Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication

In 1960, David Berlo postulated Berlo's Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR)

model of communication from Shannon Weaver's Model of Communication(1949). He
described factors affecting the individual components in the communication making the
communication more efficient.

The model also focuses on encoding and decoding which happens before sender sends
the message and before receiver receives the message respectively. Berlo's Model has
mainly, four components to describe the communication process. They are sender,
message, channel and receiver. Each of the component is affected by many factors.
Components of Berlo's Model of Communication

S -Sender
Sender is the source of the message or the person who originates the message. The
person or source sends the message to the receiver. The following are the factor related
to sender and is also the same in the case of receiver.

Communication Skills
Communication skills of a person is a factor that affects the communication process. If
the sender has good communication skills, the message will be communicated better
than if the sender's communication skills are not good. Similarly, if the receiver can not
grasp the message, then the communication will not be effective. Communication skills
include the skills to speak, present, read, write, listening, etc.
Attitude
The attitude of the sender and the receiver creates the effect of the message. The
person's attitude towards self, the receiver and the environment changes the meaning
and effect of the message.
Knowledge
Familiarity with the subject of the message makes the communicated message have its
effect more. Knowledge on the subject matter makes the communicator send the
message effectively.
Social Systems
Values, beliefs, laws, rules, religion and many other social factors affect the sender's
way of communicating the message. It creates difference in the generation of message.
Place and situation also fall under social systems.
Culture
Cultural differences make messages different. A person from one culture might find
something offensive which is very much accepted in another culture.

M-Message
A message is the substance that is being sent by the sender to the receiver. It might be
in the form of voice, audio, text, video or other media. The key factors affecting the
message are:

Content
Content is the thing that is in the message. The whole message from beginning to end
is the content.
Elements
Elements are the non verbal things that tag along with the content like gestures, signs,
language, etc.
Treatment
Treatment is the way in which the message is conveyed to the receiver. Treatment also
effects the feedback of the receiver.
Structure
The structure of the message or the way it has been structured or arranged, affects the
effectiveness of the message.
Code
Code is the form in which the message is sent. It might be in the form of language, text,
video, etc.
C-Channel
Channel is the medium used to send the message. In mass communication and other
forms of communication, technical machines might be used as a channel like
telephone, internet, etc. But in general communication, the five senses of a human
being is the channel for the communication flow and it affects the effectiveness of the
channel.
Hearing - We receive the message through hearing.
Seeing - We perceive through seeing. We also get non-verbal messages by seeing.
Touching - Many of the non-verbal communication happens from touching like holding
hands.
Smelling - We collect information from smelling.
Tasting - Taste also provides the information to be sent as a message.

R- Receiver
Receiver is the person who gets the message sent in the process. This model believes
that the thinking pattern and all other factors mentioned above must be in sync to that
of the sender for the communication to be effective. The message might not have the
same effect as intended if the receiver and sender are not similar. The receiver must
also have a very good listening skill. Other factors are similar to that of the sender.
Communication skills
Attitudes
Knowledge
Social Systems
Culture

Criticisms of Berlo's SMCR Model:

There is no concept of feedback, so the effect is not considered.
There is no concept of noise or any kind of barriers in communication process.
It is a linear model of communication, there is no two way communication.
Both of the people must be similar according to all the factors mentioned above.

Schramm's Model of Communication

Schramm's Model of Communication was postulated by Wilbur Schramm in 1954, where
he suggested that communication is a two way process where both sender and receiver
take turns to send and receive a message.

The message is only sent after encoding so the sender is also called Encoder and the
encoded message is decoded under receipt by the receiver, making him the Decoder.
This model was adapted from the theories of another theorist Osgood, so is also known
as Osgood and Schramm Model of Communication or Encode-Decode Model of
Communication.
Osgood replaced the linear model of communication with the circular process of
communication and Schramm added the concept of field of experience to it. This model
is described in Schramm's book "The Process and Effects of Communication".

Different Components of Schramm's Model

Schramm's Model has different components for communications where

Sender (transmitter) is the person who sends the message.
Encoder is the person who converts the message to be sent into codes.
Decoder is the person who gets the encoded message which has been sent by the
encoder and converts it into the language understandable by the person.
Interpreter is the person who tries to understand and analyze the message. Message
is received after interpretation. Interpreter and receiver is the same person.
Receiver is the person who gets the message. He/she decodes and interprets the
actual message.
Message is the data sent by the sender and information that the receiver gets.
Feedback is the process of responding to the received message by the receiver.
Medium or media is the channel used to send the message.
Noise is the interference and interruptions caused during the process. It is also
created when the intended meaning of the message sent by the sender and the
meaning interpreted by the receiver is different which is known as Semantic Noise.
How Schramm's Model Works?
The model suggests that encoding and decoding are the two most important part of a
communication process.

Encoding assumes a critical part in starting the procedure of correspondence by

converting data into information. Encoding is done by a sender (transmitter) and sent
to a receiver.

When data reaches to the receiver, receiver decodes and interprets the data. This data
is called a message, and it is transmitted through a medium.

This model shows how meaning is transferred from one person or group to another.
Schramm's model of communication is used in both Intrapersonal and Interpersonal
communication.

The model takes communication as a never ending process which constitutes messages
and feedbacks.

Each person is both sender and receiver, so there must be interpretation of the
message on each turn. The interpreted data is known as information. This makes
communication effective but might cause problems too as the message sent after
encoding might not be the same when decoded by the receiver. So, this model is not
conventional like other models that only talk about sender and receiver.

Feedback is also a very important component as it lets the sender know if the receiver
has interpreted the message as required or not. The message becomes useless if the
receiver does not understand it making feedback different than the expected outcome.

The communication is incomplete if there is no feedback. Deliberate articulation and

passing on of message to others ensures communication.
For instance, A person is talking to someone who does not understand English. The
person codes the message and writes the message in the form of language. The other
person won't be able to decode it as the person cannot understand the language. The
feedback is immediately passed to the sender acknowledging that the receiver hasn't
interpreted the message as required making feedback an important component in the
communication.
Schramm's model of communication originated from Shannon Weaver's model of
communication. The Shannon-Weaver model is a more mathematical and technological,
whereas Schramm's model is more psychological.

Concepts of Schramm's Communication Model

Schramm believed that the background of the individual who is involved plays an
important role in communication. People with various knowledge, experience and
cultural practices interpret message in a different way than other.
A sender passes on the information to the receiver. The receiver interprets it according
to his/her knowledge, experiences and gives feedback to the sender. The main
concepts behind his model were

Field of experience
Field of Experience are the things that influences the understanding and interpretation
of message like culture, social background, beliefs, experiences, values and rules.

Same message can be interpreted differently by different people. If the words and signs
they both(sender and receiver) use are common they communicate more efficiently.

For example, a person who always eats with spoon is informed that that he has to eat
with hands in that place, the person will get offended because he will think it is impolite
to eat that way. Socio-cultural gap will change the way a person interprets the
message.

Context of the relationship

The people involved must have things in common to talk about. The message must be
something important to both. Communication will be easier if the relationship
between the sender and receiver is close.

For example, old friends will have many things to talk about in comparison to new ones
as they will have a larger mutual social circle.

Context of social environment influencing the field of

reference
People communicate according to the situation they are in. People act and
communicate according to the place, time, reason and settings they are facing. The
same people will act differently when they meet casually or for official purposes.
Use of Metaphors
Metaphors are used from experiences and it makes communication easier. When a
person relates one thing to another, explaining and interpreting it becomes easier.

For example, when relating the color blue to sea, the second person can form a proper
picture if he/she is said that the color of the glass in which he/she is supposed to drink
tea from is blue like sea.

Mental Models
Field of experience overlap due to mental conditioning and social conditioning of a
person.

Advantages of Schramm's Model of Communication

Circular communication gives opportunity to both parties to give their opinion.
As it is dynamic and ever changing model, it is helpful in general practice.
Sender and receiver interchanges and both are equally active.
Semantic noise included as a concept helps in understanding problems that can occur
during interpretation of message.
Feedback makes it easier to know if the message is interpreted by the receiver as
intended or not.
Concept of interpretation makes the communication effective.
Field of experience (psychological effect) helps to understand the communication
process in many other ways than the traditional ones..
Concept of context makes the environmental factor be included in interpretation of
message and brings change in the message value.

Disadvantages of Schramm's Model of Communication

This model can not deal with multiple levels of communication and complex
communication processes.
There can only be two sources communicating, many sources complicates the process
and the model can not be implemented.
Message sent and received might be interpreted differently than intended.

Transactional Model of Communication

Transactional model of communication is the exchange of messages between sender
and receiver where each take turns to send or receive messages.
Here, both sender and receiver are known as communicators and their role reverses
each time in the communication process as both processes of sending and receiving
occurs at the same time.
The communicators can be humans or machines but humans are taken as
communicators in this article to analyze general communication between humans. The
model is mostly used for interpersonal communication and is also called circular model
of communication.

Transactional Model Concept & Example

Transactional model is the process of continuous change and transformation where
every component is changing such as the people, their environments and the medium
used. Due to this, it assumes the communicators to be independent and act any way
they want.

Since both sender and receiver are necessary to keep the communication alive in
transactional model, the communicators are also interdependent to each other. For
example, transactional communication is not possible if the receiver is not listening to
sender.

The transactional model is the most general model of communication. Everyday

talk and interactions are also a form of transactional model communication. It is more
efficient for communicators with similar environment and individual aspects. For
instance, communication between people who know each other is more efficient
as they share same social system.
In transactional model, efficiency and reliability of communicated message also
depends on the medium used. For example, the same message might not be perceived
by a person the same way when it is send through a phone and when it is provided face
to face. It is because of possible loss of message on a phone call or absence of
gestures.

Factors Affecting Transactional Model

There are many factors directly or indirectly affecting the communication process in
transaction model. These can be environmental noise or communication barriers.
Environmental Noises can be Physical noise, physiological noise
or psychologicalnoise.

Transactional model relates communication to social reality of an individual or a group

of people in social, cultural and relational contexts. Their responses cannot be predicted
because they all have different backgrounds and mental conditions. Communication
pattern depends on various factors such as physical, cultural, environmental, social,
psychological, emotional, etc.
Cultural systems, social systems and relational situations are the most over-powering
elements of the communication in transactional model, while physical and
psychological context has considerable effect on the communication, enhancing or
undermining it.

Social Context
Social context in communication refers to the norms, values, laws and other restrictions
of a society to communicate within a specific limit. It also includes rules that bind
people's ability to communicate. Society shapes the way a person communicates. Some
of the examples are: greeting people when meeting, thanking, apologizing, etc.

People can also learn communication from trial and error method, and its consequences
ranges from social exclusion to embarrassment. This model also adds that it's not just
social reality that help people in the communication process but communication also
shapes self and social reality in return. Communication is not only for exchanging
messages but also to create and establish relationship helping people in the formation
of a community.

Cultural Context
Cultural context is the lifestyle and identity of a person. Caste, class, race, ethnicity,
gender, etc are the contexts which promotes communication. If two people are from the
same cultural group, they will have better communication with each other.

Cultural identities are made by communication. It changes the communication pattern

of a person. Marginalization of cultural groups oppress their communication with the
other parts of the society. People become unsure of themselves when they
communicate with intercultural groups. Some people also take it as unacceptable.

People have a closed mindset about the other groups of people they communicate with
displaying the trait of Ethnocentrism. Experiences, attitudes, moods, cultural beliefs,
social up-bringing, mindset, their sense of reality and many other factors affect the
responses and the message exchange.

Relational Context
Relational context of communication relates to relationship history and manners.

A person talks with an old friend differently than a stranger. Manners take the role of
communication when it is with strangers. Manners come from pre-established norms
and values, and are more scripted making interaction difficult. Type of relationship and
the roles of people create differences in the way people communicate. Communication
always occurs on the common systems of both the parties.

Criticisms of Transactional Model

Without verbal response, the sender can not be sure that the receiver got the message
as intended. Feedback is an important component in the communication process,
especially in interpersonal communication as it gives a space to clarify
misunderstandings.
The transactional model gives the opportunity for a lot of noise because the
communication is simultaneous. For example, when many people are talking at the
same time in a meeting, the objective of the meeting will not be fulfilled.
Differences Between Transactional and Other Communication
Models
Transactional Model Other Models
Used for Intrapersonal, interpersonal,
Used for interpersonal communication
group or mass communications.
Senders and Receivers are known as
Senders and receivers are different
Communicators, they interchange their
people
roles
Includes the role of context andRole of context and environment are
environment not mentioned in other models
Includes noise and communication barriers Not necessarily have the concept of
as factors noise
Talks about non-verbal communication Ignores non-verbal communication
Feedback comes later in interaction
Simultaneous feedback model and is not included in linear
model
Shannon and Weaver Model Of Communication
Shannon Weaver model of communication was created in 1948 when Claude Elwood
Shannon wrote an article "A Mathematical Theory of Communication" in Bell System
Technical Journal with Warren Weaver.
Shannon was an American mathematician whereas Weaver was a scientist. The
Mathematical theory later came to be known as Shannon Weaver model of
communication or mother of all models." This model is more technological than
other linear models.

Concepts in Shannon Weaver Model

Sender (Information source) Sender is the person who makes the message,
chooses the channel and sends the message.
Encoder (Transmitter) Encoder is the sender who uses machine, which converts
message into signals or binary data. It might also directly refer to the machine.
Channel Channel is the medium used to send message.
Decoder (Receiver) Decoder is the machine used to convert signals or binary data
into message or the receiver who translates the message from signals.
Receiver (Destination) Receiver is the person who gets the message or the place
where the message must reach. The receiver provides feedback according to the
message.
Noise Noise is the physical disturbances like environment, people, etc. which does not
let the message get to the receiver as what is sent.

Explanation of Shannon Weaver Model

The sender encodes the message and sends it to the receiver through a technological
channel like telephone and telegraph. The sender converts the message into codes
understandable to the machine. The message is sent in codes through a medium.
The receiver has to decode the message before understanding it and interpreting it.
The receptor machine can also act as a decoder in some cases. The channel can have
noise and the receiver might not have the capacity to decode which might cause
problems in communication process.

Here, for instance, brain might be the sender, mouth might be the encoder which
encodes to a particular language, air might be the channel, another persons ear might
be the receptor and his brain might be the decoder and receiver.
Similarly, air is the channel here, the noise present in his environment that disturbs
them is the noise whereas his response is the feedback. There were only 5
components when the model was made. Noise was added later.
As Shannon was an engineer, this model was first made to improve technical
communication, mainly for telephonic communication. It was made to to maximize
telephone capacity with minimum noise.

Later, Weaver applied it for all kind of communications to develop effective

communicationand the model became famous as Shannon Weaver model. In
engineering, Shannons model is also called information theory and is used
academically to calculate transmission through machines and also has a formula.

Example of Shannon Weaver Model

A businessman sends a message via phone text to his worker about a meeting
happening about their brand promotion. The worker does not receive the full message
because of noise. It goes like this:

Businessman: We have a meeting at the office ("at 8 am" goes missing due to phone
network disruption or noise)

Worker (feedback) : At what time?

Here,

Sender: Businessman
Encoder: Telephone network company
Channel: Mobile network
Noise: Missing text due to disruption
Decoder: Mobile phone
Receiver: Worker
The transmission error is the noise in this case. The feedback lets the businessman
know that the message reached incomplete. The receiver gets the chance to get the
full message only after his feedback.

Levels of Communication Problems

There are three levels of problems of communication according to Shannon Weaver.
They are:

1.Technical problem How a channel causes a problem

2.Semantic problem Is the meaning of message sent and received very different
3.Effectiveness problem How effectively does the message cause reaction

Advantages of Shannon Weaver Model

Concept of noise helps in making the communication effective by removing the noise
or problem causing noise.
This model takes communication as a two way process. It makes the model applicable
in general communication.
Communication is taken as quantifiable in Shannon Weaver model.

Criticisms of Shannon Weaver Model

It can be applied more for interpersonal communication than group communication
and mass communication.
Receiver plays the passive part in the communication process as sender plays the
primary role that sends messages.
Feedback is taken as less important in comparison to the messages sent by the
sender.
The model is taken by some critics as a "misleading misrepresentation of the nature of
human communication" as human communication is not mathematical in nature.