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Study Guide in (GE 4 – Purposive Communication)
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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___
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COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES, AND ETHICS
MODULE OVERVIEW
It is often believed that communication is the blood life of the society, it makes the world go round and
makes people understand the world they are living in. In communication, English is one essential language for
success. And becoming an effective communicator is an edge in order to cope with today’s society.
All of you can become better communicators if you just try harder. Among other things, you can start by
getting a better picture of what communication is and how it works - - absorbing principles, learning concepts,
and applying them in practical situations inside the classroom and in real life as members of the community.
MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Describe the nature, elements, and functions of verbal and non-verbal communication in various and
multicultural contexts.
2. Explain the difference between morals and ethics, and their importance in communication settings.
LEARNING CONTENTS (Definition, Process, and Elements of Communication)
COMMUNICATION
 From the Latin communicare, meaning "to share" is the act of conveying meanings from
one entity or group to another through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols,
and semiotic rules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication
 The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. The
successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings. (Oxford English Dictionary)
 A common understanding of something (Chase & Shamo, 2013)
 The simultaneous sharing and creating of meaning through human symbolic interaction. (Seiler and
Beall, 1999)
 A systematic process in which individuals interact with and through symbols to create and interpret
meanings (Wood, 2004)
Communication is a process of creating and sharing meaning by using verbal and nonverbal symbols
in varied contexts.
THREE PRIMARY FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Verbal Communication depends on words to deliver meaning. It is further subdivided into written
communication and oral communication. Written communication can involve anything from words on a page
to emails, to text messages. Oral communication involves spoke words. This can be done in person, through
the phone, or over video chat. Oral communication is often quicker than written communication although
meaning can be shaded using tone, inflection, and volume.
Nonverbal Communication occurs when meaning or messages are sent or received without the use of
words. Nonverbal communication can be intentional or unintentional. Physical nonverbal communication can
be displayed through body language, facial expressions, touch, or eye contact. Nonverbal communication can
also be used to modify the meaning of verbal communications. Some researchers believe that nonverbal
communications account for 55 percent of all communication.
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Visual Communication utilizes drawings, illustrations, pictures, colors, graphs, charts, and signs to share
meaning. Visual communication can be used in conjunction with verbal communication, or it can stand on its
own. Visual communication is frequently used in advertising, art, and entertainment. Often, this form of
communication can be left further up to interpretation than other forms of communication. In these cases, it is
often the recipient of the communication who imparts at least some meaning on the message.
THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
To achieve effective communication, one needs to understand the communication process, which is
quite complex because it is difficult to pinpoint where and with whom a particular communication begins or
ends. The best way to illustrate this is through a model.
The communication process involves eight stages or steps:
source
feedback
message
receiver
encoding
context
message
message
channel
decoding
message
1. SOURCE
 Sender of the message
 Know exactly what information to give or share
2. MESSAGE
 The information you want to convey
 Details of the information should be very clear
3. ENCODING
 The mental process of converting your ideas or thoughts into verbal and/ or nonverbal
symbols that can be understood by the receiver of the message
4. CHANNEL
 The manner in which the message or information is conveyed
 It may be in the form of a face-to-face conversation, text message, phone call, video
conference, letter, email, reports, memo)
5. DECODING
 The receiver’s mental process of the message into the meaning suggested by the verbal
and/or nonverbal symbols used by the sender.
6. RECEIVER
 The people or group of people who will get the message.
7. FEEDBACK
 The receiver’s response or reply to the message
8. CONTEXT
 The situation in which the communication takes place
 It includes the
a. the environment - location, time, temperature
b. the relationship between the communicators
c. their respective cultural backgrounds and past experiences
d. the topic or subject of their communication
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ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Sender (who the source is)
2. Message (what idea is being communicated)
3. Channel (through what medium the message is relayed)
4. Receiver (to whom is the message directed)
5. Effect (what the desired result of the communication is)
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Briefly answer the following questions.
1. Why is the communication model in the above figure in a circular form?
2. When do we say that a communication process is a success and/ or a failure?
LEARNING CONTENTS (Key Principles of Communication)
FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Intrapersonal Communication - Is a communication which happens within one’s self. Here both
Source (sender) and receiver is only one. so, the feedback works without any interruption. Example: A
person can communicate himself through pain, thinking, feelings and emotion etc.
2. Interpersonal Communication - The process of exchange of information, ideas and feelings
between two or more people through verbal or non-verbal methods. It often includes face-to-face
exchange of information, in a form of voice, facial expressions, body language and gestures. The
level of one’s interpersonal communication skills is measured through the effectiveness of transferring
messages to others.
a. Dyadic Communication - Two persons are involved in this communication process. Here the
source becomes a receiver and receiver becomes source because of dynamic communication
process where the feedbacks are shared between the source and the receiver.
b. Small Group Communication - More than two members involved in communication process will
become a group communication. If least number of persons is involved in the group
communication is called as small group communication. In this communication process, everyone
becomes a Source as well as receiver through sharing information and gives feedback to another.
c. Public Communication - Source or messages from a single person will reach or will be received
by huge number of audiences. Feedback is quite distant because of the large number of
receivers.
d. Mass Communication - Basically have a large number of audience and they can’t be grouped
together in one place so a certain tool or technology for communication process is needed. But in
mass communication, there is no direct access with the receiver/s so there is a need for the use
of media like newspaper, radio, television and internet. Here the audience feedback is very less
or delayed.
KEY PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIONNTS (Elem
The following principles are based on the real-life functioning of interpersonal communication
(King, 2000).
1. Interpersonal communication is inescapable. I tis not possible for humans not to communicate.
Even the attempt of not wanting to communicate communicates something. Your poker face as you
communicate to somebody also means a lot. You communicate through both words and behavior,
and as long as you are alive, you can still behave; hence, you can communicate from others not only
through words but also through voice tone, gesture, posture, bodily movement, facial expression,
clothes worn, and so on. Because of this fact, since people are not mind readers, you are often
judged through your behavior, not your intention or purpose.
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2. Interpersonal communication is irreversible. How often have you said words in anger and wished
you could all take them back? Once you have uttered something you can never take it back, and its
effect remains. Anyone who says that t apologies can heal the hurt caused by offensive remarks is
lying, Words are powerful they can either heal or harm others. This principle of communication best
expressed in a Russian proverb which says, "Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never
swallow it again."
3. Interpersonal communication is complicated. Whenever you communicate with anyone, you
simultaneously interpret both his verbal and nonverbal language, and that is often both confounding
and demanding. For one thing, words (verbal) alone complicate things: A word does not have just one
meaning, it is usually not used in the same way, and no two people use the same word exactly alike.
Added to this complexity, nonverbal symbols are more vague than words since they are interpreted in
many ways. They are primarily relational besides being both culture and gender-bound. To make
matters much more difficult, no form of communication is simple because whenever you
communicate, there are actually at least six "people" involved: (a) the person whom you think you are;
(b) the person whom you think the other person is; (c) the person whom you think the other person
thinks you are, (d) the person whom you think the other person thinks he is; (e) the person whom the
other person thinks you think you are, and (f) the person whom the other person thinks you think he
is.
4. Interpersonal communication is contextual. In other words, communication is affected by several
factors; it does not happen in isolation There are many things that need to be considered, such as the
ones given below (King, 2000).
a. Psychological context, which is who you are, and what you as sender or receiver bring to the
interaction--your needs, desires, values, beliefs, personality, and so on.
b. Relational context, which concerns your reactions to the other person based on relationship-as boss,
colleague, friend, sibling. parent, and the like.
c. Situational context, which deals with the psycho-social "where you are communicating. An interaction
that takes place in a classroom, which quite formal, will be very different from one that takes place in a
bar, which is very informal where communicators do not need to be guarded in their speech
d. Environmental context, which has to do with the physical "where you are communicating-objects in
the room and their arrangement, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day.
e. Cultural context, which includes all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. For
instance, bodily movement, facial expression, gesture, distance, and eye contact vary in different
cultures. If you come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rude to
make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the other person comes
from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then we have in the cultural
context a basis for misunderstanding.
LEARNING CONTENTS (Difference of Morals and Ethics; Ethics in Communication))
MORALS AND ETHICS
Ethics and morals relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. While they are sometimes used
interchangeably, they are different: ethics refer to rules provided by an external source, e.g., codes of
conduct in workplaces or principles in religions. Morals refer to an individual’s own principles regarding
right and wrong.
Morals and ethics ensure discipline among us; without these codes of conduct standards or rules
that guide our behavior, our world will be chaotic. But how do morals and ethics differ? Morals are personal
codes while ethics are societal. Morals are our own set of rules, so others are neither expected nor required
to follow them. Ethics, on the other hand, are rules accepted and approved by society, so they are impose
upon everyone.
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Ethics versus Morals
Comparison Chart
Ethics
Morals
Origin
Greek word "ethos" meaning
"character"
Latin
word
"custom"
"mos"
meaning
What are they?
The rules of conduct recognized
in respect to a particular class of
human actions or a particular
group or culture.
Principles or habits with respect to
right or wrong conduct. While
morals also prescribe dos and
don'ts, morality is ultimately a
personal compass of right and
wrong.
Where do they
come from?
Social system - External
Individual - Internal
Why we do it?
Because society says it is the
right thing to do.
Because we believe in something
being right or wrong.
Flexibility
Ethics are dependent on others
for definition. They tend to be
consistent within a certain
context, but can vary between
contexts.
Usually consistent, although can
change if an individual’s beliefs
change.
The "Gray"
A person strictly following Ethical
Principles may not have any
Morals at all. Likewise, one
could violate Ethical Principles
within a given system of rules in
order to maintain Moral integrity.
A Moral Person although perhaps
bound by a higher covenant, may
choose to follow a code of ethics
as it would apply to a system.
"Make it fit"
Acceptability
Ethics
are
governed
by
professional and legal guidelines
within a particular time and place
Morality transcends cultural norms
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION
Deirdre D. Johnston (1994) pointed out ten ethics in communication that you should bear in mind to avoid
being labeled "unethical" (as cited in Chase & Shamo, 2013, pp. 140-141).
1. Mutuality. Pay attention to the needs of others, as well as yours.
2. Individual dignity. Do not cause another person’s embarrassment or a loss dignity.
3. Accuracy. Ensure that others have accurate information. Tell them everything they have a right and
need to know, not just what is true.
4. Access to information. Never bolster the impact of your communication by preventing people from
communicating with one another or by hindering access to the supporting information.
5. Accountability. Be responsible and accountable for the consequences of your relationships and
communication.
6. Audience. As audience or receiver of the information, you also have ethical responsibilities. A good
rule of thumb is the 100% rule, where both the sender and the receiver have full or 100%
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8.
9.
10.
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responsibility to ensure that the message is understood, and that ethics are followed. This is a
100/100 rule, not a 50/50 rule.
Relative truth. As either sender or receiver of information, remember that your own point of view may
not be shared by others and that your conclusions are relative to your perspective, so allow others to
respectfully disagree or see it differently.
Ends vs. means. Be sure that the end goal of your communication and the means of getting to that
end are both ethical although no rule can be applied without reservation to any situation.
Use of power. In situations where you have more power than others (e.g., a teacher with a student, a
boss with a subordinate, a parent with a child), you also have more responsibility for the outcome.
Rights vs. responsibilities. Balance your rights against your responsibilities even if you live in a
wonderful society where your rights are protected by law; not everything you have a right to do is
ethical.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
Using Johnston's ten ethics as guide, suggest ways to correct the unethical behaviors illustrated below.
1. A manager and an employee become friendly, and the employee asks the manager to report her part
of the project as finished even though she still has several days left to go.
2. Your boss promises you an extra day off if you rush out an important project by a certain date. You
work late hours and finish the project before the deadline. Ready for your day off, you mention it to
your boss who responds, "No, we have too much work to do."
SUMMARY
Communicating helps people to express their ideas and feelings, and it, at the same time, helps us to
understand emotion and thoughts of the others. It is no doubt that communication plays a vital role in human
life.
Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life skills. Those with good
interpersonal skills are strong verbal and non-verbal communicators and are often considered to be “good
with people” to learn.
Communication is a vital part of society. It plays a lot of roles, and it is essential for survival. People use
it to encourage, share ideas, connect, inform, and more. Without communication, there will be a
misunderstanding. And it must be used in doing what is ethical and moral in order to become agents of
effective communication.
REFERENCES
Chase, R & Shamo, S. (2013). Elements of Effective Communication, 4th ed. Washington, Utah: Plain and
Precious Publishing.
Padilla, Mely M., et.al. (2018), Communicate & Connect! Purposive Communication. Mutya
Publishing House Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk01YapFK1Tld4SaZf98H6FN1gWMhBw:1613026512465&q=type
s+of+communication&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXmqeCoOHuAhX9yYsBHaVaAVwQ1QIoAHoECAIQAQ&biw=11
58&bih=547
https://blog.smarp.com/interpersonal-communication-definition-importance-and-must-have-skills
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