Prelim Coverage

Basics of Communication
Definition of Communication

There are four key terms that should be defined to fully understand communication:
process, systems, symbols, and meanings (Wood, 2012)
Process

Process imply continuity. In the context of communication, one never stops from
communicating as it is an ongoing activity. It is dynamic as it continually changes.
Communication never static. You might start communicating the moment you wake up even
up to the time your close your eyes. Communication does not necessarily start in uttering the
first word and stops in saying the last work of a sentence. The circumstances that occur before
starting a conversation and even the incidents that follow it may still affect future
conversations. This indicates that communication is a process that constantly moving and
continuously changing.

Communication is considered a process because it is an activity itself. It is not an object

that you can just simply perceive using one of your senses, but it is an activity in which you
participate (Pearson et. al, 2011).
Therefore, communication as a process is continuous, moving and ever changing.
System

Wood (2012) defined system as interrelated parts that effect one another. It is a
collection not of random parts but of organized wholes. These parts interplay with each other
as communication process happens. Communication is likewise affected by a larger system
within which it operates. Thus, to effectively communicate and interpret a message, it is
important to understand the system (culture, religion, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic
status, sex, political affiliation, and other) within which communication takes place.
Symbols

Another common term among the definition is symbols. Wood explicitly used this term
in her definition. In Palta’s definition, symbol is represented by language an in Ober and
Newman’s, it is indicated by spoken or written words and facial expressions, gestures and
voice qualities. For others, it is embedded in term message.

All these suggest the use of symbols in communication. When people communicate,
they rely on symbols --- a concrete representation of something abstract. It is tangible
counterpart of something intangible. The use of symbols allow people to perceive abstract,
arbitrary, and ambiguous representation of things using the senses. Hence, communication is
symbolic as it involves interaction with and through symbols.
Meanings

At the heart of communication is meaning. It can be viewed as an “end” in itself. This

means that when people communicate, they attach meaning to the symbols they use (either
verbally or non-verbally) with the intent that the person/s they communicating with share the
same meaning as intended. In other words, the goal is to generate common meanings
through the messages provided or received.
Levels of meaning

Content Level- it refers to the literal meaning of the message. It is parallel to the
denotative meaning of the message.

Relationship meaning- it expresses the relationship between communicators. This can

be connotative meaning of a message

Meaning also refers to the understanding of message. Ideally, your message should be
understood in the same manner you intended it to be. Similarly, the people who send you a
message expect that you understand it the way they do. However, it is a reality that all
messages you generate are not shared by others with whom you try to communicate. The
message is open to different interpretations.
Elements of Communication

Pearson et al. (2011) provided more comprehensive components of communication which

include people, messages, codes, channels, feedback, encoding and decoding and noise
or barrier.

1. People - People who are involved in communication process assumes two roles—both
as sources and receivers of the message.
2. Message – This is the verbal and non-verbal for, of idea, thought, or feeling that one
intends to communicate to another person or group of people.
3. Channel – It refers to the means which the message is delivered.
4. Feedback – It is the receiver’s verbal and non-verbal response to the source’s message.
5. Code – This pertains to language. A code is a systematic arrangement of symbols used
to create meanings in the mind of another person/s.
6. Encoding and decoding – encoding is defined as the process of translating an idea or
a thought into a code. Decoding is the process of assigning meaning to an idea or a
thought.
7. Noise or Barrier – in the context of communication, noise refers to interference in
encoding and decoding process which affect the clarity and understanding of the
message.

The Communication Process

1. Linear Model – Also called the transmission model, a linear model is based on the assumption
that communication is transmitted in a straightforward manner---from a sender to receiver. This
clearly reflects that communication is a one-way process.
a. Laswell’s Verbal Model

b. Shannon and Weaver’s Model

2. Interactive Model- this model is in contrast with the linear one which considers communication
as flowing only in one direction, from a sender to a receiver (Gronbeck, 1999). In this model,
communication is a two-way process which involves an exchange or an interaction between
sender and receiver.
3. Transactional Model- this model was adapted from Wood (1997) in response to the failure of
the interactive model to portray the dynamism of human communication.

Principles of Communication
1. Communication is transactional. It is a two-way process which involves an exchange.
When a message is sent, a reply is expected.
2. Communication is inevitable. It is impossible not to communicate. The moment you wake
up, you already start communicating by merely thinking of how your day will look like.
3. Communication is goal-oriented. When you communicate, you have goals mind.
4. Communication has various. Level. There are various levels of communication:
intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, and public or mass.
5. Communication is complex. Communication is so complex that it entails a lot of processes,
which can occur simultaneously or successive.
6. Communication can be learned. Despite complexity of communication, it is a skill which
can be learned.
7. Communication is relational. In any communication setting, aside from sharing meaning,
the process how meaning is created also echoes two vital aspects of the relationship of
the communicators: Immediacy and control. Immediacy is the degree of liking or
attractiveness in a relationship. Control, in the other hand, is the degree to which one
participant shows dominance or power.
8. Communication is guided by culture. Culture may be defined as a system of knowledge
shared by relatively large group of people.

Ethics in communication
1. Ethical communicators are honest
2. Ethical communicators are well aware of the consequences of their thoughts and actions
3. Ethical communicators’ value diversity and respect other’s opinion.
4. Ethical communicators are just and fair.
Communication in Multicultural Settings
Communication Context

Communication context pertains to the personal, physical, social, psychological, and cultural
circumstances, among others in which communication occurs.

Personal context involves the background of the sender and receiver of the message. It includes
their education, religion, socioeconomic status, marital status and beliefs that greatly influence what
and how they communicate.

Physical context pertains to the environment where communication takes place. It involves
tangible factors which can be easily perceived by the senses such as temperature, humidity, odor,
lighting, and noise level, among others.

Social context refers to the kind of relationship that exist between the sender and receiver.

Psychological context includes the emotions and feelings of the participants in communication
process. It involves their opinions, judgments, prejudices, attitude, and perception toward each other
which can play part in the transmission of message.

Cultural context is one of the vital considerations in communication. It includes the sets of beliefs,
values systems, guiding principles, and assumptions based on one’s race, ethnicity, age, gender,
sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion within which communication happens.

Communication and Culture

Culture is a set of unique and shared beliefs, values, and norms that guide a certain group of
people on how to think, behave, and act. Communication and culture are intertwined. In fact, they
are inseparable. Culture influences what and how you communicate.

Cultural Dimensions in Communication

The first dimension distinguishes individualism from collectivism. Individualistic culture puts
premium self and personal fulfilment while collectivist culture values teamwork and collaboration.

The second dimension is context which has two categories: low and high. Low-context culture
views explicit words as to convey messages while high-context culture uses subtle non-verbal behaviors
and implicit information to convey message.

The third cultural dimension is chronemics which pertains to the concept of time among culture.
Monochronic culture advocates punctuality, timely completion of tasks, and accomplishment of one
task at a time. On the other hand, polychronic culture has a fluid and flexible concept of time.

The fourth cultural dimension is termed as uncertainty avoidance which refers to the need to
foresee what is going to happen. Low-uncertainty avoidance culture is tolerant of unpredictable and
uncontrollable situations. High-uncertainty avoidance culture values precision and always anticipate
risks to possibly reduce them.

The fifth cultural dimension to be considered when communicating is extent to how the equality
or inequality of power is expected or accepted. This is referred to as power distance. Low-power
distance culture values equal distribution of power. Though power exists, people from these culture
value democracy and egalitarian behavior. Conversely, high-power distance culture recognizes the
unequal distribution of power is normal. This cultural dimension is particularly reflected in how people
communicate with individuals who hold authority.

The sixth cultural dimension pertains to gender---masculinity or femininity. Masculine culture

advocate for strict adherence to conventional gender roles and behaviors. In this culture, masculine
roles are more valued than feminine roles. Feminine culture, on the other hand, are based on the
premise that men and women assume varieties of roles and thus, are both valued regardless of their
sex and gender.

Finally, the last cultural dimension is long-term or short-term orientation which refers to how
patience is valued in waiting for the outcomes of actions. Short-term orientation is characterized by
being very performance-driven. It emphasizes quick results, fulfilment of social obligations, and efficient
revenue generation. It values rewards in the here and now. Long-term orientation is more laid back
that it has more patience in waiting for outcomes of an action. It values perseverance towards the
achievement of goals.