Motivation is the third Function of Communication and is the most purposive. When people communicate, they always have a purpose or a reason. Why do people talk about this and not that? Why talk to him but not to her? It is because there is a goal to be achieved, a motive that must be accomplished.
The motivation to talk with the teacher is perhaps to ask him/her for more time to finish a class project. Members of a church youth group listen to a certain candidate in the upcoming Church Council elections. A customer convinces a vendor to sell a bigger sized mango for the same price as a smaller one.
Motivation is accomplished using the following:
- Verbal cues are the words chosen and used specifically to achieve this Function. The Speaker and the Listener, when using verbal cues, should be respectful of each other’s culture as well as of their age, gender, social status, and religion. More direct and purposeful words are chosen for both men and women, although these can be softened for children and the elderly.
- Nonverbal cues include hand gestures, bodily action (including posture), vocal tone (paralanguage), and eye contact. The Speaker and the Listener, when exhibiting nonverbal cues, should be respectful of each other’s culture as well as of their age, gender, social status, and religion. Strong words are accompanied by emphatic gestures and a forceful tone of voice. Direct eye contact is necessary to underscore the Speaker’s sincerity and conviction.