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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
05:26
Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View
Published on: January 7, 2019
Perspective: examining communication as macrocognition in STS
Joann Keyton1, Stephenson J Beck
1North Carolina State University-Communication, Raleigh, NC 27695 , USA. jkeyton@ncsu.edu
Human Factors
|October 15, 2010
Summary
Effective teamwork in sociotechnical systems (STS) requires understanding communication dynamics. True communication involves co-constructing meaning, not just sharing information, which is crucial for team success.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Cognitive Science
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Macrocognitive frameworks highlight shared mental models in teams.
- Communication perspectives emphasize implicit meaning construction in messages.
- Both frameworks view communication as an index of team behavior, differing on communication's role (information exchange vs. co-constructed meaning).
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the alignment between macrocognitive teamwork and communication perspectives.
- To examine these touch points within the context of sociotechnical systems (STS).
Main Methods:
- Literature review and explication of the communication perspective.
- Analysis of communication's role in teamwork within sociotechnical systems.
Main Results:
- Communication is a continuous, processual activity involving simultaneous message sending and receiving.
- Meaning construction is contingent on relationship awareness, development, and context.
- Meaning is co-constructed by communication partners; it cannot be solely derived from messages or by one individual.
Conclusions:
- Sharing information is distinct from genuine communication.
- Designing effective STS requires understanding communication failures and fundamental communication properties.
- Improving team communication is vital for STS success and is interdependent with understanding communication breakdowns.
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