to a diverse environment when they have never been in one? Their entire lives has been underlined by the similar-to-me effect – since everyone around them is similar to them, they have been accustomed to perceiving others who are like themselves more favorably than others (Schneider et al., 2012).

This is fortunately taking a turn for the better in Armenia. Tourism has seen a boost in recent years, which means locals are being introduced more and more to individuals of different ethnicities and backgrounds. A lot of citizens of neighboring countries have also come to Armenia to start business, and there has been a huge influx of Syrian Armenians (due to the civil unrest in Syria). I am noticing how the dynamic has changed between local Armenians and an individual who is not from here – and it is definitely a great aspect to witness. Gordon Allport introduced the contact hypothesis, which “assumes that positive contact with members of an out-group could decrease negative stereotyping of the out-group by the in-group and lead to improved intergroup relations” (pg. 343, Schneider et al., 2012. I definitely see a link between this hypothesis and what I have experienced throughout my four years here by observing in-groups (Armenians) contact with out-groups. The more that Armenians had contact with anybody who is different than they are, the more they are not only developing acceptance, but also realizing the great outcomes of meeting diverse individuals.

Thank you for reading,

Hilda Yacoubian

 

References

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Uncategorized — 1 Comment
23
Jun 14

“Booth or table? Smartphone section or other?”

Study 1, article 1

So here are two links to a quick little article and its study I found online about cell phone users and our perceived concepts of privacy. In a lesson given by Professor Yarwood of Penn State’s World Campus Psych424 Applied Social Psychology class, the point that cell phone use in public has compromised the level of privacy for others was made. It is true that “privacy in public” can be in the eye of the beholder, or the eye of the smartphone-holder. According to a study done by Tel Aviv University, a fair majority of smartphone users will say that their devices provide them with plenty of privacy. But most of us know this is not true. Just the other day I was picking up a pizza order and the women behind me was on her cell phone. I can tell you this about her and her life.

  • She got caught lying about where she just was, then again lying about whose house she was staying at.
  • Her brother doesn’t feed his children.
  • If it wasn’t for her courageous, covert trip to the pizza shop, her nieces and nephews would starve.

There I was, waiting for pizza, and my ears were being forcefully violated with someone else’s business. That woman and many other smartphone users seem to be oblivious to the reality of their so called public privacy. I’m not sure she would have had that same conversation with complete strangers. So why did she have that conversation where complete strangers can hear her? Should I have to forfeit the rights of my ears in public because smartphone users can’t confine their own privacy to themselves? Do these smartphone users really expect others to respect their privacy when it isn’t being handled in a private way at all? Well at the end of the first link I provided, the author suggests an idea, which was also brought up in the original study that could lend my ears some relief. Imagine walking into a restaurant and being asked, “Booth or a table?” Now imagine the hostess’ next question being, “smartphone or other?” Well the researchers from the university anticipate the possibly of the public being redesigned around communications technology, the way it was years ago for smokers and non-smokers. One problem with this though. I am a smartphone user. Yikes. Will I have to be categorized before I make myself more aware of the reality of my own privacy in public? I hope not. I already worry about bad seating options in restaurants and airplanes just for having a child!

Communications technologies appear to be changing our social behaviors and the way we interact (or don’t interact) with others (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). We interact with each other differently and avoid each other in new ways. We let voicemail and auto responses like, “I’m driving” reject others, instead of just taking incoming calls. We are letting entire lobbies full of strangers know, you want pizza for dinner, and that you’ll be late because you have to pick up that cream from the pharmacy for that thing you got. Well as interesting as all that sounds, some of us would rather fresh, crisp silence than have clouds of pesky, private conversations be blown into our ears. Perhaps further research, like those being done at Tel Aviv University surrounding the behavioral habits of communications technology users will bring the public to a more communication-conscious state of public awareness.

 

References

American friends of tel aviv university; smart phones are changing real world privacy settings. (2012). Telecommunications Weekly, 1038. Retrieved from         http://search.proquest.com/docview/1015615980?accountid=13158

Perry, D. (2012, May 14). Smartphone Users Less Aware of Lack of Privacy in Public. Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.tomsguide.com/us/smartphone-privacy-study-smartphone-users-public,news-15182.html

PSU 424. (2014). Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 9: Media/ communications     Technology. Retrieved June 20, 1014, from       https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/su14/psych424/001/content/10_lesson/02            _page.html

 

Uncategorized — 7 Comments
26
Feb 14

Organization + Intergroup Relations | For better or worse.

Organizations can range from a little as two people to millions as seen in the Department of Defense however, regardless of size there are key components any successful organization must have (The Economist, 2011). Marriage, for example, is a simple organization of two individuals that engage in many of the same behaviors that a major organization engages in such as communication and group decision making (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012). Just as communication is key to the success of a large organization so too is communication’s role in marriage. Schneider, Gruman and Coutts (2012) define communication as a social behavior of at least two people interacting and providing one another with information (p. 233). Furthermore, Schneider, Gruman and Coutts (2012) go on to discuss the actual model of communication which includes conveying a message by means of a medium (“channel”) that must be encoded, decoded and received by another individual (p. 233). Within a marriage, the same process takes place. For instance, take the simple chore of washing dishes – a wife (or husband) may verbally or nonverbally convey to their significant other that they would like help washing the dishes. In order to do this, the wife must form her thoughts into a message to communicate to her husband. Typically this message, once formed, is likely to be conveyed through a face-to-face medium. Once the wife has transmitted her message the husband then receives and decodes the message (and hopefully agrees to help do the dishes!). This process can go back and forth and can be very clear or can result in a disagreement due to lack of clarity.

Penley, Alexander, Jernigan and Henwood (1991) uncovered that managers of corporations with effective communication skills outperform others and this is also the case for effective communicators within a marriage. In order for managers to be effective and efficient communicators they must be able to provide clear objectives and accurate feedback (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012). In order for a married couple to communicate efficiently they too must be clear and accurate in their requests, concerns, desires etc. Now this does not always occur within organizations nor does it always occur within a marriage and when it does not follow this communication model, problems may arise whether it be the wrong person getting laid off or a big argument over who left the toilet seat up.

Krone, Jablin and Putnam (1987) described that within the psychological perspective a major influencing factor of how something is received or communicated is an individual’s “conceptual filter” (p. 234). A conceptual filter incorporates an individual’s cognitions, attitudes and perceptions (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012). Therefore, it is essential to take into consideration in an organization when communicating with another individual as they will have a different conceptual filter. This is the same in a marriage, just because two people fall in love and have many of the same attitudes and opinions does not mean that their conceptual filter is the same. In order to be an effective communicator in both an organization and a marriage, one must consider how their message may be influenced by another’s conceptual filter.

Modern organizations have begun to place more emphasis on teams in order to divide up and assign specific tasks to specialized individuals (Pennsylvania State University, 2014). A team, or group, can be defined as “two or more persons who are interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other person” (Pennsylvania State University, 2014; Shaw, 1981). A marriage then, can also be seen as a team of two individuals who influence and are influenced by one another. Additionally, teams are divided up based on specialization and within a marriage this can be seen by having the husband and wife both take on different roles. Perhaps the husband takes on the “team role” of investing in the stock market and mowing the lawn while the wife assumes the role of providing a nice dinner and paying the bills. Whatever the roles may be, it often takes a team effort to achieve and maintain a functioning household.

References
House, R.J., Shuler, R.S., & Levaroni, E. (1983). Role conflict and ambiguity scales: Reality or artifact? Journal of Applied Psychology, 68. 334-337. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.68.2.334
Jamal, M. (1984). Job stress and job performance controversy: An empirical assessment. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 33(1).  1-21. doi:10.1016/0030-5073(84)90009-6.
Krone, K., Jablin, F., Putnam, L. (1987). Handbook of organizational communication: An interdisciplinary perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Penley, L., Alexander, E., Jernigan, I., & Henwood, C. (1991). Communication abilities of managers: The relationship to performance. Journal of Management, 17(1), 57-76. doi: 10.1177/014920639101700105.
Pennsylvania State University. (2014). Organizational Life and Teams. [Online Lecture]. Retrieved from http://cms.psu.edu.
Rizzo, J.R., House, R.J., & Lirtzman, S.I. (1970). Role conflict and ambiguity in complex organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 15. 150-163. doi: 10.2307/2391486.
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Semin, G. (2007). Grounding communication. In A.W. Kruglanski & E.T. Higgins (Eds). Social Psychology Handbook of basic principles (2nd ed). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Shaw, M. (1981). Group Dynamics: The Psychology of Small Group Dynamics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
The Economist. (2011). Who are the world’s biggest employers? Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/09/employment?fsrc=scn/tw/te/dc/defending.

Skip to toolbar