Person-Centeredness in Verbal Communication: A Case Study of Coded Language Between Friends
Overview
This paper analyzes verbal communication patterns between the author and a close friend named Thomas Chandler, examining how person-centered communication principles manifest in their friendship. The authors develop and utilize a coded language system that allows them to discuss sensitive personal matters while maintaining privacy and anonymity in public settings, demonstrating how contextual communication evolves within long-term relationships.
What this reflection paper covers
- Definition of person-centeredness and verbal communication with academic context
- Introduction of the friendship with Thomas Chandler and established communication patterns including greeting rituals
- Analysis of coded terminology (rose, drone, stumbling, sewing trousers) and their significance in maintaining privacy and relationship dynamics
Preview
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Verbal Communication
Person-centeredness in communication entails the recognition of "…the individual as a person and ensuring that the communication responds to the individual's feelings, preferences, and needs" (Williams et al. 1021). In person-centred communication, the purpose is ensuring that people are supported to retain and utilize their abilities and skills. Verbal communication entails the use of spoken words to convey specific messages between two people or a group of people. When talking with friends, some certain terms and words are used to imply certain things. These words, when used in a different context, may mean a different something from what the communicating parties understand them (Nurfazrina 145). The analysis centres on verbal communication with my friend, Thomas Chandler.
While the official name is Thomas, I usually call him TomChy, and he calls me Recipe. His nickname is an abbreviation of his full names and was given when we were playing for the neighborhood basketball team. On the other hand, my nickname emerged from my love of cooking. I always like cooking foreign cuisines, and TomChy loves it. We usually talk with each other through verbally through phone calls or physical meetings. We greet each other with the statement, 'What's going on?' The statement is intended to greet and understand how the other person is doing. If everything is going on well, the response should be nothing or none. When the person is experiencing something negative, the answer can be so much, or everything is going on.