Get Educated: Cues & Communication

Communication involves a message, a person sending the message, and a person receiving the message. We often think that communication is direct; that the receiver interprets the message exactly the way the sender intended. However, communication is more complicated.

There are many things that affect communication. For example, the sender's tone of voice can affect how the receiver interprets the message. Cultural differences and personal experiences or opinions that differ between the sender and receiver can also affect how messages are interpreted. Environmental cues such as noise, distractions, or the setting can influence how messages are sent and received. In addition, cues such as body language, facial expressions and clothing affect how messages are received.