David Kenneth Berlo

(1929-1996)

David Kenneth Berlo was the eleventh

president of Illinois State University. A
native of St. Louis, Missouri. Berlo was
interested in communication and earned
his psychology degree and later his PhD
in communication from the University of
Illinois. He wrote the book the process of
communication and created Berlo’s model
of communication which he developed
from Claude Shannon and Warren
weaver’s Model.
 Berlo’s Model
Communication
David Berlo's SMCR Model of
Communication represents the process of
communication in its simplest form. The
acronym SMCR stands for Sender, Message,
Channel, and Receiver. Berlo's SMCR Model
of Communication (1960) describes the
various components that comprise
the basic communication process.
 ENCODES DECODES
SOURCE MESSAGE CHANNEL RECEIVER

Communication Communication
Content Hearing
Skills Skills

Attitude Elements Seeing Attitude

Knowledge Treatment Touching Knowledge

Social System Structure Smelling Social System

Culture Code Tasting Culture

 (S) Source
Source – is the beginning of the message. Also called the speaker, sender, or
the encoder.

Communication Skills – It describes their skill in speaking, listening, reading,

writing, debating, and asking and responding to questions.

Attitudes – the speaker's attitude toward the listener, the topic, and even
toward themselves.

Knowledge – just how, informed, or skilled the speaker is in the topic matter
they will present.

Social System – the receiver and listener should apply to the same social
structure.

Culture – the receiver must have the same cultural background with the
source.
 (M) Message  

Message - the idea, opinion, emotion, or information conveyed by the speaker.

Content – what is contained in the message.

Elements – the language, gestures, facial expressions, and postures used by

the speaker to express his or her thoughts.

Treatment – how the message is being handled or treated by the speaker. The
way the message is delivered to the audience.

Structure – how the message is arranged. The source must arrange his or her
message in the most favorable manner possible to avoid distortion and
miscommunication.

Code – includes the language, body movements, gestures, and expressions

used by the speaker
 (C) Channel

Channel- is the medium through which the message is delivered from the
source to the receiver.

Hearing – the faculty of the ears. Used in hearing speeches and oral
activities.

Seeing – the faculty of the eyes. Used in watching visual presentations.

Touching – the faculty of the skin or hands. Used to hold materials.

Smelling – the faculty of the nose. Used to distinguish different types of

odor.

Tasting – the faculty of the tongue. Used to differentiate flavor.

 (R) Receiver
Receiver- is the one who receives, understands, analyzes, and interprets the
message.

Communication Skills –It describes their skill in speaking, listening, reading,

writing, debating, and asking and responding to questions.

 Attitudes – the speaker's attitude toward the listener, the topic, and even
toward themselves.

Knowledge – just how, informed, or skilled the speaker is in the topic matter
they will present.

Social System – the receiver and listener should apply to the same social
structure.

Culture – the receiver must have the same cultural background with the
source.
 Example

" "People are watching a news on the television"

 ADVANTAGES CRITICISMS
Concept of noise helps There is no feedback
in making the because it is a linear
communication effective model of communication
by removing the noise or
problem causing noise. There is no concept of
noise or any kind of
This model takes barriers in
communication as a two communication process.
way process. It makes
the model applicable in Must be on the same
general communication. level of understanding
 Members

Pama, Patricia M. Abdusalam, Zaid B. Decial, Lawrenz

Ablao, Joshua Lague, Shellyn M. Honor, Rafael Delina, Joannah Marie

Christopher B.