Page 32 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

information.6,7
Health literacy has been defined as “a constellation of skills that contribute to the ability to perform basic

reading and numerical tasks for functioning in the health care environment and acting on health care
information.”8 Low literacy is associated with poor understanding of written or spoken medical advice
affecting health and is prevalent in certain groups, such as the less educated, those of lower cognitive ability,
persons of certain social and ethnic groups, and the elderly.7

Communication skills are learned. One’s speaking, listening, and the ability to understand verbal and
nonverbal messages need to continue developing. Putting the principles into practice requires conscious
efforts, repeated attempts, and many trials. With practice, in a relatively short time, you will notice a
difference in the way others respond to you. Honing the skills, however, is an ongoing process and begins
with an understanding of the many elements included in the interpersonal communication exchange.

Interpersonal Communication Model

Complicated processes are easier to grasp when they can be visualized in a model. The model is a graphic
illustration to aid one’s understanding. Studying the communication model to understand the role of each
component is essential for professionals who are intent on expanding and improving their own
communication repertoire.

Components of the Communication Model

The elements included in the communication model are the following: sender, receiver, the message itself,
both verbal and nonverbal, feedback, and barriers. They are depicted graphically in Figure 2-1.

Sender
Senders of the message originate the thought or emotion, encode it into words, and speak first.

Receiver
Receivers or listeners attempt to decode or make sense of the message and usually interpret and transmit
simultaneously. They may be listening to what is being said, filtering the message through their past
experiences, values, or biases, while thinking about what they are going to say when the sender stops talking.
Even when silent, it is impossible for receivers in a two-way communication transaction not to communicate.
They may be reacting nonverbally with a flushed face or bored look, for example, depending on their
inferences from the message. Senders interpret the receivers’ appearance and demeanor and adjust subsequent
communication accordingly. Thus, the two parties are sending and receiving simultaneously.

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