Communication and Cooperation — Page 260, Lesson 424

I want to walk you through the opening of the Communication and Cooperation chapter. This is a fresh topic, so we're starting right at the beginning of how we think about communication in an aviation context. Let's start with the fundamental definition. Communications may be said to exist when information is passed from one individual — that's the transmitter — to another individual or group — those are the receiver(s). But here's the critical point: information can only be considered to have been passed when the receiver's uncertainty is reduced. If the receiver already knew what you said, or if your message didn't clarify anything for them, then technically no communication has occurred. Now, communications specialists measure information in units called bits. One bit is defined as the quantity of information which reduces uncertainty in the receiver by 50%. So if you're trying to guess whether a switch is up or down, and I tell you it's up, that's one bit — I've cut your uncertainty exactly in half. Next, let's talk about communication channels. Communication is the establishment of a relationship aimed at achieving an objective. It can consist of a number of different modes or channels — for example, speech, gestures, writing. Notice that although communication generally involves transmitting information, there will be circumstances when it may not necessarily pass information but simply serve to keep the channel open — to assure the receiver of a human presence. Think of a controller saying "stand by" — that doesn't give you new information, but it keeps the link alive. Now, a dialogue is a series of communications on the same subject between a transmitter and a receiver. It can be considered as a form of negotiation which progressively converges towards a common aim. So it's not just random back-and-forth; it's purposeful, narrowing down toward a shared goal. Then we have hypertext. This is a term you need to understand carefully. Hypertext is the set of implicit information contained in a written text or spoken message. For example, the phrase "I would like to find a pub" includes in the hypertext the ideas that the individual may be hungry or thirsty, or if out walking in cold rainy weather, that shelter and warmth would be welcome. If crawling along in a traffic jam, the hypertext for the same phrase could include the need to find a telephone. So hypertext for the same phrase can vary depending on the situation in which the phrase is used. In aviation, this is crucial — the same words can mean very different things depending on context, and we need to be aware of what's being implied beyond the literal words. Finally, the excerpt introduces the heading Good Communications, and specifically Confirmation of Information. That's where we're about to go next — the idea that we need to confirm what we've received to make sure the communication actually worked.