The 32 types of communication that exist (and their characteristics)

For this reason there are many types of communication, which is the topic we are going to talk about in this article, explaining the main ones and giving some examples.

• We recommend:”The 10 types of language (and their characteristics)”

What is communication?

In general terms, communication is understood as the process that occurs when information is transmitted.

In every communicative act there are six elements:

• Issuer: who transmits the information, whether it is one person, several, an institution…
• Receiver: is the one who receives the information, and can be both one and several people.
• Message: is the information itself.
• Channel: is the means by which the message travels, starting from the sender and reaching the receiver.
• Code: it is the way in which the message has been emitted, that is, the characteristics that it has that allow it to be decoded by the receiver.
• Effect: It is the response, whether emotional or behavioral, that causes the message.

The 32 types of communication

There are several types of communication depending on several criteria. The following are the different classifications in terms of types of communications, in addition to describing each of them.

1. Verbal and non-verbal communication

This is the best known classification, either because  the difference between verbal and non-verbal is quite clear  or because of how simple it is.

This distinction is easy to see in everyday life, however, let’s see in more detail what is meant by verbal communication and non-verbal communication.

1.1. Verbal

Verbal communication, also called linguistic type, is one in which a system is used with words ordered by a grammar, that is, a language.

It is the most everyday type of communication, since it is the main way that we human beings have to communicate in the clearest and least ambiguous way possible.

Although the term “verbal” can lead to some confusion, the truth is that not only speaking and uttering words is a type of verbal communication (oral communication), but also representing them graphically, that is, writing.

1.2. No verbal

Non-verbal communication, also called non-linguistic or considered as a synonym of “body language”, is one in which words are not emitted nor is there a syntax that organizes information in a system in the form of language.

It would be the information that is transmitted through body movements, such as facial expression, gaze, posture or the way of gesturing.

Although much has been hypothesized about the relationship between body language and what is really meant or if it is an indicator of whether a person is lying, the truth is that these relationships have sometimes been shown to be unclear.

Although there are certain body gestures that are considered international, it is important to note that non-verbal communication is, like verbal communication, dependent on culture.

We have an example of this in Italy. Italians, when they speak, do not only express themselves orally and, therefore, through verbal communication. They have a fairly varied repertoire of hand gestures that highlight what they have said orally.

2. According to the meaning involved

Human beings have several senses, being considered mainly the five classic ones: touch, taste, smell and, what can be more clearly related to language, hearing and sight.

However, it is not only oral and written language that can transmit information, although they are the most precise types of language available to human beings.

In the animal world, a sweet smell, a rough touch or a bitter taste can indicate certain properties of objects with these characteristics.

2.1. auditory

Auditory communication is that which occurs through sound, being perceived by the ears. It is not limited to spoken language, but within this type of communication everything that could be heard would enter: a scream, a whistle, a roar…

These sounds are processed by the brain, which can interpret them as signals that what is causing them may be dangerous or an indicator to be on alert.

2.2. Visual

It is that communication that is processed through the organs of sight.

Writing is a type of communication that occurs visually, but it is not the only one.

Colors acquire a very important role in communication, for example, poisonous toads usually have very striking colors, such as black with yellowish specks, indicating danger.

23. gesture

In class, when you raise your hand for the teacher to attend to the student, you are making a gesture. Also, when the head is affirmed or denied, we are communicating through gestural communication.

This type of communication is what, according to many language experts, the hominids first developed.

2.4. Tactile

Tactile communication allows information to be known by touching. Some writing systems, such as Braille, are languages ​​that are part of this type of communication.

It would also be shaking someone’s hand when greeting them, a caress or a hug.

2.5. Gustatory

Information can be transmitted through taste, although it may seem somewhat surprising.

A fairly simple example would be the taste of food, which, depending on whether it is pleasant or not, can indicate aspects such as nutritiousness, poor condition, toxic substances…

2.6. olfactory

In this type of communication, the message is transmitted through the smell, which can trigger a response in the recipient’s brain.

In the animal world, pheromones are one of the substances used to enable mating and subsequent reproduction in species such as bees.

Also, a threat message can be transmitted by smell, as is the case with the stench of skunks.

3. According to number of people involved

Communication does not necessarily have to take place between two people . There may be different stakeholders that influence how the message is conveyed.

3.1. Intrapersonal

It would be, in essence, when we stand in front of the mirror and talk to ourselves or when we are reviewing the notes for the upcoming exam out loud.

Although it may seem that it is not a type of communication, given that both the sender and the receiver are the same person, the truth is that the communicative process does occur.

3.2. Individual

There are only two people involved in the communicative process: the sender and the receiver. This type of communication is the traditional example in the sciences that deal with the communicative act to describe it.

3.3. Intergrupal

It would be very similar to individual communication, only instead of two individuals having a conversation or writing letters, there are two or more groups of people interacting.

An example of this is when representatives of employers and unions meet to discuss the situation of a company.

3.4. Intragrupal

People in a group talk to each other.

3.5. collective

Two or more people exchange messages, that is, all the people involved in the communicative act act as both senders and receivers, actively participating in the transmission of information.

3.6. mass communication

In this type of communication there is a sender who sends a message to a large group of people in the form of an audience. A clear example of this is the speeches of politicians.

4. According to the privacy of the message

Depending on whether the field is open or closed , we can distinguish between these two types of communication.

4.1. public

The message that has been issued has no restriction on recipients, that is, anyone can receive it.

4.2. private

In private communication, it is clearly defined who has the right to receive the information issued, the receivers being a closed group of people or just one.

5. According to the degree of sender-receiver participation

Depending on how the interaction between the people involved in the communicative act takes place , we can speak of two types of communications.

5.1. Unilateral

Unilateral communication represents the most typical scheme of a communicative act, with two people, one being the sender and the other the receiver, without exchanging roles.

5.2. Reciprocal

In this case, the people who are involved in the communicative process play both the role of transmitters and receivers, having a real communicative interaction between them.

The clearest example of this would be a conversation between two people, in which while one explains an event, the other intervenes actively, asking or explaining things that have also happened to her.

6. According to the technological channel

New technologies have clearly brought about a revolution in the art of communication . Thanks to electronic devices, it has been possible to bring people who were far away closer together, allowing communication to take place in real time.

Depending on the devices used, we can talk about different types of communication.

6.1. Telefónica

It is the first type of communication dependent on the technological channel in history.

Telephone communication, understood in its most classic sense, involves only the transmission of information orally.

6.2. cinematographic

Cinema is also considered one of the first types of technological communication. It allows information to be transmitted visually and orally, although in its beginnings it was limited to the former.

6.3. Radio

The radio, before the arrival of television, was one of the great means of communication, allowing popular knowledge to be updated about the political and environmental situation in the world.

6.4. TV

As it is said in the song of “video killed the radio star”, television marked the end of the radio era, although it did not finish it off completely.

Thanks to television, it has been possible to communicate a large amount of information in a massive and relatively easy and fast way and today it is one of the most important elements to update on the state of the world.

6.5. Emails

The arrival of computers and, later, the development of the Internet allowed us to reach a higher level of technology-dependent communication.

Emails act as if they were letters, but they are received just milliseconds after being sent, in addition, they allow you to attach digital documents such as images, sound and videos.

One of the great advantages of this type of communication is that it allows it to be almost similar to a conversation in the real world, that is, by transmitting information immediately, the sender and receiver can communicate simultaneously.

6.6. Social networks

Social networks have been the pinnacle of communication on the Internet and are replacing television news.

They allow reaching many more people, quickly, in addition to having free access to information at any time you want to consult it.

7. Other types of communication

Below are other types of communications that it is not possible to classify in a specific category , but it is interesting to mention them and understand in broad terms what they are about.

7.1. couple

It is the communication that occurs between the members of a couple. It is very important that it occurs and is fluid, in order to detect possible problems in the relationship and thus know how to deal with them before they reach the point of seriously damaging the love relationship.

One of the reasons couples break up is lack of communication and loss of trust.

7.2. Sexual

It is that communication in which there are elements that favor the sexual response and intend to maintain its activation.

It can be given in multiple ways, such as through movements that excite the receiver or, thanks to new technologies, sending racy content through the chat.

7.3. By signs

It is a type of communication used in deaf and dumb people. Sign languages ​​are verbalized, therefore they fall within the category of verbal communication, even if they are not made through the emission of sounds.

It is closely related to communication through gestures, the difference is that in sign languages ​​there is a grammar, a standardized gestured vocabulary and the movements are not instinctive but are the result of linguistic conventions.

7.4. Policy

In essence, it is any communicative action carried out by a political party or the supporters of an ideology to expand their point of view and, thus, manage to modify the established power according to their own partisan interests.

7.5. educational

In essence, it is about the way in which professionals in the field of education transmit their contents to students.

Explaining clearly and concisely, paying attention to how students receive information and what communication problems may occur that make it difficult to assimilate academic content are key factors in ensuring that teaching is given properly.

7.6. journalistic

It is made up of all the media that intend to transmit events, such as television news, newspapers or even news blogs on social networks.

This type of communication aims to inform society as close to reality as possible.

7.7. deportiva

It involves everything that is related to the world of sport, whether it is the coaches and members of a football team, the fans behind them and the bodies that make up the sports federations.

7.8. Advertising

In advertising, the way in which information is transmitted is fundamental to ensure that the audience to which an ad for a certain product is directed ends up buying it.

Basically, advertising communication is about the way in which companies transmit information about their products and services to society and cause them the effect of acquiring them.

References

• Bailey, Sandra (2009). “Couple Relationships: Communication and Conflict Resolution” (PDF). MSU Extension.
• Berlo, D.K. (1960). The process of communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• Bertram, M., (2004) How the Mind Explains Behavior: Folk Explanations, Meaning, and Social Interaction, MIT Press.
• Wark, McKenzie (1997). The Virtual Republic. Allen & Unwin, St Leonards.