Communication Climate
Communication climate is the “overall feeling or emotional mood between people”
Confirming and Disconfirming Climates
Confirming climates when we receive messages that demonstrate our value and worth from those with whom we have a relationship.
Disconfirming Climates when we receive messages that suggest we are devalued and unimportant.
Disconfirming climates are typically characterized by causing defensiveness
six patterns of behavior in a relationship that evoke defensive reactions and contribute to the cycle of defensiveness
Strategy: When we perceive that someone is trying to manipulate us or to conceal or disguise his or her true motives
Neutrality: When we perceive that someone is indifferent to our feelings and unconcerned about our welfare
Control: When we perceive that someone is attempting to change us or impose on us a solution for a problem
Superiority: When we perceive that someone assumes that he or she has a higher status or worth than we do or acts in a unilateral manner that shuts out feedback
Evaluation: When we perceive that someone is judging
Certainty: When we perceive that someone holds an unyielding and dogmatic position that is not open to dialogue
Use Problem Orientation Instead of Control
This open up a range of choices and shares decision making. By using a problem-orientation, control is shared and each has a voice.
Be Spontaneous Instead of Strategic
Spontaneous responses to problems disclose true feelings and motives. Being spontaneous also means refraining from trying to manipulate others.
Respond with Empathy Instead of Neutrality
suggests that when we respond to others with empathy, we signal that we acknowledge and accept their feelings. When we respond withneutrality, on the other hand, we signal that we dismiss or are indifferent to their feelings
Regard One Another with Equality Instead of Superiority
A supportive communication climate is also engendered when we resist the tendency to claim or assert superiority. Instead of taking the upper hand in the relationship, we should strive for equality.
Be Provisional (Flexible) Instead of Certain
Provisional speech demonstrates open-mindedness and flexibility, a willingness to entertain ideas other than your own. Along that line, being provisional demonstrates a respect for other people's opinions and thus for them, as well.
Describe Instead of Evaluate
Instead of communicating with patterns of behavior that arouse defensiveness,Gibb suggests using a corresponding set of supportive communication behaviors
rather than evaluate another person, we might be more effective if we describe a concern.
Become Aware of Patterns of Communication That Contribute to Stability and Well-Being
Maintaining the stability and well-being of a relationship requires that you develop a kind of mindfulness. With that, you gain an awareness of how you communicate with a partner and what impact each of your behavior has on the overall climate of communication.
Change Patterns of Communication to Affirm and Support One Another
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Effective interpersonal communicators also maintain the stability of their relationships by providing reassurance to their partners that they are involved and committed to their relationships.
I feel like in my personal opinion the way we behave in a relationship whether it be a significant other or a best friend can impact us in a bad or good way. I find it interesting how there a multiple different ways or patterns that evoke defensive behavior in a relationship but how all of them have to do with our feelings in some way so i guess its all emotionally driven.