Perception, in its literal meaning, is anything that people believe to be in their set of minds and thoughts. It is something, which people consider to be the way they imagine with the help of their sensory organs. Perception is affected by several factors present in the environment, and these factors influence the discernment of a person, which also influences the communication process which is undertaken due to the very perception1.
Communication and types of Communication
Communication is said to be a process that consists of a message encoded by a sender, sent through a channel to a particular receiver who decodes it and provides his/her feedback to the sender. Communication is the vital energy, the paramount source of interaction and building relationships. Not only are the human profound communicators, but even animal and plants tend to communicate too. Hence, nature has made communication an important characteristic of the world. Communication, in a broader sense, is divided into verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal communication deals with words spoken and written, whereas nonverbal deals with gestures, expressions, time, and the physical space. Research proves that seventy percent of the communication is based on nonverbal cues, while the rest lay on the words spoken. The spoken words also illustrate the expression of human beings by the tone and pitch of the voice. It all accumulates at one single point: communication is eternal and the epicenter of human actions and relationships.
Communication is a widely practiced phenomenon, but the way people communicate differs from place to place, culture to culture, between the genders, from age to age, and from mind to mind. Hence, it can be said that the way people perceive things in their environment; they tend to communicate the same way. A famous example is of being the glass half-filled or half empty. Most of the people reply it be half empty because their perceptions are shaped pessimistically, while rest are optimistic in their lives, it is the perception of their mind which directs them to say things. Man does not see the reality, but what he sees, imagines it to be the reality, even if there is another side of the picture. Perceptions shape communications and these perceptions are visible to others when they communicate2.
Perception is shaped by the physical environment of what a person tends to see, the learning environment which consists of culture, values, norms, customs, and traditions. These can vary from continent to continent or home to home. Such can be displayed from the interpersonal communication people tend to have with each other. Interpersonal communication plays an important role here. Interpersonal communication is the form of communication done between individuals of a group, which is highlighted by factors such as intent listening, assertiveness, empathy, sensitivity, and most importantly the nonverbal gestures3.
Perception and communicating in different cultures
Being in a different culture brings different sets of problems. A person who is not familiar with the culture of that place finds it difficult to communicate with the natives there, hence experiences difficulties while communicating4. For instance, an American in Asia will have to learn the culture of Asians. In Muslim countries, men do not shake hands when they greet but hug each other. If men do not do this, it is perceived that they have some problem with each other, which is the opposite in America. If an American points another American with the index finger, it will not be offensive to each other, but in Japan, if someone is pointed at with an index finger, it is considered to be rude. The loudness of voices in Arabian cultures displays strength, whereas soft voices indicate weakness. It is considered ill-mannered to belch, but in India, people do so to show satisfaction when dining. General appearances and dressing also send communicative vibes to people. Black is the color of mourning, where red displays excitement and happiness5.
Gender differences in communication
Men and women both have different ways of perceiving things. Women are more expressive and have a relationship as the foremost task to pursue6.Men are work-oriented and are less talkative than women. While communicating, women want the complete attention of men, and if men fail to display attention by staying silent, women believe that men are bored and do not want to listen to them. Women, usually nod their heads, indicating that they are listening, and men translate it, as women are not listening to what they are saying. Women prefer to keep eye contact while communicating while men take it to be offensive as their powers are being challenged. Such communication differences are present in both genders because they perceive their words and actions to be different.
As said earlier, communication is heavily dependant on nonverbal cues which dominate most of the communication process. These cues are shaped by the perceptions people have in their minds about different things. Age, gender, and cultural differences are prime factors that design the communication process and helps people understand each other and build relationships at home, the workplace, and other walks of life.
Work Cited
- Borisoff D., Merrill L. The power to communicate: Gender differences as barriers. USA: Waveland Press Inc.1998
- Jandt F.E. An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community.USA: Sage Publications Inc.2009
- Trenholm S., Jensen A. Interpersonal Communication. New York, USA: Oxford University Press, Inc.2004.
- Wood T.J. Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. Boston USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.2007.
Footnotes
- Trenholm S., Jensen A. Interpersonal Communication. New York, USA: Oxford University Press, Inc.2004, p72.
- Trenholm S., Jensen A. Interpersonal Communication. New York, USA: Oxford University Press, Inc.2004.,p45.
- Wood T.J. Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. Boston USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.2007,p87.
- Jandt F.E. An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community.USA: Sage Publications Inc.2009,p76.
- Jandt F.E. An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community.USA: Sage Publications Inc.2009.p23.
- Borisoff D., Merrill L. The power to communicate: Gender differences as barriers. USA: Waveland Press Inc.1998, p53.