CHAPTER ONE

COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES & ETHICS

WHAT IS THIS LESSON ABOUT?

This lesson will focus on a review on the definition of communication, its processes and the
ethics it entails. It is important that we gain higher familiarity on the subject of
communication as a concept, phenomenon, and as an inevitable human activity so that we become
effective and responsible communicators.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Increase knowledge in communication, its processes and principles hence become

more skilful communicators;
2. Heighten awareness on communication ethics resulting in conscientious and respectful
interactions; and
3. Apply the gained knowledge in communication processes, principles and ethics
through class exercises that will help you execute expected communication
performances.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

 • Close your eyes.
• Come up with words or phrases that can be associated with
“communication.”
• Use a semantic web to clearly show the relationships of ideas on
communication.
• Answer briefly the following questions on the space below:
a. What does communication mean?
b. How important is communication to your personal and
professional success?

a. “The process of conveying information in oral or written form and understanding from one
person to another in oral or written form” is how communication is defined. It refers to the
transmission and exchange of ideas, opinions, facts, statistics, and information in a way
that the recipient perceives and understands.

b.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 1: COMMUNICATION, IMPORTANCE & PROCESS
LET’S READ!
COMMUNICATION is a human act of sending (verbal or nonverbal; online or offline) and
receiving of messages where interpretations are normally constructed in the process. It is a natural
activity of people. We are always engaged in almost all sorts of communication. As Walzlawick
(1976 in Øyvind, et al., 2011), a communication expert, aptly wrote, “One cannot communicate.”
Apparently, all human beings are wired for communication activities in one’s lifetime.
Studying communication therefore enables us to have a good grasp of this unavoidable human
activity and hopefully makes us good and responsible participants. By being good participants
means that as senders and receivers of messages, a common understanding is achieved, resulting
in a successful communication.
WHAT THEN IS PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION?
PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION is an intentional communication that happens within the bounds of
specific contexts.
CONTEXT. Communication happens in specific contexts. Context includes settings or environment
(family, school, workplace, religious communities); social relations (friends, husband and wife,
parent and child, colleagues/boss-subordinate in the office; scenes which include place, time and
occasion (business meeting, job interview, social gathering – parties, weddings, etc.) and culture
(history, tradition, beliefs, norms, values).
Contexts are vital considerations in our communication acts since they affect the process of sending
and receiving of messages; semantics or meanings; choice of channels, words and methods of
delivery. Communication therefore must be suitable to the specific context hence should be
intentional or purposive.
It is therefore logical to explain purposive communication as a communication applied in a specific
setting, environment, scene, socials relations and culture.
In your oral communication course in senior high school, you were introduced to the different
elements (sender, receiver, message, barriers/noise, channels, and feedback) models (linear,
interactional and transactional) and functions (social interaction, information, emotional expression,
motivation & regulation) of communication. It is advisable to do a review of these communication
principles so that in this course, we can already focus on expanding our knowledge of the field
and immerse ourselves in various contexts wherein these communication events occur.
COMMUNICATION AS A PROCESS
COMMUNICATION is a process whereby people create and transmit meaning through the
exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in a particular context (Oetzel, 2009:11).
Since communication is a process, it is something continuous (e.g., an argument that is extended for
several months, an exchange of messages between officemates, etc.) there are times however that
we terminate our communication with someone or a group when we already lose the purpose or
goal in communicating with the participant/s. Nevertheless, even if one does not anymore
consciously make an effort to converse or interact with the other person, this is still an act of
communication as this sends messages such as “I don’t want to associate with you anymore…” or
simply “there is no more reason that we should be talking.”
Hence, communication may not have a definite end.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

 TASK #1

Based on the above sample process of communication, how would you interpret the picture
below? (Interpretation should be with the application of verbal, non-verbal or visual
communication concepts).

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 2: REVIEW ON THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
LET’S READ!

SENDER
The SENDER of the message is a highly important element being the source of the idea. As the
sender, it is expected that one possesses the skills required in transmitting messages. These skills
could include the ability to use the language that the receiver understands. For instance, it will be
inept to use the English language if your audience is keener on using their local language in a
Philippine or Asian setting. Along with using the appropriate language is the application of
linguistic features such as correct grammar, phonetics (for spoken messages); choice of words or
jargons for an appropriate audience; sentence construction; and discourse competence. The
sender’s credibility is of great importance as well. People will more likely reject a message if the
sender is proven to be unreliable. The message will only be as good and valid as its source.

DELIVERY
This is an equally important skill that a sender should be able to exhibit properly. In oral
communication, this could include good voice projection, use of appropriate eye contact, proper
articulation of words, and emphasis on important words. Delivery could also include using the
appropriate intonation in order to avoid misunderstanding on the part of the listener/receiver or
conflict between the interlocutors. For instance, a high pitch intonation or an overly emphatic tone
might be offensive to a listener; hence, the speaker should be mindful of the manner of delivery.
RECEIVER
Receiver of messages must have good listening and comprehension skills. Good listening requires
one to focus on what is conveyed and as much as possible eliminate all possible distractions or
noises (physical, environmental, psychological, emotional) that would hinder one from
understanding the message. On the other hand, good comprehension skills necessitate sharpness of
cognition, which can be achieved through continuous studies and acquisition of information and
knowledge.
Also, the receiver’s prejudice could possibly affect one’s receptiveness towards the message. For
example, if a receiver dislikes the sender, the former is more likely to be sceptical towards
whatever message the latter relays. It is therefore advisable to listen/read objectively and set
aside biases to avoid erroneous interpretations.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

 MESSAGE
For messages to be accurately understood and positively received, the C’s in communication may
be followed:

• COURTESY. Another word for courtesy is politeness. Usage of polite words and tone
means one respects the receiver of the message. Tact and diplomacy in communication is
always appreciated and this approach will normally beget a positive reply. Developing
the “we” attitude, using positive words instead of negative, being considerate of the
feelings of the receiver, selecting gender-free terms and responding promptly to
important messages are ways to demonstrate courtesy.
• CLARITY. This may involve correct word usage, grammar, pronunciation, sentence
construction and delivery. Messages which are unclear oftentimes do not achieve their
desired effect.
• CONCISENESS. Lengthy messages can result in information overload and overwhelm
listeners/readers of messages. Conciseness is “saying what needs to be said in as few
words as possible.” To display conciseness, flowery languages, which normally include
unnecessary words must be avoided. Remember, our goal is to communicate and not to
impress our listeners/readers with our lengthy discourse.
• CONCRETENESS. This refers to being specific. To demonstrate concreteness, providing
examples whenever necessary makes a message more comprehensible.
• COMPLETENESS. To avoid ambiguity, messages should not leave out important details
that a receiver expects to know such as answers to the WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHERE,
WHY, and HOW questions.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK
Messages in communication will always have an effect on the receiver. There are messages
that trigger positive reactions and at times negative depending on the kind of message
relayed, how it is communicated and how it is interpreted. It is therefore important to know
the feedback of our audience/s (listener/reader) in order to make the necessary clarifications
and revisions of our messages.

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 CHANNELS
The 21st century has introduced communication technologies (smart phones, tables, computers) as
popular channels in addition to the older forms such as traditional telephone, radio, television
and printed texts (books, newspapers, magazines, journals, posters, etc.).
The choice of a channel may depend on the availability, practicality, and its impact on the
receiver. For instance, in communicating with our loved ones abroad, using our smart phones,
tablets or computers are deemed practical and convenient. For those living in areas where
internet connection is unavailable, traditional telephones are still very useful. In the
acquisition of information on the other hand, many rely on printed texts. Television has also
been a popular channel for information and entertainment while radio remains popular
especially in certain areas of the provinces.

BARRIERS AND NOISE

In your previous studies in communication, experts assert that noise or barriers in communication
maybe due to environmental, physical, psychological and emotional conditions. Other than
these aspects, differences in language, gender and culture can also be a barrier in
communication.
For communication to be effective, these barriers/noise should be mitigated or if possible
eliminated. Gender and culture differences as communication barriers however can be more
challenging to control and could not be eliminated. What one can at least do is to
acknowledge these gender differences in communication, compromise in certain areas, meet
halfway and maintain respect to each other’s points of view.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

 TASK #2

Interpret the picture below using the various information that you have learned from the
topic “Elements of Communication”.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 3: PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION
LET’S READ!
Various information and meaning are conveyed when people communicate with each other. People
may use language, which is a system of symbols in communicating. These symbols can either be
written or spoken.
Communication is considered as one of the basic activities of human beings, which may be used for
varied purposes. Communication can be informative, affective, imaginative, persuasive and
ritualistic.
Informative communication pertains to the presentation of messages that are objective, truthful and
unbiased.
Affective communication takes place when people express their positive and negative feelings
about people, circumstances, or events.
Imaginative communication takes place when people express their appreciation on fictional
messages from books, films and conversation.
Persuasive communication, on the other hand, takes place when people attempt to influence the
beliefs or actions of others.
Ritualistic communication is done when people are able to meet social expectations.
WHY DO PEOPLE COMMUNICATE?
Communication is a part of everyone’s life; people from every walks of life communicate. They do
so to express their feelings, opinion, aspirations, dreams, fears, apprehensions or regrets in life.
Humans are creative beings, and they know how to communicate in various and creative ways
through verbal, nonverbal, linguistic or non-linguistic cues.
Specifically, people communicate in order to INFORM, EVOKE, ENTERTAIN, ARGUE and
PERSUADE.

TO INFORM TO EVOKE TO ENTERTAIN TO ARGUE TO PERSUADE

To INFORM is to To EVOKE means to To ENTERTAIN is to To ARGUE is to To PERSUADE is to
impart knowledge, rely on passion and transmit a feeling of persuade, to assent move the listeners to
to clarify controversy to make pleasure and to the plausibility of action. The
information, and to a point. Evocative goodwill to the the communicator’s communicator should
secure communication audience. The side of a debatable demolish the
understanding. centers on communicator is question. The listener’s objection
controversial topics considered gracious, speaker’s purpose is and prove the
that typically use genial, good- to appeal to the acceptability of his
emotion to make a natured, relaxed intellect of his or her or her argument or
point. It must show a and demonstrates to listeners so that they position.
lot of enthusiasm his or her listeners will be convinced.
and concern for the the pleasant job of
topic and must use speaking to them.
personal experience
to draw the
audience. Using
government
researches, statistics
and data can all
help make their
topics more
believable and
more engaging.

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 INFO CORNER!
KINDS OF SPEECH ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
INFORMATIVE SPEECH
PERSUASIVE SPEECH
ARGUMENTATIVE SPEECH
KINDS OF SPEECH ACCORDING TO DELIVERY
READ SPEECH
MEMORIZED SPEECH
IMPROMPTU SPEECH
EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH
According to Osborn & Osborn (1988), an
informative speech gives rather than asks or
takes. The demands on the audience are low,
as the listeners are asked to attend, to
comprehend, to understand, to assimilate, but
not to change their beliefs and behaviours.
Gronbeck (1994) explains that persuasive
speaking is the process of producing oral
messages that increase personal commitment,
modify beliefs, attitudes or values.
This is a speech that aims to persuade the
audience to assent to the plausibility of the
speaker’s side of a debatable question.
Reading from a manuscript is a manner of
speaking where a written speech is read and
delivered word for word.
This is a written speech which is mastered and
delivered entirely from memory. This kind of
speech requires the speaker a considerate
memory skill in order not to forget his or her
presentation.
This is a speech where the speaker develops
his or her ideas, thoughts and language at the
moment of delivery.
This is a speech where the topics or ideas are
prepared beforehand; however, the speaker
will compose his or her views and language
only at the moment of delivery.

TASK #3

Of the 3 kinds of speeches according to purpose, which do you think is the best? Choose
one and prepare your own speech for your midterm examination (video speech).

NOTE: The output of this task (video speech) will be sent during the midterm
examination schedule.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 4: TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
LET’S READ!

A message may be imparted through these types; verbal-non-verbal and visual. While
communication is often thought of as verbal, the non-verbal mode is equally essential as it
enhances one‘s message.

• ACCORDING TO MODE:

➢ VERBAL-NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Effective communication calls for the blending of these two types. One cannot be separated from
the other. For example, door-to-door sales persons who demonstrate product knowledge can only
be effective if they know how to properly punctuate what they say with proper gestures and
facial expressions. Their communication with the customer begins upon greeting him/her with a
welcoming smile then assessing customer needs and answering customer queries enhanced by
gestures and a friendly, happy and pleasant disposition. It is through this mode that sales pole
with excellent communication skills are able to provide the best information needed, by that means
convincing the client to patronize their products.

➢ NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Communication includes gestures, facial expressions and even silence. Silence could have variety
of meanings depending on the racial culture. For instance, according to study, Japanese doctors during
conversations with their patients use silence and pauses (30% of the conversation) to express respect and
as a way of showing that they are contemplating on what has been shared by their patients. On
the other hand, silence may only comprise 8% of the conversation time between American doctors and
their patients. While some cultures view silence as a sign of respect to the conversation partners, others
see silence as a lack of interest or a sign of disagreement.

➢ VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Visual communication, on the other hand, is the type of communication that uses visuals to convey
information and/or messages. Some examples are signs, symbol, imagery, maps, graphs, charts,
diagrams, pictograms, photos, drawings or illustrations, and even various forms of electronic
communication. Visual communication now occupies an important place in any work environment.
For instance, during presentations, instructors, managers, doctors, lawyers, legislators and the like
use visuals to transfer data into digestible information. Very likely, they have greater success in
catching the attention of the audience making the latter easily recall the information.

What makes visual communication even more advantages is that it makes use of communication
even more advantages is that it makes use of technology that provides apps( applications), videos
and images that rely less on the printed word making presentations more interesting. This leaves a
powerful effect on the audience and prospective clients. Speakers/presenters should be mindful of
the content of their presentation since wrong and irrelevant information may lead to
miscommunication. Likewise, they should pay attention to graphic elements, such as position, color,
size, shape and orientation as all these play an important role in the presentation of slides.
Audience size should be considered as well when preparing slide presentations or other forms of
visuals.

• ACCORDING TO CONTEXT

In this sub-section, context in communication is referred to as composite of people interacting with

each other. Communication may also be classified according to context: (1) intrapersonal; (2)
interpersonal.

➢ INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The Latin prefixes intra-means within or inside.

Intrapersonal communication then means talking to oneself. Some label it as self or inner
talk, inner dialogue. Psychologists call it with other names such as self-verbalization or
self-statement. Intrapersonal communication can be defined also as communication with

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 one‘s self, and that may include self-talk, acts of imagination and visualization, and even
recall and memory (McLean, 2005). You read on your phone that your friends are going
to have dinner at your favorite restaurant. What comes to mind? Sights, sounds, and
scents? Something special that happened the last time you were there? Do you
contemplate joining them? Do you start to work out a plan of getting from your present
location to the restaurant? Do you send your friends a text asking if they want company?
Until the moment when you hit the ―send‖ button, you are communicating with yourself.

Communications expert Leonard Shedletsky examined intrapersonal communication through the

eight basic components of the communication process (i.e., source, receiver, message, channel,
feedback, environment, context, and interference) as transactional, but all the interaction occurs
within the individual (Shedletsky, 1989). From planning to problem solving, internal conflict
resolution, and evaluations and judgments of self and others, we communicate with ourselves
through intrapersonal communication. All this interaction takes place in the mind without
externalization, and all of it relies on previous interaction with the external world.

➢ INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: Interpersonal communication can be defined as

communication between two people, but the definition fails to capture the essence of a
relationship. This broad definition is useful when we compare it to intrapersonal
communication, or communication with ourselves, as opposed to mass communication, or
communication with a large audience, but it requires clarification.

The developmental view of interpersonal communication places emphasis on the relationship rather
than the size of the audience, and draws a distinction between impersonal and personal
interactions. Family for many is the first experience in interpersonal relationships, but as we
develop professionally, our relationships at work may take on many of the attributes we associate
with family communication. We look to each other with similar sibling rivalries, competition for
attention and resources, and support. The workplace and our peers can become as close, or closer,
than our birth families, with similar challenges and rewards. To summarize, interpersonal
relationships are an important part of the work environment.

➢ EXTENDED COMMUNICATION: Extended communication involves the use of electronic

media. The description of extended communication may be expanded as to include tele,
audio or phone conferencing; video conferencing; skype calls; and other technological
means. For example, linked by a telecommunication system, people who are far apart, or
are far from the venue, can participate in a meeting or a conference. In an e-conference,
participants may not be physically present but are still able to track down the lectures
and participate actively because of the mass articulation and dissemination of information,
allowing speakers to reach a wider group of listeners. Since extended communication is
public in nature, speakers are expected to be prepared when they speak, making their
language more formal.

With the use of electronic media, messages are transmitted quickly. For instance, with the use of
the Internet, recorded videos may be transmitted in seconds/ minutes and may be viewed by a
greater number of people. With extended communication, your own thinking, behavior and
attitude may be influenced by other people and you may be persuaded to take the views you
hear.

➢ ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION: Organizational communication focuses on the

role that communication plays in organizational contexts. Organization comprises
individuals who work for the company. Professionals working for a company or putting up
your own should know that each organization has expectation that you as a communication
professional should meet or you as the owner may establish.

For an organization to be successful, a system of communication should be put in place. A set of

rules or standards for communication protocol should be made clear so that interaction patterns
are established. On the part of the individual, you should be equipped with the needed oral and
written communication skills that the organization expects you to possess.

TWO TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

▪ FORMAL COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE allows communication to take place via
designated channels of message flow between positions in the organization. This may
use the four approaches:
1. DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION. As the term implies, downward communication
is the type that flows from upper to lower positions, i.e., president to a manager

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 or supervisor, a manager to an ordinary staff. The flow of communication is top-
down or from a superior to a subordinate, usually asking certain individuals to
perform a certain task.
2. UPWARD COMMUNICATION is bottom-up in which subordinates send
communication to their superiors/ bosses bearing their views/ feedback on
organizational policies, issues related to their job.
3. HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION is lateral in approach as it takes place among
people belonging to the same level but coming from different departments or
units to facilitate performance of tasks through proper coordination.
4. CROSSWISE APPROACH is diagonal in nature as employees from different units
or departments working at various levels communicate with each other.

▪ INFORMAL COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE comes from the unofficial channels of

message flow. Also known as “grapevine” messages coming from the different levels
of the organization are transmitted. This occurs due to the dissatisfaction of some
employees accompanied by uncertainty, such as superiors playing favorite and
unfavorable company rules and regulations. Some employees even resort to baseless
gossips and rumors which they spread like wild fire. Tracing the origin of a rumor is
almost next to impossible. In fact, when some people are confronted, they impute the
blame to others so they can get out of the mess quickly.

➢ INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: it is communication between or among people

having different linguistic, religious, ethnic, social, and professional backgrounds. Even
gender difference affects communication. Individuals having different orientations
communicate and interpret messages differently. This particularly happens with non-verbal
communication. For instance, Australians consider eye contact as important in assessing the
sincerity of a person while for Indians, looking straight into the eyes of a person while
talking is inappropriate. This does not, however, mean that they are dishonest or insincere.
Moreover, Indians interpret waving of hands from side to side as no or go away while it
means hello among Westerners. For Filipinos, twitching of lips means to refer to something
or someone. When someone asks: “Where is my book?” instead of responding: “There it
is”, the response may be twitching or puckering lips. When seen by people from other
cultures, such facial expression may be taken to mean as “seduction”. It is important then
not to be judgmental or to rush into interpretations as cultures sometimes vary enormously.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 5: COMMUNICATION MODELS
LET’S READ!
Communication models are systematic representations of the process which helps in understanding
how communication works can be done. Models show the process metaphorically and in symbols.
They form general perspectives on communication by breaking communication from complex to
simple and keeps the components in order. Communication models can sometimes encourage
traditional thinking and stereotyping but can also omit some major aspects of human
communication.
Methods and channels of communication to be used and the purpose of communication, must be
considered before choosing a specific communication model. Models are used by business
companies and other firms to foster their communication, explore their options and to
evaluate their own situations. It is also used to understand how the receivers will interpret the
message.
Types of Communication Model
There are three general types of communication models in which all other communication models
are mostly categorized.

Linear Model of Communication

Linear model of communication is a simple one way communication model. The message flows in a
straight line from sender to the receiver. There is no concept of feedback. The only task that a
receiver does here is to receive the message. Different models that follow linear model of
communication are:
▪ Lasswell’s Model
▪ Aristotle’s Model
▪ Shannon Weaver Model
▪ Berlo’s S-M-C-R Model

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

 Transactional Model of Communication
In transactional model, senders and receivers both are known as communicators and both play
equally important role in communication. Transactional model relates communication with social
reality, cultural up-bringing and relational context (relationships). Non-verbal feedback like
gestures, body language, is also considered as feedback in this model. Different models that
follow transactional model of communication are:

• Barnlund’s Transactional Model

• Helical Model
• Becker’s Mosaic Model

Interactive Model of Communication

Interactive model or convergence model is similar to transactional model as they are both two way
communication model. But, interactive model is mostly used for new media like internet. Here,
people can respond to any mass communications like videos, news, etc. People can exchange their
views and ideas. Different models that follow interactive model of communication are:

• Schramm’s Interactive Model

Source: https://businesstopia.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/communication-model.jpg

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 6: GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

LET’S READ!

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE

COMMUNICATION

Know your purpose Know your

Know your topic
in communicating audience

Adjust your speech

or writing to the Work on the
context of the feedback given you
situation

Since communication is a two-way process, it is significant that you know the principles to be observed
to make it effective. For both oral and written communication, one should be able to apply the
following principles:

➢ Know your purpose in communicating. Are you communicating basically to inform, to entertain, or
to persuade? While you may have more than one purpose, there is still a more dominant objective
or reason why you communicate.

➢ Know your audience. In both speaking and writing, you should know your audience as it will
dictate the speaking or writing style you are going to employ. Consider the age, educational
background, profession, culture, and other salient features of your listeners or readers.

➢ Know your topic. You communicate essentially because you want to share something. In speaking
situations, speakers are invited because they have something to share. This also applies to writing.
You write because you wish that other people learn something from you. You may then utilize
several or multiple communication techniques to easily catch the attention of the audience.

➢ Adjust your speech or writing to the context of the situation. The environment in which your speech
or writing is to be delivered determines the kind of language you will use.

➢ Work on the feedback given to you. Once you receive comments from the listeners/readers, work
on them. Take kindly to criticisms. In the long run, constructive criticisms will prove beneficial to you
as you learn to address them.

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ORAL COMMUNICATION

➢ Be clear with your purpose. You should know by heart your objective in communicating.
➢ Be complete with the message you deliver. Make sure that your claims are supported by facts
and essential information.

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 ➢ Be concise. You do not need to be verbose or wordy with your statements. Brevity in a speech
is a must.
➢ Be natural with your delivery. Punctuate important words with the appropriate gestures and
movements. Exude a certain degree of confidence even if you do not feel confident enough.
➢ Be specific and timely with your feedback. Inputs are most helpful when provided on time.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 7: MAJOR FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

LET’S READ!

MAJOR FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

There are 5 forms of communication:

1. Intrapersonal Communication- communication happens within the person. Hence, there is no
feedback and/or feedbacks are not interrupted.
Example: A person can communicate himself through praying.
2. Interpersonal Communication- communication happens between a group of persons.
Example: Ana is talking to Mrs. Maricar with regards to the school requirements.
3. Dyadic Communication- communication happens between two persons. Either way, the source
become the receiver and vice versa because of the dynamic and spontaneous flow of discourse. One of
the best examples of dyadic communication is between a patient and a doctor.
4. Small Group Communication- this communication usually happen in an organizational communization
and involves more than two individuals. The information coming from the source down to the receiver
and vice versa. There is a continuous sending and receiving of feedbacks.
5. Public Communication- this communication is a one way type model of communication as it no longer
requires the feedback of the receiver or the audience. The message of the speaker will be sent to a
huge number of audiences. For instance, public speaking like the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of
the president.
6. Mass Communication- this involves a large number of people and requires a tool to help
disseminating the information. This also no longer requires feedback from the audience to the source. For
instance, television news and advertisement. But in mass communication, there is no direct access with the
receiver. For that they need media like Newspaper, Radio, Television and Internet. The audience
feedback is very less or delayed.
When the message you convey are not communicated properly and felt guilty of not conveying the
message as it wants to be conveyed feels worse. It is because the effective communication is being
hindered by noise or in other reference, barriers. Some of the barriers that obstructs effective
communication include noise, inappropriate medium, assumptions, emotion, and use of jargons or
technical terms, and poor listening skills. These barriers are categorized into five. Physical,
Psychological, Cultural, Language Used, and Personal.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

LESSON 8: ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION

LET’S READ!

The term ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, which means custom, habit, character or outlook.
Albeit peoples from different cultures vary in their moral philosophies, people in general expect to
be treated with dignity, fairness, respect or with basic courtesy in the communication encounters.

Regardless of an individual’s moral principle (relativistic), ethics in communication can take a

universal approach, which can be displayed in several ways including but not limited to the
following:

1. Adhering to the Golden Rule or the Platinum Rule.

The golden rule asserts to always treat others in the same way you want to be treated while
the platinum rule according to Bennett (1980) stresses on treating others the way they wish to
be treated. Ethical communicators address people of other cultures with the same respect that
they would like to receive themselves (Jandt, 2013:37).

2. Considering the feelings of the receiver.

Humans are not only cognitive but also emotional beings. If we are less careful with our words,
tone and nonverbal gestures, people could be negatively affected. To be ethical in
communicating with others, it will be best to maintain tact and diplomacy in our
communications.

3. Acknowledging the source of idea and information.

Sources of ideas and information should be acknowledged appropriately at all times. It is

unethical and unlawful for someone to convey other people’s intellectual property without
recognizing the author’s names or organizations.

4. Speaking the truth.

This is a universal rule. Unfortunately, there are also those who (for whatever reason) seem to
enjoy propagating falsehood. Take for instance the abundance of fake news or what others
call alternative facts on the internet. Obviously, this is a violation of communication ethics and
should be stopped by all means.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1

 TASK #4

Submit a one-paragraph essay on communication ethics (Reaction to the SONA at

Batasang Pambansa on July 27, 2020: No face-to-face teaching/ unless students are
safe).

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Chapter 1