Learning Outcome 1: Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the

theories and principles of human communication that will facilitate their professional and
personal effectiveness.
This paper, written in my first semester at Carroll University, discusses world views and
their effects on personal relationships. In this essay I used personal experience to describe the
effects that chronemics and low-context/high-context communication have on interpersonal
relationships. Chronemics is the study of how we utilize our time and how it effects our
communication. Cultures will vary from being monochromic to poly chronic. Essentially this
means that people fall somewhere on the spectrum of being either extremely punctual, or quite
fluid with time. Similarly, low-context and high-context communication styles are another
spectrum where individuals either need little to no contextual cues to understand what is being
communicated, or they need to fully understand the surrounding context before comprehending
the intended message. Both of these ideas are examples of world views, which vary from culture
to culture. By understanding these concepts, it is easier to decode messages across cultures. It is
an important factor in studying communication.
In this paper you can see the developmental stages of my communication education. At
this stage in my academic career you can see how I began to see the world in a new light, using
the information I was learning to analyze my personal relationships. Perhaps it is the Sapir-
Wharf theory in action, or simply the beginning of a fuller understanding of communication
theories, but this paper shows how my education has helped me grow, even in my first semester
at Carroll. Since drafting this essay as an 18 year old first-year, I have added to my breadth of
knowledge regarding world views and how they effect communication. This paper showed how I
was able to apply these concepts to my own life, but since then, I have learned to apply these
ideas to the macro level. How world views can effect mass or intercultural communication can
help in all facets of a professional career in communication, whether it is in public relations,
marketing, or any other position. Additionally, a wider reach or understanding communication
theories has allowed me to develop my communication skills which will be needed to succeed
professionally and personally.