NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is the process of expressing and exchanging information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Since
communication is a process, it involves a series of actions that lead to a particular result such as the passing on of a
message and an exchange of ideas among others.

The following are example of communication situations:

 A professor delivering a lecture to her students.

 A coach talking to his players.
 A dad giving advice to his son.
 A salesperson giving a sales pitch to clients.

Models of Communication

 Linear model – this model shows a straight path of relaying information. It is one-directional, which means that
information from a sender is conveyed directly to the receiver. Consider the speaker delivering a speech in front
of an audience. The speaker is the sender, and he or she conveys his or her message directly to the audience,
which are the receivers of the message.
The concept of a straight path of relaying information was the first proposed by Aristotle and later on
expounded by various scientists and communication experts. Eventually, Claude Shannon (a mathematician and
electronic engineer) and Warren Weaver (a scientist and mathematician) introduced an important concept in
this model: noise, or barriers to effective communication. Shannon and Weaver explained that noise makes the
sending of the message difficult.
Later on, communication professor and author David Berlo modified the linear model by identifying four
key elements: the source or sender, the message, the channel, and the receiver.
 Source – the source or the sender is the origin of the message. He or she is influenced by four factors:
knowledge, attitudes, communication skills, and the sociocultural system in which he or she belongs.
 Message – the message is an idea, thought, or piece of information that the sender aims to express or
make known. It is comprised of the following:
Message content – what the message contains.
Elements – the language, gestures, facial expressions, and body movement used by the source
or communicator to send his or her message.
The communicator’s treatment of the message – how the sender delivers the message
(entertaining, funny, authoritative, firm, etc.)
Structure of the message - the arrangement of the message for maximum effect depending on
the goals of the sender.
Code of the message – the form in which the message is sent (e.g., language, facial expressions
or body language, dance, song, etc.)
 Channel – the channel is the means by which a message is sent.
 Receiver – the receiver is the one who receives the message. The receiver’s interpretation and
reception of the message is influenced by the same four factors that influence the sender of the
message.
Study the diagram below.

 Mass media, especially TV and radio, are good examples of the liner model of communication. The message,
which comes from a broadcast, travels through airwaves in a straight path going to the receiver, which is the
person watching or listening. In this example, noise such as intermittent signals from the channel transmitting
the airwaves, will adversely affect the success of the transmission of the message.
 Interactive model – this model takes into consideration feedback from the receiver; thus, the message in this
model originates from two sources: the message from the sender and the feedback from the receiver. When the
receiver gives feedback, he or she becomes the sender, and the original sender becomes the receiver of the
feedback. Your everyday conversations with friends are good examples of the interactive model – one gives a
message, the other receives it and then gives feedback accordingly.
It is important to note that feedback may come in many forms. Aside from spoken words, feedback
maybe as simple as a nod of approval, a raised eyebrow, or even falling asleep during lectures.
Wilbur Schramm, an expert in mass communication, introduced the interactive model in 1954, which was
groundbreaking at that time since it introduced the communicators’ “fields of experience.” Schramm also took
account context. Context refers to the setting in which the communication situation takes place while fields of
experience refer to the cultural background and other frames of reference that an individual may bring into
interaction.

Study the diagram below.

  Communicators bring to the interaction their respective fields of experience. Their messages, as well as the way
they send and interpret messages, are influenced by this field of experience. In order to communicate, the
communicators’ fields of experience must overlap, indicating knowledge and experiences that they have in
common. The more they have in common, the more their fields of experience overlap. The bigger this
overlapping “field,” the more easily they interact with each other. Naturally, the more they interact, the more
they know about each other and the more shared experiences they have, the larger their shared field of
experience.
 For instance, consider the following situation: You are tasked by your teacher to pair off with a classmate and
come up with a performance or project for the school program. In this instance, the context of the
communication situation is a pair work for a program. Given this context, you and your partner will exchange
ideas on how to go about the given task. You talk, he or she reacts and vice-versa. The way you both talk and the
ideas you share reflect your cultural background and the knowledge and experiences that the two of you already
possess.
 The interactive model shows communication as a give-take-give interaction. You speak and your partner listens;
in turn, your partner speaks and you listen. The path, therefore, is no longer linear but circular.
 Transactional model – this model, developed in the 1970s by Dean Barnlund, shows communication as
occurring continuously and simultaneously between or among people. It shows communication as a two-way
process in which participants are constantly sending and receiving messages.

Study the diagram below.

  According to Barnlund, people do not simply send and receive messages and send them back again, in that
order. Instead, they send and receive messages simultaneously and build shared meanings during interaction.
Furthermore, the channel used, the environment, the communicators themselves, their shared meanings, and
even noise are part of the message, not just elements involved in the communication process.
 In addition, noise in the transactional model is now more than just something taking place in the channel.
Instead, noise is found or occurs at any part of or any point in the process. It could be found in the source, the
encoding process, the channel, the decoding process, the receiver, the feedback, etc.

Communication Breakdown and Noise

Breakdown occurs in the communication process from time to time. A breakdown in communication occurs when
the message or the feedback is not sent or received properly – at least in the way that the sender intends – or is not
received by the concerned party altogether. An example of communication breakdown is when your phone conversation
with someone is cut off just as you are about to tell the important details of your message. Another example of
communication breakdown is when you cannot clearly understand the salient point of your teacher is making because
your seatmates are distracting you.

Many of the causes of communication breakdown can be classified as noise. Noise is the technical term used to refer
to all the possible barriers to effective communication. Noise may be physical, psychological, physiological, or semantic.

Physical noise comes from the environment (e.g., extraneous noises, white noise, unbearable weather, a distracting
visual aid, etc.). Psychological noise originates from the emotional state, mental state, and psychological makeup of a
person (e.g., depression, anger, suspicions, paranoia, biases, etc.). Physiological noises are “bodily conditions” that
compromise the ability of a person to send or receive messages (e.g., hunger, stomach ache, etc.). Semantic noise refers
to anything related to the meaning of words that distorts or masks a message and confuses the listener (e.g., a speaker’s
use of foreign language, a listener’s limited vocabulary, or differing interpretations of the meaning of a word, etc.)

Consider the classroom scenario in which you and your classmates are listening to a lecture by your math teacher.
Physical noise may be the voices of your seatmates chatting with one another, while psychological noise is the other
things you think of while listening to the lecture. Physiological noise, on the other hand, is the bodily condition you feel
that make you lose concentration. This condition can be hunger, headache, body pain, and so on. Semantic noise refers
to the language and how ell you understand it.

Cultural Sensitivity in Communication

Cultural sensitivity is the awareness that people have varying cultures and that the similarities and differences of
these cultures affect the values, behavior, and learning of people. Cultural sensitivity is something that helps people
accept or tolerate one another despite varying beliefs, moral codes, and points of view. It also helps people living
together in relative peace.

The lack of cultural sensitivity (or cultural sensitivity), therefore, leads to misunderstandings or conflict. In
communication, cultural insensitivity is a type of psychological noise that interferes with or distorts messages and causes
communication breakdown.

Take, for instance, a group discussion in which the participants are people of different nationalities and culture. If one
or two members are culturally insensitive, there is a high probability that the participants will end up arguing against one
another, which will, in turn, lead to nothing being agreed upon.

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication serves a number of functions and two of them are regulation and control. Regulation, according to
Oxford Dictionaries, is a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority. It is also the action or process of
regulating or being regulated. In other words, communication is mainly used by persons in authority or representing
authority to regulate or direct others under them.

On the other hand, Oxford Dictionaries defines control as the power to influence or directs people’s behavior or the
course of events or a means of limiting or regulating something. In other words, another function of communication is to
influence or direct people’s behavior or to limit/regulate them.

Consider the following examples:

 The traffic aide in the middle of an intersection gestures or blows his whistles to direct the flow of vehicles and
pedestrians. In doing so, he avoids a chaotic scenario of vehicles crisscrossing without regard for other motorists
and accidents that may ensue.
 Religions all over the world have sets of laws they prescribe for their faithful. These laws are moral guides that
direct the faithful on how to live.
 A town crier in kingdom of old would go around villages reading edicts from monarchs to their subjects. These
educts are then followed by the villagers as a sign of loyalty and obedience to the king or queen

Communication Strategy

A communication strategy, according to Participatory Communication Strategy Design: a Handbook, is a well –

planned series of actions aimed at achieving certain objectives through the use of communication methods, techniques,
and approaches.

Consider the situation: The president of the country needs to discuss to his constituents the aspects of a pressing
issue or concern. In such situation, the president must be able to clearly and effectively convey his thoughts, ideas, and
recommendations to ensure that his constituents understand fully every relevant detail and concern. The president is
also expected to answer questions from his cabinet, staff, and constituents, and from journalists as well to clarify certain
matters. Hence, appropriate communication strategies must be employed by the president to get is point across.

In most cases, it is up to the communicator to come up with a communication strategy that is appropriate to a
particular situation. The following tips will help you in formulating your own effective communication strategies.

1. Set clear and attainable goals.

2. Focus on the issue, if any, not on people.
3. Be flexible and open-minded.
4. Be a critical listener.
5. Demonstrate sensitivity at all times.
6. Allow for give-and-take. Let the other party state what is in his or her mind.
7. Be genuine, honest, and open.
8. Use affirming responses. Acknowledge the good points raised by the other party.
 9. Be reasonable. Presents only facts and verifiable data, if necessary.

Social Interaction and Emotional Express

You live in a society made up of many people, but the group you are most familiar with is your social circle. You are
familiar with the members of your social circle because you mingle and communicate with them often.

Remember the time when your social circle was limited to only your parents and immediate family member?
Through the years, however, your social circle has expanded to include other relatives, friends, teachers and even close
acquaintances. In fact you likely have several social circles now. For instance you may have your immediate family circle;
your extended family circle, which includes relatives such as godparents, grandparents, and cousins; your peer circle,
which includes your friends and classmates; and your community circle, which includes your neighbors and other familiar
persons whom you interact with in your community.

How were these social groups formed? All throughout your life, you have been communicating, associating, and
forging relationships with other people, starting from your parents and immediate family all the way to the last person
you interacted with today. These processes of communicating, associating, and interacting, in turn, help you form bonds
or relationships with others. These relationships are eventually lead to the formation of your social circles. As you form
social circles, you become a better communicator, which could in turn enhance your relationship with members of your
existing social circles and enable you to build more circle. In addition, having more social circles means having more
opportunities to engage in social interaction, which is another function of communication.

Social interaction, according to the Handbook of Language and Social Interaction, refers to spontaneous verbal
exchanges occurring in natural settings that are typically familiar to the interactants. The day-to-day social interactions
you engage In are made deeper by shared emotions. The closer you are to the person you interact with, the deeper the
emotions shared. How do you express your emotions to your parents and siblings? How does it differ with the way you
express your emotions with people outside of your family?

An emotional expression is a manifestation of one’s internal emotional state. It is an important social signal that
conveys variety of information regarding a person’s state of mind and his or her intentions. Emotional expression is
another function of communication. Every day, you express yourself emotionally through words and gestures.
Generally, the closer the relationship or the tighter and more familiar the circle you are in, the easier for you to
communicate how you feel. You will, for instance, show love or anger differently to different people depending on how
close you are to them. Similarly, the degree of emotion – grief or happiness, for example, your expression will vary
depending on the type of relationship you have with the social you are interacting with.

Motivation and Information

Aside from teaching and training, a coach also needs to provide his or her players ample motivation so that they
would give their best both in training and in games. Similarly, teachers and mentors must not only teach their students,
but also motivate them so they would want to work harder to achieve their dreams. According to Psychology Today,
motivation is literally “the desire to do things.” It is, according to Psychology Today, the “crucial element in setting and
attaining goals.”

Often, one can will himself or herself to do things; other times, a person needs to be influenced or motivated by
other people such as motivational speakers. A motivational speaker is a person who specializes in making speeches
intended to inspire or motivate an audience. Such speeches usually offer words of encouragement as well as pieces of
advice and tips on how to succeed in life or how to accomplish certain goals. For a motivational speaker to inspire
others, he or she must be an excellent communicator – one who can interact with all sorts of people, relate with them,
and express his or her ideas clearly and effectively. However, motivational speakers are not the only ones who can
motivate people; basically everyone cam be motivator, especially if he or she can has the requisite communication skills.

Another important function of communication is information. This function of communication is apparent In the
information-dissemination function of news agencies. The information function of communication is also evident in the
customer service and technical support sectors whose objectives are to share important information to clients. Technical
support specialists, for example, give clients step-by-step instructions on how to troubleshoot or operate a gadget or
appliance, while customer service representative share to their clients information about products and special offers.
Today, information dissemination has become so much easier due to technology. In particular, the far-reaching scope of
mass media and the Internet, along with the ease of using such technologies in disseminating information, has made it
much easier for some people misinform the general public. Hence, effective communication strategies are crucial in
fulfilling the informative function of communication, especially since the failure to impart accurate information at the
right time may sometimes result in negative consequences.