By Jesse Delia

Dean of the College of Liberal

Arts and Sciences at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
Professor of speech
communication and a research
professor in the Institute of
Communications Research

his master of arts at the
University of Kansas,
Lawrence, in 1969
his doctorate at Kansas in
1970.
He began his career at Illinois
as a professor of speech in
1970
assistant instructor of
communications and human
relations at Kansas from 1966
to 1970.
earned his bachelor of arts
degree at the University of
Southern Mississippi,
Hattiesburg, in 1966

This theory explains individual
differences in peoples
ability to communicate
skillfully in social situations.

constructivism identifies what counts as skillful
conduct with respect to several processes
including :
1. social perception
2. message production
3. message reception

1st
People base their communicative behaviors on their
perceptions of others conduct, qualities, roles,
intentions, and dispositions
Some people have difficulty understanding and
explaining the apparently inconsistent actions of
others; others can explain these actions relatively
easily.

Process of generating verbal and nonverbal
behaviors that are intended to obtain a desired
response from those to whom they are directed.
When successful, the message production process
enables individuals to smoothly and effectively
accomplish various personal and social goals
only one general message production skill: the
ability to produce highly person-centered messages.
take into account and adapt to the subjective,
emotional, and relational aspects of communicative
contexts
Person-centeredness is a general quality of
messages that takes on a somewhat different form
depending on the primary communicative goal
pursued
Process of interpreting the communicative behavior
of others in the effort to understand the meaning
and implications of that behavior
The speaker should make sure the meaning of the
message that sharing to the audience is easy and
clearly to understand.


constructivism explains why there are individual
differences in these communication skills. That is,
constructivism specifies the characteristics and
qualities people must possess if they are to
communicate in a skillful way.
constructivism explains the source or origin of
individual differences in the characteristics that lead
some people to be more skillful communicators than
others