If you look at communication from a scientific point of view, then it represents a certain process that can change under different conditions. As a result, in various situations we choose types of communication that are convenient for us at the moment. Or we don’t choose, but then we naturally find ourselves in ambiguous situations with not always a positive outcome. How to prevent this?
The top five talents for success are: focus, caution, organization, innovation and communication. Harold Jenin
Types of communication and suitable situations for them
Communication is not only verbal and non-verbal - this is only one, and far from the deepest side of it. If you observe yourself for at least one day, you will certainly notice how different your style of interaction with different people is. Of course, the situation in which you find yourself also has its influence. As a rule, we choose the type of communication unconsciously, and sometimes we get confused and nervous because of this. For this reason, it is important to clearly understand the differences in types of communication and use them only when appropriate.
Features of interpersonal communication among adolescents
In adolescence, the leading role and activity is given to the ability to communicate. It is at this age that the development of organizational and communicative qualities of the individual is important. During this period, there is a high need for communication, and, as a rule, the level of communication in adolescents is low. Therefore, in order for a teenager not to experience communication difficulties, it is necessary to develop his communication skills. This is indicated by data from a survey conducted among school graduates in 2007 in the city of Nizhny Tagil. To the question: “What did you miss during your studies?” - respondents answered that they were not taught to communicate, to build a correct dialogue, they do not know how to interpret the statements of the people around them [2, p. 150]. From this we can conclude that there is a problem of purposefully developing students’ communication skills.
The problem of interpersonal communication in adolescents was studied by such researchers as L. I. Bozhovich, V. A. Goryanina, A. N. Leontyev, A. A. Bodalev, E. P. Ilyin and many others.
In modern psychological studies, the gender of the subjects is increasingly included in the group of factors used for comparative analysis of the results obtained. The recently emerged concept of “gender” (social sex) opens up new opportunities for understanding the complex nature of human relationships. Gender differences cannot be ignored, since they are present in individual manifestations at any level, increasing with age.
The term “gender” (in English literature s ex -
“sex”) describes biological differences between people, determined by genetic features of cell structure, anatomical and physiological characteristics and reproductive functions. But the term “gender” indicates the social status and socio-psychological characteristics of the individual, which are associated with gender and sexuality, but arise in interaction with other people [1, p. 272].
Adolescence is a period of ontogenesis (from 10–11 to 15 years), corresponding to the beginning of the transition from childhood to adolescence. This age is one of the critical periods of ontogenesis associated with a fundamental transformation in the sphere of consciousness, activity and the system of relationships. This stage is characterized by rapid human growth and the formation of the body during puberty. Communication of a teenager forms the basis for the formation of new psychological and personal qualities [4, p. 73].
In the modern world, a person needs communication, so people learn this means of communication from an early age. This process can be examined in more detail and interestingly using the example of adolescence.
When analyzing adolescents' communications, two types of communication are distinguished: interpersonal and role-based. Interpersonal appears in the process of interactions with other people outside of activity. And role communication is carried out in the process of different types of activities. A.V. Mudrik identified four age types of communication among schoolchildren:
1. Children (grades 1–3);
2. Teenage (for girls 3–6 grades, for boys 7–8 grades);
3. Transitional (for separate groups in grades 5–8, for boys in grades 9–10);
4. Youth (in certain groups in grades 6–8, dominant in grades 9–10) [1, p.111].
But since we are studying adolescence, we will turn to only three types of communication.
The teenage type of communication, manifested in some children in the 3rd grade, is typical for students in the 4th–6th grades and persists among some children, mostly boys, in the 7th grade. Communication between teenage students and peers takes place in the process of joint activities.
Teenagers (grades 4–5) consider close relatives their friends, from whom they expect help in most cases. But in the 6th grade, a significant part of teenagers (up to 30%) expect understanding from their interlocutor in communication.
In adolescents, by the 6th grade, the number of questions addressed to teachers and parents decreases, the number of questions of an ethical nature decreases (girls have more of them than boys), and the number of requests by adolescents to evaluate the actions of themselves and their peers decreases. Communication during joint activities between adolescents and adults in the family is sharply reduced, and the time spent by them on various types of communication with adults is reduced. In boys, all these tendencies are more pronounced.
Most of all, teenagers communicate with peers of the same sex. Communication is realized by almost all schoolchildren in grades 4–6. Communication with peers is divided into friendly and friendly; 12–15% of adolescents in grades 5–6 have independent friendly communication, which is not always identical to friendship in early adolescence. A special place in the conversations of teenagers is occupied by the exchange of information on sexual issues, interest in which increases in grades 5–6. Communication between boys and girls is characterized by two opposing trends: separation by gender and intensification of communication between boys and girls. The isolation of communication between teenagers of different sexes is explained by the fact that the topic of this communication is determined by the interests of one sex or another, interest in the opposite sex [1, p. 122].
With age, “understanding” (in girls earlier than in boys) begins to be supplemented by an emphasis on the expressive side of the process. All this, without changing the general nature of the age type, may indicate the transition of some schoolchildren to a transitional type of communication.
The transition from adolescence to adolescence occurs unevenly, stretching over time from 6th to the end of 8th grade, characterized by crisis phenomena in various spheres of life. It is at this age that the uneven physical and mental development of girls and boys is visible. So, at the beginning of the school year, boys, among whom there are several boys, and girls, among whom there are several girls, are studying in the 8th grade.
Crisis phenomena arise in the sphere of communication: with peers of the same and opposite sexes, with adults (change of orientation, measures and direction of emotional involvement, etc.). At this age, shyness is especially developed, which is masked by swagger.
In the conversations of older teenagers, their own “I” begins to occupy the conversation. There is a promotion to an older teenager, which is dictated by the processes of personality development - the growth of the intimate sphere, the increasing need for emotional contact, where gender differences are manifested. Boys turn to their “I” within the framework of the topic under discussion and do not strive for a more generalized consideration of it. Girls strive to consider the “I” in those relationships and with those people with whom they have real contact.
Gender differences in communication are visible when analyzing older adolescents' discussions of the relationships between boys and girls. By 7th grade, boys discuss this topic “quite rarely” and girls discuss it “quite often.”
Starting from the end of 7th grade for girls and from the middle of 8th grade for boys, a new trend appears - the desire for confidential communication with adults.
In adolescence, a group of high school students has its own position in the school. In high school, friendly interactions become typical. The content of communication between high school students and peers of the same sex includes the following: about international and domestic politics, about school problems (for girls more than for boys), about classes, about relationships in the classroom, about teachers.
In early adolescence, a more intensive development of jargon occurs. Youth slang is a multi-layered phenomenon. It is based on a set of words and expressions that are used by almost all children of this age. It includes three groups of words and expressions: curses, commonly used words and expressions (greater use than in the norm of society) and commonly used words and expressions that have received a different meaningful meaning in the jargon [1, p. 135].
The social circle of high school students is growing due to the inclusion of an increasing number of peers of the opposite sex. Communication between boys and girls is quite intense and regular, which is at a friendly level and occurs in those groups that include high school students. Also, boys and girls communicate more confidentially at a friendly level than at the same level with peers of the same sex. Some high school students hardly communicate with peers of the opposite sex. This can be explained in different ways: lack of interest, lack of activity, lack of confidence in success and in oneself.
So, to summarize, we can identify the following features of interpersonal communication among adolescents:
— included in the process of educating students;
- plays a specific role in the formation, development and education of personality at each age stage;
— the success of professional activity, activity in public life and, finally, the personal happiness of everyone depend;
- overcoming difficulties in the process of growing up occurs faster in girls than in boys.
Literature:
1. Avdulova, T. P. Age psychology / ed. T. D. Martsinkovskaya. - M.: Academy, 2011. - 329 p. ISBN 978–5-7695–6685–1
2. Bulygina L.N., On the formation of communicative competence of schoolchildren / L.N. Bulygina // Questions of psychology. — 2010. — No. 2 — pp. 149–152
3. Mudrik A.V., Communication in the process of education. Tutorial. - M.: Pedagogical Society of Russia, - 2001. - 320 p. ISBN 5–93134–141–2
4. The latest psychological dictionary / V. B. Shapar, V. E. Rossakha, O. V. Shapar; under general editorship V. B. Shapar. - Rostov n/d.: Phoenix, 2005. - 808 p. ISBN 5–222–06803-x
Contact masks
This is a formal communication familiar to everyone, when the interlocutors are not particularly eager to understand each other and understand the characteristics of individuals. In this kind of communication, we use the usual masks - politeness, indifference, severity, attention, etc. With the help of these masks, we successfully hide our real emotions and attitude towards our interlocutor. This kind of communication is ideal in case of short or superficial contacts with other people, and it is also relevant at the very beginning of acquaintance. “Mask contact” is sometimes really necessary - every day we meet a huge number of people and not all of them are worth communicating so deeply with.
Youth environment and interpersonal communication
The turning point in the process of evolution of interpersonal relationships is adolescence and especially adolescence. It is during this period, at the age of 14, that different relationships are established towards older people, towards one’s own parents, classmates, friends, teachers, towards people of other nationalities, towards sick people.
Usually a teenager is turned inward, often immersed in his own fantasies, thoughtful. At the same time, he is often intolerant of others, extremely irritable, and displays aggression. At the age of 16, a period of self-knowledge with self-affirmation usually begins, the young individual shows his powers of observation. Because of their extremely critical attitude to reality, young people do not accept and deny many things.
The youth environment, due to the frequent inability of students to sympathize and respect the feelings of others, is filled with conflicts, which causes destabilization of the emotional background of student groups. At this age, young people of both sexes often violate the principles of cultural behavior. To avoid the activation of such situations, adults should try not to increase the degree of communication, maintaining a respectful tone. It is recommended not to use categorical judgments with teenagers in matters related to music and fashion.
Exceptionally good relationships are the key to balanced interpersonal communication among young people, which adults should strive for. Avoiding scandals and striving to achieve compromises is the main goal of adults, who need to try to give in softly, without developing conflicts and demonstrating them to as many others as possible. It is this approach that will be conducive to establishing consistently good relationships.
Business conversation
With this type of communication, only those characteristics of a person that influence the business you are doing are important. So, you may know perfectly well that your employee always comes to work in a bad mood, but you don’t know what’s going on in his personal life. Moreover, you often don’t need to know this, not only will it not help your work, but it can also have the completely opposite effect - many people simply do not want everyone around them to be aware of their personal affairs. Of course, a minimum set of knowledge about the interests of employees would be useful, but sometimes you have to do without it.
It is also worth saying that in the case of business communication, it is important to be focused on solving a specific problem, thoughts need to be expressed very clearly, it is worth listening carefully to the interlocutor and adapting to him - everything is in the interests of the business.
Interpersonal communication, its psychology
The procedure in which individuals interact for the purpose of mutual knowledge, the development of relationships, as a result of which mutual influences on the behavior and views of the participants in such connections are manifested, is regarded as the psychology of interpersonal communication.
After all, communications (communication) turn out to be one of the key categories of psychology and are considered by it on equal terms with such categories as:
- Behavior
- Thinking
- Personality
- Relationship
What is meant by communication in psychology? First of all, human relations, implying various configurations of the general activities of individuals. Most often, communication and activity are recognized as different aspects of social human existence, or communication is understood as a separate element of a particular activity, considered in turn as a condition for communication. When communicating, people exchange their views, emerging ideas, and feelings.
The difficulties of interpersonal communication and interaction are manifested through the emergence of motivational and operational difficulties that correlate with the interactive and communicative aspects of communication. Characteristic signs are a lack of desire to comprehend the personality characteristics of the interlocutor, his interests and internal state. As a consequence, there are manifestations of communication problems with the desire to benefit from communication with the interlocutor through his deception, intimidation, or demonstrating extreme concern for him.
Spiritual, aka interpersonal communication
We resort to this type of communication when we are surrounded by close friends and relatives. We can talk on absolutely any topic, moreover, sometimes even words are not needed - what you wanted to say is understood by facial expression and movements. Of course, it is clear that you should not move to this level of communication with ordinary acquaintances - they will not understand you and will be surprised for a long time as to why you decided to discuss with them the shifts in fundamental concepts in the world's belief systems.
Social communication
This is a very convenient type of communication, which consists of the fact that you can talk about anything, but actually think about something else. It turns out to be a kind of conversation about nothing. Just remember that your interlocutors are last of all interested in your personal opinion on any issue, and expressing it is considered simply bad form. Usually this type of communication is appropriate at all kinds of exhibitions, concerts, on vacation or during a casual acquaintance. Here it was enough to be polite, tactful, to express approval and sympathy.
