Meta Communication

Communication has been defined as the ‘total transfer of meaning’, implying that it is more than the mere exchange of data or even information. In this section, you will learn about the components that make up a message in its totality.

Communication is a holistic experience, one that goes way beyond the conveyance of text; we gather additional cues and information related to the words used in the messages that we receive and seek to interpret. The term which is used to refer to the additional elements that make up the message in its entirety is referred to as ‘meta communication’.

By the end of this sub-section, you should be able to: 

• Identify all the components of a message 
• Appreciate the role and importance of non-verbal components in messaging
• Interpret the meta-components in the messages you receive more effectively

Watch this video to know more about this aspect of communication.