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Model of Communication
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In this video we’ll review a model of human
communication, the elements of communication,
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and how the elements of communication work
together to form meaning during
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a communication instance.
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Given the complexity of human communication,
the information in this video provides
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a general overview.
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As the course progresses, the ideas presented
in this video will be covered in more detail.
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Let’s start with a single individual, a
communicator.
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A communicator is a person who sends messages
to and receives messages from other people.
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While this definition of a communicator might
seem simple on the surface, it is more complex
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than it seems and needs further explanation.
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In the communication the process the acts
of “sending” and “receiving,”
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are fairly complex.
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Before a communicator can send a message to
another person,
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the message must first be encoded.
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Encoding is the process of putting a message
together.
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When it comes to using language, or rather,
verbal communication, the encoding process
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is fairly easy to perceive.
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Humans use verbal communication whenever using
words in writing or speaking.
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Verbal communication includes sign language
too, as sign language uses specific movements
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that convey meanings of specific ideas, objects,
thoughts, and feelings.
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Have you ever taken time to carefully write
then rewrite a sentence to ensure you’re
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being as clear as possible?
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Have you ever been careful to choose just
the right words to convey what you are thinking
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before speaking to another individual?
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Of course you have, we all have.
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Carefully considering which words to use (and
the order of their use) in a given situation
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is one example of encoding.
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However, encoding verbal communication does
not only occur when carefully and intentionally
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considering word choice.
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It often occurs unintentionally.
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Have you ever sent off a text too quickly
and, in rereading it, later found it contained
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incorrect spellings or words?
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There are a variety of humorous websites documenting
such mistakes, like this one:
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Dad: Come home soon.
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We’re having the dogs for dinner
Son: We’re eating our dogs?
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Nooooooo!
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Dad: HOT dogs, not our dogs.
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Son: Ha!
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You scared me there for a minute.
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Have you ever said something in haste that
you wish you could have taken back?
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If so, maybe you didn’t encode the message
a carefully enough and unintentionally sent
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information you didn’t mean to send.
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As mentioned, examples of encoding in verbal
communication are fairly easy to perceive.
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Why?
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Because verbal communication uses words, and
words are symbols.
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Symbols are what we use to communicate our
thoughts and ideas to others.
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Symbols are discrete, with a distinct beginning
and ending, and can be perceived in a single
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instance as a whole.
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For example, we easily can discern the first
and last letter of a word.
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We know which letter it starts a word and
which letter it ends the word.
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It’s contained and has a specific beginning
and ending.
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While this is an example of a word, which
is a symbol, not all symbols are words.
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Specific movements, gestures, images, and
non-word sounds can be classified as symbols
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as well --if they communicate a discrete thought
or idea like a word does.
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For instance: the peace sign, holding a hand
up, palm forward, to communicate “stop.”
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And, shrugging one’s shoulders to communicate
“I don’t know.”
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Communication that uses language is classified
as verbal communication.
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Everything else that is communicated, beyond
the words in a language, is classified as
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nonverbal communication.
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Nonverbal communication is any information
sent from one person to another that does
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not fit the definition of a symbol.
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Nonverbal communication can include our facial
expressions, our posture, our movements, how
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we smell, how we sound when saying something,
and more.
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Nonverbal communication surrounds our use
of words.
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However, not all communication instances use
words.
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Sometimes we communicate with each other without
uttering a single word at all.
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Unlike verbal communication that is discrete,
nonverbal communication is continuous and
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can be more difficult to decipher.
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Continuous forms of communication don’t
have distinct beginnings and endings as symbols
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like words do.
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Instead, they have indeterminate beginnings
and may or may not have clear endings.
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Many times, one form of continuous communication
overlaps with others that can either add more
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clarity or more confusion to what is being
communicated.
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For instance, if a person is crying, frowning,
and has slumping posture all at the same time
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we might assume accurately the person is sad.
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But what if a person is crying and laughing
at the same time?
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Is that as easy to decipher?
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Is the person so happy that it led to crying?
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Is the person so sad that laughing was the
only way to lighten the mood?
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In many cases of nonverbal communication,
it can be difficult to decipher what another
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is thinking.
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Sometimes, the only way you can know for sure
what another is thinking is to ask.
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And, even when asking directly, a person may
not be truthful in the reply.
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Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s
not what you say, it’s how you say it?”
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This phrase highlights the importance of nonverbal
communication.
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For instance, there is a big difference between
saying, hello, in a friendly manner and saying
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it with a grunt in an unfriendly way – like
saying hello accompanied by
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a frown on one's face.
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In this second example, is the speaker really
happy to see the other person as the word
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might indicate?
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Probably not.
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It’s important to note that nonverbal communication
can influence or even change the meaning of
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verbal communication sent.
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Verbal and nonverbal communication work together
to form messages, and people who receive messages
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use both to try to understand what is communicated
by others.
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A further way to categorize communication,
beyond verbal and nonverbal categories,
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is by its origin.
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Where did the information sent originate?
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Beyond the categories of verbal and nonverbal,
communication can also be categorized as either
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vocal or nonvocal.
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Vocal communication refers to sounds that
come out of a mouth like words, grunts and
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sighs, and how the sounds are presented including
speed, loudness level, and more.
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As both verbal and nonverbal communication
can be vocal, so too can they be nonvocal.
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Nonvocal forms of nonverbal communication
do not come out of a mouth, like written words
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and body movements.
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It is a common mistake to assume that all
sounds that that come from the mouth are verbal.
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However, this is not the case.
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Only the words that come out of a mouth are
classified as verbal.
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All the other sounds that come out of the
mouth are classified as nonverbal because
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they are not symbols.
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On the other hand, another common mistake
is thinking that all verbal communication
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must originate from the mouth.
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As mentioned earlier, anytime words and language
are used, they’re classified as verbal communication.
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Thus, words in mobile texts, term papers,
books, and on computer screens are all classified
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as verbal communication.
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How words are presented and look is considered
nonverbal communication.
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As a communicator sends both verbal and nonverbal
forms of communication vocally and/or nonvocally,
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that communicator also receives these forms
of communication from others as well.
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When receiving information, a communicator
needs to decode it and give
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the information meaning.
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As explained earlier, encoding is the process
of putting a message together.
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Decoding, on the other hand, is taking a message
apart and assigning it meaning.
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When receiving verbal and nonverbal communication,
a number of factors influence how a person
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will perceive the messages received.
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A communicator’s background, including culture,
age, economic-level, and life experiences,
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all influence how she or he communicates and,
in turn, interprets communication from others
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during interactions.
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For example, do you introduce yourself to
new people or should you wait to be introduced?
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In some societies, it’s considered rude
to introduce yourself whereas in other societies
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it is expected.
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Similarities and differences in how people
have learned to behave influence how humans
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interpret each others’ behaviors and how
they understand each other.
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So far we’ve concentrated on behaviors of
individual communicators that influence how
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people understand each other.
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There are also additional elements to the
communication process that can effect how
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people perceive what others communicate.
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A term used to describe how information is
sent from one communicator to others is called
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a channel.
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Common channels include face-to-face conversation,
talking on a phone, texting, emailing, a handwritten note,
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a newspaper article, and even a television
advertisement -- to name a few.
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Whatever carries a message from one communicator
to another is labeled a channel.
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In some instances, the channel selected to
carry a message is so influential, that it
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can influence or completely alter the intended
meaning of a message.
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Each channel brings with it additional meanings
that can become part of a message sent.
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For instance, if a person is going end a long-term
romantic relationship on friendly terms, which
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might be the most appropriate channel in which
to send a message about ending the relationship?
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Quickly sending a short text?
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Leaving a long-handwritten note taped to a
person’s door?
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Publically posting the message on a social
media site like Facebook or Snapchat?
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Or, speaking to the person face-to-face?
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The primary message of the communication is,
“I am ending this romantic relationship
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with you.”
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However, the intended meaning of a message
can be altered depending on the channel
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through which it is sent.
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Given the influence of a channel on a message,
not only will the message, “I am ending
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our romantic relationship” be communicated,
but additional information can be inferred
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from the channel chosen as well.
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Sending such a message through a text might
be interpreted as rudeness and communicate
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additional information like, “Our relationship
means so little, I am ending it with a few
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words via a text.”
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Or “Um, I’m too scared to talk to you
about this, here’s a text because I am trying
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to avoid you.”
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Leaving a long-handwritten note is a bit better,
but it might also imply something like, “I
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am not strong enough to talk to you face-to-face
about this.”
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or “I have made up my mind, and I won’t
give you an opportunity to discuss what is
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going on with me.”
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Ending a relationship via social media, where
others can see it, could be especially painful
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and lead to a loss of dignity.
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This channel might send implied messages of
“I want to humiliate you publically” or
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“I hope others see that I ended things first
and not you.”
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Of the examples listed initially, an attempt
to end a long-term relationship on friendly
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terms might best be achieved by speaking to
a partner face-to-face.
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Although the primary message of “I am ending
this romantic relationship with you” may
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be difficult to send and receive, the face-to-face
channel can imply messages like “you’re
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important to me, and I care about how you
feel, so I needed to discuss this with you
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in person,” or “I wanted to give you the
opportunity to express your feelings about
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this to me,” and “Although I am ending
this relationship, I respect you.”
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Choosing an appropriate channel depends on
accurately predicting the messages that will
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inevitably accompany the channel selected
to transmit it.
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Choosing the appropriate channel depends on
many factors including, but not limited to,
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cultural expectations for communication behavior,
the content of the message being sent, generational
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expectations of appropriate behavior for the
situation at hand, and your relationship
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with the person or people with whom you communicate.
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Another element that can influence the communication
process is noise.
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In communication models, noise is anything
that can interfere with the communication
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process and influences how people understand
each other.
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Noise can be external, like music playing
so loudly that people speaking can’t quite
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hear each other.
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But, noise in the communication model doesn’t
only refer to sounds.
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External noise is any peripheral force that
interrupts communication including things
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like the lights suddenly going out, someone
interrupting a conversation, or a room being
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so hot it’s difficult to concentrate.
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Noise can also be psychological.
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Thoughts within a communicator’s own mind
can interrupt communication.
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Have you ever been so preoccupied with something
that you cannot pay attention to what is
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in front of you?
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If so, you’ve experienced psychological
noise.
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There is also physiological noise.
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Physiological noise has to do with an individual’s
biology.
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Sometimes we are too tired to pay attention,
can’t clearly hear the message, or feel
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too ill to process all the information being
communicated.
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All these forms of noise can interrupt information
flow and can influence what we do and don’t
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perceive or understand during communication.
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Another element of communication that is always
present is the context.
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A context is where communication takes place.
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Elements of a context that influence communication
behavior include the rules people are supposed
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to follow given what surrounds the communication
overall.
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Examples of elements in a context that can
influence communication include the time of day,
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the place where a conversation takes
place, level of a relationship, and the number
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of people privy to the communication.
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Communication always occurs within a context,
and the context contains rules and norms that
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regulate how people communicate.
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The rules and norms of contexts are based
in cultural, organizational, and social expectations
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and conventions.
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For instance, people may be expected to speak
quietly when in a library, but be encouraged
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to yell and cheer at a sporting event.
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People jump around, dance, and talk while
musicians play at a rock concert, but sit
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quietly and listen intently while musicians
play at the symphony.
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As with the channel, the context in which
communication takes place influences human
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behavior and the understanding of messages
people share.
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As you might have considered, some people
don’t share the same rules or norms of behavior
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for given contexts.
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Not sharing the same rules or norms can lead
to miscommunication or frustration between
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or among people.
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A final element in the process of communication
is feedback.
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Feedback is communication received in response
to the messages a communicator sends to others.
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When communicating with someone, how do you
know that they agree with what you communicated,
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are angry with what you communicated, or not
paying attention to what you communicated
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at all?
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We “know” because during or after sending
information, we pay attention to how people
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react to both how and what we communicate.
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When interpreting others’ reactions to our
communication, we can alter our messages to
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be more clearly understood or to best fit
the intended purpose of communicating in
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the first place.
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With all of this information, we can now construct
a Model of Communication.
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Communicators send, receive, and respond to
messages
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Messages are encoded verbally and nonverbally
before being sent and can be delivered vocally,
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nonvocally, or both.
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Messages are sent through a channel that carries
information to others.
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Given cultural, social, and personal expectations
of how information should be sent, the channel
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can influence how information is interpreted
by others.
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Information, while traveling from a communicator
to others, can experience noise.
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The noise can also influence how information
is interpreted by others.
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Received messages are decoded then interpreted,
and the interpretation of messages is based
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on a variety of elements including cultural
expectations, personal experience, and context.
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As verbal communication is discrete, often
it is easier to decipher than nonverbal communication
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which is continuous.
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However, this is not always the case.
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As people receive information, they respond
via feedback.
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Feedback offers clues as to how information
is being understood by others.
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Sometimes feedback is quite clear while other
times it is difficult to decipher.
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Feedback can be sent verbally, nonverbally,
vocally and nonvocally.
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All communication occurs in a context, and
the rules and norms of a context are used
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to guide interaction and interpretation of
the communication that occurs within it.
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And, the rules and norms that guide and influence
communication can change from person to person,
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from relationship to relationship, and from
culture to culture.
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From the information offered in this video,
it should be clear that communication is
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quite complicated.
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Figuring out how to clearly and appropriately
communicate with others is one of the great
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challenges of being human.
