PURPOSES OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION

The purposes of human communication may be conscious or unconscious, recognizable or unrecognizable. And, although communication technologies are changing rapidly and drastically – we send electronic mail, work at computer terminals, and telecommute, for example – the purposes of communication are likely to remain essentially the same throughout the computer revolution and whatever revolutions follow. Five general purposes of communication can be identified: To discover, to relate, to help, to persuade, and to play.

To Discover

One of the major purposes of communication concerns personal discovery. When you communicate with another person, you learn about yourself as well as about the other person. In fact, your self-perceptions result largely from what you've learned about yourself from others during communications, especially your interpersonal encounters.

Much as communication gives you a better understanding of yourself and of the person with whom you're communicating, it also helps you discover the external world – the world of objects, events, and other people. Today, you rely heavily on the various communications media for information about entertainment, sports, war, economic developments, health and dietary concerns, and new products to buy. Much of what you acquire from the media interacts with what you learn from your interpersonal interactions. You get information from the media, discuss it with other people, and ultimately learn or internalize the material as a result of the interaction between these two sources.

To Relate

One of our strongest motivations is to establish and maintain close relationships with others. The vast majority of people want to feel loved and liked, and in turn want to love and like others. You probably spend much of your communication time and energy establishing and maintaining social relationships. You communicate with your close friends in school, at work, and probably on the phone. You talk with your parents, children, and brothers and sisters. You interact with your relational partner. All told, this takes a great deal of your time and attests to the importance of this purpose of communication.

Of course, you may also use communication to distance yourself from others, to argue and fight with friends or romantic partners, and even to dissolve relationships.

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