Ratgeber für MicroUnternehmen

Overview of the Levels of Communication

• Emotional

Emotional levels of communication are the most basic. A baby screaming in hunger or pain is the first and foremost example of the emotional level of communication.

A scream in terror, a shout of surprise or screaming while jumping for joy reveals that logical adults can revert to the simplest, emotional levels of communication when the circumstances warrant it.

• Factual

Factional communication involves the interchange of facts, information and verifiable information. Factual communication begins when children can build coherent sentences and describe what they see and observe without adding their own feelings to the matter.

• Evaluative

Evaluative communication is the sharing of opinions and judgments. Opinions can contain emotional communication (dislike, hatred) or factual (logical analysis of the root cause of an action).

• Differences
What one party saw someone else do is a fact. How the observer feels about it is an opinion. The emotions conveyed in describing the scene are revealed through word choices, tone of voice and body language. Even in factual communication, emotional communication is relayed through speech and actions. For example, describing a crime scene while grimacing or gagging relays the emotions of disgust and horror.

Evaluative communication is often mistaken for factual. One person’s evaluation or opinion of a root cause is formed through their own experiences or emotional filtering of the facts. Facts could include one person found with blood on their clothes. Evaluations by parties knowing these facts range from an assumption of guilt due to dislike for the person to assumption of innocence based on personal beliefs and desires.

• The Relationship Between Levels of Communication
Emotional inflections can alter the meaning of factual statements. A change in a tone turns a fact into a question, a question into a plea, a factual statement into a challenge. The emotional layers add a secondary meaning to even factual, logically given statements. Monitor the emotional reactions of the other party. As matters are discussed, do they become more comfortable or demoralized?

Is your factual communication reducing their confusion or anger? Is their underlying emotional state causing them to ignore factual evidence, unable to see that which contradicts their opinion?

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