LASSWELL COMMUNICATION MODEL 1948

Lasswell’s communication model was developed by communication theorist Harold D.

Lasswell (1902-1978) in 1948. Lasswell’s model of communication (also known as action
model or linear model or one way model of communication) is regarded as one the
most influential communication models.

Lasswell’s communication model has 5 components which is used as an analysis tool for
evaluating the communication process and components. The components are the questions to
be asked to get the answers and keep communication going.

Components Meaning Analysis

Who The communicator or sender
or source of message
Says what Content of the message
In which channel Medium or media
To whom Receiver of message or
audience
With what effect The feedback of the receiver
Control analysis
Content analysis
Media analysis
Audience analysis
Effect analysis

Explanation of different Components of Lasswell’s Model

 Control analysis helps the sender to have all the power.
 Content analysis is associated to stereotyping and representation of different
groups politically. It is also related to the purpose or the ulterior motives of the
message.
 Media analysis represents which medium should be used to exercise maximum
power against the receivers.
 Audience analysis shows who are the target population to be manipulated or
brain-washed.
 Effect analysis is done before the process starts. It is used to predict the effect
of message over the target population to be exploited.

Though Lasswell’s model was developed to analyze mass communication, this model is
used for interpersonal communication or group communication to be disseminated
message to various groups in various situations.
Lasswell’s model was developed to study the media propaganda of countries and
businesses at that time. Only rich people used to have communication mediums such
as televisions and radios back them. It was made to show the mass media culture.
Lasswell also brought the concept of Effective Communication Process. He talked about
the relation between presentation of facts and how it generates different effects. The use of the
concept of effect makes Lasswell’s model non-linear unlike it’s name. It’s because effect can also
be taken as feedback.

Criticisms of Lasswell’s Model

The major criticism of Lasswell’s Model is that it does not include feedback and it
ignores the possibility of noise. Without feedback, a communication process can not be
fruitful. Lasswell’s model is very linear and does not consider barriers in the
communication process.
The model is also criticized for being very general and only including very traditional
topics. The model is very simplistic. The model is said to be propaganda based as it is
more focused on the resulting outcome and generally used for media persuasion.

Shannon-Weaver model (1948)

Shannon was an American mathematician whereas Weaver was a scientist. The

Mathematical theory later came to be known as Shannon Weaver model of
communication or “mother of all models.” This model is more technological than
other linear models.

Concepts in Shannon Weaver Model

Sender (Information source) – Sender is the person who makes the message,
chooses the channel and sends the message.
Encoder (Transmitter) –Encoder is the sender who uses machine, which converts
message into signals or binary data. It might also directly refer to the machine.
Channel –Channel is the medium used to send message.
Decoder (Receiver) – Decoder is the machine used to convert signals or binary data
into message or the receiver who translates the message from signals.
Receiver (Destination) –Receiver is the person who gets the message or the place
where the message must reach. The receiver provides feedback according to the
message.
Noise –Noise is the physical disturbances like environment, people, etc. which does not
let the message get to the receiver as what is sent.
Explanation:

The sender encodes the message and sends it to the receiver through a technological
channel like telephone and telegraph. The sender converts the message into codes
understandable to the machine. The message is sent in codes through a medium.

The receiver has to decode the message before understanding it and interpreting it. The
receptor machine can also act as a decoder in some cases. The channel can have noise
and the receiver might not have the capacity to decode which might cause problems in
communication process.

Here, for instance, brain might be the sender, mouth might be the encoder which
encodes to a particular language, air might be the channel, another person’s ear might
be the receptor and his brain might be the decoder and receiver.
Similarly, air is the channel here, the noise present in his environment that disturbs them is
the noise whereas his response is the feedback. There were only 5 components when the model
was made. Noise was added later.

Example:

A businessman sends a message via phone text to his worker about a meeting
happening about their brand promotion. The worker does not receive the full message
because of noise. It goes like this:

Businessman: We have a meeting at the office (“at 8 am” goes missing due to phone
network disruption or noise)
Worker (feedback) : At what time?

Levels of Communication Problems

There are three levels of problems of communication according to Shannon Weaver.

They are:

1. Technical problem –How a channel causes a problem

2. Semantic problem –Is the meaning of message sent and received very different
3. Effectiveness problem –How effectively does the message cause reaction
Advantages of Shannon Weaver Model
 Concept of noise helps in making the communication effective by removing the noise or
problem causing noise.
 This model takes communication as a two way process. It makes the model applicable
in general communication.
 Communication is taken as quantifiable in Shannon Weaver model.
Criticisms of Shannon Weaver Model

 It can be applied more for interpersonal communication than group

communication and mass communication.
 Receiver plays the passive part in the communication process as sender plays
the primary role that sends messages.
 Feedback is taken as less important in comparison to the messages sent by the
sender.
 The model is taken by some critics as a “misleading misrepresentation of the
nature of human communication” as human communication is not mathematical
in nature.

Osgood,s model & Schramm’s model

It is a Circular Model, so that communication is something circular in nature

Encoder – Who does encoding or Sends the message (message originates)

Decoder – Who receives the message
Interpreter – Person trying to understand (analyses, perceive) or interpret
Note: From the message starting to ending, there is an interpretation goes on. Based on
this interpretation only the message is received.
This model breaks the sender and receiver model it seems communication in a practical
way. It is not a traditional model.

It can happen within our self or two people; each person acts as both sender and
receiver and hence use interpretation. It is simultaneously take place e.g. encoding,
interpret and decoding.

Semantic noise is a concept introduced here it occurs when sender and receiver apply
different meaning to the same message. It happens mostly because of words and phrases
for e.g. Technical Language, So certain words and phrases will cause you to deviate from
the actual meaning of the communication.

Note: When semantic noise takes place decoding and interpretation becomes difficult
and people get deviated from the actual message.
Advantage of Osgood- Schramm model of communication
1. Dynamic model- Shows how a situation can change
2. It shows why redundancy is an essential part
3. There is no separate sender and receiver, sender and receiver is the same person
 4. Assume communication to be circular in nature
5. Feedback – central feature.
Disadvantage of Osgood- Schramm model of communication
This model does not talk about semantic noise and it assume the moment of encoding
and decoding.

Newcomb’s symmetry theory 1953

The New Comb’s model of communication was introduced by Theodore M Newcomb of the
University of Michigan in 1953. He gives different approach to the communication process. The
main purpose of this theory is to introduce the role of communication in a social relationship
(society) and to maintain social equilibrium within the social system. He does not include the
message as a separate entity in his diagram, implying it only by use of directional arrows. He
concentrates on the social purpose of communication, showing all communication as a means of
sustaining relationships between people. Sometimes it’s called as an “ABX” model of
communication.

The Newcomb’s model works in a triangular format or A-B-X system

A – Sender

B – Receiver

X – Matter of Concern

The relationship between A and B is like student and teacher, government and public or
newspaper and readers. Sender and Receiver may work in a same flow but the same
time some factor like “X” may affect their flow of relationship. “X” it may be third
persons, issue, topic or policy.
 Westley-McLean’s model (1976)

Westley and MacLean’s Model of Communication was suggested by Bruce Westley (1915-1990)
and Malcolm S. MacLean Jr. (1913-2001) in 1957. This model was an adaptation from
Newcomb’s model of communication, which talked about co-orientation for simultaneous
orientation in a two way communication. It also consisted of some concepts from Lewin’s
model.

The model says that communication does not begin when one person starts speaking,
but it does when a person responds to something from his/her surroundings. The
person must first receive message from the environment and then, he/she responds
according to his/her object of orientation.

The Westley and MacLean’s model can be applied in two contexts: interpersonal
and mass communication, the point of difference being the feedback. Feedback is
direct and fast in interpersonal communication and indirect and slow in mass
communication. The model also differentiates message as purposive and non-
purposive.

The major components in the communication process for the model are

 Source (A) – Source is the message creator and sender.

 Environment (X) – Environment is the physical and psychological situation
where the message is being created and sent.
 Sensory experience (X1…) – Sensory experience is the first thing that the
source sees by which the source gets the idea for the formation of the message.
 Objects of Orientation (X1, X2,…) – Objects of orientation is the person’s social
and cultural reality that has formed from his/her past experiences and teachings.
 Message Interpretation or Coding (X’) – Message is interpreted with the
objects of orientation of the receiver of the message.
 Receiver (B) – The person who gets the message sent by the source and the
person who interprets according to his/her objects of orientation.
 Object of Orientation of Receiver (X, b) – The views and ideas of the receiver
or his/her social reality is his/her object of orientation. That is how the receiver
interprets the message.
 Feedback (f) – The receiver forms another message after interpreting the
message and sends it back to the sender. It is known as feedback.
 Gatekeeper (C) – Gatekeepers are found in mass communication. The
gatekeeper is the editor who filters the message as per the needs of the audience
and media institution.
  Opinion Leader – Opinion leaders are well known and recognized people who
can influence public opinions.

The process of communication in Westley and MacLean’s model of communication

starts when the source creates a message from his/her environment. The
communicator acts and creates the message as a response to the sensory experience
with his/her own objects of orientation.

Then, the response is coded after interpreting the environmental response. The coded message
is transmitted to a second respondent who interprets the message differently according to
his/her objects of orientation and provide feedback to the sender.

Gatekeeper and opinion leader are the parts of communication process in mass
communication. They are the editors, proofreaders, etc. who choose which message
should be published and what effect will it have on the audience. Filter of the message
is dependent on many factors.
Gatekeeping is done in these levels:
1. Individual level: A person’s gender, sexual orientation, culture, likes, dislikes, etc.
2. Routine practice level: Pre-established set of rules and practices for a particular
type of work to be done
3. Communication organizations: The policies of the organization that is publishing
the work
4. Social institutions: The social systems by which the message is formed
5. Societies: Societal values and belief systems, rules and norms, etc.
Example:

In a website, there are many writers. They write and send the articles to get them
published. But the editor chooses the articles that are relevant. The comment box is the
place where the audience can give feedback.

Here,
1. X1 is any article
2. X2 is the audience comments
3. X3 is the website
4. f is feedback
5. A is writers
6. B is the audience
7. C is the gatekeeper or the editor
So,
  there is a feedback loop between Audience (B) and the Editor (C) after sending the
article for publishing, which is known as “fBC”.
 There is a feedback loop between Editor (C) and Writer (A) giving response to the writers,
which is known as “fCA”.
 There is another feedback loop between Audience (B) and the Writers (A) in the
comments, which is known as “fBA”.
The message received from the environment can be accidental or abrupt, so might not
be intentional. So, the signals can be received anytime and message is formed anytime.

Advantages of Westley and MacLean’s Model of

Communication
 There is the concept of feedback.
 As the message comes from the environment, sensory field improves the message
formation.
 Social and other factors are included in objects of orientation.
 The model can be applied to interpersonal, group communication as well as mass
communication.
 The model is very descriptive.

Disadvantages of Westley and MacLean’s Model of

Communication
 There are many variables even for simple communication which makes the model very
complicated.
 The model is only two-dimensional and does not explain communication which involves
multiple messages and complicated messages.
 The information can get modified while sending it from the sender to the receiver as
there can be noise. The model does not account for noise in communication.

Gerbner model (1956)

 1. Mr. George Gerbner is one of the pioneers in the field of communication research. Its main
advances were that it relates the message to the reality that it is about and thus allows for
questions of perception and meaning, and that it sees the communication process as
consisting of two alternating dimensions — the perceptual or receptive, and the
communicating or means and control dimension.

(i) Perceptual Dimension:

An ‘E’ is an event happens in the real life and the event content or message is perceived
by ‘M’ (Man or a Machine). After Perceives the message from “E” by “M” is known as
“E1”. E1 is not same as like ‘E’. Because any man or machine can’t perceives the whole
event and they perceives only the part of the event (E1). This is known as “Perceptual
Dimension”.

These 3 factors are involves between ‘E’ and ‘M’

 Selection
 Context
 Availability
M (man or machine) cannot perceive the entire content of the event “E”. So M selects the
interesting or needed content from the entire event and filtering the others. The context occurs
in the event and Availability is based on ‘M’s attitude, mood, culture and personality. (For eg.
How a journalist perceives the messages from the event and also can’t focus the whole event so
they filter the unwanted or unrelated content from the event. This filtered content is not same as
like the actual event content because the journalist edits the content based on his attitude, mood
and cultural background or press policies).
M has to use channels (or media) over to send the message which he has a greater or lesser
degree of control. The question of ‘control’ relates to M’s degree of skill in using communication
channels. If using a verbal channel, how good is he using words? If using the Internet, how good
is he at using new technology and words?
This process can be extended to infinitum by adding on other receivers (M2, M3etc.) who have
further perceptions (SE3, SE4 etc.) of the statements about perceived events.

Example:
In case of news reporting, E can be any event that has happened and the reporter (M)
selects a particular part of event (E1) that may be provide his channel higher TRP
ratings or the news may boost the particular party which his channel supports. This SE2
is sent through a medium to the mass audience. Then the audience distributed the
message (SE2) and he (M1) sends to his friends with his interpretation and the process
continues.