Differing Ways of Thinking and Doing

Abstract

For any form of communication to impart a message that triggers learning to occur within the recipient, the communicator must take into account the diverse ways people learn and make use of media. These different personality, learning and coping styles often may conflict when people work together. Personality styles affect people’s interactions because of different ways that information is processed. Similarly, learning styles affect how people prefer to receive information. A lot of research has gone into understanding how people think and learn. A lot of questions can be asked during meetings as a participant listening or interacting, or as a communicator. Obviously the answers to these questions are rooted in how people prefer to learn and how they cope with different situations. Individuals vary considerably, but many cultures seem to show predominant traits in particular styles of learning, thinking, or acting. Much of this information is more applicable in face-to-face activities such as personal presentations or when helping communities during educational interventions. It is a little more limited when using the mass media. What factors may come into play that will stop the audience comprehending the message? Different cultural factors will be one aspect. Different learning, thinking or coping styles will be another. Dependent on the audience size, location, and mode of communicator interaction will affect how the message needs to be developed and disseminated.