In communication between people, a sender and a receiver are distinguished. The sender is the person who sends a message to another person, who in that case is the receiver. We often focus on the content of a message, but an announcement or message includes much more than just the business aspect, i.e. what is actually said. Every message exchanged in the interaction between two or more people – no matter how short or trivial – includes no fewer than four dimensions: the business aspect, the expressive aspect, the relational aspect and the appealing aspect.
- Four aspects or characteristics of the message
- Situation sketch (example)
- The business aspect of the message
- Factual information
- Promote understandability of the message
- The expressive aspect of the message
- It shows something of yourself
- Information about the person of the sender
- Façade techniques
- The relational aspect of the message
- How is the transmitter positioned in relation to the receiver?
- Two dimensions
- The appealing aspect of the message
- Making an appeal to someone
- What is the sender trying to achieve?
- What is the function of the behavior?
- Metacommunication
In communication between people, a sender and a receiver are distinguished / Source: Wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com
Four aspects or characteristics of the message
In communication theory, four psychological aspects of the message are distinguished, namely:
- the business aspect;
- the expressive aspect;
- the relational aspect; and
- the appealing aspect.
We will further elaborate and explain these basic characteristics using a situational sketch. I base this on the book ,What do you mean?,; A Psychological Analysis of Human Experience by F. Schulz von Thun.
Situation sketch (example)
A couple is sitting at the breakfast table. The man spreads a sandwich and tops it with a boiled egg. He says to his wife, ,Where’s the salt?,
It is a trivial conversation piece that is a dime a dozen. But it is extremely suitable for further explaining the four aspects of the message. Being able to see through these different layers of a message is a necessary condition for recognizing communication disruptions, analyzing their causes and coming up with an adequate solution.
The business aspect of the message
Factual information
Each message consists of business, or factual, information. The woman in the case learns that her husband is looking for the salt, after all he asks where the salt is. But of course a message contains much more than just factual information. It is just one component of what happens between the sender and the receiver.
Friedemann Schulz von Thun (2014) / Source: Schulz von Thun-Institut für Kommunikation, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-4.0)
Promote understandability of the message
According to F. Schulz von Thun, there are four ways to promote the understandability of the message:
- simplicity of style (short sentences, understandable common words and clear formulation style);
- structure (clear and concise argument with headings and subheadings and a logical organization of the text);
- conciseness (think of the expressions: ‘to write is to delete’ and ‘in the limitation one recognizes the master’);
- attractiveness (asking questions, making funny comparisons, using funny anecdotes, in short, anything that keeps the recipient’s attention).
The expressive aspect of the message
It shows something of yourself
Every message always contains information about the sender of the message. From our example it can be deduced that the man is awake, uses salt and speaks Dutch. Not much more can be deduced from this fragment. A message is to a greater or lesser extent about the sender’s self-expression. He shows something of himself, he reveals something of his personality.
This may sometimes be about values, certain rules of life and what he finds important in life. Suppose he were to say, ,I don’t see any salt on the table. You laid out the table, right? Then where is the salt?, In this way he shows that he attaches great importance to the fact that the person who set the table does so well and also puts the salt on the table. He also shows that he values perfection and that things are in tip-top order. Maybe this also says something about his state of mind and he is grumpy and moody.
Information about the person of the sender
The expressive aspect provides us with information about the person of the sender, but that does not mean that he is always aware of it. People often also provide information about themselves involuntarily (unconsciously). Every person constantly sends messages to those around them. People want to portray a certain image of themselves. The sender reflects something of his personality and he can partly manipulate this process by using techniques to present himself, such as impression and facade techniques. An impression technique is the use of a lot of jargon, which allows the broadcaster to portray itself as very knowledgeable. Or the use of archaic language as former politician Dries van Agt does, with which he tries to create an elitist and scholarly impression. Another technique is to move the conversation to another topic about which people have much more knowledge.
Façade techniques
The sender may choose to reveal as little about themselves as possible out of fear or other reasons. He can then shield himself by means of facade techniques, thereby hiding and masking his own personality. This can be done, for example, by remaining silent or by displaying obsequious subassertive behavior. The person does not say what he really thinks and wants, but hides behind a friendly and accommodating mask.
The relational aspect of the message
How is the transmitter positioned in relation to the receiver?
From the message we can determine how the sender relates to the receiver. This is often evident from non-verbal signals. Research has shown that at least 70% of our communication consists of non-verbal communication and that the recipient is particularly sensitive to the way we say things, our intonation and posture and that this carries the most weight. This aspect of communication says something about how the sender sees the receiver. Not what the sender says, but how he says is of decisive importance in communication.
In the example of the married couple, we can see that he requires his wife to take the salt. It shows how he sees the mutual relationship.
Two dimensions
According to F. Schulz von Thun, there are two dimensions in the relational aspect:
- appreciation versus disparagement, also called ‘emotional dimension’;
- directing or guardianship versus releasing.
In the message, the sender expresses appreciation or contempt for the receiver and sets the receiver free or wants to steer him in a certain direction. In the example of the married couple it can be seen that the husband slights his wife and tries to control her.
The appealing aspect of the message
Making an appeal to someone
The fourth aspect is the appealing aspect. To appeal is to appeal to someone, which means to appeal to someone in order to achieve a certain goal. Every message aims to influence someone else. In the married couple in our example, the man wants to persuade the woman to get the salt for him. F. Schulz von Thun warns the reader not to confuse aspects three and four. After all, a sender can try to influence the receiver in a dignified manner with respect for the other person’s autonomy or in a derogatory and manipulative manner.
What is the sender trying to achieve?
The appealing aspect is about: ‘What is the sender trying to achieve?’ in contrast to the relational aspect, which focuses more on: ‘How is he trying to achieve that?’
Crying can raise a (hidden) apple / Source: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com
Crying can be an expression of sadness (or joy), but it also has a (hidden) appeal. For example, a person who cries softly may express, “Leave me alone,” and a person who cries loudly may intend to mobilize help and comfort. F. Schulz von Thun states that in communication we should start from the goal perspective, which means that we should not look at the causes of certain behavior (‘he is crying because…’), but at the goal that the sender aims, whether that goal is pursued by conscious or more unconscious intrapsychic drives.
What is the function of the behavior?
It is important to ask yourself: ‘what is the function of the sender’s behavior?’ For example, a suicide attempt is often an attempt to mobilize help. A child who shows rebellious behavior may be a cry for attention or clarity (limitations). There is no such thing as aimless behavior.
Metacommunication
It is good to reflect on metacommunication in relationships at regular intervals. This means that attention is paid to the expressive and relational aspects of the message, or the level of relation. Metacommunication is communication about communication. How do we relate to each other? Why do we often get at each other’s throats when I ask you something? How come we argue so often? The previous analysis can provide guidance in this regard. Take advantage of it.
read more
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