Meta-communication

Meta is according to the Gestalt psychologist Wolfgang Metzger a level of communication about communication.

Similarly, the meta-analysis in the field of research knowledge transfer the caller their attention to a higher level of viewing and talk about how they deal with each other or what they are very busy at the moment. This requires all parties to the communication courage and willingness to perceive themselves.

The participants speak of quasi " commander hills of communication" in respected distance, but openness about their communication behavior. Who operates metacommunication, begin to think in the opinion of linguist Friedemann Schulz von Thun following important aspects that make the expression of the transmitter better understood ( metamessages ):

• Simplicity in linguistic formulation
• Structure / order in the structure
• Coming soon - conciseness
• Additional stimulus
• Correspondence of verbal and nonverbal communication (gestures, facial expressions, posture, stress, way, language)
• Even, only clearly discernible irony

Each message consists, according to the linguist Friedemann Schulz von Thun of four parts, which can be explained by the following example: "A man drives a car as a passenger and his wife thinks that the traffic light was green. "

A similar argument is also Paul Watzlawick, which divides each message in content and relationship level. He situates many disorders of everyday human communication (especially for couples ) on the relationship level and looks at meta as a solution to resolve this.