\n\tCommunication between people has been around for as long as they have. It came in different forms as people have expressed their ideas and thoughts differently throughout history. Today, the most popular forms of communication are spoken and written communication.<\/p>\n

\n\tEven though we’ve perfected the use of language and learned how to express ourselves using this complex, layered system of words and language structures, there are still things we can do to make our communication even better. Cognitive psychology is one of the fields of study that can be applied to communication. Let’s take a look at how cognitive psychology can improve communication and make it more attractive.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat Is Cognitive Psychology?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tCognitive psychology is “the branch of psychology that explores the operation of mental processes related to perceiving, attending, thinking, language, and memory, mainly through inferences from behavior,”<\/em> as defined by the American Psychology Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis means that cognitive psychology studies the way we:<\/p>\n

\n
• \n\t\tThink<\/li>\n
• \n\t\tPerceive<\/li>\n
• \n\t\tMemorize<\/li>\n
• \n\t\tUnderstand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  \n\tTherefore, it’s no wonder we can use cognitive psychology to improve our communication and get the most out of it.<\/p>\n

  \n\tLet’s take a closer look at the way cognitive psychology can make communication more effective.<\/p>\n

  \n\tFirst Impressions<\/strong><\/p>\n

  \n\tWhen we meet someone for the first time, we tend to make a “first impression judgment” about that person. We analyze the little we know about them and somehow shape an opinion, which tends to stick around for a long time.<\/p>\n

  \n\tThe same happens in communication.<\/p>\n

  \n\tWhen expressing your ideas, sharing your thoughts, or convincing someone of something, the person listening is probably going to memorize the information you place at the beginning.<\/p>\n

  \n\tYou can use this principle to make your presentation, speeches, or interviews more successful:<\/p>\n

  \n
  • \n\t\tOpen up with the most important information.<\/li>\n
  • \n\t\tShare your opinion in the beginning and then explain it.<\/li>\n
  • \n\t\tRepeat the most important at the end.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \n\tThis will ensure more successful communication since your audience will leave memorizing exactly what you wanted them to memorize.<\/p>\n

    \n\tAttention Span<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n\tAttention is defined<\/a> as “a component of higher cortical cognitive functioning and refers to a person’s ability to detect and focus on general stimuli and to select important environmental stimuli.”<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n\tTo put it simply, attention is our ability to:<\/p>\n

    \n
    • \n\t\tDetect things in our environment<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\tChoose what to focus on<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\tManage to ignore what we find useless at a given moment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \n\tIn communication, it’s very important to track the attention span<\/strong> of the person you’re talking to and use it to get your message across. <\/p>\n

      \n\tAttention span<\/a> is “the length of time someone can keep their thoughts and interest fixed on something.”<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n\tSo how long can the person you’re talking to keep up with you? Will they be able to detect all the important points of your conversation? Will your presentation be successful?<\/p>\n

      \n\tTo ensure you’re communicating your message the right way:<\/p>\n

      \n
      • \n\t\tOpen big, evoking interest<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\tLet them know what you’re going to tell them but don’t say it just yet<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\tBuild your way to your main point using anticipation<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\tEmphasize the main point using your voice and your body language<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \n\tYou need to keep your audience interested and entertained, drawing their attention and helping them stay focused. <\/p>\n

        \n\tCognitive Fluency<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n\tEffective communication is not something we succeed in overnight. It requires strategic planning, practicing, and understanding yet another principle of cognitive psychology: cognitive fluency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

        \n\tCognitive fluency deals with the ease<\/strong> with which we perceive information, understand it, and determine what it means to us.<\/em><\/p>\n

        \n\tSo what does this imply in terms of spoken and written communication and how can we apply it? Let’s take a closer look.<\/p>\n

        \n\t1.<\/strong> Applying cognitive fluency to improve written communication<\/strong> means:<\/p>\n

        \n
        • \n\t\tStructuring the information in a clear, easy-to-understand manner<\/li>\n
        • \n\t\tUsing easy-to-read fonts <\/li>\n
        • \n\t\tWriting in a conversational manner<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          \n\tStudies have shown that if a piece of writing is easy to read, it’s also easy to understand. In addition, people tend to believe as message is true if they can easily perceive it.<\/p>\n

          \n\t2. <\/strong>Applying cognitive fluency to improve spoken communication<\/strong> means:<\/p>\n

          \n
          • \n\t\tSpeak fluently and calmly, with no interruptions<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\tMake information easy to digest<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\tBe persuasive in terms of self-confidence<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\tMake information sound familiar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            \n\tUsing this principle of cognitive psychology, you’re being sneaky about persuading your listener or reader that what you’re saying is what they should believe. <\/p>\n

            \n\tPersuasion<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n\tWhen the goal of your communication with someone is to persuade them to take desirable actions, you need to walk the extra mile to achieve this goal.<\/p>\n

            \n\tIt’s not an easy task, and convincing people to do what you say can be tricky. However, with a little help of cognitive psychology, you can still make it happen. Here’s what to do:<\/p>\n

            \n
            • \n\t\tUse motivation<\/li>\n
            • \n\t\tExplain why they need to do it<\/li>\n
            • \n\t\tGive a strong reason<\/li>\n
            • \n\t\tAsk them to do it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              \n\tPeople need a motive, a reason, and a trigger to perform a certain action.<\/p>\n

              \n\tGive them what they need and you’ll successfully communicate your message.<\/p>\n

              \n\tThis can be applied to various relationships such as teacher-student, employer-employee, parent-child, etc.<\/p>\n

              \n\tFinal Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n\tUnderstanding the way people perceive information or stay focused and concentrated can help you communicate with them better and achieve your communication goals easier. Cognitive psychology can help you gain insight into the way human communication functions and help you improve your interactions with others.<\/p>\n

              \n\tMelanie Sovann is a seasoned writer and blogger, passionate about a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from technology to sociology. She is currently a writer and editor at Trust My Paper<\/a> and an avid contributor to 3to5marketing.com<\/a>, a blog that has amassed a sizable following over the years.<\/em><\/p>\n

              \n\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Understanding the way people perceive information or stay focused can help you communicate with them better and successfully achieve your communication goals. Article Author:  Melanie Sovann, Writer and Editor, Trust My Paper Communication between people has been around for as long as they have. It came in different forms as people have expressed their ideas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2096"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2097,"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096\/revisions\/2097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/proactivetraining.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}