Page 33 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

Figure 2-1 ■ Communication model.

Message
The message is the information that is communicated to another. The receiver interprets two messages, the
actual verbal message and the nonverbal message inferred from the sender and the environment. Nonverbal
inferences arise from the perceived emotional tone of the sender’s voice, facial expression, dress, gestures, tone
of voice, choice of words, diction, and pronunciation, as well as from the communication environment.

Feedback
Since the communication process can be fraught with error, misunderstanding, or misinterpreted by the
recipient, feedback is helpful. The term “feedback” refers to both verbal and nonverbal responses to messages.
It insures that the message is understood and that the communication is successful. In face-to-face
communication, the sender is talking while looking at the other person. The other person’s verbal and
nonverbal reactions to the sender’s message, whether agreement, surprise, boredom, or hostility, are examples
of feedback.

After the first few seconds, face-to-face communication becomes a simultaneous two-way sending-and-
receiving process. While senders are talking, they are receiving nonverbal reactions from receivers. Based on
these reactions, they may change their tone, speak louder, use simpler language, or in some other way adjust
their communication. One can expect that feedback will vary with a person’s experience, education, gender,
and cultural group.4 In many non-Western cultures, it can be subtle and circuitous, while the sender may
prefer a more direct acknowledgment.

In written communication, writers cannot clarify the content for readers because they do not see them.
Even when writers carefully select words for the benefit of their intended readers, written communication is
generally less effective than one-on-one verbal communication because of the inability to adjust written
language in response to the feedback from readers.

Barriers
Barriers, sometimes called noise or interference, can distort communication, and interfere with the
understanding of the message. These factors include the unique attributes inherent in senders and receivers,

33