Misunderstandings in communication often arise because messages are sent and received on multiple levels, not only through words.
- Self-revelation: What do I reveal about myself?
- Fact: What factual information is conveyed?
- Relationship: How do I position myself toward you?
- Appeal: What do I want you to do?
Description of the diagram
Text description
A square made of four coloured sides: top yellow “fact”, left orange “self-revelation”, right blue “relationship”, bottom red “appeal”. On the far left, written vertically, is “sender”; from there four coloured arrows converge into the left side of the square. From the right side, four coloured arrows (red, orange, yellow, blue) fan out towards “receiver” on the far right. The image shows that a message is sent and received on four levels.
Example: At a green traffic light, one person says “It is green!” and the other hears criticism or control. Different ears lead to different interpretations.