Lesson 1

Models of Communication

What are models of communication?

According to Denis McQuail, “a model is a selective representation in verbal or diagrammatic form of

some aspect of the dynamic process of mass communication.”

Understanding communication models can help us:

 Think about our communication situations more deliberately,

 Better prepare for future situations, and
 Learn from our previous experiences

8 Major models of communication

There are 8 major models of communication, that can be divided into 3 categories:

Linear models — Only look at one-way communication. The most prominent linear models of
communication are:
 Aristotle’s model of communication
 Laswell’s model
 The Shannon-Weaver model
 Berlo’s S-M-C-R model
Interactive models — They look at two-way communication. These are the following:
 The Osgood-Schramm model
 The Westley and Maclean model
Transactional models — They look at two-way communication where the message gets more
complex as the communication event progresses. These include:
 Barnlund’s transactional model
 Dance’s helical model

Linear models

Suggest that communication takes place only in one direction

 The main elements in these models are:
 The channel,
 The sender, and
 The receiver

1. Aristotle’s Model

The oldest communication model that dates back to 300 BC.

Aristotle’s model was designed to examine how to become a better and more persuasive communicator.
It is a foolproof way to excel in public speaking, seminars, and lectures, where the sender (public
speaker, professor, etc.) passes on their message to the receiver (the audience). So, the sender is the
only active member in this model, whereas the audience is passive.

Aristotle identified three elements that improve communication:

Ethos — defines the credibility of the speaker. Speaker gains credibility, authority, and power by being
an expert in a field of their choice.

Pathos — connects the speaker with the audience through different emotions (anger, sadness,
happiness, etc.)

Logos — an important element that signifies logic. It is not enough for the speech to be interesting — it
needs to follow the rules of logic.

Aside from that, Aristotle suggested that we look at five components of a communication situation to
analyze the best way to communicate:

Speaker

Speech

Occasion

Target audience to

Effect

2. Laswell’s Model
Communication is the transmission of a message with the effect as the result.

If any of the elements change, the effect also changes.

3. The Shannon-Weaver Model

Shannon and Weaver were mathematicians, who developed their work during the Second World War in
the Bell Telephone Laboratories.

Shannon and Weaver were the first to introduce the role of noise in the communication process. In his
book Introduction to Communication Studies.

4. Berlo’s S-M-C-R model

Gives a detailed account of the key elements in each step.

The source

The source or the sender carefully puts their thoughts into words and transfers the message to the
receiver.

 Communication skills — The speaker should know when to pause, what to repeat, how to
pronounce a word, etc.
 Attitude — The source needs to make a lasting impression on the receiver(s).
 Knowledge — It refers to the clarity of the information which the source wants to transfer to the
receiver.
 Social system — The source should be familiar with the social system in which the
communication process takes place.
 Culture — The source needs to be acquainted with the culture in which the communication
encounter is taking place.

The message

 Content — This is the script of the conversation.

 Elements — That is why other elements have to be taken into account: gestures, body language,
facial expressions, etc.
 Treatment — the way the source treats the message.
 Structure — The source has to properly structure the message.
 Code — All the elements, verbal and nonverbal, need to be accurate.

The channel

All our senses are the channels that help us communicate with one another.

 Hearing
 Sense of taste
 Our sense of sight
 Smelling
 Touching

The receiver

To understand the message, the receiver should entail the same elements as the source. They should
have similar communication skills, attitudes, and knowledge, and be acquainted with the social system
and culture in which they communicate.
Interactive models

Refers to two-way communication with feedback.

Ements of these models:

 Sender
 Message
 Receiver
 Feedback
 Field of experience
 The field of experience represents a person’s culture, past experiences, and personal history.

5. The Osgood-Schramm Model

Circular model of communication, in which messages go in two directions.

There are four principles in this model:

Communication is

circular

— individuals involved in the communication process are changing their roles as encoders and decoders.

Communication is

equal and reciprocal

— both parties are equally engaged as encoders and decoders.

The message requires

interpretation

— the information needs to be properly interpreted to be understood.

There are
three steps

in the process of communication:

Encoding

Decoding

Interpreting

6. The Westley and Maclean Model

Primarily used for explaining mass communication.

This model introduces environmental and cultural factors to the process of communication. The
communication process does not start with the source/sender, but rather with environmental factors.

This model consists of nine crucial components:

 Environment (X)
 Sensory experience (X¹)
 Source/Sender (A)
 The object of the orientation of the source (X²)
 Receiver (B)
 The object of the orientation of the receiver (X³)
 Feedback (F)
 Gatekeepers (C)
 Opinion leaders
9 Key elements of communication in the Westley and Maclean Model

 Environment (X)

According to the Westley and Maclean Model, the communication process starts when a stimulus from
the environment motivates a person to create and send a message.

 Sensory experience (X¹)

When the sender of the message experiences something in their environment that nudges them to send
the message, we are talking about sensory experience as an element of communication.

 Source/Sender (A)

Only now does the sender come into play.

The object of the orientation of the source (X²)

The next element of communication in this model is the object of the orientation of the source.

Namely, the object of the orientation of the source is the sender’s beliefs or experiences.

 Receiver (B)

The receiver is the person who receives the message from the sender.

The object of the orientation of the receiver (X³)

The object of orientation of the receiver is the receiver’s beliefs or experiences, which influence how the
message is received.

 Feedback (F)

Feedback is crucial for this model because it makes this model circular, rather than linear.

As a matter of fact, feedback influences how messages are sent.

After they have received the feedback, the sender modifies the message and sends it back.

 Gatekeepers (C)

This element usually occurs in mass communication, rather than in interpersonal communication.

Gatekeepers are editors of the messages senders are trying to communicate to receivers.

Transactional models
Transactional models are the most dynamic communication models. Communication is viewed as a
transaction, meaning that it is a cooperative process

Show that we do not just exchange information during our interactions, but create relationships, form
cross-cultural bonds, and shape our opinions.

In other words, communication helps us establish our realities.

Their key components are:

 Encoding
 Decoding
 Communicators
 The message
 The channel
 Noise

7. Barnlund’s Transactional Model

Explores interpersonal, immediate-feedback communication, and is a multi-layered feedback system.

That means that the sender and the receiver change their places and are equally important. Feedback
for the sender is the reply for the receiver, and both communicators provide feedback.

The main components of Barnlund’s Transactional Model are:

 Encoding
 Decoding
 Communicators
 The message (including the cues, environment, noise), and
 The channel

This model accentuates the role of cues in impacting our messages. So, Barnlund differentiates between:

 Public cues (environmental cues),

 Private cues (person’s personal thoughts and background), and
 Behavioral cues (person’s behavior, that can be verbal and

All these cues, as well as the environment, and noise, are part of the message. Each communicator’s
reaction depends on their background, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs.

8.Dance’s Helical Model

Communication is seen as a circular process that gets more and more complex as communication
progresses.

With every cycle of communication, we expand our circle, and each communication encounter is
different from the previous one because communication never repeats itself.

Additionally, in the process of communication, the feedback we get from the other party involved
influences our next statement and we become more knowledgeable with every new cycle.

Sourece:https://pumble.com/learn/communication/communication-models/
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