Norms of communication

Lectures 2,3
 Norms of communication
are an established standard of behavior in
communication shared by members of a social
group

require conformity of each member to the

social group for efficient communication

are necessary for effective communication

set a pattern of achievement or behavior for a
certain human community
 Norms of communication

Laws of Principles of
communication communication
 Laws of communication
are non-rigid, lenient social conventions maintaining
people’s contact for effective and mutually beneficial
communication

Depend on
•psychological features of participants
•transient idioethnic factors

•do not presuppose special

training
•are followed automatically
Division of foundations of communication
laws
into categories

Logical Psychological
foundation foundation
 Logical foundation
shows the algorithm of participants’ communicative
activity helping to realize their purposes and the idea of
a behaviour to be avoided or adhered to in communication.

The laws to be adhered to:

 of communicative rhythm
 of effort/effect proportion
 communicative self-preservation.
They permit people to express themselves to the
extent required by a situation and to doubt ideas they
distrust.
 Communicative rhythm

determines the number of pauses in speech

depending on status, age, gender. In written
speech communicative rhythm is marked by
punctuation marks, sharp simple sentences,
parcellation, etc.
 Effort/effect proportion

defines the grade of exerting oneself in communi-

cation: the more attention is paid to appearance,
etiquette, etc., the more effect is gained.
 Self-preservation law

“Then, Mama, I hardly let the words cross my

lips, but they have wicked, wicked attractions
out there – like dancing girls that – that charm
snakes, and dance without –” Miss Moir, with
downcast eyes, broke off significantly
(A. Cronin)
 Self-preservation law

presumes that any new idea must be first

doubted to be later accepted
 Logical foundation

Communication laws based on logical foundation

focusing on the idea of what is to be avoided
to communicate successfully include the laws of:
 Information spontaneity
 Information distortion
 Attracted criticism
 Attracted criticism

emphasises that negative topics attract

attention, that’s why negative and positive
information is not to be given in one context.
 Information spontaneity and
information distortion

state that gossip tends to distort information due

to the lack of facts and the distortion degree
depends on the number of people (the larger the
number – the bigger the distortion).
 Psychological foundation
motivates activity of participants by
psychological factors
1) Laws of intensification of emotions with interjections
and absorption of emotions by speech
Doubtful effect (either positive or negative)
2) Laws of the crowd effect and emotionally oppressed
logic Only negative psychological effect
3) Mirrorlike communication and progressive impatience
Only positive psychological effect
 Positive effect
“I hear you’re going away, Warburton,” the old
Duke of Hereford said to him.
“Yes, I’m going to Borneo.”
“Good God, what are you going there for?”
“Oh, I’m broke.”
“Are you? I’m sorry. Well, let us know when you
come back. <…>.”
“Oh, yes. Lots of shooting.”
(W. S. Maugham)
 Negative effect

“Are you out of your mind? Are you so ignorant

that you do not know that that is not the way to
speak to your official superior?”
“Oh, go to hell. The prisoners are my pidgin,
and you’ve got no right to interfere.”
 The law of intensification of emotions with
interjections
Interjections enhance person’s emotions (is used in
propaganda, advertisements, religious practices).
 The law of absorption of emotions by speech
Speaking in detail about an emotion makes it
vanish or emotion “dissolves” in words.
 Law of the crowd effect
Substantiates that the greater number of people is
listening to the speaker the lower level of average
intelligence of the audience is.

The law of emotionally oppressed logic

Assumes that excited people are hard to persuade.
 The law of mirrorlike communication
Helps to regulate a conflict, to show engagement in a
conversation or draw attention by imitating speaking
manner.

The law of progressive impatience

The less a person talks, the more he is listened to.
The longer the speaker talks the more inattentive and
impatient his audience are.
 The law of mirrorlike communication

◦ “What’s the date?” Mira asked, still groggy.

◦ “January third, twenty-three fifty-two,” the man said. Nearly
thirty years had passed. The man wiped his mouth with the
back of his wrist. “I feel a little sick for being here.” He
frowned. “But there are so many stories out there of people
finding true love in the drawers. My cousin Ansel met his
second wife Floren at a revival center. Lovely woman.”
The man gave her a big, sloppy smile. “I’m Lycan, by the
way.”
◦ “I’m Mira. Nice to meet you,” she smiled back.
◦ “Your smile is a little wavery, in a cute way. I can tell you’re
honest.”

(Will McIntosh “Bridesicle”)

 Principles of communication
- are strict and rigid
- regulate the way how people should behave in
communication
- without them communication is ineffective and
conflict.

The Principle The Principle

of Cooperation of Politeness

Are supported by the maxims of

communication
 The principle of Cooperation
Make your conversational contribution such as is
required at the stage at which it occurs, by the purpose
or direction of the talk exchange in which you are
engaged. (P. Grice)
The principle is supported by conversational maxims
(rules that develop general idea): Quality maxim,
Quantity maxim, Relation maxim, Manner maxim.

These maxims may be followed,

violated, avoided, sacrificed one to the
other if they clash.
 Quality maxim:
Quantity maxim:
Relation maxim:
Manner maxim:

be relevant do not lie be as informative as

required
be clear, unambiguous, and
orderly
 The principle of Politeness
is participants’ ability of establishing and maintaining
comity and mutual sympathy in communication. (G.Leech)
Politeness
Negative
Positive
(avoidance of
(seeking concord)
discord)
The principle is supported by conversational maxims:
Tact maxim, Generocity maxim,
Sympathy maxim, Approbation maxim,
Modesty maxim,
Agreement maxim
Tact maxim: maximise your communication
efforts to increase the benefit
of the addressee
Generosity maxim: minimise your own benefit

Agreement maxim: states maximisation of

agreement between
participants
Sympathy maxim: states maximisation of
sympathy between
participants
Approbation maxim: states maximisation in
praising the interlocutor

Modesty maxim: states maximisation of

self dispraise
Politeness in communication is also viewed as awareness
of people’s face wants (P. Brown, S. Levinson).
Face is a personal sense of identity, consisting of two
related aspects:
Negative face implies freedom of action & that anyone
can want his actions not to be constrained by others.

Positive face implies a positive self-image & a desire to

be appreciated and approved of by at least some other
people.
 Communication may be face-threatening, i.e. go against
both faces.

Positive face is threatened when positive self-image

is ignored.

Negative face is threatened when personal freedom

is endangered.