Page 137 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Psychology and Communication | 125

What is the Role of Communication in ‘Self-concept’?
The view we hold of ourselves is by no means a static state. Our self-concept
develops through interpersonal communication; it is also maintained and
changed through communication.
Each person and each new experience that we encounter to some
extent confirms, but may also change, how we view the world, other
people, and ourselves. The impact of all these may be tremendous and
obvious at times, but more often it may be subtle and go unnoticed. We
can understand this better through the confirmation and disconfirmation
process

Confirmation and Disconfirmation

Our image needs verification and support from others, and much of what
we communicate will, in indirect ways, contain subtle demands to have
our image confirmed. Every message we send includes the request: ‘vali-
date me’. We seek confirmation not only of the way we view ourselves,
but also of the way we view others, and the way we experience the world.
The process of confirmation and disconfirmation has been described by
Sieburg as:
Communication with others is a basic human need for it is through com-
munication that relationships are formed, maintained, and expressed. It was
theorized that in attempting to establishing messages with the expectation is
met—if response is direct, open, clear, congruous and relevant to the prior
communication attempt. The persons involved are likely to experience the
benefit of genuine dialogue as well as the advantages of ‘therapeutic interper-
sonal communication’. If response is absent, tangible, unclear, ambiguous, or
otherwise inadequate, the participants are likely to feel confused, dissatisfied,
misunderstood, and alienated.

Confirming Responses

Confirming responses include:
1. Direct acknowledgement: when we respond directly to another per-
son’s message and, thus, indicate that we heard what was said and that
the person is included in our perceptual world;
2. Agreement about content: when we reinforce our support to the
opinions and ideas expressed by another person;

3. Supportive response: when we give assurances, express understand-
ing, or somehow attempt to make the other person feel better or
encouraged;

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