Communication Theory and Schema

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COMMUNICATION SCHEMA
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THE COMMUNICATION MODEL
RECEIVER
SENDER
MESSAGE
INTERACTION
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THE SENDER
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary 2 Timothy 22
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THE MESSAGE
This is what I want to send the stuff in my
head.
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THE INTERACTION
How does the message get from me to you?
First I start with a thought
Then I externalize it using some code (English)
and symbols (words).
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THE INTERACTION
How does the message get from me to you?
ENCODING
First I start with a thought
Then I externalize it using some code (English)
and symbols (words).
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THE RECEIVER
What must you do?
You have to break the code and interpret the
symbols.
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THE RECEIVER
What must you do?
DECODING
You have to break the code and interpret the
symbols.
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THE MEANING
Where is the meaning?
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THE MEANING
Where is the meaning?
IN PEOPLE !
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P A C K A G I N G
D E C O D I N G
E N C O D I N G
WORDS ACTIONS
SENDER
MESSAGE
RECEIVER
MEDIUM
ENCODING PROCESS words, actions
PACKAGING THE MEDIUM message delivery system
DECODING
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DECODING
NO INPUT NO MEANING
Can you see sound?
Can you hear sign language?
INPUT NO MEANING
What about opening IBM files on a Mac?
What about language learning?
WRONG MEANING
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DECODING
NO INPUT NO MEANING
Can you see sound?
Can you hear sign language?
NO PROGRAM
INPUT NO MEANING
WRONG PROGRAM/SYSTEM
What about opening IBM files on a Mac?
FAULTY PROGRAM
What about language learning?
WRONG MEANING
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THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT
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When the source and the recipient share the same
context they encode and decode the message with
the same program.
THEY SHARE THE SAME OPERATING SYSTEM. THE
SENDERS MEANING EQUALS THE RECIPIENTS MEANING.
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NOISE !
What garbles the message?
Radio Stress Boredom Temperature
Mannerisms Traffic
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What is going on with the receiver?
INTERPRETING
CONSTRUCTING MEANING
D E C O D I N G
GRANTING OR WITHHOLDING PERMISSION
EVALUATING
MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
MAKING DECISIONS
THE CREDIBILITY OF THE MESSENGER THE
TOLERANCE OF THE TOPIC
THE ACCEPTIBILITY OF THE LANGUAGE
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What are the receivers response options?
SINCERE ACCEPTANCE
STRAIGHTFORWARD REJECTION
UNCONSCIOUSLY FITS INTO BELIEF SYSTEM
SYNCRETISM
DELAYS THE DECISION
SYMBIOSIS -
This isnt for me but I wont stand in the way
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What happens when you take this process CROSS
CULTURALLY?
YOU HAVE DIFFERENT CONTEXTS AND DIFFERENT
OPERATING SYSTEMS.
THE MESSAGE IS PACKAGED AND SENT BY ONE SET OF
STANDARDS,
BUT IS UNWRAPPED AND RECEIVED BY ANOTHER.
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G N O E O W D S
GODS UNCHANGING TRUTH
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G N O E O W D S
GODS UNCHANGING TRUTH
MY CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE
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G N O E O W D S
GODS UNCHANGING TRUTH
MY CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE
THEIR CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE
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G N O E O W D S
NOT MUCH OF THE GOOD NEWS IS LEFT UNAFFECTED.
GODS UNCHANGING TRUTH
MY CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE
THEIR CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE
THERE ARE THINGS WHICH COLOR THE MESSAGE AND
RESHAPE IT
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SCHEMATA AND SCHEMA
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The Importance of Context
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Cross-Cultural Communication
COMMUNICATION DEPENDS HEAVILY ON CONTEXT
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Nine Men Died on Base Today
HOW CAN THIS BE INTERPRETED?
TO A BASEBALL FAN IT MEANS ONE THING
TO AN AIR FORCE OFFICER IT MEANS ANOTHER.
It is very difficult to access the local
contextual shareware.
Cultures leave much unstated, depending instead
on the shared context to convey meaning.
In print cultures we spell out the details when
we recognize that others dont share our mental
shareware.
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An Ancient Proverb Says
Even if a stick stays in the water, it does
not become a crocodile.
LIVING IN A CULTURE DIFFERENT FROM OUR OWN DOES
NOT MAKE US A CHILD OF THAT CULTURE
OBSERVING AND RECORDING BEHAVIOR IN A CULTURE
DOES NOT MEAN WE UNDERSTAND THE ASSUMTIONS ABOUT
REALITY THAT UNDERLINE THOSE BEHAVIORS
REALITY LIES IN THE SYSTEMS OF KNOWLEDGE FOUND IN
THE MINDS OF A PEOPLE
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We Acquire Knowledge In Different Ways
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OBSERVATION SPECIFIC
INSTRUCTION CONVERSATION READING MODELING
Culture is the accumulation of this knowledge
which enables a people to
function effectively in their
environment.
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This Knowledge Is Called
SCHEMATA
And Is Stored In Cognitive Frameworks
Schemata contain our knowledge of the physical
and its culturally determined categories...
They contain the abstract, such as guides for
social interaction and discourse...
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AMERICANS HAVE A SCHOOL SCHEMA. ONE CAN SAY TO
ANOTHER, I WENT TO SCHOOL IN TEXAS WITHOUT
HAVING TO EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF WHAT IT MEANS TO
GO TO SCHOOL.
IF ANOTHER SAYS, I WAS HOME SCHOOLED, THE
LISTENERS MIND SWITCHES TO THE APPROPRIATE
SITUATION.
WITHIN THE SCHOOL SCHEMA THERE ARE SUB-SCHEMATA
HOMEWORK TESTS TEXTBOOKS LECTURES
GOING TO SCHOOL IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD MAY
HAVE DIFFERENT SCHEMA. IT MAY MEAN CHANTING THE
KORAN AND WRITING ARABIC ON A WOODEN BOARD WITH
CHARCOAL.
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COGNITIVE SHEMATA WORK TOGETHER AS A TYPE OF
INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM. THEY ASSIMILATE
INCOMING INFORMATION, WORKING TO DECODE IT, WE
MIGHT SAY.
IN MEMORARY THEY ORGANIZE DATA FOR STORAGE IN THE
MEMORY BANKS.
IN RECALL - IF SOME INFORMATION IS MISSING - THEY
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH WHAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE
THERE!
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Schemata work on FULLY AUTOMATIC when it comes to
information processing within our minds.
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THOSE WITHIN A FOREIGN ENVIRONMENT CARRY THEIR
OWN CONSTRUCTS OF CULTURE, WORLDVIEW, AND
SCHEMATA WITH THEM.
AS THEY COME UP AGAINST A SCHEMA DIFFERENT THAN
THEIR OWN THEY EITHER REJECT IT, ASSIMILATE IT,
OR REPLACE IT WITH THE NEW.
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SCHEMATA ARE DEPENDENT UPON ONES EXPERIENCE AND
CULTURE. THE MORE INPUT ONE RECEIVES, THE MORE
ONE EXPERIENCES, THE MORE SCHEMATA MUST BE FORMED
TO PROCESS THE INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCES.
WHEN FACED WITH A SITUATION FOR WHICH THERE IS NO
SCHEMATA, THE NORMAL REACTION IS CONFUSION AND
FEAR.
THEN ASSIMILATION INTO AN EXISTING SCHEMA IS
ATTEMPTED
NEXT IS ACCOMODATION OF THE EXPERIENCE BY
CHANGING AN EXISTING SCHEMA OR FORMING A NEW ONE.
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CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION TEACHES THAT IT IS
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SENDER TO ASSURE THAT
THE MESSAGE IS UNDERSTOOD BY THE RECEIVER.
IT IS ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SENDER
TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT HIS OR HER SCHEMATA HAVE
ON THE MESSAGE
TO UNDERSTAND THE SCHEMATA OF THE RECEIVER
TO PUT THE MESSAGE IN A FORM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE
TO THE RECEIVER
PREFERRED LANGUAGE PREFERRED LEARNING STYLES
PREFERRED COMMUNICATION PATTERNS
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Unfortunately our own UNMODIFIED / NON-UPGRADED
schemata have little value in working with many
of the worlds people groups and cultures.
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It has been said that people differ not so much
in their reasoning powers as in their starting
points. These STARTING POINTS are schemata
which have been formed in their lives.
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As we seek to communicate the GOOD NEWS to
others, it is important that THEIR schemata are
not replaced with OUR schemata, but with the
schemata of GODS WORD.
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Another Ancient Proverb Says
A wise child is talked to in proverbs.
We leave you with this
GO TO THE PEOPLE,
BUT OF THE BEST TEACHERS,
WHEN THEIR TASK IS ACCOMPLISHED,
LIVE AMONG THEM.
THEIR WORK IS DONE,
LEARN FROM THEM.
THE PEOPLE WILL REMARK,
L0VE THEM.
WE HAVE DONE IT OURSELVES.
START WITH WHAT THEY KNOW,
BUILD ON WHAT THEY HAVE.
An Old Chinese Poem