Constructive Communication Transgression

From birth, people have a need to depend and connect with others. Communication is the link that connects people with the world, and people use communication as an instrument to assist them to achieve desired outcomes. Communicative behaviors occur in both interpersonal relationships and mediated situations, applied by individuals and institutions, to achieve private and public goals. People employ communication to improve intimacy, adapt to their environment and solve conflicts; and institutions and politicians use communication to pacify audience after a tragedy, represent authority and persuade others to support their claims.

People from different cultural backgrounds use different discourse styles to adjust their communicative behaviors

In the study conducted by Laura K. Guerrero and Guy Foster Bachman (2008), they find couples who are satisfied with their relationships prior to transgression tend to use positive communication to resolve conflicts. Scholars research the communication used by couples after a transgression happened on the basis of the investment model, which includes satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. They find that couples that are more satisfied with their relationship also have a low quality of alternatives and invest more to their relationship prior to transgression. Thus, they are more likely to maintain their relationship and use constructive communication to deal with transgression. They are inclined to apply helpful communication, instead of destructive interaction, to address conflicts and solve relationship

David A. Frank study (2014) states that in Barack Obama’s Tucson discourse, Obama used the story of Job, a biblical character who loses his family, wealth and health, to help the audience go through terrible gun violence. He made common identities with victims of this gun tragedy and telling them he will stand by them. He transformed a 9-year-old girl who was portrayed as a gymnast and swimmer into a martyr, dying for civility and democracy; he hoped that girl could still dance in rain puddles in heaven and called out people to still commit to the value she endorsed when she was alive. Obama’s speech was successfully in emotionally connecting with the sufferers, telling audience he was sorrowful and shocked just the same as they felt, but still he encouraged people to regain hope. Obama in his Tucson speech effectively soothed people’s grief, restored their happiness, and gave hope to the people of