2.3: Staircase Model of Competence

In 1982, scholar Howell introduced a model of communication competence that illustrates how individuals evolve in their understanding of communication—both their own preferences and those of others—as they build greater awareness, adaptability, and flexibility in intercultural interactions. As you explore the staircase model of competence, consider your own communication experiences and how you may have moved between different levels depending on the context, culture, or moment. He proposed that there were four levels of intercultural communication competence based on competent and incompetent communication as well as conscious or unconscious communication. Unconscious incompetence is the “be yourself” approach. This person may not have a strong knowledge of cultural differences and does not see any need to accommodate differences in communication styles or culture. They may not even be aware they are communicating in an incompetent manner. Once people learn more about culture and communication, they may become conscious incompetent. This is where they have the vocabulary to identify the concepts and know what they should be doing, but realize they are not communicating as well as they could, or they lack the communication skills necessary to achieve their goals. Many of us have experienced the feeling that something isn’t quite right, yet we can’t quite figure out what went wrong. As communication skills increase, and the focus is on cultural concepts and communication styles, you become a conscious competent communicator. You are learning a variety of new communication skills and know that you are communicating well in the moment, and you can add this memory to your growing bank of successful intercultural interactions. Reaching this level is important, but not the pinnacle of competent communication. Unconscious competence is the level to achieve. Unconscious competence means that you can communicate successfully without straining to be competent. At this point, all the knowledge and previous experiences have been put into practice, and you rarely have to intently focus on your intercultural interactions because it has become second nature. You have developed the skills needed to be competent.

Staircase Model of Competence

Levels of Competence Unconscious Incompetence: Individuals have little awareness of cultural differences or communication styles, unaware of mistakes. Conscious Incompetence: Awareness of limitations and cultural differences - knows what should be done but struggles to apply skills effectively Conscious Competence: Actively applies communication strategies, successfully engages in intercultural interactions with effort and awareness. Unconscious Competence: Communication is second-nature. Mastery is achieved when skills become automatic and performed effortlessly without conscious thought.

Cultural Close-Up: Thinking Under the Influence

Communication and culture scholar Brenda Allen coined the phrase “thinking under the influence” (TUI) to highlight a reflective process that can help us hone our intercultural communication competence (Allen, 2011). As we discussed earlier, being mindful is an important part of building competence. Once we can become aware of our thought processes and behaviors, we can more effectively monitor and intervene in them. She asks us to monitor our thoughts and feelings about other people, both similar to and different from us. As we monitor, we should try to identify instances when we are guilty of TUI, such as uncritically accepting the dominant belief systems, relying on stereotypes, or prejudging someone based on their identities. She recounts seeing a picture on the front of the newspaper with three men who appeared Latino. She found herself wondering what they had done, and then found out from the caption that they were the relatives of people who died in a car crash. She identified that as a TUI moment and asked herself if she would have had the same thought if they had been black, white, Asian, or female. When we feel “surprised” by someone different, this often points to a preexisting negative assumption that we can unpack and learn from. Allen also found herself surprised when a panelist at a conference who used a wheelchair and was hearing impaired made witty comments. Upon reflection, she realized that she had an assumption that people with disabilities would have a gloomy outlook on life. While these examples focus on out-groups, she also notes that it’s important for people, especially in nondominant groups, to monitor their thoughts about their own group, as they may have internalized negative attitudes about their group from the dominant culture. As a black woman, she notes that she has been critical of black people who “do not speak mainstream English” based on stereotypes she internalized about race, language, and intelligence. It is not automatically a bad thing to TUI. Even Brenda Allen, an accomplished and admirable scholar of culture and communication, catches herself doing it. When we notice that we TUI, it’s important to reflect on that moment and try to adjust our thinking processes. This is an ongoing process, but it is an easy-to-remember way to cultivate your intercultural communication competence. Keep a record of instances where you catch yourself “thinking under the influence” and answer the following questions:

What triggers you to TUI?

1. Where did these influences on your thoughts come from?
2. What concepts from this chapter can you apply to change your thought processes?

Contributors and Attributions

Intercultural Learning: Critical Preparation for International Student Travel, by James Cook University, Provided by UTS ePress.

License: CC-BY-NC-SA

Intercultural Communication for the Community College, by Karen Krumrey-Fulks. Provided by LibreTexts. License: CC-BY-NC-

SA

Exploring Intercultural Communication, by Tom Grothe. Provided by LibreTexts. License: CC By-NC-SA