Horizontal communication among learners – UGC NET Question

Option B – horizontal communication Communication can be classified according to its direction within an organization or group: downward, upward and horizontal. Horizontal communication occurs between individuals of roughly equal status, such as peers in a classroom. When students discuss ideas with one another in small groups, the flow of messages is primarily among classmates rather than from teacher to students. Hence, the pattern described in the stem is best characterized as horizontal communication.

Option A:
Option A, downward communication, describes messages that flow from higher authority to lower levels, such as teacher instructions to students. In the scenario given, however, the emphasis is on students talking to each other rather than receiving messages from the teacher. Therefore, downward communication does not match the situation.

Option B:
Option B, horizontal communication, occurs when members at the same level—here, the students—interact to share information, solve problems or coordinate tasks. Group discussions in class exemplify this peer-level exchange. This option therefore accurately labels the communication pattern described.

Option C:
Option C, upward communication, involves messages from lower levels to higher levels, such as student feedback or requests directed to the teacher or administration. The stem does not mention students addressing the teacher but instead focuses on peer discussion, so upward communication is inappropriate.

Option D:
Option D, one-way communication, refers to situations where messages go from sender to receiver without significant response or interaction. Group discussion, by contrast, is interactive, with students both sending and receiving messages. Hence, calling it one-way communication would be misleading.