Essentials of Human Communication, 7th Edition

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Essentials of Human Communication,

7th Edition

Joseph A. DeVito Hunter College of the City University of New York


Chapter Four:Verbal Messages

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Learn the nature and principles of verbal messages

Learn to use verbal messages more effectively

Learn to avoid sexist, heterosexist, racist and ageist language

Chapter Four Goals


Six Principles of Verbal Messages

1. Message meaning are in people.2. Messages are denotative and connotative.3. Messages vary in abstraction.4. Messages vary in politeness.5. Message vary in assertiveness.6. Messages are influenced by culture and

gender.


Messages are Influenced by Culture and Gender

Culture Messages are culturally

influenced The principle of

cooperation The principle of

peaceful relations The principle of self-

denigration The principle of

directness

Gender Verbal messages

reflect considerable gender influences

Example: Politeness


Disconfirmation and Confirmation

Disconfirmation A communication

pattern in which one ignores the other person’s presence and communication

Confirmation A communication

pattern in which one acknowledges the other person’s presence and attends to his/her communication


Disconfirmation and Confirmation cont…

Confirmation Acknowledge presence and

contribution of other Make nonverbal contact Demonstrate understanding

of words and feelings Ask questions Encourage the other person

to express thoughts and feelings

Disconfirmation Ignore presence and

indifferent to messages Make no nonverbal contact Jump to interpret and

evaluate messages Talk about self Interrupt; make it hard for

other’s expression


Skill Development Experience

Carrie’s boyfriend of seven years left her and married another woman. Carrie

confides this to Samantha.

What would she say if responding with disconfirmation? with rejection? with confirmation?


Racist Speech Classifying others in an inferior position Makes dominant group more powerful Inherently racist language—“white” Commonly called “cultural identifiers” (i.e.,

descriptions like old, black, Jew, queer) Learn to use appropriate identifiers


Heterosexist Speech

“derogatory language used against gays or lesbians” Avoid offensive parodies and nonverbal mannerisms Avoid “complimenting” gay men and lesbians that

they “don’t look it” Avoid assumptions about their relational knowledge

of other people “like them” Affirm them as individuals Stay clear of making overattributions Remember and celebrate relationship milestones


Ageist and Sexist Speech

Ageist Prejudice against other

age groups General disrespect for

older people Age restrictions in

certain occupations

Sexist Generic “man” Generic “he” and “his” Sex role stereotyping


Cultural Identifiers

Race and nationality Affectional orientation Age Sex


Principles for Using Verbal Messages Effectively

Avoid intensional orientation

Avoid allness Distinguish between

facts and inferences Avoid indiscrimination Avoid polarization Avoid static evaluation


Extensionalize: Avoid Intensional Orientation

Intensional Orientation: Viewing people, objects, or events in the way they are talked about or pre-labeled

Extensional Orientation: Look first at the actual people, objects, or events and then apply labels


See the Individual: Avoid Allness

Allness thinking—putting into “all” or “never” categories

Recognize that there is always more to learn about something


Differences between Factual and Inferential Statements


Avoid Indiscrimination

Indiscrimination: Failure to distinguish between similar but different people

Solution: See the individual apart from the group


Avoid Polarization

Polarization: Tendency to see the world in opposite extremes

Solution: Search for the middle ground


Avoid Static Evaluation

Static Evaluation: When you hold on to judgments about people and ignore they’ve changed

Solution: Look at statements in context of time

Essentials of Human Communication, 7th Edition

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