Communication Environment

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Communication Environment

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INSIGHT TACTIC

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Communication Environment

We react and adapt based on the messages we receive every day.

What is it:

Think of all the information we see and hear every day. Every message acts as gentle nudges guiding us. From online posts to street signs, and TV ads to the layout of a park, these are all ways of communicating that shape our thoughts and actions without us even noticing. This insight digs into the idea that our environment is a loudspeaker and a tiny whisper, constantly influencing us.

How it influences us:

The messages around us grabs our attention, exposes us to new ideas, persuades us, offers clarity, and helps establish social norms. It’s the background music of our daily lives that can subtly or dramatically change our behaviour, decision-making, and interactions. In professional settings, understanding this influence can enhance our ability to communicate effectively, design more engaging spaces, and create messages that resonate and motivate. It can also help us see where unhelpful messages are coming from.

Let’s break it down:

The Communication Environment drives behaviour through:

1. Attention: It needs people's attention to work. The more attention it can capture, the more likely it is to influence people's actions and decisions.

2. Exposure: It is a channel for people to be exposed to information and opinions that can influence their attitudes and behaviours. Through different channels such as campaigns, social media, TV talk shows, posters, signs, architecture, and way-finding systems, people are exposed to various messages that can cause a shift towards new actions.

3. Persuasion: Communication can be persuasive and has the power to change people's attitudes, beliefs, and opinions. It can compel people to take action based on the information they receive.

4. Clarity: Communication needs to be clear and concise, so people understand what is expected of them. The communication environment can provide guidance and structure for people to understand what is required of them and how to act in different contexts.

5. Social norms: Communication can establish and reinforce social norms, thus shaping people's perceptions of what is acceptable behaviour in a given context. By establishing clear expectations and consequences, the communication environment can influence people's behaviour and decision-making processes.

What’s the science behind it?

• Selective Attention Theory

  People filter out irrelevant or distracting information to focus on what is important to them. According to this theory, people have a limited capacity to process information, and they filter out irrelevant or distracting stimuli to focus on what is important. This filtering process is known as selective attention.

• Elaboration Likelihood Model

  Elaboration Likelihood Model: People process information and messages through either a central or peripheral route. In the communication environment, the way messages are presented can affect which processing route people use, and this can influence the degree of attitude change or behaviour change that occurs.

• Choice architecture

  The way choices are presented can influence people's decision-making. The communication environment is a critical part of choice architecture as it shapes the way people perceive and respond to different messages and options. For example, a campaign to encourage healthy eating presents fruits and vegetables as the default option in a cafeteria setting. This may encourage people to choose those healthier options instead of less healthy ones like fried foods or sweets. The communication environment can also use attention-grabbing images or bright colours to make certain options more appealing and encourage people to choose them.

How to spot it:

The Communication Environment is everywhere. Let’s try and pin it down by using the TIPs below:

• Do people seek specific information?

  Spot patterns in the information people seek out or pay attention to. This may reveal which messages or sources have a stronger influence on their thoughts and decisions. People could also have a bias for information that confirms their existing views.

• Do people react strongly to certain sources?

  Explore how people react emotionally to different information sources. Intense reactions can indicate which messages are trusted or distrusted. Discuss what type of impact they have on others.

• Do people start thinking or acting more alike after hearing certain messages?

  Keep an eye out for a shift towards uniformity after exposure to specific messages. People could start to think, act or communicate the same way. This uniformity is a clue that these messages are influencing people in a particular direction.

• Do people ignore some messages but embrace others?

  Observe which messages get ignored and which ones engage people. This helps us understand which communications are effectively influencing behaviour. Unpick why.

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Lauren Alys Kelly

Lauren Alys Kelly is the founder of Alterkind, overseeing the behavioural design, tool development, training and research. They publish tools like BehaviourKit.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenalyskelly/