Transaction Model of Communication

The Transaction Model of communication (see Figure 1.5) differs from the Transmission
and Interaction Models in important ways, including the conceptualization of communication,
the role of sender and receiver, and the role of context (Barnlund, 1970).
The Transaction Model of communication describes communication as a process in
which communicators generate social realities within social, relational, and cultural contexts. In
this model, nurses don’t just communicate to exchange messages; they communicate to
Create relationships.
Form intercultural alliances.
Shape self-concept.
Engage with others in dialogue to create communities.
In short, you don’t communicate about your realities; communication helps to construct
your realities.
The roles of sender and receiver in the Transaction Model of communication differ
significantly from those in the other models. Instead of labeling participants as senders and
receivers, the people in a communication encounter are referred to as communicators. Unlike the
Interaction Model, which suggests that participants alternate positions as sender and receiver, the
Transaction Model suggests that you are simultaneously a sender and receiver.
For example, when you first meet a client, you send verbal messages saying hello, who
you are, and why you are there. Before you are done your introduction, the client is reacting
nonverbally. You don’t wait until you are done sending your verbal message to start receiving
and decoding the nonverbal messages of the client. Instead, you are simultaneously sending your
verbal message and receiving the client’s nonverbal messages. This is an important component of
this model because it helps you understand how you can adapt your communication. For
example, in the middle of sending a verbal message, you can adapt your communication in
response to the non-verbal message you are simultaneously receiving from your communication
partner.
COMMUNICATION.
You need skills to adapt to shifting contexts, and the best way to develop these skills is
through practice and reflection.
Nursing Example
A 42-year-old client and her partner are attending a fertility clinic awaiting intrauterine
insemination with donor sperm. It is the client’s third attempt at the procedure, and she is
becoming concerned that she may never get pregnant. The stress of getting pregnant has weighed
on the client and her partner. They got into an argument on the way to clinic and are not speaking
to each other. Both the client and her partner are South Asian and have experienced both racial
and sexual discrimination in their past encounters with the healthcare system. A 59-year-old
nurse of European decent enters the room and both the client and her partner are on their phones
and barely look up at the nurse. The nurse is polite and completes her care plan. The nurse
interprets their lack of attention as indifference to the situation and does not bother to counsel the
client and her partner further, assuming it is not necessary. The nurse also assumes they have no
questions, because it is their third attempt at the procedure.
Analysis:
This example sheds light on the sort of nuances involved when communicating with
clients. In this case, the nurse reads the lack of eye contact and engagement as a social
convention that relays disinterest. From a relational standpoint, the nurse was unfamiliar with the
couple and relied on a brief encounter, combined with information from the client’s chart. From a
cultural standpoint, a shared understanding and space is needed to engage in discussions affected
by culture. In this case, because of the social and relational misalignment, it was not likely the
nurse and client/partner would engage in meanings of culture and socio-political context in
relation to their care.

Pros:
This approach offers more breadth and understanding of how intra-personal, inter-
personal, and contextual factors are at play in communication. People often make assumptions
predicated on these contextual factors, and therefore it is important to acknowledge these
elements in practicing and learning about good communication.

Cons:
This approach requires analysis and critical reflection. It requires a broader understanding
of historical, political, and social structures that affect communication. The specific factors
affecting a particular communication encounter may or may not be possible to uncover.
 Research
Transaction Model