Communication Studies

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Objectives for today’s class:

 Review what we learned in previous lesson (10-15 minutes)

 Discuss in greater detail the role of each element in the communication process (10
minutes)
 Draw the communication process diagram (5 Mins)
 Discuss the different models of communication and their limitations. (25 minutes)

 NEXT single session class: SBA---Come with ideas for your theme (General) and topic
(Specific)
 FRIDAY-Graded work on “The Communication Process”
Previous class….

 Yesterday we discussed the elements of communication. Can you name them?

 Sender/Encoder
 Message
 Channel/Medium: Channel is pathway (internet, post office, telephone) Medium is form (letter,
email, speech,
 Receiver
 Feedback
 Can you remember which parts of speech we use to name the elements?
 NOUNS!!!!
Previous class…

 We also discussed the characteristics of language. Name ONE characteristic you remember and
explain it in your own words.
 Irreversible-"Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again.” Once a message
is received by the communicator, you cannot undo the fact that it was received.
 Continuous-This communication process is ongoing because it is not limited to what is said, but also
what is implied through our movement/ body language/ expressions/ gestures. Unintended
communication acts happen.
 Dynamic-Communication is always changing. The Lexicon (words we use) as well as the process (how
we communicate using different channels). Examples: “That was lit” means something was well done
or exciting. People send messages or update their status or posts instead of calling or writing letters.
 Inevitable-We cannot stop communicating. It is bound to happen. Even if we don’t intend to
communicate or transmit messages, we do and we also receive them.
Previous class….

 Human-Human societies communicate through common/shared symbols and signs. It is

different from animal communication because our communication system evolves/changes. Our
system of communication is more complex than that used by lower animals.
 Transactive-transactive communication occurs when sources transmit messages to one
another simultaneously and send back acknowledgment messages. May be communal or
relational. Relational communication involves the role of communication in developing,
maintaining, and dissolving relationships. Communal communication involves communication
shared by a community for a purpose.
 Contextual-the situation or atmosphere in which communication takes place. Context can be
environmental or social. Consider things such as the role of the participants, their status, the
formality of their environment, place, time, event, attitudes of sender and receiver etc.
END OF REVISION

 Moving along…..
A Diagram of the Communication Process
(CAPE Communication Studies pg. 19)
The Communication Process
 Sender
 Conceptualizes message mental process of framing the message)
 encodes message (ideas within the message are transformed into a system of signs and symbols that can be
understood both by the source and the audience)
 transmits message through language via channels (which includes sensory pathways such as aural channel and
visual channel,. It could also mean technological channels such as television, internet, telephone etc.)
 modifies message through non-verbal means such as gestures or tone of voice.
 Receiver-receives the message, decodes the message, interprets the message, reacts to the message in
verbal and non-verbal ways, becomes a sender
 Noise
 Internal noise-daydreaming, physical discomfort, lack of interest, emotional disturbance etc.
 External noise-overloaded channels, outside distractions, conditions causing discomfort, inaudibility
 Semantic noise-language differences, offensive vocabulary, use of jargon or complicated syntax
 Channels-aural/visual
The Models of Communication
LINEAR, INTERACTIVE AND TRANSACTIONAL.
A Linear View-What did your homework
reveal?
Linear Model

 In this linear communication model, communication is like giving an injection: a sender

encodes ideas and feelings into some sort of message and then conveys them by means of
a channel (speech, writing, and so on) into a receiver, who decodes the message.
Linear Model cont.

 The model highlights how different channels can affect the way a receiver
responds to a message.

 It also introduces the concept of noise- a term used by social scientist to describe
any forces that interfere with effective communication. Noise can occur at any
stage of the communication process.
Linear Model cont.

 Three types of noise can disrupt communication- external, physiological and

psychological.
 External noise also called physical, includes those factors outside the receiver that
make it difficult to hear, as well as other kinds of distractions. Eg. a smoky room,
loud noise
 Physiological noise involves biological factors in the receiver or sender that
interfere with accurate reception: illness, fatigue and so on.
 Psychological Noise-refers to forces within a communicator that interfere with the
ability to express or understand a message accurately. For eg, stress, defensiveness.
Disadvantages of the Linear View

 It makes the assumption that all communication involves encoding. For eg. There
are non-verbal cues that occur whether we speak or not. Some of these cues are
unconsciously done.
 It also suggest that communication flows in one direction, from sender to receiver. It
ignores the fact that receivers react to messages by sending other messages of their
own.
An Interactive Model
Interactive Model

 This model makes the importance of feedback clear. It shows that most
communication is , indeed, a two way affair in which we both send and receive
messages.

 It also identifies a clue to the cause of many misunderstandings. Such

misunderstandings often arise because communicators often occupy different
environments- fields of experience- that help them understand another’s behaviour.
ENVIRONMENT?

 In communication terminology, environment refers not only to a physical location

but also to the personal experiences and cultural background that participants
bring to a conversation.

 Consider just some of the factors that might contribute to different environments:
 A might belong to one ethnic group and B to another
 A might be rich and B poor
Interactive Model cont.

 In the figure showed in the previous slide, the environments A and B overlap,
representing the background communicators must have in common. As the shared
environment becomes smaller, communication becomes more difficult.
 Differing environments make understanding difficult, but certainly not impossible.
Hard work and many communication skills help to bridge the gap that separates us.
A Transactional View
A transactional View

 The activity of communicating is best represented by a transactional communication

model.
 A transactional model reveals that we usually send and receive messages
simultaneously, so that the images of sender and receiver should not be separated as
if a person were doing only one or the other, but rather superimposed and redefined
as ‘communicators.’
Transactional View cont.

 The model also posits that communication isn’t something we do to others, rather, it
is an activity we do with them.

 The transactional nature of communication is explained in the relationship between

parents and children.
In concluding…

 Communication is a continuous, transactional process involving participants who

occupy different but overlapping environments and create a relationship by
simultaneously sending and receiving messages, many of which are distorted by
external, physiological and psychological noise.