DIRECT COMMUNICATION: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES, ADVANTAGES, EXAMPLES - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The direct communication is a method of transmission in which the person clearly exposes his thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings and emotions. When it occurs, the interlocutors know perfectly what is happening at all times, and there are no hidden messages or hidden intentions between them.

Direct communication is very typical of some cultures, such as the Western one, which value honesty and clarity above all else. It is contrasted with indirect communication, in which the focus is on the well-being of all the interlocutors and therefore the honesty of the message plays a more secondary role.

Source: pixabay.com

Although both types of communication can have both advantages and disadvantages, direct communication is generally considered to be much more effective in maintaining quality relationships and achieving objectives in which other individuals are involved. For this reason, social psychologists have thoroughly investigated how to promote and enhance this ability.

Direct communication is the most effective way to solve problems, propose solutions and find alternatives in complex situations. Conversely, hiding information or passing it on indirectly can greatly hamper the ability of the parties involved to respond to a challenge.

Characteristics of direct communication

- Honesty is valued above all else

The most important characteristic of direct communication is the value that is placed on honesty in the transmission of information. When a person adopts this communicative model, she focuses on exchanging messages as truthful as possible with her interlocutor, in such a way that she understands what is happening as far as possible.

This is in contrast to what happens in the indirect communication style, in which the focus is mainly on maintaining the emotional well-being of all those involved. As a consequence, people who adopt this style tend to hide information and misrepresent their message to avoid confrontations and problems.

- The feelings of the other are not taken care of

One of the main consequences of putting honesty and clarity of the message above all else is that the interlocutors have to take responsibility for their own feelings.

On many occasions, what is communicated in a direct communication scenario is not pleasant, especially when it has to do with some kind of problem or crisis.

Due to this, in direct communication it is usually assumed that each of the interlocutors is responsible for managing their feelings and accepting the reality of each situation. For people not used to this communicative style, those who use it may seem rude or unpleasant.

In fact, individuals from cultures with a predominantly direct communication style often have a reputation for being unpleasant, dry, or cutting. On the contrary, those who belong to a less confrontational culture tend to be more concerned with the feelings of their interlocutor than with the reality of a specific situation.

- Requires a mutual agreement

One of the main problems with the direct communication style is that it requires the collaboration of all parties involved in order for it to function properly. If only one of the interlocutors hides information or does not convey what they are thinking, it is impossible for the communication channels to remain open.

On the other hand, all the people involved in a communicative process of this style have to actively listen to what their interlocutors transmit to them. Failure to do so could lead to misunderstandings and problems that go against what is expected of this style of information sharing.

Types of direct communication

Direct communication can arise for two different reasons. On the one hand, a person may decide to adopt it individually, even if the individuals around her opt for a more indirect style. On the other hand, a well-rounded culture can encourage the use of this form of information exchange.

Direct individual communication

Even in the most collectivistic and indirect cultures on the planet, there are people who value honesty above the feelings of others. Normally this occurs because they have a series of personal values ​​or beliefs that lead them to go against what the majority of the individuals around them think.

At the same time, in collectivist cultures it is also possible to find institutions or organizations that mainly use a direct communicative style. However, these are usually met with strong rejection by the society in which they are found.

Direct cultural communication

The adoption of a more or less direct style of communication on a regular basis is one of the factors that most differentiates some cultures from others.

Research shows that some societies favor the honest exchange of information no matter how harsh the message, while others prefer to take care of the emotions of their citizens.

Thus, cultures such as Russian or American score very high in levels of direct communication, while others such as Latin or Asian are on the other side of the scale.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of direct communication is that when using it it is much easier to solve all kinds of problems, because the parties involved have all the information about what is happening at all times.

In this way, using this communicative style is essential in times of crisis, or even to maintain the functioning of entities such as a company, a community or even a relationship or friendship.

On the other hand, to be able to use direct communication correctly it is necessary that all those involved are willing to be honest and take charge of their emotions. If this requirement is not met, the most common consequences include the appearance of conflicts, hurt feelings and tensions between the interlocutors.

Examples

- A woman tells her partner that she is not happy with him, in order to solve their problems by working together.

- A boss tells his employee that he has to change his attitude or he could be fired.

- The members of a group of friends talk to one of the members to express their concern about some of the decisions he has been making lately.

References

1. "Direct communication" in: Study. Retrieved on: March 10, 2020 from Study: study.com.
2. "Direct communication" in: Good Therapy. Retrieved on: March 10, 2020 from Good Therapy: goodtherapy.org.
3. "Direct communication - Rude or effective?" in: Social Climber Pro. Retrieved on: March 10, 2020 from Social Climber Pro: socialclimberpro.com.
4. "Direct and indirect communication styles" in: Linkedin. Retrieved on: March 10, 2020 from Linkedin: linkedin.com.
5. “Direct Communication vs. Indirect Communication ”in: Watershed Associates. Retrieved on: March 10, 2020 from Watershed Associates: watershedassociates.com.