basic models of human communication

7/28/2019 Basic Models of Human Communication

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Basic Models

of Human Communication


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Defining Communication

The words communication and community

both derive from the Latin word communis

which means public or common.

Therefore, a simple definition of

communication is aprocess of producing,

transmitting and exchanging information to

create public or common knowledge.


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Contexts of Communication

Communication can occur in differentsituations: intrapersonal

interpersonal

group or

organizational

mass context.


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Interpersonal context Interpersonal communication can be best

described as direct exchange betweenindividuals who can be designated into roles as

source and audience.

There are two types of interpersonal

communication: Face-to-Face. This occurs between two persons, or within a

group, as long as the communicators are able to see and interact

with each other as individuals. Examples of this are teacher-

student consultations, group or community meetings, ordiscussions, and class lectures.

Mediated. This occurs when a device such as a telephone or

computer is placed in between the source and audience.

Examples of this are telephone conversation, e-mail, online chat,

and letter writing.


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Interpersonal context

Interpersonal communication is direct exchange

between individuals who can be designated into

roles as source and audience.

Two types of interpersonal communication:

Face to Face

Mediated


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Group or organizational context Group and organizational communication happens within

and between groups, organizations and institutions, alsoin face-to-face or mediated situations:

Face-to-Face. Group meetings, discussions, lectures,

messages with or without the use of microphones.

Mediated. Some forms of media or communicationstechnologies are used to disseminate messages. Depending

on who are addressed by the message, mediated group or

organizational communication can be internalorexternal.

Internal. Communication is limited to the members of the

group or the organization. This happens when the membersare provided with information through standard memos and

organizational newsletters.

External. Communication is directed to non-members

other groups, organizations or general public. For example,

media announcements and press releases.


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Group or organizational context

Group and organizational communication

happens within and between groups,organizations and institutions, also in face-to-

face or mediated situations:Face to Face

Mediated

internal

Mediated

external


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Mass context Mass communication is directed to the general public

and, therefore, is highly impersonal. It allows large-scaledissemination of messages to audiences who are

dispersed over a wide geographical area.

Apart from these easily recognizable media, there are

other forms of mass media. For example:

music recordings,

advertising, and other strategies for product marketing and

publicity.

The most common forms of mass media are print, i.e., newspapers and magazines,

broadcast, i.e., radio and television,

film.


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Mass context

Other forms of mass media are:

The most common forms of mass media are:

Print BroadcastFilm

Music recordingsAdvertising

Publicity and other forms of

product promotion


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Basic elements of the communication

process

Source: the sender or source of a message

Message: Idea, thought, emotion, attitude and

behavior that is to be communicated

Channel: Media used transmit messagesfrom sender to received

Receiver: The individual or group ofpeople to whom the message isaddressed

Effect/Feedback: Audienceresponse to the message; thechanges in thinking, attitude orbehavior of receiver that take

place as a result of the message


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Basic Communication Models

Linear

Interactional

Transactional


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A little vocabulary

LinearModel One Way; no feedback


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A little vocabulary

Interactive Model Two-way; adds

feedback


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A little vocabulary

Transactional Model- Recognizes that the

participants in the communication process

are both sender and receiver at any given

time. It sees communication as dynamic,ongoing, simultaneous not sequential.


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Some Linear Models

of Communication


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Aristotles Model

Speaker Speech Audience


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Shannon and Weavers general

model of communication

Information

Source Transmitter Channel Receiver Destination

NOISE

Mass medium

device


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David Berlos SMCR Model


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The Linear Modelsin more detail


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Aristotle

In his Rhetoric, Aristotle

tells us that we must

consider three

elements in

communication: the speaker

the speech

the audience

Speaker Speech Audience


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Key points of Aristotles Model

1. Ethos which has been equated with sou rce credibi l ity.

Expertise is the most important aspect of credibility.

Together with expertise, another important aspect of

credibility is trustworthiness.

2. Pathos which is tied to understanding audiences. And

thereby, designing messages that are suitable for them.

3. Logos which now pertains to message design and

strategy, particularly for persuasive communication.


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Key points of the Lasswell Formula

1. Although Lasswells interest was in the mass

media, his model is also appropriate forinterpersonal communication .


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Key points of the Lasswell Formula

2. By identifying the elements of communication

in question form, the model specifies the kindsof research needed to conduct to answer hisquestions .

Who: Source or control analysis

Says What: Message or content analysis

In Wh ich Channel: Media analysis

To Whom: Audience analysis

With What Effect: Consequenceson audiences


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Shannon and Weavers general

model of communication

Information

Source Transmitter Channel Receiver Destination

NOISE

Mass medium

device


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Key points in the Shannon-Weaver

Model

1. Communication consists of six elements, i.e.,

source, encoder, message, channel, decoder,

receiver.

2. Noise is a feature of these six elements.

3. Noise can be physical.


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Noise as source of entropy

Can be physical:

a loud motorbike roaring down the road

while you're trying to hold a conversation

your little brother standing in front of the

TV set

mist on the inside of the car windscreen

smudges on a printed page

'snow' on a TV set


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Key points in the Shannon-Weaver

Model

1. Communication consists of six elements, i.e.,

source, encoder, message, channel, decoder,

receiver.

2. Noise is a feature of these six elements.

3. Noise can be physical or it can be semantic.


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Semantic noise includes:

Distraction

Differences in the use of the code

Emphasizing the wrong part of the message

Attitude towards the sender

Attitude towards the message


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You are physically very attracted tothe person who is talking to you.

As a result, your attention is directedto his/her beautiful eyes orsmooth skin rather than what theyare saying.

There is no physical noise whichprevents the message fromreaching you. You hear it, but youdon't decode it.


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Distraction

Differences in the use of the language code

Emphasizing the wrong part of the message




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This French gesture means I dont believe you."



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This Iranian gesture is extremely obscene, and

means roughly "screw you."



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This Japanese gesture means "angry."



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The person beside you is talking in

Cebuano about how s/he was robbed in

the jeep. You don't understand. There is

nothing which physically prevents theelements of the message from reaching

you, you simply can't understand it.


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Distraction

Differences in the use of the language

code

Emphasizing the wrong part of the

message




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message

An advertising campaign which has been so

successful with some new style or

gimmick that everyone is talking about it.However, no one has actually noticed what

product is being advertised.


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Semantic noise includes: Distraction


code Emphasizing the wrong part of the

message

Attitude towards the sender Attitude towards the message


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You're talking to someone a lot older than

you. On the basis of their age, you make a

lot of assumptions about the kind of code

appropriate to them - and the conversationgoes wrong because they were the wrong

assumptions.


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Distraction


code


message




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You may have a very positive attitude toyour co-worker but you still dont agree toattend the Life in the Spirit Seminar s/he is

inviting you.S/he is religious and you arent. While you

may respect her/his right to believe inthings that you consider unimportant, youdo not have much respect for her/hisreligious beliefs.


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David Berlos SMCR Model


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Key ideas in Berlos model

1. There are five verbal communicationskills:

Two are encoding

skills: Speaking

Writing

Two are decoding

skills: Listening

Reading

The fifth is crucial to

both encoding and

decoding: Thinking or reasoning


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Key ideas in Berlos model2. Source and receiver characteristics affect

whether the message is received as it wasintended.

The source may: have a clear and

authoritative tone of voice,

be considered by the

receiver as one of them,

be regarded an expert on

the topic, as well as

have great enthusiasm for

the subject.

For example:

The receivermay:

be highly intelligent and

literate, taking time to read

a variety materials,

own media equipment at

home, as well as watchmovies, have access to

the internet, and

be able to express

opinions articulately .


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But, if the receiver finds the sources

message irrelevant, pointless, and boring,

s/he will not be motivated to pay attention

to and decode the message.


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Key ideas in Berlos model

3. The social system/culture serves as the context

within which the source and receiver create andinterpret messages .

People learn and

understand through socialinteraction at particular

times and places.

They communicate during

various social encountersto interpret the information

they receive and to share

their interpretations with

others.

More specifically: Where sources and

receivers belong to the samesocial system and culture,

there will be similar

definitions of and values.

However, individual

differences such asdifferent levels of knowledge,

past behaviors and habits

will result in different

meanings.


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However, just because source and receiver

belong to the same cultural group and

speak the same language is no guarantee

that the messages they create will beautomatically understood by the other.


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Some Interactive Modelsof Communication

Osgood and Schramms Circular Model


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Osgood and Schramm s Circular Model

Message

Message

Encoder

Encoder

Decoder

DecoderInterpreter Interpreter


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The Interactive Modelsin more detail

Osgood and Schramms Circular Model


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Osgood and Schramm s Circular Model

Message

Message

Encoder

Encoder

Decoder

DecoderInterpreter Interpreter


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Key points of the Circular Model

1. The model rejects the notion that

communication is linear, rather it emphasizesthe interaction between sender and receiver.

2. The model rejects the roles of sender and

receiver are clearly distinguished, pointing outthat participants in the communication processswap between the roles of source/encoder andreceiver/decoder.

3. A persons cognitive abilities and personalexperiences provide the framework forinterpreting the verbal and nonverbal symbolsused in the message.


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Some Transactional Models

of Communication

D h li l d l f i ti


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Dances helical model of communication


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Key points of the Dance Model

1. What is communicated now will influence

the structure and content of

communication later on.

Since communication moves forward, thehelix provides a better understanding of the

communication process

The circular model suggests thatcommunication comes back to exactly the

same point from which it started, which is

manifestly erroneous.


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Key points of the Dance Model

2. Time is an important element in thecommunication process, i.e., each actcan be said to be built on the others thatcome before it.

Maletzkes Model of the Mass


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Communication Process

basic models of human communication

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