What are the principles of transactional communication?

Answer 1

I cover the following principles in my communication classes:

1. Communication is a process - meaning that we continuously send and receive messages. As the saying goes, "You cannot not communicate." Don't you think the "silent treatment" sends a very strong message to another?

2. Communication is a shared responsibility - meaning is mutual creation, that both people are equally responsible for the success or failure of meaning being shared (communication)

3. Messages have both content and relationship dimensions- when we communicate with others, we're not just telling them what we want them to understand, which is the content aspect of our messages, but we're also conveying our understanding of the relationship we have with them. For example, when telling your roommate to pick up their dirty dishes, you're obviously requesting a cleaner kitchen, but you're also suggesting that you have the power and authority within your relationship to make such a request.

4. Communication is irreversible - once meaning is shared with another person it is impossible to "take it back". We've all had some experience with this, and while we can be forgive for what we've said, we cannot erase the fact that it has been said or the impact that it has upon our relationship with another.

5. Communication is personal - meaning is inherently arbitrary. Words are not things and we all have a unique set of experiences (our frame of reference) which we use to understand the words that come to symbolize those experiences. For example, the word "dog" is likely to stir a slightly different set of meaning and emotions in all of us depending on our experiences with man's supposed best friend.