Communication and Mental Health

This assignment delves into the crucial connection between communication and mental health. It examines how different communication theories, such as Communication Accommodation Theory and Need for Cognition, influence our understanding of mental health issues like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and social anxiety. The assignment also explores the role of communication in therapeutic interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for public speaking fears within social anxiety disorder and virtual reality therapy for OCD. Lastly, it considers the impact of communication apprehension on willingness to communicate in both first and second languages.

Running head: EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

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Diagnosis and reflection
Analyzing my own communication style across various areas with the five diagnostic tools:
Communication is the process or act of transferring information from person to another.
Effective communication skills are vital for achieving success in all aspects of life. In the era of
globalization, strong communication skills are necessary to achieve maximum efficiency and
growth in life. There are various forms of communication styles that an individual can pursue
and each of it has their own relevance. Efficiency of communication can be ascertained through
proper diagnostic tools that are related with the communication process. My own communication
style has been analyzed by using these effective tools, which are as follows:
Diagnostic tool 1: Willingness to Listen
Listening is one of the crucial elements for effective communication. Willingness to
listen diagnosis is the measure developed to ascertain the willingness of an individual to listen
while making a communication. My willingness to listen scale is 73. I am a moderate listener as
even though other things are going on my mind, I willingly listen to the speaker. I can attentively
listen to a speaker even though the content of the speech is very boring. Generally, I can also
listen to a disorganized speaker. I never feel relaxed while listening to a non-responsive and non-
immediate speaker. Even though the view of the speaker is different from mine I can willingly
listen.
Diagnostic tool 2: Non-verbal Immediacy scale
The behavior that is used by the people to display or show positive feeling to other person
is known as nonverbal Immediacy. My non-verbal immediacy scale is 67. This scale helps in

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measuring my immediacy scale. I have a relaxed body posture while talking to the people as it
makes the other person more comfortable about the communication. I occasionally use my arm
and hands as gestures while talking to others. I occasionally use monotone while talking to other
people. I rarely frown while talking to other people. As frowning is a bad sign that should not be
used while talking to other people. Making eye contact with people is a good sign and I rarely
avoid eye contact during conversation as it displays confidence. I often sit close and stand close
to the people while communicating.
Diagnosis tool 3: Tolerance for disagreement scale
This scale is generally designed to know the degree to which a person can tolerate when
other person disagree with their own beliefs. My tolerance of disagreement scale is 34 that are
moderate in nature. I prefer to be in groups, where the belief of all people matches my own
beliefs to avoid any chaos and confusion. I never get involved in any or any such circumstances,
where lot of disagreement is present. I rarely involve with people having different viewpoint then
mine. I would mostly like to work alone in peace instead of working with individuals having
several conflicts. I am peace loving person so I mostly prefer to join a group with no
disagreements.
Diagnosis tool 4: Talkaholic scale
Talkaholic scale is a tool to measure the communication skills of an individual. My
talkaholic scale is extremely low at 25. I talk more than required in certain situations, where I
should be mum. This is a poor quality for effective communication that should be overcome.
While the other times I mostly feels compelled to be quiet. Generally, I talk more than I should
sometimes. Therefore, I need to improve my talkaholic scale through proper training and spoken
classes.

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Diagnosis tool 5: Personal Report of Intercultural Communication Apprehension (PRICA)
This diagnostic tool is developing to ascertain the communication skill of an individual
through intercultural context. This skill generally determines the flexibility of communication to
any form of racial or cultural group. I preferred to be involved in discussion with groups from
different culture whenever I am allowed an opportunity. I prefer to remain a calm and relaxed
posture while making conversation. This helps the group belonging to different culture to easily
communicate with me in comfortable manner. Though sometimes I get nervous and tensed while
talking to them. As sometimes my thoughts becomes confused and jumbled up while talking to
individuals from different culture. I have a moderate level intercultural communication
apprehension.
Two significant communication Issues presented in the findings:
From the above analysis and findings I identified the key issues that need to be overcome
for making effective communication skills.
Improving talkaholic skills: I need to focus more on my talking skills and avoid
unnecessary talk. While engaging in talk with other person I need to put away all the distractions.
The communication to be made should be brief and specific. Moreover, I should practice
empathy while talking to other. As this would help in developing better understanding for the
unspoken part in my communication made with other. This would further help in responding
more effectively.
Tolerance for conflicts: I need to develop my tolerance for conflict very strong. As
every time running from the conflicted situation is not the solution. I need to develop potential
skills to remain stable and effective in circumstances when people are strongly opposing my

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views. Conflict is an inevitable element that exist both in our professional and personal life that
cannot be avoided. This can be managed through taking an online course for the management of
conflict. Moreover attending a workshop or reading a book for conflict management would help
in resolving the issue.
Two recent professional interactions and analyzing them with two potential
communication issues:
Last month, I had to give presentation on stage to represent my company in front of
various people and business personnel’s. Though I was fully prepared beforehand and practiced
my speech so that I would not forget my part but all went in vain. I started my presentation very
fluently but after a while I strayed from the presentation part and started talking more than
wanted. This flaw made the whole content boring and too long for the audience, which made the
whole presentation useless. I was not being specific to the point which further made the
interaction worst. Therefore I need to learn my talking and communicating skill part for
achieving maximum success in future. I need to learn to be brief still specific while
communicating my topic. The other person should easily understand what I am trying to say to
avoid any chaos or confusion. I should avoid making small talks with my audiences to remain
focus at my goals. We all get drifted off from the main topic when someone else misheard or talk
to the other person. Who am I communicating or talking to matters a lot for effective results in
the business world.
Moreover, while communicating with the audiences I need to maintain positive attitude
and smile. The audiences would respond positively to us when we appear more accessible. I
would take online learning classes for effecting communication and improving my skills. I would

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consult an expert or read books for improving my communication techniques would beforehand
make notes and write the specific point for before starting any meeting or presentation.
Furthermore, I would carry the script along with me for the presentation in future. I would also
pause and think before speaking and not just randomly say the first thing that comes to my mind.
From now onwards, I would take a moment before my speech and pay attention on what I have
to say and how I have t say it. This effective skill would allow me to avoid any embarrassments
in future.
In another situation, while I was doing a group project for the management in my
organization, conflict took place between my colleagues due to misunderstanding. I participated
in the conflict and started arguing with the. Later on, I escaped the situation by making some
excuse rather than solving the dispute. My tolerance of disagreement is quiet moderate; I need to
learn more on my conflict management skills. Conflict or misunderstanding can arise anyhow in
our personal or professional life. Escaping such situation is not the solution for managing
conflict tolerance. I need to practice for directly addressing the conflict. By addressing directly
this kind of heated disputes, I would be able to solve the disputes more efficiently. Moreover, I
need to practice normalizing my relationship with my colleagues after the conflict. As after the
disagreement I did not talk to them for two weeks at a stretch. This is really a bad quality which I
should definitely look into for maintaining a better working environment in my organization.
If in future, if ever I am going to experience any conflict in my workplace, I would try to
re-establish my relationship after the conflict in a positive manner with my peers. Normalizing
individual relationship after the conflicts would help me in teaching that conflict necessarily does
not damage our relationship with the people. To maintain effective communication and avoid in
the conflict in the management I would also try to desensitize myself. I would list all the

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individual and situations with whom we are going to avoid my conflict in future. I would
strengthen my conflict tolerance practices by attending workshop or courses in conflict
management.
Literature Review:
Efficient communication skill is important for maximization of profit in this competitive
era. As per Varcarolis (2016), every person should work on their communication skill to attain
maximum success. To reach the desire goals people generally have to be involved in professional
and efficient communication dealings.
Tolerance of Disagreement in Communication:
Conflicts between individuals are common trait of human behavior. Whenever people
interact with each other and create or develop relationships, disagreement automatically emerges.
According to Testa, Hibbing and Ritchi, (2014), various researches have been already been made
on conflict management. Still may studies have failed to distinguish between the disputes leading
to purposeful disagreement and negative interpersonal outcomes. This often leads to several
positive outcomes and better decision for the organization. In the current scenario, disagreement
is quiet normal in and common in the workplaces. Disagreement can be generally in nature.
Whatever is the result, constructive or destructive is mostly depended on the individual’s
communication skills and affinity between them. Efficiently managing the mutual disagreement
among the employees lead to better and stronger relationship (Stubbings, Rees & Roberts, 2015).
The creation of tolerance for disagreement mostly arises from groups and contexts related
to organization. According to the authors, Price and Anderson (2012), conflict is mostly
associated with negative outcome. It is generally ascertained as disagreement and difference on

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opinion on issues. Disagreement within individual is often identified by distrust, existing
hostility, competition among people as well as self perpetuation. Shahbaz et al. (2016),
formulated the theory for tolerance for disagreement to provide them to discuss about the
threshold people have while dealing with communal conflict. As per the authors disagreement
and conflict are two different things as disagreement does not necessary mean to give rise to
conflicts. People can normally disagree with each other without creating any conflict.
According to Biocca and Levy (2013), some people generally get more involved in
situations of conflict as compared to others. This is caused due to negative interpersonal; affect
plus disagreement. Tolerance for disagreement measure is an approach made to differ the
conflicts related to disagreement. Stubbing, Rees and Roberts (2015), were also too keen in the
measures ability so that prediction of both positive and negative interaction among people within
small groups, interpersonal and organizational contexts can be identified.
Most recent treatment of disagreement theoretical approach are also the same as per the
earlier work as per Pull (2012). Conflicts are generally known by suspicion, hostility and
suspicion. It is more likely that disagreement creates conflict in an organization. The chances of
conflict increases when affinity and trust level between the communicator is very low.
Individuals generally differ to an extent to which they are able to tolerate disagreement therefore
avoiding entering into conflicts. Conflict is only created when the disagreement made between
the individuals is taken personally. As per Coopman and Lull (2014), individuals having extreme
tolerance level for the existing disagreement are usually dispute resistant. He further explains
that individuals with low level of tolerance are prone to more conflicts and disagreement.

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In an organization, the satisfaction level of employee is affected more by the manager’s
tolerance for disagreement rather than by the tolerance level of employees. Flexibility of
communication as well as cognitive flexibility were ascertained to be related in a positive
manner tolerance for disagreement. On the other hand, in a negative manner is linked to
individual’s verbal hostility (Hook et al., 2017). The versatile communicator is more likely to
disagree as well argue with another people willingly. People with high tolerance level tend to
approach disagreement and arguments. Moreover, these people do not necessarily ignore
confrontations, when there could be differentiation of opinion.
Strategies for improving tolerance of disagreement:
Collaborating is the best technique to deal with all such problems as it works by
integrating all ideas and knowledge set by multiple people. The major object to find creative
solution is generally acceptable to everyone in the organization. Business owners on working
collaboratively with the managers can establish policies (Jamieson, Nock & Mendes, 2013).
Empathy is necessary for each individual while making communication as this avoids conflicts
in the organization. Ability to view a situation from other viewpoint is efficient technique in
overcoming complicated situations.
Skills training: to overcome conflict and disagreement tolerance issue special skills
training helps in enhancing the individual’s behavior. Specific skill training like desensitization
can reduce uncertainty level of the employees engaging in conflict in the organization.
Furthermore as per the study conducted by Gallois and Giles (2015), focusing on the specific
areas could enhance the individual’s confidence level. In this context, Linvill, Mazer and
Boatwright (2015) also mentioned that adequate and positive feedback is vital to maintain and
initiate high positive cycle of individual enhancement.

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The Talkaholic Issue:
The talkaholic issue is a method of identifying people or individuals who know and are
aware of their weakness and tendencies to over-communicate in a compulsive and consistent
manner. Individuals whose scores are past two standard deviations over the mean on the scale are
called and labeled as talkaholic. Different variability’s in the behavior of peoples talking have
been researched for over half a century in the different fields of psychology and communication`
The quantity and the reasons for different variability in the quantity of talks has been the centre
in this field of research (Biocca & Levy, 2013). Most of the attention has rotated around quintet
verbalizers, with particular consideration to factors resulting in less communication as low self-
esteem, introversion, communication apprehensions, and poor communication skills. Similarly
little attention has been aimed and directed towards extremely high verbalizers.
Research on impact of talkativeness on social approach or interpersonal perceptions such
as leadership, source credibility, interpersonal attraction, attitude similarity, powerfulness has
found positive, strong, linear relationships (Day et al., 2012). This research shows and indicates
that more a person or individual talks, the more that individual or person is anticipated and
recognized as an individual and perceived to be sincere and credible, trustworthy, a leader,
powerful, interpersonally attractive, and to have attitudes similar to that of a observer and
perceiver. This relationship or the linear relationship has been shown and found to lead up to and
including excessively high talking levels as talking 75 to 90 percent of the time in small groups. \
positive perceptions show no significant decline in the plots of the different relationships even at
extreme high levels of behavioral talking (Lyons et al., 2016). The results of these theories and
studies question the theory of talking “too much”. Nonetheless, in surveys of non-student adults

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and college students, we have yet to find a person who would know someone who talks too
much.
One such interpretation for this probable divergence between results of the precise probe
and what lay individuals repeatedly report is that lay reports may be perplexing quantity with
quality. That is, if someone or an individual does not like or is not fond of something that
someone says, one way of describing that feedback is to refer that as an individual who “talks too
much.” Thus, “talks too much” is an unfavorable or adverse quantitative term for adverse
qualitative reaction. It might be difficult for an individual “A” to use the talks too much
description for an another individual who spends immense amount of time talking to other
individuals and persons bout the positive qualities of “A”, even though such act or behavior
might be embarrassing to “A” (German et al., 2016).
The above explanation does not attribute to everyone all together in everyday interaction,
as it does not account for all such descriptions. Not all acknowledgement of too much talking can
be deducted. There are also some individuals or people who excessively talk or “talk too much.”
We have had them as teachers, professors, students, colleagues, and moreover coming in contact
with such individuals in day to day life and also non-academic life.
Strategies to deal with talkaholic issue
Talkaholic issues can drive individual and people away which can result or leave the said
individual alone with no social touch or communication and can steal social support from the
aforesaid individual (North, North & Coble, 2015). Interrupting, one of the major acts associated
with all talkaholic can signal to other individuals and people low self esteem or lack of respect.

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According to Varcarolis (2017), there are various ways and routes to deal with talkaholic
and to deal with them through the best-selling books on personality types. Such strategies
include taking attention away from the individual who is a talkaholic, changing the focus of the
conversation, creating a distraction, leaving the conversation, typing away at the mobile or laptop
while the talkaholic talked away.
Action Plan:
Type of activities Current performance Things I need to
improve
Time required
Taking training and
workshop for
disagreement and
conflict management
My failure to
communicate is the
main cause of conflict
in the workplace. I
generally posses a
straightforward
personality but this
give rise to several
conflicts in my
workplace. I speak
without thinking
whatever is in my
mind which generally
gives rise to conflicts
in the management.
I should increase my
understanding skills
through trainings and
attending workshops.
I should go through
the process of
resolving conflicts
and expanding my
awareness. I should
develop my
communication skills
for resolving the
conflict effectively.
This would help me in
building strong
The time for managing
this issue depends
entirely on my level of
tolerating or coping up
with problems or
conflicts based on the
situation. I need to focus
on my personality and
improve my
communicating
techniques. I firmly
believe this may require
few months of training
maximum four months .
moreover attending
workshops and

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The co-worker
generally feels that I
am rude and
problematic person.
After certain level,
when the
disagreement level is
too much, therefore I
start avoiding the
situation later on. But
escaping the problem
is not the key solution
to avoid
disagreement. I need
to learn and improve
my communicating
skills and techniques
for maximizing my
efficiency. I often
misunderstand the
message and this
further creates conflict
in the management.
mutual respect for the
present employees. I
should sharpen my
focus by improving
self-knowledge and
thus enhancing my
effectiveness. I
should listen first and
then talk or make any
decision. This could
help me in
maintaining a smooth
flow of
communication and
better working
environment. I should
also attend workshop
to ascertain the real
area of the problem.
As individual is not the
problem, the real
reason lies in the
conflicting positions. I
practicing for three
weeks can improve my
skills for avoiding
disagreement by
thinking before
speaking

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should try to separate
people from problem
by maintaining
harmonious
relationship with them
after the conflict.
These techniques
would help me in
overcoming
disagreement problem.
Taking a short course on
Compulsive
Communication
I think that the
communication made
by me is compulsive
in nature as I more
often thinks that the
communication I
make with other
people are compulsive
. I believe that
whatever I am saying
is true and people
bounds to believe it.
This actually is not
Skills training remain
one of the major
strategies for managing
talkaholic issues which
usually focus on the
learning skills that can
help an individual
enhance specific
speaking and talkaholic
behaviors and issues.
Such skills can relate or
lay it on the line to any
or parts of speech
making course or
The maximum time that
may be required to
improving my skills and
bringing the necessary
changes might take two
to three months. It
entirely depends on my
skills to adapt to the
necessary changes.

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relevant in this
context. Sometimes I
speak more than
required to other
people that make the
communication very
boring and
monotonous for the
listeners. Sometimes I
feel that I speak about
irrelevancy issues
while communicating
but then again I
cannot control myself
from speaking out.
process with the
involvement of research
and organization, topic
selection, delivery as
well as the self
evaluation. Focusing
some particular areas
and then helping it in
enhancing on the
aforesaid topics and
areas can help to boost
and increase more self
confidence, which can
further lead to more
improvements and
enhancements.

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References & Bibliography:
Biocca, F., & Levy, M. R. (Eds.). (2013). Communication in the age of virtual reality.
Routledge.
Coopman, S. J., & Lull, J. (2014). Public speaking: The evolving art. Cengage Learning.
Day, A., Paquet, S., Scott, N., & Hambley, L. (2012). Perceived information and communication
technology (ICT) demands on employee outcomes: The moderating effect of
organizational ICT support. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17(4), 473.
Gallois, C., & Giles, H. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. The international
encyclopedia of language and social interaction.
Goodman, W. K., Rudorfer, M. V., & Maser, J. D. (Eds.). (2017). Obsessive-compulsive
disorder: Contemporary issues in treatment. Routledge.
Hook, J. N., Farrell, J. E., Johnson, K. A., Van Tongeren, D. R., Davis, D. E., & Aten, J. D.
(2017). Intellectual humility and religious tolerance. The Journal of Positive
Psychology, 12(1), 29-35.
Jamieson, J. P., Nock, M. K., & Mendes, W. B. (2013). Changing the conceptualization of stress
in social anxiety disorder: Affective and physiological consequences. Clinical
Psychological Science, 1(4), 363-374.
Linvill, D. L., Mazer, J. P., & Boatwright, B. C. (2016). Need for cognition as a mediating
variable between aggressive communication traits and tolerance for
disagreement. Communication Research Reports, 33(4), 363-369.