The physical location where the communication occurs is called the context.

Beginning from the womb when we respond to movements and sounds, to the time we are born and learn to talk, and until the moment we perish; we communicate. It is an essential part of being human. You cannot not communicate. Even when you are “not talking with someone” you are sending them a message. Scholars have been trying to understand and define communication for thousands of years.

From Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Poetics (est 384 B.C.) to the present, communication has played an important part in the lives of people across the globe. Research has also shown that losing or not having close, healthy relationships can lead to sickness and even death. Argyle (1987), in The Psychology of Happiness, in surveying physicians, found that those who are widowed or divorced experience more medical problems than do married people. Understanding more about communication and improving your skills can help you foster close relationships that can improve your health. Not only does communication help our physical needs, it also helps us meet relational and identity needs.

So, what exactly is communication? Communication means different things to different people in different contexts and situations. Many living creatures communicate: animals communicate with one another, flowers attract bees, even our lunar cycle communicates the passing of time. However for the purposes of our course, we are going to focus on human communication. One team of researchers found more than 126 different published definitions of communication (Webb & Thomas-Hayes, 2002). While that may seem overwhelming, there are some basic elements that were common between the various definitions.

Human communication involves the process of generating meaning by sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages that are influenced by contexts. Masterson, Beebe, and Watson (1989) define human communication as the process of making sense out of the world and sharing that sense with others by creating meaning through the use of verbal and nonverbal messages. The National Communication Association, a scholarly organization that helps govern the discipline, defines communication as twofold. It is, “how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, and is the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific and aesthetic inquiry” (National Communication Association, n.d., “What is communication?” section). The best way to understand these two definitions is by considering our class. This class is a communication course, meaning it is taught within the discipline of Communication, and in this class we are learning about the process of communication at the interpersonal level.

The words communication and interpersonal both have Latin roots. Communication is derived from the Latin verb communicare which means “to share” while the word interpersonal means “between persons.” When we put interpersonal and communication together, we have the interactive transactional sharing that happens between humans as they negotiate an understanding of each other. This is why we define interpersonal communication as the exchanges of information between people for the purpose of sharing, understanding, and influencing one another.

Characteristics of communication

There are several characteristics to consider when thinking about how humans communicate interpersonally with each other. We must look at the context, the relationships, and the goals of the communication transaction. Context can affect how we communicate and with whom we communicate. Context refers to the setting in which communication takes place. The context helps establish meaning and can influence what is said and how it is said.

Traditionally, there were five contexts to consider. The smallest interaction occurs between two people, known as a dyad. These interactions between two people who have a relationship with each other is referred to as the interpersonal context. Relationships evolve through various stages fueled by our interpersonal interactions with each other. The intercultural context looks at interactions between people from different cultures.

Group context refers to the communication that occurs between members of a group. Groups form for a variety of reasons such as problem solving, learning, advising, or decision-making. The organizational context includes interactions between interrelated individuals within a particular environment as they work towards achieving specific goals, within an organization or company. Lastly, mass communication occurs when a message is transmitted to a large audience simultaneously by a small group of elite gatekeepers. Radio and television broadcasts are examples of mass communication.

Today, these contexts are no longer as distinct. As you will read later, new media technologies have collapsed and distinctions between many of these contexts in what is today known as masspersonal communication (O’Sullivan & Carr, 2018). By understanding the context, we can shape our messages to fit our interactional goals.

Communication is such a vital and important part of our existence. Understanding more about the way that you and others communicate can help improve relationships with families, colleagues, and friends. Everyone can benefit from improving their communication skills and knowledge.

What is psychological context in communication?

What is context in elements of communication?

What is the physical location and personal history surrounding the communication called?

Which communication context refers to the nature of the relationship between the communicators?