Brittany Baiunco
January 31, 2013
“What is Communication?”

Communication is the verbal and non-verbal exchange of ideas, thoughts, feelings, or information. The exchange can be through spoken or written words, signals like hand gestures and body language, or behavior like actions of anger, sadness or happiness. There are various types of communication that can be classified into two major groups, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Interpersonal communcation includes the interaction we have with other living things, while intrapersonal communication is the exchange of information or thoughts within ourselves.

1. There is indirect communication occurring in this situation. The boarder of the bus, Agatha Staitlace, is sending a nonverbal message to the grubby looking weirdo sitting in the front of the bus. Although the bum-like man may not have fully picked up on it, through her actions Agatha is communicating that she is uncomfortable with the grungy passengers overall appearance and hygiene habits. From her first impression she probably made inferences about his personality and lifestyle and decided she did not feel comfortable sitting near him.
2. There is unintentional communication happening between Professor Smart and the student whose stomach is growling. Communication does not have to involve words or a direct conversation. In this case the message that is being sent unintentionally is that the student probably needs to eat.
3. Jim is involved in intrapersonal communication. He is the sender and the receiver and his messages depend on the debate he is having in his head. When intrapersonal communication occurs people usually find themselves in a debate with different moral issues and their conscience and sense of logic. I consider the communication within a person’s mind one of the most