Types of Communications and Listening Responses & Emotions

In my family, my mom is very emotionally expressive, while my dad is not emotionally expressive. My mom will straightforwardly and naturally express her raw emotions during conversations. It is easy to know when she is happy, angry, sad, surprised, among other emotions. In contrast, my dad often uses oral or written communication to conceal his raw emotions or feelings.

I think that each person has a limit for emotional disclosure, which is different from one person to another, like in my parents. The difference is mostly influenced by their personalities, contexts, culture, and gender roles. At an individualistic level, every person has their level of communication satisfaction. Therefore, at a certain point, one may feel that they are too emotionally expressive, and thus need some emotional disclosure.

The emotional disclosure or expression also influenced by contexts. For instance, my dad tends to increase his emotional expression in text messages than in face to face communication. This is in line with the coursework video, that online communication can feed emotional responses (Chapter 08 Video Summary). People are likely to say more behind screens than in face-to-face communication.

Also, culture and gender roles affect the emotional expression or its disclosure. For instance, I think my dad has been cultured to show strength even when weak, or calm even when excited so that he may not lose focus or control. He seems to conform to cultural demands for emotional disclosure. About mom, she is an excellent citation of the societal stereotypes that women are weaker than men and that they are mostly demonstrative. Minor issues evoke her emotions quickly, and her emotional disclosure is minimal compared to my dad.

Works Cited

Chapter 08 Video Summary (Adler, Interplay, 14e)https://oup-arc.com/access/content/adler-interplay-14e-student-resources/chapter-08-video-summary-adler-interplay-14e?previousFilter=tag_chapter-08