Why Do We Strive For Human Communication?

Communication is one of the most valuable assets to human life. Whether we’re laughing at a friend's joke or getting scolded by our parents, the different forms of how we communicate are bound to affect us. 

The different tones we portray through everyday conversations can cause others to develop a certain perception or opinion of us. Thus, if someone has a short-tempered attitude or uses a tone holding sarcasm, they’re usually perceived as someone irritable or judgemental. The same goes for optimistic tones; people who have and speak with a more happy frame of mind tend to be seen as someone more easy to talk to. 

“When people have more of a higher toned or say things in a nicer way, it makes me feel like they’re more safe and kind to talk to. If people say things with a bad attitude, I don’t like talking to them as much,” Olivia Hein, 9, said.

While we do take into account how people speak to us, the way other’s talk isn’t the only way tone affects our mood.

In a research study done in 2016 by multiple researches published on Psychological And Cognitive Sciences, participants were asked to read a short story out loud. While their reading was being recorded, researchers altered the participants voices– some had a higher pitched voice and some lower. The results showed that as the people listened to their manipulated tone, their mood echoed how they spoke. For instance, if a participants voice was expressing sadness, their mood would decrease. 

“I think how words are ordered–like with tone or inflection–they can have a soothing effect on people. I think if there’s more genuineness in someones voice people tend to recognize that more,” Mr. Lyle Hayden, a SJHS psychology teacher, said, “93 percent of all human communication is non-verbal, so if we were unable to speak, we would still be able to communicate with others,”.

Aside from how our voices affect people, laughter does as well. From soothing tension to relieving stress, laughter has many positive effects on the body. The Mayo Clinic concluded this form of expression stimulates a decrease and then increase in blood pressure, causing a relaxed feeling.

As humans, we rely on communication. In simple terms, without it, our life would be lonely. Small talk, or in-depth conversations, our brain still needs it. In fact, having good verbal communication skills can stimulate success. Talking out loud advances your problem solving, confidence, and allows you to get support.