PSYCHOLOGY CORNER > Assertive Communication | Resources > The Five Styles Of Communication | Assertiveness Basics

The Five Styles Of Communication | Assertiveness Basics

  • Knowing the Five Styles of Communication allows you to identify their main traits in yourself and others.
  • The labels can be applied to Communication, Behaviors, and Primary Mindsets and Attitudes.
  • Please note that none of these pure forms of communication or behavior exist in real life, but their isolation makes understanding and learning easier.

THE FIVE STYLES OF COMMUNICATION ARE THE FOLLOWING:

  • The Passive Style.

Main Style of Communication. The person considers their own rights, desires, and needs, to be less important than the rights, desires, and needs of others. READ MORE ABOUT THIS STYLE.

  • The Aggressive Style.

Main Style of Communication. The person considers their own rights, desires, and needs to be more important than the rights, desires, and needs of others. READ MORE ABOUT THIS STYLE.

  • The Assertive Style.

Main Style of Communication. The person considers their rights, desires, and needs and the rights, desires, and needs of others to be equally important. READ MORE ABOUT THIS STYLE.

  • The Passive-Aggressive Style.

Mixed Style of Communication. The person activates both passive and aggressive elements. The displayed, observable passive elements are meant to hide aggressive intentions and goals. READ MORE ABOUT THIS STYLE.

  • The Manipulative Style.

Secondary Style of Communication. The person activates different levels of aggressive elements meant to modify the rights, desires, and needs of others. READ MORE ABOUT THIS STYLE.

  • In our daily interaction we do not use a single style of Communication or Behavior, but a combination of them. Depending on the context, we select and activate one of the five styles. Levels of each of them already reside in us.
  • The style that we use the most is known as the Predominant, Main or Primary Style.
  • Even though it is common to consider the Assertive Style the perfect point of balance between the Passive and Aggressive forms, the five styles rather flow on a continuum.
  • The Predominant Assertive Style of Communication is considered to generate the best personal and professional results.