Lesson 1: The

Discipline of
Communication
Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences
Lesson 1.1: Definitions and
Elements of the
Communication Process
 Transmission Models of
Communication

Sender or Source- Person, groups or

institutions that create or produce the
message; also referred to us, as
encoder.
Message- The ideas or meanings,
expressed in verbal or nonverbal
means, that is transmitted from the
source to the receiver.
.
 Transmission Models of
Communication

Channel- The medium, such as

radio, used to transmit the
message.
Receiver- The person, group or
institution to whom the message is
intended; also referred to us, as
decoder
 Transmission Models of
Communication

Encoding refers to the way the

communication source creates the
message into a form that be understood
by the receiver.

Decoding refers to the processing of the

message by the receiver so that he or she
is able to understand and react to it.
 Transmission Models of
Communication

Noise- Interference that prevents a message

from being accurately understood and
interpreted.
Context- The situation in which the
communication takes place and may
include sociocultural factors, the status and
roles of the communicators, rules. and the
like.
 Transmission Models of
Communication

Feedback- The response or

reaction of the receiver to the
message received.
Effect- Refers to the consequence
or result- or lack of result, for that
matter- of a communicative act.
 According to Harold Lasswell (1948), communication occurs when:

Transmission Models of
Communication

A source sends a message

Through a channel or medium
To a receiver
Producing some effect
This definition is conveniently
abbreviated as:
Source- Message- Channel-
 Wilbur Schramm also has a communication
model, that requires three elements referred to us,
as the source, the message, and the destination.

The Ritual Model of Communication

Transmission Models of Communication is
a useful representation of the
communication process between
persons, groups and in the mass media. It
implies a linear, one-directional flow, and
cause-and-effect relations (Carey, 1975).
 The Ritual Model of Communication

Communication is linked to such terms as

sharing, participation, association,
fellowship, and the possession of common
faith. A ritual view is not directed towards
the extension of messages in space, but
the maintenance of society in time; not the
act of imparting information but the
representation of shared beliefs.
Lesson 1.2: Functions
of Communication
and Media
 As a pervasive component of our
personal and social lives, communication
fulfills many functions.
Five main functions are usually
attributed to communication in society,
namely; surveillance, interpretation,
socialization, entertainment, and
mobilization(Laswell, 1948; Wright, 1960,
1974;McQuail, 2010)
Surveillance- Refers to the news and
information role of communication
media such as the news media.
Entertainment- Refers to functions related
to relaxation, reward, diversion, and reduction
of tension.
Mobilization- Refers to the communication and
media’s ability to generate public action about
a social issue, for instance, in relief efforts after
a disaster.
Socialization- refers to the transmission
of values and culture within a society
and also to the education functions of
communication and the media.
Interpretation- Refers to the analysis,
commentary, context, and other
meanings which are found in a
message. This function relates to
persuasion or the influence of attitudes
or opinions.
Indicating Relations of Power-
Facilitating innovation, adaptation,
and progress.
Correlation- Explaining, interpreting,
and commenting on the meaning of
events and information.
Socializing- Coordinating separate
activities.
Consensus-building- Setting orders of
priority and signaling relative status.
Lesson 1.3: Levels of
Communication
 Communication is also classified along
the so-called “levels”. The distinctions
between levels are based on the
characteristics such as the number of
people involved in the communication
act, the locations of the communicators,
immediacy of the communication
exchange, the communication context,
and the sensory channels.
Intrapersonal Communication- Is an
internal communication process
taking place within the individual.

Interpersonal Communication-
Involves two persons or a small group
such as a family.
Dyadic Communication- When two
persons are involved.
Group Communication- When there
are three or more persons
communication face-to-face and
able to give immediate responses or
feedback, such as in a meeting or in
a class recitation.
Public Communication- Involves a
large group such as a public lecture
or church ceremony
Direct Interpersonal Communication-
Involves face-to-face communication
between or among the
communicators.

Mediated Interpersonal
Communication- Involves the use of
technology such as telephone or
internet
 Other types of
communication

 Mass Communication- Involves the transmission

of messages to large audiences using
technology of communication

 Computer-Mediated Communication- Refer to

any communication taking place using the
computer and internet-based technologies
such as email, message boards, personal
websites, voice conferencing, chat rooms,
social media.