Module 5. Overview and Process of Communication

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. define communication;
2. explain the elements of communication;
3. explain how communication takes place in different levels; and 4. compare the various models of communication.

ACTIVITIES

Read Chapter 5 of your text

Read “The Structure and Function of Communication in Society by Harold Lasswell in your Additional Readings (p.33).

Activity 5.1. The following are examples of what most people would call communication. Read them and list the things you think are common to all of them.

• A dog snarls at a cat that gets in its way.
• You stay up late to watch the hosts of a talk show interview the Vice President.
• A traffic enforcer blows his whistle to stop traffic so children can cross the pedestrian lane.
• Your officemate walks into your room, points at your desk and asks, “Have you finished…” and stops when you scowl at him. “Of course not!” you say, “Come back later.”
• A child stands in the middle of a crowded department store and cries for its mother.
• A teenager pauses in front of a poster that reads, “Don’t drink and drive.”
• It has a picture of two wine glasses crashing into each other and shattering.
• A sportscaster tells jokes to the crowd while waiting for the action to begin at a basketball game.
• A woman buys a newspaper, gets on the LRT, sits down and read on the way to work.
• A street preacher shouts to the crowds in a marketplace.
• You receive an official letter reminding you to pay the balance on your income tax.
• A tourist stands on a street corner reading a map.
• A young mother asks the municipal health worker what she can do to keep her children healthy.
• A traffic light turns from red to green.

What is common to all? Write your answers BEFORE you proceed to the next section.

Comments. What was common to all the examples? Did you list information? You probably noticed that in all the examples, information was shared. In the past, you probably used the words “sending” or “receiving” when referring to communication. These days, we prefer “sharing.” The word share is important in any discussion of communication because it connotes something that two or more people do together rather than something one person does or gives to someone else.

Based on this information, Kincaid and Schramm define communication as “the process of sharing and their relationship of the participants in the process.” Of course, their definition is but one of many definitions of communication. As a practitioner (or maybe even as a teacher), you probably already know that those interested in the field agree upon no single definition of communication. How would you define communication?

Activity 5. 2. Write your own definition or understanding of communication in a sheet of paper. Now, compare your answer with the definitions of Black and Bryant found in your textbook.

Activity 5. 3. Why should we discuss communication as a process? Write your reasons on the same sheet of paper you used in Activity 5.2.

The emphasis on communication as a process is important because this reminds us of a paradigm shift from the earlier understanding of communication as a one-way, linear activity. The paradigm of communication as a process emphasizes its being a two-way, multi-dimensional activity.

ANSWERS:

Activity 5.1. The following are examples of what most people would call communication. Read them and list the things you think are common to all of them.

In Activity 5.1, the examples provided illustrate what most people would identify as communication, and several common elements can be observed across all of them. First and foremost, information sharing is a fundamental aspect. In each of the scenarios, information is being conveyed, whether through verbal means, like conversations, or non-verbal means, as seen when a dog snarls at a cat or a teenager pauses in front of an anti-drunk driving poster. Furthermore, communication is inherently interactive, involving some form of interaction between participants, be it between individuals engaging in conversation or interactions between an individual and their surroundings, such as when a traffic light changes from red to green.

Additionally, participants or communicators are present in all these scenarios. These participants can include individuals, animals, or even inanimate objects that serve as conveyors of information. The context in which these examples take place is also significant, as communication is heavily influenced by the specific context or environment in which it occurs. Context plays a crucial role in shaping how the information is interpreted and the effectiveness of the communication process. Finally, intention underlies many of these instances of communication, with individuals, animals, or objects often having a purpose or goal behind their communicative actions. For instance, a sportscaster tells jokes to entertain the crowd, or a woman reads a newspaper with the intention of gaining information. These commonalities demonstrate the multifaceted nature of communication and the various elements that contribute to its understanding.

Commonalities in the Examples of Communication:

• Information Sharing
• Interaction
• Participants
• Context
• Intention

SN	COMMUNICATIONS	COMMON
	A dog snarls at a cat that gets in its way.
	You stay up late to watch the hosts of a talk show interview the Vice President.A traffic enforcer blows his whistle to stop traffic so children can cross the pedestrian lane.Your officemate walks into your room, points at your desk and asks, “Have you finished…” and stops when you scowl at him. “Of course not!” you say, “Come back later.”
	A child stands in the middle of a crowded department store and cries for its mother.
	A teenager pauses in front of a poster that reads, “Don’t drink and drive.”
	It has a picture of two wine glasses crashing into each other and shattering.
	A sportscaster tells jokes to the crowd while waiting for the action to begin at a basketball game.
	A woman buys a newspaper, gets on the LRT, sits down and read on the way to work. A street preacher shouts to the crowds in a marketplace.
	You receive an official letter reminding you to pay the balance on your income tax.
	A tourist stands on a street corner reading a map.
	A young mother asks the municipal health worker what she can do to keep her children healthy.
	A traffic light turns from red to green.

Activity 5. 2. Write your own definition or understanding of communication in a sheet of paper. Now, compare your answer with the definitions of Black and Bryant found in your textbook.

Defining Communication	Comparison with Black and Bryant’s Definitions
Communication can be defined as the dynamic process of sharing information, thoughts, ideas, or emotions between two or more participants within a specific context or environment. This sharing can occur through various channels, including verbal, non-verbal, written, or visual means, and it can involve both intentional and unintentional interactions.	In the textbook, Black and Bryant provide a comprehensive definition of communication as “the process by which individuals interact, using symbols, signs, and behaviors to exchange information.” This definition aligns with the idea that communication involves a process, interaction, and the exchange of information, but it also emphasizes the use of symbols and signs.

Activity 5. 3. Why should we discuss communication as a process? Write your reasons on the same sheet of paper you used in Activity 5.2.

Discussing communication as a process is essential for several reasons. First, it highlights that communication is not a one-time event but an ongoing, dynamic process that can evolve and change over time. This perspective underscores the interactive nature of communication, where multiple participants play active roles, emphasizing the importance of feedback and how it shapes the communication process. Moreover, recognizing communication as a process reflects its complexity, involving various elements such as encoding, decoding, interpretation, and contextual factors. Communication, as a process, encompasses both verbal and non-verbal aspects, emphasizing the richness of human interaction. In summary, this paradigm shift from one-way, linear communication to a process-oriented view better represents the multifaceted and interactive nature of communication in various contexts.

MODULE 5 NOTES:

1. Definition of Communication: The chapter emphasizes that communication is the process of sharing and the relationship of the participants in this process. It discusses various definitions of communication by different scholars and highlights the diversity of meanings attributed to communication.

2. Communication as a Process: The chapter highlights that communication is an ongoing, dynamic, and multifaceted process. It can involve not only verbal and written messages but also non-verbal cues, symbols, and interactions between individuals. It can take place over large distances of space and time and may not always require multiple participants.

3. Elements of the Communication Process: The key elements of the communication process, as described by Berlo’s model, include the source (sender), receiver (target), message, channel (medium), effect (outcome), and feedback. These elements interact and influence each other throughout the communication process.

4. Levels of Communication: The chapter discusses three levels of communication: intrapersonal (communication with oneself), interpersonal (person-to-person communication), and mass communication (communication with large, heterogeneous audiences through mass media).

5. Communication Models: Various communication models are introduced in the chapter, including Lasswell’s model, Shannon and Weaver’s mathematical model, Newcomb’s model, Osgood and Schramm’s model, Gerbner’s model, Westley and MacLean’s model, Dance’s helical model, and Kincaid’s convergence model. These models offer different perspectives on the communication process and highlight its complexity.

The various models of communication offer different perspectives on the communication process, emphasizing different elements and aspects. Here’s a comparison and contrast of some of the key communication models discussed in the chapter:

• Lasswell’s Model:
  • Comparison: Lasswell’s model focuses on answering the questions “Who, Says What, In Which Channel, To Whom, With What Effect?” to describe communication acts.
  • Contrast: It is a simplistic, one-way, linear model that assumes communication is mainly a persuasive process, and it lacks the element of feedback.
• Shannon and Weaver’s Mathematical Model:
  • Comparison: This model emphasizes encoding, transmission, and decoding of messages and introduces the concept of noise that disrupts signal transmission.
  • Contrast: It is also a linear model, and it is more technically oriented, which may not fully capture the complexity of human communication.
• Osgood and Schramm’s Model:
  • Comparison: Osgood and Schramm’s model, depicted as a circular representation, shows communication as a dynamic, two-way process with feedback.
  • Contrast: It highlights the equal roles of both the sender and receiver but does not fully address communication situations with little or no feedback or those where there is an imbalance of resources and power.
• Gerbner’s Model:
  • Comparison: Gerbner’s model includes two dimensions—the perceptual or receptive dimension and the communicating or means and control dimension, emphasizing the role of perception in communication.
  • Contrast: It is more complex than Shannon and Weaver’s model and emphasizes how individuals interpret and give meaning to messages based on their perceptions and cultural backgrounds.
• Westley and MacLean’s Model:
  • Comparison: It extends Newcomb’s ABX model and introduces the element of C (editorial-communicating function) in mass communication contexts.
  • Contrast: It is specifically designed for mass media, emphasizing the role of editors in selecting and transmitting content to readers, making it less applicable to interpersonal communication.
• Dance’s Helical Model:
  • Comparison: Dance’s model is unique in that it represents the communication process as a dynamic and evolving helix, reflecting the continuous nature of communication.
  • Contrast: It provides a more dynamic perspective than linear models but may not be as widely recognized or used in communication studies.
• Kincaid’s Convergence Model:
  • Comparison: Kincaid’s model emphasizes mutual understanding and convergence through the sharing of information, leading to mutual agreement and collective action.
  • Contrast: It focuses on information gaps and knowledge creation, which may not be as prevalent in other models that emphasize the sender-receiver relationship.

In summary, these models offer different lenses through which to view the communication process. Linear models like Lasswell’s and Shannon and Weaver’s simplify communication, while more complex models like Gerbner’s and Kincaid’s take into account perception, information gaps, and mutual understanding. The choice of model depends on the context and the specific aspects of communication being studied.