3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading (not already discussed for this week) that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
A concept from the assigned reading that I found useful and interesting as well was message filtering. Trenholm defines filtering as a serious problem in formal communication because details are either omitted, added and the gist of the message is lost in the process. In my opinion, this is how drama gets started. One person tells another person one thing and it just keeps going and going until the last person eventually hears it and the story is completely different. I remember in high school I told my friend that a classmate of mine had died her blonde to be like her mom and the next thing I know some person I never met comes up to me and tells me I shouldn’t be talking “crap” behind someone’s back…when in fact all I said is that her hair looks like her mom’s and the 100th person that heard the story heard that I said “her mom shouldn’t have colored her hair because it makes her look like a tramp!” What a completely different story!
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Hi Goober:
ReplyDeleteI always find “message filtering,” hilarious and yet, I get upset about it when the end result is totally 360 degrees from what I originally said. Like your example, I said something to someone only for it to come back and haunt me. Like in your case, I could not believe it! Today, especially at work there are very few people I will repeat anything confidential to. Whenever someone comes over to my desk and says, “Did you hear so and so?” I play dumb and say, “No, what do you mean?” Then, he/she may reveal something. To me this is sad, that you have to cautious who you confide in especially at work.
I completely agree with you that through the filter theory is how drama gets started. Its like with every person that something gets told to a layer is pulled back, or something gets changed in the messages and through that filtration the message gets completely changed.
ReplyDeleteThis theory leads to not misinterpretation of a message, but not getting the correct information. This can lead to a sticky situation for many involved. Like you I have had problems with this before as well. My friend once told me something and I told my friend who changed the message and told another one of our friends. Well, at some point the message got back to ou friend and she thought we were all making things up about her because by the time it got back to her it was a completely different story.
Good blogging,
ImaginePeace
Hi Goober,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you applied message filtering to a real life experience. I have had this happen to me as well. We are currently working on a communications workshop for students entering the nursing program to give examples of situations they are going to encounter and how to deal with them in a professional manner. Message filtering is going to be part of the workshop. One of the reasons is the horror stories that surface regarding the instructors. Sometimes they get so exaggerated. We let the students know that from one student getting written up in the hospital it turns into the professor screamed at the student in front of the patient and the nurses in the hospital and they were thrown out of the program. It gets ridiculous in some cases. There is a lot of what the test refers to as sharpening, “Certain high points are given special significance and elaboration” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 221). It seems like that is what happened in your case.
HI Goober,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post this week. I too found the concept of message filtering to be quite interesting. I agree with Trenholm that message filtering is a serious problem in formal communication. I also thought it was great that you told your own story about your experience of message filtering. I cant even begin to recall the many examples and experiences ive been involved in because of message filtering. One example, the most recent, happened at work when I suggested that we should plan a company BBQ. The next day I found that everyone thought I was bringing food on friday because I was planning a pot luck with all the employees. The gist of the message was surly lost in the process! Well goober, I enjoyed reading your post this week. Great Job!