what are styles of communication?

Question

Im currently writing a paper for my speech class and I need to know some examples of communication style.

Answer 1

Written, oral, sign language, gestures, facial expressions, body language, electronic, heiroglyphics, Morse code, semaphore, Pig Latin, loud, quiet, vulgar, subtle, ...... any words or phrases describing communication could be called a communication style.

Answer 2

In the early 1970's a group of academics from the University of Minnesota studied the way couples communicate and they discovered that couples communicate in basically four styles of communication. This study has expanded into the communication seminars called "Couple Communication I - Talking and Listening Together." If you would be interested in enrolling in one of these seminars, contact me and I will get you a schedule of their offerings.

SMALL TALK is the name given to the first style of communication. This is the style of playful teasing and friendly banter. It is the style you use when you want to keep things light and moving along. These conversations usually revolve around the weather, sports, family events, and other topics of general interest.

The second style of couple communication is called, CONTROL TALK. This is the take charge style - the proactive style where someone takes charge and "gets things done." When this style is used, the outcome is of utmost importance. You focus on the other person trying to get him or her to do what you believe needs to be done. When you want to direct, advise or persuade, this is the style you use. A lot of selling, directing, supervising, and preaching activity utilize this style.

Control talk makes a lot of use of the second person singular pronoun "you." And while the style is needed, it can very easily become the style in which fighting takes place. Blaming, accusing, attacking and scolding use Style II. Name-calling, belittling, and putting your spouse down occurs in this style.

Monitor your talking. If you find an excessive amount of the pronoun, "you" being used, you may be stuck in a style that can become very destructive to a relationship.

The Minnesota folk identified the third style as SEARCH TALK. This is the style of problem solving. This is the "I don’t know the answer to our problem and you don’t know the answer, but may together we can discover an answer that will work for us." Search Talk has a tentative quality to it. You may hear words such as: "Perhaps," "Maybe," "I’m wondering" and the like.

Search Talk is useful in reducing tension and pressure. It is nonthreatening and nonjudgmental by nature and gives both parties a chance to be heard.

It is difficult to move from Style II where you are fighting to Style III where you are calmly trying to resolve issues. One reason for this is when you are in Style II you know the solution, you just need to get your partner to join your team. In Style III you are admitting that you don’t have the answer and that you are willing to search for a suitable soluyion with your partner.

The fourth style called STRAIGHT TALK can often be used to get a couple from the fighting arena of style two to the negotiating table of style three. Straight talk is where a person speaks for self, describes sensory data, expresses thoughts, discloses feelings, is clear about wants and actions. The use of "I" messages is an important characteristic of style four. "When I see/hear/sense...I think it means...and when I attach that meaning, I feel...I want...I am willing..." is the way one might disclose what is going on inside them without attacking their partner with "you" messages.

No one of these styles is appropriate in all situations. Each style serves a purpose and is appropriate in a specific setting. Flexibility is the key - being able to choose the appropriate style for a given situation. A problem exists when we get stuck in one style and are unable to change to fit the occasion.

Many couples get stuck in styles one and two and they are either fighting or joking around. Issues never seem to get resolved. I have "good news." You can learn to use all four styles and appropriately match the style that is best suited to the situation.