UNIT 1:

Communication
Process, Principles and
Ethics
Topic 1:

Communication:
Elements and
Processes
Communication is fundamental to the
existence and survival of human beings. As
humans, we cannot exist alone. We need to
express ourselves so that we can achieve a
common understanding between and among
people we interact with.
Before you learn the communication
process, consider this task.
What comes into your mind when you hear the word communication?
Write all words that you could associate with the word communication
using the concept map below.

Communication
 Probe Mission
Nature of Communication

Communication is generally defined as the exchange of thoughts, ideas,

concepts, and views between or among two or more people in various contexts.
It was derived from Latin words con which means “with,” munus which means
“a business,” communis which means “common,” and communico which
means “to confer” or “to relate with one another” (Igoy et al., 2014).

Purposive communication is an intentional communication that happens within

the bounds of specific contexts (Magan et al, 2018). Context refers to the
situation, environment, social relationship and culture. It is important to
consider the context of communication because it affects how one sends and
receives a message.
To illustrate the meaning of purposive communication, study the situation below:
Edna, a graduating student, found out that she is deficient of one
subject which is just offered in summer. She was advised to appeal to
the Dean to open the subject this second semester so that she could
graduate in July. She wrote a letter to the Dean for the purpose and e-
mailed it. After a day, the Dean replied through email that she would
refer Edna’s request to the Campus Academic Coordinator.
In this example, Edna is communicating to the Dean for a purpose
of asking a favor to open her lacking subject so that she could graduate
in the year-end commencement program. Remember the details of this
purposive communication as you study the elements of communication.
 Elements of Communication
Sender- the source of the message and initiates the communication
process.
- the sender is expected to have the ability to use a language
that the receiver understands.
- the sender’s communicative skills are critical in the success
of the communication process.
Message- the element in which meaning or information is
transmitted in the communication process.
- It may be an idea, opinion, feeling or attitude of the sender.
 Channel- refers to the medium the sender uses to deliver the
message. The message maybe delivered orally, written or through
actions. When done orally or in writing, the sender must have the
ability to use correct tone, mood and choice of words depending on
the context of the communication process.
 Receiver- is the listener/reader in the communication process.
The receiver is expected to analyze and interpret the message
properly. This requires good listening and comprehension skills.
 


 Adjustment- the action which the sender or the receiver does when the message
is not understood due to a barrier like when the environment is disturbed by a physical
noise, the sender or the receiver may find a place where the surrounding is quieter to
make the communication better. The sender and the receiver must choose a language
they both understand to avoid any language barrier and must also be acquainted with
each other’s culture to minimize misconception of ideas.
 Context- includes: settings or environment (family, school, workplace,
religious communities); social relations (friends, husband and wife, parent and
child, colleagues/boss/subordinates in the office); scenes which include place,
time and occasion (business meeting, job interview, social gathering, parties,
weddings); and culture (history, tradition, beliefs, norms, values).


 Models of Communication
1.Shannon-Weaver Model
 Developed in the 1940’s by social scientists Claude Shannon and
Warren Weaver, this model is considered “the mother of all models.” It
was designed to mirror the functioning of radio and telephone
technologies of that time. Their initial model consisted of three primary
parts: sender, channel, and receiver. The sender was the person talking
into a telephone speaker, the channel was the telephone itself, and the
receiver was the part of the phone where one could hear the other person.
Shannon and Weaver also recognized that often there is static that
interferes in a telephone conversation, which they deemed noise. The
noise could also mean the absence of signal, something we still
experience today.
The strengths of this model are simplicity, generality, and
quantifiability. Shannon and Weaver structured this model based on
the following elements:
 An information source, which produces a message.
 A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals.
 A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission.
 A receiver, which 'decodes' (reconstructs) the message from the signal.
 A destination, where the message arrives. 
 The David Berlo Model

 David Berlo expanded on Shannon and Weaver’s (1949)

linear model of communication in 1960 and created the
SMCR Model of Communication. The Sender-Message-
Channel-Receiver Model of communication separated the
model into clear parts and has been expanded upon by other
scholars. Take a few minutes to look at the elements of this
model in the illustration below.
 An inspection of the sequence within the SMCR model, you can identify the basic
structures of the modern perception of communication. The source of the
communication is the person where the information comes from, the initiator of the
message. The source possesses knowledge and attitude influenced by social and
cultural norms. The message is the converted piece of information provided by the
source. It tells the content in the language chosen by the source that suggests the
motive. The channel is the mode or medium of transmission (oral, aural, printed,
multi-sensory) from the source to the receiver, the intended recipient of the
information. Like the source, the receiver possesses personal knowledge and attitude
influenced also by social and cultural norms.
3. The Osgood-Schramm Model

 Initially proposed by Charles Osgood who proposed that

communication is not linear but a circular model. This
communication model was enhanced by Wilbur Schramm
in 1954, hence the label as Osgood-Schramm model. The
elements of the Schramm model of
communication include Encoder or Sender, Decoder or
Receiver, Interpreter, and Message. 
 Explicit Interpretation
Now that you learned about the elements and processes of
communication, try to demonstrate your understanding by performing the
tasks that follow:
Brief but Meaningful: In your own words using 30 words, explain the
meaning of purposive communication.
 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_______________
In Other Words: Guided by the matrix below, give a related word or word phrase in
the right column to refer to the term on the left column. The first one is done for
you.

Term Related/Associated Word

Sender Messenger or Message Bringer or Communicator
Message
Receiver
Channel
Feedback
Noise
Adjustment
Context
 Unique in Me: Using the graphic organizer below, give at least two unique features
in each of the communication models.

• Feature1
Shannon-
Weaver
• Feature2

• Feature1
Berlo • Feature2

• Feature1
Osgood-
Schramm
• Feature2
 Amplified Integration

1. Together with a classmate, go over the advertisement below and analyze its details as
you answer the questions that follow. Write your own separate answer on a separate sheet
of paper.

 a.What is the intent of this advertisement to the reader?

 b.What are the elements of communication present in this material?
 c.What possible disturbances or barriers of understanding the advertisement?
 d.Which model of communication does this advertisement belong? Illustrate the
communication process in this advertisement using the model.
2. With your family members or immediate neighbors, form two groups for you to
conduct the Communication Relay Game. Be sure that the message you create for them
to relay to other members of each group contains the following details: Who, What,
When, Where, Why, and How. Observe the proceedings and after the game, ask the
groups these questions:
 a.What made your group succeed/fail in communicating the message?
 b.Which information details are most correctly relayed to the members?
 c.After how many recipients of the message has the message altered/changed?
 From the information collected from the groups, write a five-sentence paragraph
about your learning from the experience.
3. Post this written output in your group’s Group Chat page.
Knowledge Confirmation
After completing the task in this lesson, you are ready to prove that you have learned much by
performing the task.
Read the communication situation below, and then do the task that follow.
The Temptation of Man (Genesis 3:1-5)
1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to
the woman, “Did God really say, ‘you must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2. The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say,
‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it,
or you will die.’”
3“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat of it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
1.Using any of the three models of communication, illustrate
and explain the elements of communication as presented in the
communication situation above.
2.What attitude can you identify with the Sender and the
Receiver that shaped the encoding and decoding of the
message? Explain.
 Rubric Scoring Guide to Assess Performance
Criteria
Dimensions Points
4 3 2 1

Complete response
Good response
supplied with Vague Key points
Explanation with clear
detailed explanation missing
explanation
explanations

Substantial Some Complete lack of

Complete
Knowledge understanding of understanding of understanding of
understanding of the
Demonstrated the task and the task and the task and
task and concepts
concepts concepts concepts

Details given are Details given Details given Details given do

Requirements
beyond the meet the hardly meet the not meet the
Met
requirements. requirements. requirements. requirements.
Lesson 2: Principles and Ethics of
Communication

 Shema Activation
 Do you recall of the joke about the student who wrote
his parents to send him money because he had to buy
nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.? Have you ever told a
similar or different lie? Recall that instance where you
lied and answer the following questions:
1. Briefly narrate what that lie was about.
 ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2.What was your motive in telling the lie? Did you achieve the purpose?
Explain briefly.
 ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3.After the lie, have you ever feel guilty of having done it? Why or why not?
 ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 Probe Mission

Principles of Communication
 As we communicate, we attempt to convey the message we want to
another person with the intent that he/she responds to it as desired.
However, at times, the message we communicate is misunderstood,
thus, communication failure occurs.
 Miscommunication is the failure to communicate properly and
adequately. We can avoid this failure if we follow the following
principles in communication, also known as 7 C’s of communication.
 Clarity of
Thought

Correctness Coherence

Principles of
Communication
Completeness Conciseness

Courtesy Completeness
 7 C’s of Communication
 1. Clarity: The message should be clear in order for it to be
understood. It is the responsibility of the sender to transmit a clear
message by using simple words, avoiding ambiguity and by choosing a
language which the receiver uses. Use the word judge rather than
adjudicator.
 2. Completeness: The speaker is required to provide all necessary
information in the message so that he/she will get the desired feedback.
He/she should not assume that the receiver had prior knowledge or
leave out some important details.
3. Correctness: In order for the message to be understood clearly, the information
presented should be correct. Correctness refers to the use of proper grammar, spelling,
punctuation and other mechanics in communication. Errors can change the meaning of the
message. Correctness may also refer to the use of proper tone and level of language. Most
of all, the sender should make sure that details and information are accurate.

4. Conciseness: Short but complete messages are preferable in a communication.

The receiver of the message may have other things to do and may not have the time to
attend to lengthy messages. Go directly to the point you want to convey and avoid
wordiness.
5. Concreteness: Concreteness in communication means being specific.
Information to be transmitted may need to include facts and figures to be
credible. The sender and the receiver may also give examples or illustrations
of the message they want to convey so that they can understand each other
better. When your teacher asks you, “Could you elaborate your answer,”
the intention is for you to concretize your answer to the question raised.
6. Coherence: A message becomes more understandable if it is
organized. It is important that participants in the communication
process deal with one topic after another. It is also most effective if
the message is presented from general to specific or vice versa.
 7. Courtesy: Courtesy is being polite in communicating to another
person. This must be observed whatever the context of communication
is. It is important that participants in the communication process
maintain respect with one another to achieve a peaceful transaction. It
is also important that you know whom you are talking to. We talk
casually to our friend, while we formally talk to the Mayor. We do not
use vulgar words to a priest, but we do to a close acquaintance.
 Considerations in Ethical Communication
1. Be Respectful to your audience.
 Communication is a two-way process. The communicator must consider the
audience’s ideas and feelings during the interaction. For instance, if your
audience includes our Muslim brothers, do not include pork in their dietary
consumption as such idea is offensive to their culture and religious beliefs..

2.Consider the consequences of their communication.

 Every communicator must bear in mind that the ultimate aim of
communication is to promote the common good. Communication must
be set in a way that conflict is reduced or eliminated. Using emotionally-
loaded words would create tensions resulting to opposition to the idea
you wish your audience to accept and act upon.
3. Do not falsify information.
 Worse than the distortion of information is falsifying information.
Failing to find information useful to our goals, we make it up. This is
a form of cheating; therefore, it should by all means be avoided.
Truthfulness as mentioned earlier is the hallmark of effective
communication. Providing false information to attain your purpose is
unethical. For instance, fake news by trolls usually uses half-truths in
order to deceive the uninformed individuals.
4. Use information properly.
 Communicators have the responsibility to give and acquire adequate and accurate
information. As an ethical communicator, a respect for truth means being informed on a
topic before posing as any kind of authority on the subject. We also need to consider the
accuracy of the information and the accuracy with which we use it. When we communicate,
we expect people to react in some way to what we say and do.

5. Do not falsify information.

 Worse than the distortion of information is falsifying information. Failing to find
information useful to our goals, we make it up. This is a form of cheating; therefore, it
should by all means be avoided. Truthfulness as mentioned earlier is the hallmark of
effective communication. Providing false information to attain your purpose is unethical.
For instance, fake news by trolls usually uses half-truths in order to deceive the uninformed
individuals.
6. Respect the rights of others to information.
 A respect for truth and an ethical consideration of others also means
respecting the rights of others in regard to information and access to
information. Collecting information is an integral part of the research
process, but stealing information is theft, taking something that does
not belong to us. Beyond the personal act of theft, stealing information
is unethical because it prevents other people from securing information
and unnecessarily makes their lives more difficult.
 Explicit Interpretation
Try to organize your learning by performing the following tasks.
1. In your own words and in five sentences, explain why it is important to
observe the 7 C’s of communication always.
____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Inwhat way is the Golden Rule (Do unto others what you would like
others do unto you) applicable also to participants in a communication
situation. Explain briefly but substantially.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
 Amplified Integration
Use your learning in this lesson to perform the following tasks:
3.How can you apply the principles of effective communication and the ethical
communication standards in one of the following communication channels? Explain in not
more than 10 sentences.
a. Social media posts
b. Academic research
c. Classroom lectures and reports
d. Student club/organization meetings
e. News reports
f. Online classes
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. None of us are perfect communicators, and we sometimes make mistakes. Think
about a time when you may have violated the ethics of communication, even
inadvertently. Briefly describe the experience and tell how you are going to try to
avoid the same mistake in the future.
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
 Knowledge Confirmation
Task A. Directions: Using the 7 C’s of Communication, identify which specific C is
problematic in each of the statements. Write your answer below the statement the C in
communication that has to be addressed and after it rewrite a new and better sentence. Note
that the first one has been done for you as a sample.
1. There will be a meeting with the student council.
COMPLETENESS. The student council will meet Friday at 4pm in the library.
2. Pay your phone bill as soon as possible else we will be forced to disconnect your telephone
line.
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Call me if I qualify for the position I am applying for.
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Men are better than women.
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
5. Your service is no longer needed in this company.
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
6. If you have nothing sensible to say, better shut up.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________
7. Many Filipinos are in the state of poverty.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___
8. The company is experiencing a crisis; hence, management is considering retrenching a
number of employees.
________________________________________________________________________________
9. You can expect a raise in six months.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_______
10. We hereby wish to let you know that our company is pleased with the confidence you
have reposed in us.
________________________________________________________________________________
_______
 Chapter Highlights
 In this Unit, you are introduced to the concepts, process, principles and ethics of
communication. The lessons revolve around the important concepts and principles
related to effective communication, namely:
 Communication is the exchange of ideas between two people or among people.
 Communication is purposive; a goal to achieve is the motive of exchanging ideas.
 The key elements in a communication situation are sender, message, channel,
receiver, feedback, noise and adjustment.
 The process of communication is explained by several communication models,
most prominent of which are the Shannon-Weaver model, Berlo model, and Osgood-
Schramm model. Each underscored or highlighted a specific element of
communication.
 Following the seven 7’s of communication statements (clarity, completeness, correctness,
conciseness, concreteness, coherence, or courtesy) are essential to be an effective
communicator.

 Following the seven 7’s of communication statements (clarity, completeness, correctness,

conciseness, concreteness, coherence, or courtesy) are essential to be an effective
communicator.

 Integrating the ethical standards in the communication assures the occurrence of

effective communication.