Linear vs. Interactive Model of Communication

Linear model of interpersonal communication is defined as a one way process in which communication is only coming from one person.  However, the interactive model of communication is a two way process in which communication is coming from 2 parties.  In this model the listener responds to the sender and gives their feedback.  In the interactive model the sender and the receiver are constantly interpreting each others message.  The more they understand of each others field of experience the more they can understand each other. 

I can understand how the linear model could have been hypothesized.  People thought communication was coming solely from verbal output however communication can also come from non-verbal gestures.  If someone is yawning, not talking, looking at their surrounding when someone is talking to them the speaker would assume they were bored and not listening to what they were saying.  So the linear model is flawed because it simply sees communication as only verbal output and doesn’t take into account other factors.   

I-you relationship

My husband and I first met online and it became an I-you relationship.  Our communication started out by sharing our common interests.  We were both very into motorcycles so we shared stories about our experiences.  We avoided talking about relationships and mainly focused on what interested us.   Once we started to get to know one another our communication became more personal.  We talked about past relationships, our families and what we wanted to do in the future.  In the early stages of our relationship it was very individualistic.  Now our current relationship is more about us as a whole.  Our communication consists of the future like what we want to do and where we see ourselves.  Our relationship focuses on us and not just what we want to do as individuals.  There was a time when there was a difference in our shared fields of experience.  As our relationship grew I knew I wanted to get married.  However, my husband was still having fun in our relationship not thinking about the future.  The more our relationship grew he decided he wanted to get married.  So here we are married and looking toward the future.     

Monitoring Communication

I found the guidelines for interpersonal competence interesting.  There were five points which were develop a range of skills, adapt communication appropriately, engage in dual perspective, monitor your communication and commit to effective and ethical communication.  The one that I found the most interesting was the monitoring ability.  Most of us already monitor our communication by regulating what we say to other people.  I find that I do this a lot when I am talking to people because I go over what I want to say in my head many times before I actually say it.  Now that we have online communication I can easily monitor what I want to say by writing, deleting and adding.  When I am text messaging others I find that I spend a lot of time on one message because I type and then think of something else to say so I delete and add.  I feel that I am constantly monitoring what I say because I don’t want to offend or hurt anybody. 

A Means to an End

My name is Bonny Salter Almeida.  I am a senior majoring in communicative disorders and sciences.  My goal is to get my MA and become a speech therapist in an elementary school.  I really enjoy working with children and when I become a speech therapist it will let me work with children one on one rather than teaching a whole class.  I have been at San Jose State for awhile because my first major was nutrition however I found that I just didn’t like it so I switched to my current one.  It was a huge set back but I am happy with my decision.  

I just recently got married so I am enjoying being a wife.  My husband is my biggest supporter and without him encouraging me I probably would not still be in school.  I have two dogs Max and Bailey.  They are the sweetest, most affectionate and gentle dogs.  Oh and did I mention they are pitbulls.  I like to advocate for them because they get a bad rap.  They make it hard to study and do homework sometimes because I just want to cuddle and play with them.  I work part time at El Camino Hospital as an admin.  It is a good job to have while I am in school because it pays the bills but doesn’t require me to work a lot.  Other than work and school I enjoy hiking with my dogs, photography, cooking, snowboarding (when there is snow), gardening and just being outside any chance I can get. 

I have normal everyday encounters with communication however I have never formally learned about communication.  I look forward to this class and I hope I can improve my communication skills.