Communication and Cognition Theory: A Theoretical Framework for Conducting Helpful Communication in Diversified Environments in the 21st Century

Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems 22(1), 1-24, 2024 COMMUNICATION AND COGNITION THEORY: A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CONDUCTING HELPFUL COMMUNICATION IN DIVERSIFIED ENVIRONMENTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY Abdul Qahar Sarwari* University of Malaya, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Department of Media and Communication Studies Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia DOI: 10.7906/indecs.22.1.1 Review article Received: 30 November 2023. Accepted: 12 December 2023. ABSTRACT The current work assessed different aspects, steps and conditions that help people communicate appropriately in the current globalized world deeply affected by modern technologies, such the Internet and artificial intelligence. The results reported in this manuscript are based on an analysis of eight studies in different aspects of human communication and a review of 70 papers published from 2000 to 2023. An online search using WoS and SCOPUS databases was done to record the related published works. A total of 186 items were recorded, and after excluding 116 duplicated and irrelevant items, 70 papers were selected and reviewed thoroughly. According to the results, communication initiation, self-disclosure, overall well-being, positive attitudes, language proficiency, communication competence, and technical skills are among the main factors that affect interactions among individuals from different cultures. Based on the results, cognition, knowing different norms and values, and accommodation in the current diversified environments are the main aims and outcomes of daily interactions among people. The current work introduces communication initiation, disclosure, cognition, and accommodation as the four main steps, and self-knowledge, positive attitudes, selfregulation, heart coherence, cultural awareness, intercultural sensitivity, openness, purposefulness, respect differences, language proficiency, technical skills, communication competence, and effectiveness as the main conditions of effective human communication in the age of the artificial intelligence in the 21st century. KEY WORDS human communication, communication theory, communication competence, cognition, artificial intelligence CLASSIFICATION JEL: D83 *Corresponding author, : ; +60 1121870015; *Department of Media and Communication Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of *Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia A.Q. Sarwari INTRODUCTION Communication is an essential aspect of human life in the current diversified societies deeply affected by the ever-growing and ever-changing modern technologies. The Internet and artificial intelligence (AI) are the main modern technologies profoundly influenced different aspects of human life, including human communication. Communication, as one of the main achievements and requirements of human life, enables human beings to interact with one another, share their information, and know each other. Communication among people enables them to establish relationships, perform their duties, and be helpful to one another as well. In the current globalized world, communication plays a vital role in enabling individuals and societies to exchange their personal, social, cultural and economic information, and to share their values and experiences [1-3]. Currently, people from different cultures, countries and societies are interdependent with one another. Thus, they need to interact with one another to perform their duties well and achieve their personal, educational, social and economic goals [4-6]. Communication competence is one of the main requirements that enable individuals to conduct proper interactions with one another. Based on the reviewed literature, the main elements of communication competence are communication initiation, personal and interpersonal skills, language proficiency, cultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity. Moreover, self-disclosure, effectiveness, conflict management, positive attitudes towards modern technologies, and technical skills are also among the main elements of communication competence [7-12]. The main aspects of technical skills are awareness about the importance, kinds and application of different communication technologies, the ability to use different kinds of modern technologies, and being updated with ever-changing aspects of modern communication technologies [13, 14]. Besides communication competence, communication theories and understanding of different communicative contexts and different communicative norms are among the main issues that help people to conduct successful interactions. Information about different theories may also help individuals evaluate their daily interactions with different people. As stated [15], a theory is not a particular communicative behaviour but helps people know different communicative behaviours and establish easy ways to interact. Communication theories primarily focus on the primary and fundamental levels of interactions among different people [16-19]. Moreover, the structures and requirements of modern communication in the current diversified environments and organizations profoundly influenced by AI and AI-powered technologies, such as ChatGPT. The requirements of ever-changing communication technologies in the 21st century are different from the structures and requirements of communication in times and communities that people used basic technologies to communicate. Nowadays, the evergrowing diversified and multicultural environments and also the ever-changing communication technologies ask people to know the different aspects of human communication, and improve their social and cultural awareness and skills. Nowadays, people need to gain essential technical and practical skills to conduct proper communication with different people [7, 8, 11, 14]. In the current diversified environments in the age of AI in the 21st century that experience rapid technological changes, human communication has three main and interrelated aspects that must be evaluated and improved. The first aspect of human communication in the current world that is deeply affected by modern technologies is the intrapersonal aspect of communication, which is connected with self-regulation abilities, heart coherence, and the overall well-being of individuals. The second and third aspects of human communication are communication competence and technical skills [8, 20-23]. Overall wellbeing is among the main requirements of conducting helpful communication, and besides other factors, economic and financial 2 Communication and cognition theory: a theoretical framework for conducting helpful … situation of individuals affect their overall wellbeing as well [24, 25]. Based on some scholarly works [14, 26, 27], modern technologies, especially AI and AI-powered machines and systems, profoundly influenced different aspects of human life, such as communication. Thus, humans need to improve their communication, language and technical skills to co (...truncated)