Interpreting Texts - Example 3 & 4

A Communication Model

A simple model of communication between two people consists of a "broadcaster", a "message", and a "receiver". The broadcaster sends the message to the receiver. A message may have spoken parts and/or non-spoken parts (e.g. intonation, facial expressions, gestures). Parts of the message may be "explicit" (expressly formulated) or "implicit" (indirectly communicated in the form of hints). Implicit messages are often communicated as non-spoken statements. If the spoken parts and the non-spoken parts of a message match, one calls this a "congruent message". If the spoken parts and the non-spoken parts contradict each other, the message is "incongruent".

Example 3

Which of the two following statements is or are correct according to the above text?

I. Messages sent by the broadcaster to the receiver may be communicated both implicitly and explicitly.

II. Messages about the relationship between the broadcaster and the receiver are mostly communicated implicitly.

Degree of difficulty: low

Solution

Example 4

Which of the two following statements is or are correct according to the above text?

I. Someone who is silent is not communicating a message.

II. Someone who is speaking dialect is communicating an incongruent message.

Degree of difficulty: medium

Solution