Lesson 1
Models of Communication
What are models of communication?
According to Denis McQuail, “a model is a selective representation in verbal or diagrammatic form of
some aspect of the dynamic process of mass communication.”
Understanding communication models can help us:
Think about our communication situations more deliberately,
Better prepare for future situations, and
Learn from our previous experiences
8 Major models of communication
There are 8 major models of communication, that can be divided into 3 categories:
Linear models — Only look at one-way communication. The most prominent linear models of
communication are:
Aristotle’s model of communication
Laswell’s model
The Shannon-Weaver model
Berlo’s S-M-C-R model
Interactive models — They look at two-way communication. These are the following:
The Osgood-Schramm model
The Westley and Maclean model
Transactional models — They look at two-way communication where the message gets more
complex as the communication event progresses. These include:
Barnlund’s transactional model
Dance’s helical model
Linear models
Suggest that communication takes place only in one direction
The main elements in these models are:
The channel,
The sender, and
The receiver
1. Aristotle’s Model
The oldest communication model that dates back to 300 BC.
Aristotle’s model was designed to examine how to become a better and more persuasive communicator.
It is a foolproof way to excel in public speaking, seminars, and lectures, where the sender (public
speaker, professor, etc.) passes on their message to the receiver (the audience). So, the sender is the
only active member in this model, whereas the audience is passive.
Aristotle identified three elements that improve communication:
Ethos — defines the credibility of the speaker. Speaker gains credibility, authority, and power by being
an expert in a field of their choice.
Pathos — connects the speaker with the audience through different emotions (anger, sadness,
happiness, etc.)
Logos — an important element that signifies logic. It is not enough for the speech to be interesting — it
needs to follow the rules of logic.
Aside from that, Aristotle suggested that we look at five components of a communication situation to
analyze the best way to communicate:
Speaker
Speech
Occasion
Target audience to
Effect
2. Laswell’s Model
Communication is the transmission of a message with the effect as the result.
If any of the elements change, the effect also changes.
3. The Shannon-Weaver Model
Shannon and Weaver were mathematicians, who developed their work during the Second World War in
the Bell Telephone Laboratories.
Shannon and Weaver were the first to introduce the role of noise in the communication process. In his
book Introduction to Communication Studies.
4. Berlo’s S-M-C-R model
Gives a detailed account of the key elements in each step.
The source
The source or the sender carefully puts their thoughts into words and transfers the message to the
receiver.
Communication skills — The speaker should know when to pause, what to repeat, how to
pronounce a word, etc.
Attitude — The source needs to make a lasting impression on the receiver(s).
Knowledge — It refers to the clarity of the information which the source wants to transfer to the
receiver.
Social system — The source should be familiar with the social system in which the
communication process takes place.
Culture — The source needs to be acquainted with the culture in which the communication
encounter is taking place.
The message
Content — This is the script of the conversation.
Elements — That is why other elements have to be taken into account: gestures, body language,
facial expressions, etc.
Treatment — the way the source treats the message.
Structure — The source has to properly structure the message.
Code — All the elements, verbal and nonverbal, need to be accurate.
The channel
All our senses are the channels that help us communicate with one another.
Hearing
Sense of taste
Our sense of sight
Smelling
Touching
The receiver
To understand the message, the receiver should entail the same elements as the source. They should
have similar communication skills, attitudes, and knowledge, and be acquainted with the social system
and culture in which they communicate.
Interactive models
Refers to two-way communication with feedback.
Ements of these models:
Sender
Message
Receiver
Feedback
Field of experience
The field of experience represents a person’s culture, past experiences, and personal history.
5. The Osgood-Schramm Model
Circular model of communication, in which messages go in two directions.
There are four principles in this model:
Communication is
circular
— individuals involved in the communication process are changing their roles as encoders and decoders.
Communication is
equal and reciprocal
— both parties are equally engaged as encoders and decoders.
The message requires
interpretation
— the information needs to be properly interpreted to be understood.
There are
three steps
in the process of communication:
Encoding
Decoding
Interpreting
6. The Westley and Maclean Model
Primarily used for explaining mass communication.
This model introduces environmental and cultural factors to the process of communication. The
communication process does not start with the source/sender, but rather with environmental factors.
This model consists of nine crucial components:
Environment (X)
Sensory experience (X¹)
Source/Sender (A)
The object of the orientation of the source (X²)
Receiver (B)
The object of the orientation of the receiver (X³)
Feedback (F)
Gatekeepers (C)
Opinion leaders
9 Key elements of communication in the Westley and Maclean Model
Environment (X)
According to the Westley and Maclean Model, the communication process starts when a stimulus from
the environment motivates a person to create and send a message.
Sensory experience (X¹)
When the sender of the message experiences something in their environment that nudges them to send
the message, we are talking about sensory experience as an element of communication.
Source/Sender (A)
Only now does the sender come into play.
The object of the orientation of the source (X²)
The next element of communication in this model is the object of the orientation of the source.
Namely, the object of the orientation of the source is the sender’s beliefs or experiences.
Receiver (B)
The receiver is the person who receives the message from the sender.
The object of the orientation of the receiver (X³)
The object of orientation of the receiver is the receiver’s beliefs or experiences, which influence how the
message is received.
Feedback (F)
Feedback is crucial for this model because it makes this model circular, rather than linear.
As a matter of fact, feedback influences how messages are sent.
After they have received the feedback, the sender modifies the message and sends it back.
Gatekeepers (C)
This element usually occurs in mass communication, rather than in interpersonal communication.
Gatekeepers are editors of the messages senders are trying to communicate to receivers.
Transactional models
Transactional models are the most dynamic communication models. Communication is viewed as a
transaction, meaning that it is a cooperative process
Show that we do not just exchange information during our interactions, but create relationships, form
cross-cultural bonds, and shape our opinions.
In other words, communication helps us establish our realities.
Their key components are:
Encoding
Decoding
Communicators
The message
The channel
Noise
7. Barnlund’s Transactional Model
Explores interpersonal, immediate-feedback communication, and is a multi-layered feedback system.
That means that the sender and the receiver change their places and are equally important. Feedback
for the sender is the reply for the receiver, and both communicators provide feedback.
The main components of Barnlund’s Transactional Model are:
Encoding
Decoding
Communicators
The message (including the cues, environment, noise), and
The channel
This model accentuates the role of cues in impacting our messages. So, Barnlund differentiates between:
Public cues (environmental cues),
Private cues (person’s personal thoughts and background), and
Behavioral cues (person’s behavior, that can be verbal and
All these cues, as well as the environment, and noise, are part of the message. Each communicator’s
reaction depends on their background, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs.
8.Dance’s Helical Model
Communication is seen as a circular process that gets more and more complex as communication
progresses.
With every cycle of communication, we expand our circle, and each communication encounter is
different from the previous one because communication never repeats itself.
Additionally, in the process of communication, the feedback we get from the other party involved
influences our next statement and we become more knowledgeable with every new cycle.
Sourece:https://pumble.com/learn/communication/communication-models/
#What_are_models_of_communication
