TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

While discussing the different levels of communication, it is important to mention the four levels laid out by the classical theory of communication. They are known as intrapersonal communication, interpersonal communication, group communication, and cultural communication. Each of these different levels of communication has a different purpose and is used in different situations.

It is vital to recognize and use all four levels of communication to have an effective conversation. When used together, these four levels create a much more persuasive effect than if any one level was to be used alone. The best way to understand these different levels of communication is to consider different examples of each type. Thus, the following section will explore each level of communication in more depth.

Intrapersonal communication is communication that a person does with themselves. This type of communication is known as self-talk and is the internal process that people use to think, reflect, and make sense of their experiences. It can be considered surface-level communication as both the sender and the receiver of the message is the same person. Since one person is playing these dual roles, intrapersonal communication is the most simple and straightforward form of communication. This type of communication is often used for tasks such as writing a reminder note, talking to oneself, or thinking about a problem that needs to be solved.

Interpersonal communication is communication between two people. This can be in the form of a conversation, message, or even nonverbal cues, such as a shrug or a nod. For interpersonal communication to be successful, the receiver must understand the message that the sender is trying to communicate. This understanding is frequently facilitated by common experiences, knowledge, and language between the two individuals. It can also be helped employing nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone of voice.

For example, imagine a person trying to communicate with someone from a different culture who does not speak their language. In this situation, it would be difficult to have successful interpersonal communication through language alone. However, if the message sender were to use nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and gestures, it would be much easier to communicate their message.

Intrapersonal Communication

You may be surprised to learn that thinking, writing notes to remind yourself of things you need to do, and talking to yourself are all forms of intrapersonal communication. In this level of communication, you are both the person 'sending' and 'receiving' the message. Because you play this dual role, the chances of misinterpretation or miscommunication are essentially non-existent. After all, most people do not have barriers to clear communication with themselves!

Thinking is the most common form of intrapersonal communication.

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Interpersonal Communication

Speaking with another individual, exchanging text messages or emails, video conferencing, even nonverbal like a shrug of the shoulders or a meaningful glance, are all examples of interpersonal communication. In order for interpersonal communication to be considered successful, the person receiving the message has to receive and comprehend the message that the sender intended to send.

Let's take Scott and Sarah as an example. They work together on the same marketing project team. They often conduct meetings with the rest of their marketing team, as well as representatives from the IT, human resources, and public relations teams who are contributing to the project. 

As can occur with cross-departmental teams, participants from secondary teams have strong opinions about how something should be accomplished. To keep their meetings proceeding according to the agenda without distraction from a representative from another team who wants things done a certain way, Scott and Sarah have to be in sync. They have to be able to communicate clearly and quickly with one another, sometimes with no more than eye contact or a raised eyebrow, when the discussion starts to wander off track. They have learned to use effective interpersonal communication techniques.