The words we choose when we communicate with others can have a profound impact on whether or not our communication is successful. We often fail to consider the importance of word choice until it is too late, and our communication has failed. Think of a time when the words you selected contributed to your miscommunication with another person. How did your word choice impact the miscommunication? What could you have done differently?
The purpose of communication is said to convey information from one person to the other. Through the choice of written or spoken words, you can share your ideas, opinions, and thoughts with another person. Unfortunately, miscommunication is common, where the listener or reader fails to understand what is said or written. Word choices indeed have a major impact on communication. This is because every word has a connotative and denotative meaning. A connotative meaning of a word refers to a commonly understood emotional or cultural association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotative meaning. Thus, there is always a chance that the way an individual perceives the exact meaning of a word is different from that of others. This is likely to cause communication gaps; in some cases, it leads to conflict between two parties.
In a recent conversation with my friend, I used some slang during my communication that offended my friend. Although I used it very casually and did not mean to harm, but my friend was extremely upset about it. I was quick to apologize in the situation because I realized that slang words should be avoided in most instances because they are generally used to insult others.
The scientific method allows us to pose questions, test questions, and analyze results. Ethics is always inclusive of research, as we must protect participants and be aware of appropriate methods for obtaining information.
I had been a part of my senior’s research study project last year. Considering the processes, she followed during my participation; I would say that she adopted the scientific method to complete her research. I noticed that she used a great number of participants in her study, and we all were treated in the same manner. Before the study began, we were given the instructions but were also made aware of our rights as participants. Her study involved filling up some questionnaires regarding the research topic. The environment in which we were situated for the research was relaxing yet disciplined. Therefore, I felt that she focused on collecting her data accurately and tried her best to minimize the influence of other environmental factors as well.