Content-Relationship Communications
An important concept in communications is the Content-Relationship Model, which states that people always communicate on two levels: Content and Relationship.
Content - What is Said
The content level of communication describes what is being sent. The information sent on this first level is data, usually as informal spoken words or formal written material.
Relationship - How it is Said
The second level of communication exists on a more subjective plane that affects the receiver’s thoughts and feelings and sets the tone of the message. The perceived tone establishes a positive, negative, or neutral relationship between the sender and receiver. Characteristics of the voice and body language combine to create the relationships.
Example: Remember Data, the android on the Star Trek series? He only communicates solely on the content level as an emotionless artificial intelligence and suffers from a basic flaw; he fails at communicating on a relationship level. This flaw prevents him from understanding humans because he isn’t able to "read" their emotions.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-3. In the content-relationship communications model, the first level of communications that describes the data sent is called the _____.
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