Week 2 Purposive Comm

• Defining Communication:

  • Communication is the process by which individuals share meaning
  • It involves the transmission of stimuli, usually verbal symbols, to modify the behavior of other individuals
  • Communication occurs whenever information is passed from one place to another
  • It includes all processes by which people influence one another
  • Black and Bryant (1922) define communication as the transmission of information, ideas, attitudes, or emotion from one person or group to another primarily through symbols
  • Gerbner (1967) defines communication as "social interaction through messages"
• • SRA Sourcebook (1996) defines communication as a process where a source sends a message to a receiver through a channel to produce a response in accordance with the source's intention
• Communication Models:

  • Communication models are theoretical frameworks that help understand how communication processes work
  • Different models highlight different aspects of communication
  • No single model can fully capture the complexity of human communication
  • Models provide different perspectives on how communication occurs, each with strengths and limitations
  • Choice of a model depends on the context and specific aspects of communication to be understood
• Aristotle's Communication Model:

  • Aristotle's model focuses on public speaking more than interpersonal communication
  • Formed with 5 basic elements: Speaker, Speech, Occasion, Audience, and Effect
  • Advises speakers to tailor speeches for different audiences, occasions, and effects
• Harold Dwight Lasswell Communication Model:

  • Describes communication focusing on the "who says what in which channel to whom and with what effect"
  • Involves the communicator sending a message using a medium for a receiver to experience an effect
  • Includes five variables: who, what, in which channel, to whom, and with what effect
• Shannon and Weaver Model:

  • Introduced in 1949 for effective communication between sender and receiver
  • Identifies factors affecting communication, such as noise
  • Deals with concepts like information source, transmitter, noise, channel, message, receiver, information destination, encode, and decode
• Berlo's Communication Model:

  • Source: Originator of the message
  • Message: Information being conveyed
  • Channel: Means by which the message is sent
  • Receiver: Person who receives and interprets the message
  • SMCR model stands for Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver
  • Social system, communication skills, attitudes, and knowledge are essential components
  • Content, elements, treatment, structure, and code are key aspects of the message
  • Receiver needs to think about all contents and elements of the source to communicate/respond effectively
• Criticism of Berlo's SMCR model:

  • Lack of feedback
  • Does not mention barriers to communication
  • No room for noise
  • Complex model
  • Linear model of communication
  • Requires people to be on the same level for effective communication
  • Omits the usage of the sixth sense as a channel of communication
• Schramm's Model:

  • Sender and Receiver: Communicators who exchange messages
  • Shared Field of Experience: Common understanding between sender and receiver
  • Feedback: Response of the receiver
  • Elements of communication are interdependent
• Osgood and Schramm's Model:

  • Emphasizes feedback as an integral part of communication
  • Communication is seen as an ongoing and circular process
  • Both sender and receiver play active roles in encoding and decoding
• Westley and MacLean's Model:

  • Includes the concept of "communication as a process of interaction"
  • Introduces the idea of the communication environment and how it influences the communication process
  • Feedback is considered essential for adapting to changes in the environment
• Dance's Helical Model:

  • Represents communication as a helix rather than a linear process
  • Views communication as evolving and changing over time
  • Emphasizes the importance of context and relationships in communication
  • May be used to illustrate information gaps and the thesis that knowledge tends to create more knowledge
• Newcomb's Model:

  • Introduces the role of communication in a society or social relationship
  • Communication maintains equilibrium within a social system
  • If A and B have similar attitudes about X, then the system is in equilibrium. Should their attitudes differ, then there is no equilibrium and A and B must communicate to find a way to put their system in balance
• Critical Theory of Communication:

  • Focuses on the role of power in communication
  • Examines how communication can be a tool for social change or maintaining the status quo
  • Emphasizes the importance of understanding societal structures and inequalities in communication
• 4 Attributes of Communication:

  • Symbolic Interaction
  • Dynamic: On-going; ever-changing, with no clear beginnings and endings
  • Systematic: Consist of group of elements which interact to influence each other and the system as a whole
  • Meaning is personally constructed: Meanings are in people, not in words
  • Communication as a process and its four attributes
• Levels of Communication:

  • Intrapersonal Communication: Communication with oneself
  • Interpersonal Communication: Face-to-face communication, person-to-person communication
  • Mass Communication: Communication that employs technological devices to disseminate symbolic content to large, heterogeneous, and widely dispersed audiences
• General Principles of Effective Communication:

  • Know your purpose in communicating
  • Know your audience
  • Know your topic
  • Adjust your speech or writing to the context of the situation
  • Work on the feedback given to you
• Effective Communication:

  • Communication Competence: Understanding what constitutes human communication and being an effective communicator
  • Qualities of a Competent Communicator:
  • We-not-Me Orientation
  • Understanding communication effectiveness
  • Sense of appropriateness
• Four basic components of communication competence:

  • Understanding
  • Communication skills
  • Interpersonal sensitivity
  • Ethical responsibility
• Shockley-Zalabak's elements of communication competence:

  • Knowledge: Knowing what to do, when to do, and how to do it
  • Skills: Ability to demonstrate knowledge in actual situations
  • Sensitivity: Being sensitive to the context
  • Values
• Competent communicators must be sensitive to the consequences of the communication choices they make
• Consider situation requirements: relationships with others in a group and goals of the communicator in light of the group's goals
• The desire to avoid previous mistakes and find better ways of communicating with group members is essential for effective communication
• Commitment to better communication is crucial for successful communication
• Failure to listen can hinder effective communication
• Principles of Effective Oral Communication:

  • Be clear about your purpose
  • Be complete with the message you deliver
  • Be concise
  • Be natural with your delivery
  • Be specific and timely with your feedback
• 7 Cs Principles of Effective Communication:

  • Be clear
  • Be concise
  • Be concrete
  • Be correct
  • Be coherent
  • Be complete
  • Be courteous
• Ethical Communication is based on business values such as being truthful, concise, and responsible with one's words and actions
• Establishing an effective value system is crucial for ethical communication
• Disclose vital information adequately and appropriately for ethical communication
• The main principle of ethical communication is honesty
• Communication Ethics:

  • Deals with values relating to human conduct
  • Maintaining the correct balance between speaking and listening
  • The principle of honesty should be completely applied by both the listener and the speaker
• Principles of Ethical Communication:

  • Advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason
  • Endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent
  • Promote access to communication resources and opportunities
  • Promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding
  • Condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity
• Interpersonal Communication Ethics:

  • Interpersonal communication refers to communication with another person
  • Divided into dyadic communication, public communication, and small-group communication
• Ethical Frameworks:

  • Deontological Ethics: expresses a commitment to basic principles
  • Utilitarian Ethics: focuses on the consequences of actions
  • Virtue Ethics: places value on moral character and caring for others
  • Situational or Contextual Ethics: each situation should be addressed differently