Download Interpersonal Communications

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Enabling Objectives
 Define communication and interpersonal
communication
 List the different types of Police/Citizen interactions
 Be able to identify the 3 different basic parts of
interpersonal communication
 Identify the different types of learned behaviors
 List the 7 different types of non-verbal communication
 List the 5 different categories of Kinesics behavior
 Be able to list the 4 different categories of individual
space
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Enabling Objectives
 Identify the Intervention Skills Model
 List the 3 parts of positioning
 List the 3 steps of posturing
 List the 4 steps in observing
 List the 4 parts of listening
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People may forget what you said, but they will never forget
how you made them feel
Carl W. Buechner
When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing
with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion
Dale Carnegie
Speech is power, speech is to persuade, to convert, to
compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into
your good sense
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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What is Communication?
• An act or instance of transmitting
• Information
• A process by which information is exchanged between
individuals through a common system of symbols, signs,
or behavior
• A technique for expressing ideas effectively
• The technology of the transmission of information
Merriam - Webster
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What is Interpersonal
Communication?
 Requires people to understand the dynamics of
sending and receiving both verbal and nonverbal
messages
 The most simple definition
 Communication with other people
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Barriers to Communications
 Physical barriers
 Perceptual barriers
 Emotional barriers
 Cultural barriers
 Language barriers
 Gender barriers
 Interpersonal barriers
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Types of Police/Citizen Interactions
 Face-to-face (One-to-one, small groups, large groups)
 Dispatched calls
 Traffic encounters
 Interviews
 Media briefings
 Other conversations
Any other type of face-to-face interactions?
FORMAL INTERACTION
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Types of Police/Citizen Interactions
 Electronic interactions
 Telephone / Cell phone
 Email
 Web cast (Skype)
 Written interactions
 Letters
 Summons to court
Any other electronic or written interactions?
INFORMAL INTERATCTION
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3 Basic Parts of Interpersonal
Communication
 The message intended
 The message sent
 The message received
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The Message Intended
 What you are trying to say to someone to make them
understand
 It is very important to be sure what you want to say or
to be as clear as possible about the message you are
trying to send
 Do not assume the other person knows what you are
trying to say
 One must realize what you may say to one person may
have another meaning to another
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The Message Intended
 Various variables to consider when formulating your
message
 Age
 Race
 Religion
 Economic status
 Education
 Any other considerations?
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The Message Sent
 Important factors of the message sent
 Body language


Standing with your hand on your weapon
Having your arms folded
 Tone of voice


Yelling
Sounding condescending
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The Message Received
 Listening is the most crucial element of receiving a
message!!!!!
 To listen effectively it is most important to suspend
judgment until you have all the information
 Critical steps in the listening process:



Good positioning
Being Observant
Good Posture
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Sociological Factors in
Interpersonal Communications
 Sociology is the study of society
 One of the basic premises on which sociology operates
is most behaviors of people is learned
 This means we act the way we do because we learned
our behavior patterns during the developmental years
of life
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Different Type of Learned
Behaviors
 Prejudice
 Unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, of a hostile nature,
regarding a racial, religious, or national group

Race, Gender, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Body Type
 Stereotype
 Stereotypes are the assumption or belief that all members of a
particular group are the same

Southern people are all rednecks, All Irish people are drunks, All Jewish
people are rich, All Indians own 7-Eleven and dry cleaners
 Ethnocentrism
 Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or
cultural group is centrally important and that all other groups are
measured in relation to one's own

Cherokee Indian Removal Act/President Jackson, Holocaust/Hitler
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Different Type of Learned
Behaviors
 Realization
 The act of realizing or the state of being realized
 Empathy
 Identification with and understanding of another's situation,
feelings, and motives
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Non-Verbal Communication
 Nonverbal communication is the process of signaling
meaning through interpersonal behavior which does
not involve spoken words
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7 Types of Nonverbal
Communication
 Paralanguage
 Facial expressions
 Occulesics
 Kinesics
 Proxemics
 Cultural consideration
 Tactile
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Paralanguage (1)
 Not what is said but how something is said
 How we use our voice to communicate messages is very
important
 Active emotions
 Anger and fear




Fast rate of speech
Loud volume
High pitch
“Blaring” tone
Sadness
Slower rate of speech
Lower volume
Lower pitch
More resonant quality
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Facial Expression (2)
 The face may be the most important body area
through which nonverbal cues are conveyed
 The face’s importance in communication can be
problematic because of the complexity of facial
expressions
 Facial expression examples:
 Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise
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Occulesics (3)
 Occulesics refers to eye behavior
 What we do with our eyes during speaking and
listening
 How we regulate conversations and how we manage
relationships with strangers, acquaintances, and
intimates depends upon eye and visual behavior
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Why People Avoid Eye Contact
 Individuals may be attempting to maintain privacy
during heightened emotional states causing them to
turn inward with their thoughts
 A person may also avoid eye contact as a result of
increased cognitive load
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Kinesics (4)
 Kinesics is a Greek word meaning body motion or
movement
 Kinesics refers to how movement of the body sends
messages to others
 Scientist have learned facial expressions, gestures,
posture, and other body movements transmit
messages that either reinforce or contradict the spoken
message
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5 Different Categories of Kinesics
Behavior
 Emblems
 Illustrators
 Regulators
 Adapters
 Affect displays
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Emblems (1)
 Emblems are instances of nonverbal behavior that can
stand alone in no verbal behavior is necessary for
understanding the message
 A thumbs up sign is generally meant to convey success
or agreement
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Illustrators (2)
 Illustrators are nonverbal behaviors which accompany
speaking in order to illustrate what is being said
 Wiping your forehead as you say “Boy, it is very hot
today”, is an example of an illustrator
 The nonverbal act like the one listed above helps get
the point across much more dramatically than using
words alone
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Regulators (3)
 Regulators accompany speech for the purpose of
regulating conversation
 Examples:
 Raising one’s hand to gain the floor
 Openings one’s palm to relinquish the floor
 Turning away from a speaker to indicate a lack of
interest
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Adapters (4)
 Adapters are release mechanisms for emotional
arousal and include such behaviors as scratching,
rubbing, or massaging
 Example:
 Someone rubbing his/her nose and at the same time
pushing their glasses up
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Affect Displays (5)
 Affect displays are behaviors used primarily to convey
an emotional or affective state
 Often these are facial expressions can communicate:
 Happiness (smiling)
 Sadness (frowning)
 Anger (scowling)
 Boredom (folding arms)
 Other affective behavior
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Conclusion to Kinesic Behaviors
 Emblems are most conscious and intentional
 Illustrators, regulators, and affect displays are used
many times without conscious thought
 Adapters would be the least likely kinesic behavior to
be consciously used to communicate our emotions
 Learning these behaviors is an advantage to L.E.O.
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Proxemics (5)
 The study of the nature, degree, and effect of the
spatial separation individuals naturally maintain (as in
various social and interpersonal situations) and of how
this separation relates to environmental and cultural
factors (Merriam – Webster)
 Simply put, an individual puts an imaginary personal
space boundary around themselves and allows only
certain people into these imaginary spaces
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4 Categories of Individual Space
 Intimate
 Extends from actual physical contact outward, from 6 to
18 inches. Only close friends can enter this space
 Personal
 Continues from 18 inches outward to 4 feet. Personal
and business acquaintances can enter this space
 Social
 Encompasses distances of 4 feet to 12 feet. Informal
business and formal social contacts can enter this space
 Public
 Includes everything 12 feet and beyond
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Things to Remember about
Proxemics
 When uninvited persons violate another’s personal
space and approach the intimate space, the intrusion
invokes tension, fear, and a sense of being crowded
 A person who’s space has been invaded may react with
the FIGHT-or-FLIGHT response
 An invasion of an individual’s personal space produces
anxiety, and most people find it increasingly difficult
to lie when they feel crowded
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Things to Remember about
Proxemics
 It is also very important to understand that during the
communications process when an officer enters into
the personal/intimate space of another, he/she does so
with the understanding that the danger level rises
 One must present themselves in a manner that would
not adversely affect the communication process but at
the same time have his/her safety as priority
 Staying safe can be accomplished by positioning
oneself in a manner that he/she has their shoulders
facing squarely towards an individual but at the same
time having his/her weapon side leg positioned 20 or
so inches behind an imaginary line drawn from their
non-weapon leg
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Things to Remember about
Proxemics
 Lastly, positioning oneself properly allows for
coordinated reactions in an emergency situation and
also removes the officers weapon away from the
individual
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Cultural Considerations (6)
 The United States has become a multi-cultural nation
 3 components of the communicative process within
the different cultures are:
 Language
 Culture
 Ethnicity
 These 3 components are important factors in the
formation of a self-concept as well as in the
development of cognitive and coping skills
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Cultural Considerations (6)
 Each culture has different “rules” regarding speaking
and listening
 Awareness of these cultural rules enables officers to be
sensitive and responsive to the expectations and
restrictions governing the communication process of
the culture
 What might be acceptable behavior in one culture may
not be acceptable in another
 One must empathize with other cultures to be
successful in interpersonal communications
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Tactile (7)
 Definition:
 That can be perceived by the touch; tangible
 Of, having, or related to the sense of touch
 Touching is one of the primary forms of nonverbal
communication
 Touch is basic to human existence
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Tactile (7)
 Touching can be classified into 5 types
 1. Functional = Professional



Doctor, hair stylist, counselor, etc….
These and other professionally related types of touching
have certain expectations of touch
Unnecessary or inadequate touching can and will lead to
problems or non verbal confusions
 2. Social = Polite

Handshakes, hugs, kiss on cheeks, etc....
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Tactile (7)
 3. Friendship = Warmth

Athletic butt-slap, back patting, high fiving, etc….
 4. Love = Intimacy

Meaningful hugs, kissing, neck rubs, etc….
 5. Sexual = Close intimate

Self explanatory
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Intervention Skills Model
 The Basics / 4 Sizing up Skills
 Position
 Posture
 Observe
 Listen
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Sizing Up Skills
 The Basics of sizing up skills is it helps you know
what’s happening in any situation
 Sizing up helps you avoid costly mistakes and
maximizes the changes that your decisions and actions
will be effective and accurate
 Sizing up works because it gets you ready to use info to
manage and often to prevent problems
 Using the Basics is always appropriate because you
always need to size up every situation
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Positioning (1)
 Positioning means putting yourself in the best possible




place to see and hear individuals or groups
This helps you see and hear what you need to
It also helps you carry out your duties to protect yourself
and the keep minor incidents from becoming major ones
Physically positioning yourself in relationship to an
individual or group is very important in maintaining safety
and to control situations
Positioning also communicates interest to citizens which
give them a feeling of security and that you are the
protection to which they are entitled
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3 Parts of Positioning
 Distancing
 Facing Squarely
 Looking Directly
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Distancing (1)
 The first principle of distancing is to keep SAFE!
 The distance must be safe, but you must also be able to
see and hear what is going on whenever possible
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Facing Squarely (2)
 Facing squarely or fully ensures that your position
gives you the most effective line of vision
 Facing squarely or fully helps you size up a situation
 You can see best when you are directly facing persons
 When your goal is communication with persons, this
also lets them know you are open to hearing them
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Looking Directly (3)
 When positioning yourself, you should look directly at
the area or person(s) you are managing
 Looking directly at a group often involves looking at
their eyes
 You will be able to get important clues by observing
their eyes and their facial expressions closely
 By you looking directly at a person it tells them you
mean business and are not threatened
 Eye contact may also be the best way of
communicating interest
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Posturing (2)
 Your posture is how you carry yourself
 Using good posture means holding your body in a way
that shows strength, confidence, interest, and control
 When you appear strong and confident, people will
believe you are strong and confident
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3 Steps of Posturing
 Standing Erect
 Eliminating Distracting Behaviors
 Inclining Slightly Forward
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Standing Erect (1)
 Shows STRENGTH & CONFIDENCE
 When you stand erect you get rid of distracting
behaviors
 You let people know you are in full physical control
 In control not only of your own body but of the whole
situation
 Any officer without respect is open to embarrassment
and abuse
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Eliminating Distracting
Habits (2)
 A person who can’t stand steady is seen as nervous
 Biting nails, foot-tapping, and other distracting
behaviors do not communicate confidence and control
 Standing stiff like a board does not communicate
confidence and control either
 You should not feel tension in your body after you have
eliminated distracting behaviors
 By eliminating distracting habits, you can do a lot to
show your strength and confidence
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Inclining Forward (3)
 Inclining forward can communicate interest and
concern
 Inclining yourself forward can also show confidence by
reinforcing the idea that all your attention and
potential energy is committed to job performance
 Inclining yourself forward can also help you to
communicate your interest when you choose to
provide any human service
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Observing (3)
 Observing is the ability to notice and understand
individuals and groups appearances, behaviors, and
environment
 Careful observation of actions will tell you most of
what you need to know about people, their feelings,
and their difficulties.
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4 Steps in Observing
 Looking carefully at behavior, appearance, and
environment
 Making inferences about feelings, relationships,
energy level, and values
 Deciding normal / abnormal
 Deciding trouble / no trouble
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Looking at Behavior, Appearance,
& Environment (1)
 Behavior is a nonverbal cue provided by something a
person does while conscious and active
 Two people holding hands, a person looking in a store
 Appearance is a nonverbal cue that a person might
display even if they were unconscious or dead
 A person being black or white, a person is old or young
 Environment means the particular people and things a
person have around them in a particular place
 “What is he doing right now?”
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Drawing Inferences (2)
 Inferences are the initial conclusions you come to as the
result of observing people
 You take in visual cues related to appearance, behavior, and
environment
 These cues are really “clues” which show you something
about a person’s feelings, relationships, energy levels, and
values
 The more observations you make, the more inferences you
can draw
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Drawing Inferences About Feelings
 An officer can use his/her observing skills to draw
inferences about how an individual or an entire group
of people are feeling
 Knowing how a person is feeling is critical in
determining where a person really is mentally at a
certain point in time
 A person might use the feeling word “happy” to
describe a person who is smiling
 A person might use the feeling word “tense” to
describe a person who is pacing while wringing their
hands
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Drawing Inferences About
Relationships
 Besides being aware of nonverbal cues which indicate
the feelings of a person, and officer can further
increase their effectiveness in management by looking
for cues which indicate the nature of the relationships
between himself and the people they work with and
the community they serve
 Relationships and feelings can be categorized as
positive, negative, or neutral
 Among persons, relationships of power are critical
 Knowing the relationship within and between groups
is crucial
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Drawing Inferences About Energy
Level
 Energy levels tell us a great deal about how much and
what type of trouble a person can and/or may cause
 Persons with a low energy levels are reluctant to
initiate anything
 Persons with moderate energy levels actively engage in
most activates
 Persons with high energy levels participate in all that is
required but also make use of physical fitness
programs and many other activities
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Drawing Inferences About Values
 It is very important to understand as much as possible
about a person’s values
 Every person has 3 basic environments
 The place where they live
 The place where they work
 And the place where they learn
 A general rule is:
 What a person gives their energy to is of value to them
 The more energy given, the higher the value
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Inferences Overview
 The reason for your inferences is they should be visual
cues related to behaviors, appearances, and
environment
 Inferences stand the best chance of being accurate if
they are based on detailed and concrete observations
rather then on vague and general ones
 Inferences are based on your previous observations of
behaviors and appearances
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Deciding Whether Things Are
Normal / Abnormal (3)
 Your past observations and past inferences you have
made about a person can help you determine whether
a particular person is in a “normal” or “abnormal”
condition at any point in time
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Deciding Whether There is
Trouble / No Trouble (4)
 This decision should be based on your observations
and your knowledge of community (street) life
 Observing appearance and behavior is usually the
quickest and most accurate way to detect whether or
not a given individual is really having a problem
 Your observations will allow you to anticipate
problems so that you can prepare for their possible
impact on other people, on you, other officers, or the
person themselves
 Remember nonverbal behavior accounts for 65% to
90% of any spoken message
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Listening (4)
 Listening is the ability to hear and understand what
people are really saying
 Listening also involves your ability to hear and
accurately recall all the important verbal cues used by
people
 Listening helps you hear the signals from people while
things are still at the verbal stage so you can take
appropriate action to manage situations before they
get out of hand
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Listening (4)
 You should get ready for listening by using the basics
to listening: positioning, posturing, and observing
 A good position will obviously help you hear better
 Posturing, while less important in terms of listening
for good management, is essential when you are
listening to a person who really wants to talk to you
 Your observing skills can not always be used to
promote listening
 Visual observations can on the other hand help you to
understand the implications of what your are hearing
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Listening (4)
 You can not listen effectively to people if you have
other things on your mind
 You have to focus on the person to whom you are
listening to
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4 Parts of Listening
 Suspend judgment
 Pick out key words
 Identify intensity
 Reflect on mood
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Suspend Judgment (1)
 If your goal is to get more information from people,
you need to open people up more
 Suspending judgment can assist you with that
 It is hard at times to listen without immediately
judging because many people with whom you must
deal with get defensive (clam up or get upset) very
quickly
 Listening means suspending your own judgment
temporarily so you can really hear what is being said
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Pick Out Key Words (2)
 There are key words and phrases to listen for
 Examples:
 Kill
 Depressed
 Snitch
 Honky
 Listening means picking out key words and phrases
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Identify Intensity (3)
 Statements can be made with varying intensity (high,
moderate, and low)
 The louder the statement, the more intense it is
 A wavering voice may signal a lot of emotion
 High intensity statements are a real sign of danger
 Listening means determining whether the intensity of a
person’s speech is high, medium, or low
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Reflect on What the Mood is (4)
 “Mood” here means what people are feeling
 Listening means determining whether a mood is
positive, neutral, or negative and whether this mood is
normal or abnormal
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Summary
 L.E.O.s must have effective communication skills in
order to have additional courses of action when
responding to calls for service
 Being good listeners, understanding the importance of
posturing, distancing, and other nonverbal
communication skills allows officers to calm violent
and potentially violent situations and resolve them in a
peaceful manner
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