COMMUNICATION SCIENCE 010
LEARNING UNIT 1: An
Introduction to Communication
Science
Learning Unit Objectives
• Define communication
• Identify and discuss the elements of the
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communication process
Discuss the different communication contexts
Explain the NEEDS for communication
List the guidelines for effective communication
Discuss the various models of communication
Defining Communication
Communication is a two-way (1),
transactional (1) process (1) whereby the
sender (1) sends a message (1) through a
medium/ channel (1) to a receiver (1)
who, in turn, gives feedback (1) to show
understanding (1) or negotiate meaning
(1). The sender has to encode (1) the
message in a way that the receiver is able
to decode (1) it.
The Communication PROCESS
Lasswell describe the Communication Process
as:
- WHO?
(a sender)
- SAYS WHAT?
(a message)
- IN WHICH CHANNEL? (a medium/ channel)
- TO WHOM?
(a receiver)
- WITH WHAT EFFECT? (feedback)
ELEMENTS of the Communication
Process (part 1)
(1) Sender – also called the initiator; communicator; transmitter; source or
encoder. Has a need to communicate. Encodes the message in an
understandable way. Example: Bianca tells her brother to shut up – thus,
‘Bianca’ is the sender.
(2) Message – the information conveyed during the communication process.
The message must be understood for effective communication to take
place. Messages have a content (what is said) and relational (how it
is said) meaning. E.g. the difference between telling a friend ‘I love you’
or ‘I luuuurrve you’. The content is ‘I love you’, but how it is said,
determines the meaning.
Four types of messages:
(2.1) Intentional verbal – Using words deliberately. E.g. “Hi, how are
you?”
(2.2) Unintentional verbal – Using words by accident. E.g. Slip of the
tongue.
(2.3) Intentional non-verbal – Not using words deliberately. E.g. Slapping
a friend on the back.
(2.4) Unintentional non-verbal – Not using words by accident. E.g. Getting
goose bumps when you hear the new Mariah Carey song.
… ELEMENTS (part 2)
(3)
Receiver – also referred to as the destination,
respondent or decoder. Where understanding takes
place. Is an active
participant in the
communication process;
and provide feedback.
Example: Bianca tells her brother to shut up; thus,
‘the brother’ is the recipient.
(4)
The Medium/ Channel – The way the message is
transported from the sender to the receiver (and
visa versa). E.g. A newspaper (medium) placing an
article (message).
…ELEMENTS (part 3)
(5)
Feedback – also referred to as reaction or response (1). Feedback is sent
from the receiver (1) to the sender to show their level of understanding of
the message (1). Without feedback the sender will not know whether their
message was received as intended (1). Feedback can be verbal (1) or nonverbal (1). E.g. Bianca tells her brother to shut up, and her brother sticks out
his tongue at her. “Sticking out of tongue” is the non-verbal feedback given
by Bianca’s brother (1).
(6)
Noise – noises prevent successful communication. Three (3) types of noise:
6.1 Physical – a tangible, actual prevention of communication. E.g. An
article torn in half, a dog barking, a deaf person from hearing a speaker, etc.
6.2 Psychological – when we do not concentrate. E.g. thinking about
McDonalds; a fight with your best friend
6.3 Semantic – when you can hear/ read/ see the message, and you
concentrate, but do not understand the message. E.g. The speaker presents
in a foreign language; a lot of bombastic jargon.
(7) Setting – The environment we communicate in. E.g. we communicate
differently in a lecture room, than in a club
Communication CONTEXTS (part 1)
(1) IntRApersonal communication context
Messages sent by the self, with the self about the self. E.g.
Writing in a diary or thinking about how cool Mr. Marchant’s class
is
(2) IntERpersonal communication context
Communication between two (2) people (or two (2) groups). E.g.
my best friend and I having a conversation about the vacation.
(3) Small-group communication context
Communication between three (3) to twelve (12) people. We
belong to many different groups: family, friends and college.
Groups require shared values (e.g. in our group we do not curse).
Work groups exist to achieve a specific goal. The perfect number
of members in a small group are five (5)/ seven (7)… an uneven
number can break a deadlock in a vote. E.g. A group of students
working on an assignment.
CONTEXTS (part 2)
(4) Public communication context
Refers to public speaking. Happens in a public place. The speaker does most of the
talking, while the audience does most of the listening. Feedback is usually more nonverbal, such as yawning, nodding of heads, etc. E.g. Mr. Marchant facilitating a
lecture, while students listen.
(5) Organisational communication context
* Organisation: a group of people coming together with a common goal to transform
material/ energy/ information into an outcome.
* Organisational communication: the communication needed to combine individual
behaviour into a functioning system. Used to co-ordinate organisational relationships
to achieve objectives.
Different types of organisational communication:
(5.1) Downward – from top to bottom. E.g. Instructions from manager to
employee.
(5.2) Upward - from bottom to top. E.g. Suggestions from employee to manager.
(5.3) Horizontal – between people on the same level. E.g. share of information
between the Marketing manager and the Production manager.
(5.4) Informal – also called the ‘grapevine’ or rumour mill. E.g. Two employees and
a manager discussing an order during lunch.
(6) Mass communication context
Communication between a sender and a large audience. The message is mediated
(i.e. sent through a middle medium such as television, radio, or newspaper).
Feedback is delayed. E.g. The president’s state of the nation address watched by
South Africans on television.
NEEDS for Communication
i)
Physical (bodily) and Psychological (mental)
* Physical needs: water, air, shelter, food, etc.
* Psychological need: comfort, support, love, etc.
Thus, we communicate to survive!
ii)
Relationship
We communicate to initiate, maintain and sustain relationships. E.g. we phone our
friends regularly to keep up the bond we have with them.
We need good relationships, as this helps us to understand who we are (sense of self).
iii)
Information
Information has become something we buy and sell – think about how we buy
magazines to see pictures of our favourite zelebrities. We communicate to get
information so that we can make informed decisions. E.g. We watch for the weather on
SABC3 News so that we know how to dress the next day.
iv)
Decision-making
We make decisions consciously (which restaurant to eat at) and unconsciously
(brushing our teeth), but all decisions require communication to obtain necessary
information (e.g. which restaurant; and which toothpaste).
v)
Persuasion
We need communication to convince people, or to be convinced of something. E.g. We
use effective communication to persuade a friend to join us for a movie, while we need
persuading when studying an extra few hours for a test.
GUIDELINES for effective
communication
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Take time
Empathise
Be honest and sincere
Acknowledge the person
Be welcoming and inclusive
Be open to intercultural learning
Learn how to communicate with
persons with disabilities
Learn names and their
pronunciations
Network
Do not ASS-u-me
Ask questions
Listen
Encourage open communication
Be willing to help
• Learn and understand different
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religions
Try to understand a person’s
beliefs
Be respectful
Learn and understand different
cultures
Learn and understand body
language
Learn and understand a person’s
experience with discrimination
Share correct information (do not
rely on stereotyping)
Step out of your comfort zone
Maintain positive dialogue (do not
become confrontational)
Learn a new language
Do not make discriminatory
remarks
Three (3) Communication MODELS
1.
Lasswell’s Model of Communication (1948)
What this model is about: Describing the communication process as WHO? (1)
SAYS WHAT? (1) to WHOM? (1) using WHICH CHANNEL? (1), with WHAT
EFFECT? (1). The model, developed by Harold Lasswell (1) says that there is
an effect (intentional or unintentional (1)) on the receiver (1). Communication
is a one-way process (1).
Criticism: Lack focus on feedback (1).
2.
Shannon and Weaver (1949)
What the model is about: Communication is one-way (1)/ linear (1). The
model helps explain noise (1), interpersonal- (1) and mass communication (1).
The model deals with how reliable (1) (trustworthy) a message is and how
noise influences reliability (1).
Criticism: Lack focus on feedback (1); lack focus on meaning of message (1);
describe noise only as external (1).
3.
Osgood and Schramm’s Circular Communication model
What the model is about: Describe communication as a circular (1) process
(1). The sender and receiver negotiate meaning (1). The model include
feedback (1) and describe communication as two-way (1).
Criticism: Cannot be applied to mass communication (1) as it only views two
participants in the communication process (1).