MCM101 Lesson 7

LESSON 7: MESSAGE – ROOT OF COMMUNICATION I

1. Into which two categories are messages generally divided?
   Messages are generally divided into Verbal and Non-verbal categories.
2. What is a verbal message?
   A verbal message is a message composed in words – either spoken or written.
3. What is the ‘linguistic barrier’ in verbal communication?
   The linguistic barrier refers to the problem that not all people possess the same linguistic skills, and words may have different meanings for senders and receivers, especially from different areas or languages.
4. What problem is associated with the ‘standard meaning’ of words?
   The problem is that even common words like ‘hot’ may not convey the exact same quantitative meaning to the receiver as intended by the sender, leading to differences in understanding.
5. What is ‘static evaluation’ in the context of language?
   Static evaluation is the problem that words themselves do not carry the same meanings through time and space; a word’s meaning can change over a hundred years or vary by location.
6. What are gestures in non-verbal communication?
   Gestures are patent actions, like a victory sign or a baby’s facial expressions, used to communicate certain feelings without words.
7. How can cultural conflict affect non-verbal communication?
   Cultural conflict can cause the same non-verbal symbol, like a white rose, to have different meanings in different cultures (e.g., Japan vs. the subcontinent), leading to misunderstanding.
8. What is ‘voice accentuation’?
   Voice accentuation is the practice of changing voice level and stressing words to give particular meaning to utterances, used in inter-personal communication and mass communication.
9. Explain why a message in human communication cannot be repeated exactly the same way.
   Human communication is different from mechanical messages because a range of variables occur in composing the message; a slight change in any manner may lead to different meanings at the receiving end.

1. Explain the ‘written message confusion’ with an example.
   It is difficult to articulate feelings into words, and even more difficult for a reader with no experience of those feelings to understand. For example, it is hard to make someone feel the awe of visiting Swat Valley through words alone if they have never been there.
2. How does the Schramm-Osgood model relate to the problem of verbal messages?
   The Schramm-Osgood model emphasizes the importance of common experience for understanding a message, which highlights why verbal messages can fail if the sender and receiver lack shared experiences.
3. Why are non-verbal messages like signs and symbols sometimes more effective than words?
   Non-verbal messages like signs and symbols can be more vivid, strong, and easily understood beyond the bounds of culture and creed, such as a red-cross sign for medical care or traffic signals.
4. Explain how body gestures function as a form of non-verbal communication.
   Body gestures accompany verbal communication to give more meaning to the message. For example, extending a hand while saying “sit down please” supports the verbal command.
5. Why is it important to consider cultural context when interpreting gestures?
   Because the same gesture can have completely different meanings in different cultures. For example, direct eye contact might be a sign of truthfulness in one culture but an offense in another.
6. How does the problem of ‘static evaluation’ pose a challenge for historians?
   Historians write for people centuries later when cultural changes have altered the meanings of words, making it extremely difficult to ensure their written accounts are understood as originally intended.
7. Explain the ‘standard meaning’s problem’ with an example from the lesson.
   If one person says “it is hot outside,” the receiver may not quantify how hot it is (e.g., 40°C) unless scientific reference is used, which is rare in normal language, leading to a difference in understanding the exact meaning.
8. An author writes a historical novel set in the 18th century. Based on the lesson, what challenge related to ‘static evaluation’ might they face?
   The author must be careful not to use words that have significantly changed meaning since the 18th century, or else modern readers might misinterpret the characters’ dialogue and the described situations.

1. Analyze the following scenario: A traffic light is broken at an intersection, so a police officer uses hand signals to direct cars. What type of message is the officer using and why is it effective?
   The officer is using Non-verbal messages (gestures). This is effective because these gestures, like standardized signals, are universally understood for directing traffic, transcending verbal language barriers.
2. A company creates an international advertisement using a thumbs-up gesture. Based on the lesson, what potential risk might they be taking?
   The risk is that the thumbs-up gesture might have a negative or offensive meaning in some cultures, leading to cultural conflict and misinterpretation of the intended positive message.
3. A teacher is explaining a complex scientific concept to students. Based on the ‘linguistic barrier’, what difficulty might arise?
   Students with different levels of linguistic skill or from different language backgrounds might not understand the specific idioms or technical words used by the teacher, leading to confusion.
4. Apply your knowledge: Why might a poet struggle to convey the exact emotion of a personal experience through a poem?
   Because it is difficult to articulate complex feelings and experiences into words (written message confusion), and the reader, lacking the poet’s exact experience, may decode or understand the poem differently.
5. A politician gives a speech, dramatically raising their voice on key points. What aspect of non-verbal message are they using, and what is its purpose?
   They are using ‘Voice Accentuation’. Its purpose is to stress certain words and give them particular emphasis and meaning, influencing how the audience interprets those parts of the speech.
6. Based on the lesson, why is a message in mass communication often delivered by highly trained people?
   In mass communication, a slight change in the message can lead to widespread misunderstanding. Highly trained people are employed to dispatch the message carefully and consistently to achieve the goal of communicating the same meanings to a large audience.
7. A child winks at a friend during class. What type of message is this, and what does the lesson suggest about its potential meanings?
   This is a Non-verbal message (a gesture). The lesson suggests that a wink may send a message for multiple meanings, and its interpretation can depend on the context and the shared understanding between the children.
8. If “words are not like mathematics,” as stated in the lesson, what does this imply about the reliability of verbal communication?
   It implies that verbal communication is not precise or formulaic. The same words can yield different interpretations and results, unlike a mathematical equation which always gives the same answer, making verbal communication inherently less reliable and more open to misunderstanding.