Communication Competence

Communication competence is a complex construct that has been widely debated in the communication field. James McCroskey initiated this debate in the early 1980s when he discussed competence in terms of skills, performance, and effectiveness. These arguments then inspired Brian Spitzberg to develop a precise definition, which suggests that communication competence comprises three interdependent constructs: knowledge, skill, and motivation. In other words, communication competence refers to an individual’s knowledge, skill, and motivation to accomplish a particular goal. These are interdependent constructs, meaning that all three are needed to achieve communication competence. For example, an individual may possess the knowledge needed to accomplish a goal, but lack the skill or ability to do so. Likewise, an individual may be motivated to achieve a particular goal, but lack the knowledge on how to do so. Thus, communication competence is often conceptualized and discussed as a holistic proficiency to achieve communication goals.

Communication competence is an important and relevant communication research topic because it is one of the most widely studied areas of inquiry in social scientific research. There are several quantitative measurements for communication competence. Further, competence perceptions are contextual, cultural, and relational, and thus, evolve with technological developments in a globally diverse society.

This entry provides an overview of the three distinct constructs that comprise communication competence (i.e., knowledge, skill, and motivation), identifies different types of communication competence (i.e., self-perceived, interpersonal, small group, intercultural, health, and computer-mediated communication competence), recognizes various measurements that have been used to assess communication competence, and discusses the importance of learning communication competence in an evolving world.