COMMUNICATION

PROCESS, PRINCIPLES,
AND ETHICS
 DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION

• Commun – “something in common”

• Ication – “understanding”
• “A common understanding of something” (Chase & Shamo, 2013, p.6)
• “The simultaneous sharing and creating of meaning through human symbolic interaction”
(Seiler and Beall, 1999)
• “A systemic process in which individuals interact with and through symbols to create and
interpret meanings.” (Wood, 2004)
• “Communication as the process of creating and sharing meaning by using verbal and
nonverbal symbols in varied contexts”
THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

• The communication process involves eight parts and steps

Source
Feedback
Message
Receiver
Encoding
Message Message

Channel
Decoding
Message
THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

• Source – the sender of the message

• Message - the information you want to convey. Without it, you have no reason
for communicating
• Encoding – the process of converting your idea/thoughts of the information into
verbal/nonverbal symbols that can be understood by the receiver of the message
• Channel – the manner in which your message is conveyed
• Decoding – the receiver’s mental processing of the message into the meaning
suggested by the verbal/nonverbal symbols
THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

• Receiver – the person that will get your message

• Feedback – the receiver’s response to the message
• Context – the situation in which the communication takes place
• Environment – location, time of day, temperature;
• Relationship between communicators – you as sender and the other person
as the receiver
• Cultural Background & Past Experiences
• Topic/Subject of Communication
THE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

• Sender – who the source is

• Message - what the idea being communicated
• Channel – through what medium the message is relayed
• Receiver – to whom it is directed
• Effect – what the desired outcome of the communication
THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

• Interpersonal communication is inescapable – You communicate

through both words and behavior (verbal and nonverbal).
• Interpersonal communication is irreversible - Once you have said
something, you can never take it back.
• Interpersonal communication is complicated - A word does not have
just one meaning, it is usually not used in the same way. Nonverbal
symbols are usually more vague than words since they are interpreted in
many ways.
THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

• Interpersonal communication is contextual – communication is affected

by several factors.
• Psychological - who you are and what you as the sender/receiver bring to the
interaction; needs, desires, values, beliefs, personality, etc.
• Relational – your reactions to the other person based on relationships
• Situational – psychosocial “where” you are communicating
• Environmental – physical “where” you are communicating
• Cultural – all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORALS AND ETHICS

MORALS ETHICS
• Are our own set of rules; others are • Are rules accepted and approved by
neither expected nor required to follow society; imposed on everyone.
them

ETHICS IN
COMMUNICATION
Deirdre D. Johnson (1884)
pointed out ten ethics in
communication that you
should bear in mind to avoid
being labeled as “unethical”.
• Mutuality – Pay attention to the needs of others, as well
as yours
• Individual dignity – Do not cause another person’s
embarrassment or a loss of dignity
• Accuracy – Ensure that others have accurate information.
• Access to information – Never bolster the impact of your
communication by preventing people from communicating
with one another or by hindering access to the information
• Accountability – Be responsible and accountable for the
consequences of your relationships and communication

ETHICS IN
COMMUNICATION
Deirdre D. Johnson (1884)
pointed out ten ethics in
communication that you
should bear in mind to avoid
being labeled as “unethical”.
• Audience – The sender and receiver have full responsibility to
ensure that the message is understood, and that ethics are
followed.
• Relative truth – your point of view may not be shared by
others and that your conclusions are relative to your perspective.
Allow others to respectfully disagree or see it differently
• End vs. means – be sure that the end goal of your
communication and the means of getting to that are both ethical
• Use of power – In a situation where you have more powers than
others, you have more responsibility for the outcome
• Right vs. responsibility – balance your rights against
responsibilities. Not everything you have the right to do is
ethical.