Aural Communication

Aural communication involves the transmission of information through the auditory sensory system—the system of speaking and hearing. It usually encompasses both verbal communication and paralinguistic communication to convey meaning. Aural communication can be used to transmit information independently or in combination with visual communication. When conducting surveys, the mode of data collection determines whether information can be transmitted aurally, visually, or both. Whether survey information is transmitted aurally or visually influences how respondents first perceive and then cognitively process information to provide their responses.

Aural communication relies heavily on verbal language when information is transmitted through spoken words. Additionally, paralinguistic or paraverbal communication, in which information is conveyed through the speaker's voice, is also an important part of aural communication. Paralinguistic communication can convey additional information ...