Intentionaly Debate
This is an essay with the topic of the Intentionality Debate. “Is all the behavior communication?” In my point of view in this debate, I stand a vote for Gerald Miller and Mark Steinberg (1975), which was the opposite side of the Palo Alto team. I will use two examples to show that not all the behavior is communication between people. At the end of this essay, I will also show that my conclusion of this debate. There is no communication when no people is “intentionally” transmit a message through speak or action. For example, assuming that Maggie is sleeping in the room but Kenny coincidentally open the door and see Maggie is lying at there and sleeping. Is that any message that Maggie transmit to Kenny when she is sleeping? Kenny perceives that he shall not wake her up so that he does everything softly. In this scenario, is that any communication between Maggie and Kenny? There is no communication in the situation when nobody carry out an intentionally message. Let us review the situation again. Kenny opened the door and see Maggie sleeping in the room so that he thought Maggie’s action (sleeping) sent him a message that she did not want to be disturbed. But Maggie did not intend to send the message that whatever Kenny had been received. In fact is Maggie plans to take a snap while waiting Kenny to come into the room to discuss some question. If there “all behavior communication”, why Kenny did not perceive that Maggie was waiting him instead of did not want to be disturbed? Let us look into another situation. Marry, Perlyn and Yeo were joining in a group discussion. During the discussion, Perlyn keep looking on her watch. This action was interpreted as “rushing time” by Marry and as “discussion was very bored” by Yeo. Did Perlyn’s action, keep looking on her watch, transmitting any message out? Did Perlyn’s behavior showing something (message) to the others? If that behavior (looking the watch) showing
References: West, R. & Turner, L. H. (2007). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis Application. What is Communication, 6.