Basic Communication Models

• Models are used to illustrate and further explain the communication process. These models demonstrate the relationship among the elements of communication. They also trace the flow of communication, which sheds further light on the definition and nature of communication.
• Linear Models


  • Paved the way in theorizing communication as a process
  • Introduced major elements of communication
  • Limitations lie in the one-way nature of models
• The interactive models of communication emphasize the two-way process in communication. Here, the source and the receiver assume interchanging role: the receiver becomes the source of the feedback, which the original source now receives.
• These interactive models are able to provide balanced voices for the source and receiver. The participants assume equal shifting role, thus allowing the communication process to continue. Here, the linear models are improved, reflecting the progressing view of communication. However, one critique on interactive models is that it assumes that participants can only communicate in response to one another.
• In transactional models of communication, the participants are viewed as more dynamic because they can function as source and receiver simultaneously. Furthermore, these models explain that communication not only continues but also changes at any point. The flow of communication and the roles of the participants are ever-changing, depending on prior experiences, culture, context, and other factors.
• The transactional model of communication further improves the interactive models by focusing on the continuity of interaction. Here, we see that communication serves a purpose for participants, and as they engage in communication, they also grow as communicators. This allows them to improve as individuals and as participants, establishing long-term linkages with each other.