WHY IS COMMUNICATION THEORY IMPORTANT?

Communication theory helps in developing understanding about the technical

aspects of communication. This field of study is aimed at developing knowledge

on how people communicate. Communication can be influenced through

persuasion with the intention of exerting control or through cooperation with an

aim of developing valued relations. Communication theory uses mathematics

and information to develop insights into the complex nature of the different types

of human communication. The problem being addressed by this field of study as

stated by Shannon "is that of reproducing at one point either exactly or

approximately a message selected at another point”. This problem led into

studies of how best to encode messages and to determine the level of

uncertainty a message carries during the communication process.

Communication theory seeks to understand the different capacities required for

communication in order to develop channels that will successfully carry and

deliver the intended information. This field of study has played an important role

in the current development of communication technologies and computer

science.