COMMUNCATION: MODELS

    

MODELS OF COMMUNICATION

Today, the main models of communication are grouped into three categories:

1.    Linear models – only looks at one-way communication.

2.    Interactive models – looks at two-way communication.

3.    Transactional models – looks at two-way communication where the message gets more complex as the communication progresses (e.g. conversation).

1.    Linear Model

a.     Aristotle’s Model

b.    Lasswell’s Model

c.     Shannon-Weaver Model

d.    Berlo’s S-M-C-R Model

2.    Interactive Model

a.     Osgood-Schramm Model

b.    Westley and Maclean Model

3.    Transactional Model

a.     Barnlund’s Transactional Model

b.    Dance’s Helical Model

1.    LINEAR MODEL

 

Linear model only looks at one-way communication. This is the simplest model of communication.

a.    Aristotle’s Model

According to Aristotle’s model of communication, the speaker plays a major role in communication. He is responsible to prepare a message with clarity, meaningfulness and in a good format. He transmits that message to the receiver. He uses his wits and choose correct verbal as well as non-verbal methods of transmission.

 

Example-

                                     i.          A teacher addressing the whole class on a particular topic. Hence, everything (The selection of verbal and nonverbal), in this situation, depends on the teacher only.

                                   ii.          A Politician addressing a whole mass from the stage. He uses both verbal and nonverbal methods to impress the mass. The impression on the mass depends on the efficiency of the speaker only.

b.    Lasswell’s Model

The Lasswell Model is completely based on five (5) questions. These  are as follows:

                                                i.        Who said?                                     Sender/source
                                               ii.       What did they say?                        Message/content
                                              iii.       What was the channel?                  (electronic/print etc.)
                                              iv.       Whom did they say it to?               Receiver
                                               v.       What were the effects?                   Impact

 

These five questions are very crucial to make the communication effective and purposeful. According to this model a result-oriented communication must look into these five points.

c.     Shannon-Weaver Model

Claude Shannon explored the reasons of the failure of communication and find that every communication has something that disturbs it and he said it ‘noise’. Noise plays an important part between sender and receiver. Hence, he added noise to the linear model of communication. Noise may be physical, written or technical.

 

d.    Berlo’s S-M-C-R Model

According to Berlo’s S-M-C-R Model, the importance of communication is laid on both, the  sender and the receiver. Berlo said that to properly decode and encode the message, the communication skills of both, sender and receiver, must be good. If both are skilled, the communication will be very effective.

 

2.    INTERACTIVE MODEL

Interactive Model of communication looks at two-way communication.

 

Some important models are as follows-

a.    Osgood-Schramm Model

Accoding to Osgood-Schramm model showed how we have to encode, decode, and interpret information in real-time during a conversation. The model does not differentiate between the sender and receiver, but sees each as being in an equal position as message encoders and decoders. Here feed back is immediate hence it reduces noise. For example- conversation between two people every speaker is listener and every listener is a speaker.

 

b.    Westley and Maclean Model

The Westley and Maclean model shows that our communication is influenced by environmental, cultural and personal factors.

 

The model also speaks about the importance of feedback in communication. It shows that the messages in communication are influenced by who the source is, what his background is, and culture is. Study of a broader social context is required to know and understand the message.

3.    TRANSACTIONAL MODEL

The transactional model of communication refers to the continuous exchange of information where both the sender and receiver are involved in the process and take turns to communicate messages. The messages get more complex as the communication event (e.g. conversation) progresses.

 

Transactional model is explored by the two scientists- 

a.    Barnlund’s Transactional Model

According to Barnlund interpersonal, communication receives immediate feedback. The approach is that the feedback for the sender is the reply for the receiver. The message construction is highly impacted by certain ‘cues’ like-

Public Cues: These are environmental cues.

Private Cues: These are a person’s thoughts and background.

 

b.    Dance’s Helical Model

Dance’s Helical Model sees communication as a circular process that gets more and more complex as communication proceeds. This model can be represented by a helical spiral.

 According to this model we improve our messages over time by using feedback. In communicate the feedback by one person influences the  next statement of the receiver of that feedback.

 

It is represented by the increasingly wider and wider circles that shows that we become more knowledgeable with each cycle of communication. The continuous and upward movement of the spiral indicates that each communication practice is new and different from the previous. There is no repetition of any circle.