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NAME - IKWUETOGHU MARTINS
COURSE - BUS 2122: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
DEPARTMENT "€“ ACCOUNTING
COLLEGE "€“ MSAT
DATE "€“ 11th of MAY, 2010
THEORIES AND MODELS OF COMMUNICATION.
INTRODUCTION
Currently, many definitions of communication are used in order to conceptualize the
processes by which people navigate and assign meaning. Communication is also
understood as the exchanging of understanding. Additionally the biocommunication theory
investigates communicative processes within and among non-humans such as bacteria,
animals, fungi and plants. Communication stands so deeply rooted in human behaviors and
the structures of society that scholars have difficulty thinking of it while excluding social
or behavioral events. Because communication theory remains a relatively young field of
inquiry and integrates itself with other disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, and
sociology, one probably cannot yet[update] expect a consensus conceptualization of
communication across disciplines.
We might say that communication consists of transmitting information. In fact, many
scholars of communication take this as a working definition, and use Lasswells maxim
("who says what to whom") as a means of circumscribing the field of communication.
Others stress the importance of clearly characterizing the historical, economic and social
context. The field of communication theory can benefit from a conceptualization of
communication that is widely shared. I.e. Communication consists of transmitting
information from one person to another. Lasswells maxim, states that "who says what to
whom in what channel with what effect," as a means of circumscribing the field of
communication theory. Other commentators claim that a ritual process of communication
exists, one not artificially divorcible from a particular historical and social context.
This approaches communication theory from a biographical perspective, in an attempt to
show theory development within a social context. Many of these theorists would not
actually consider themselves "communication" researchers. The field of communication
study is remarkably inclusionary, and integrates theoretical perspectives originally
developed in a range of other disciplines. We may turn to etymology for clues:
"communication" (from the Latin "communicare") literally means to put in common", to
share". The term originally meant sharing of tangible things; food, land, goods, and
property. Today, it is often applied to knowledge and information processed by living
things or computers.
DEFINITION OF TERM "COMMUNICATION"€
The Definition of communication is ubiquitous; it appears nonetheless difficult to
define. We see that different individuals define communication in different ways
depending upon their interests. Ruben (1984) says that communication is any "information
related behavior."€ Dale (1969) says it is the sharing of ideas and feelings in a mood of
mutuality."€ Other definitions emphasize the significance of symbols, as in Berelson and
Steiner (1964): "The transmission of information, ideas, emotions and skills"€¦by the use
of symbols,"€ and Theodorson (1969): the transmission of information, ideas, attitudes, or
emotion from one person or group to another"€¦primarily through symbols."€
Taken together, theses definitions hint at the general picture. They also illustrate the
influence that an individuals perspective may have on the way he or she approaches a
problem. The source of the definitions works (variously) in psychology, sociology,
philosophy and education. Their definitions are influenced by the aspect of human
behavior of greatest interest to them. We will see similar influences in models of
communication in the other pages.
THEORIES & MODELS OF COMMUNICATION
Many suggest that there is no such thing as a successful body of communication theory,
but that we have been relatively more successful in generating models of communication.
A model, according to Karl Deutsch 1952 ("On Communication Models in the Social
Sciences"), is "a structure of symbols and operating rules which is supposed to match a set
of relevant points in an existing structure or process." In other words, it is a simplified
representation or template of a process that can be used to help understand the nature of
communication in a social setting. Such models are necessarily not one-totione maps of the
real world, but they are successful only insofar as they accurately represent the most
important elements of the real world, and the dynamics of their relationship to one another.
Deutsch suggests that a model should provide four functions. It should organize a
complex system (while being as general as possible), and should provide an heuristic
function. Both these functions are similar to those listed above for theories. He goes on to
suggest models should be as original as possible, that they should not be obvious enough
that they fail to shed light on the existing system. They should also provide some form of
measurement of the system that will work analogously within the model and within the
actual system being observed.
Models provide a simplified view of something to be studied. We choose those elements
of interest and use the model to help us frame questions and predictions. The elements we
include (or exclude) and the relationships between them that we represent will by necessity
dictate the domain of inquiry. What we dont see (or acknowledge) we cannot study. I.e.
Models are tools of inquiry in a way that theories may not be. By representing the system
being observed, they provide a way of working through the problems of a "real world"
system in a more abstract way. As such, they lend themselves to the eventual construction
of theory, though it may be that theory of the sort found in the natural sciences is
something that cannot be achieved in the social sciences. Unfortunately, while models
provide the "what" and the "how," they are not as suited to explaining "why," and therefore
are rarely as satisfying as strong theory.
Lanham chose to view communication as the rival to the over encompassing use of CBS
model (which pursued to further the transmission model). CBS model argues that charity,
brevity, and sincerity are the only purpose to prose discourse, therefore communication.
Lanham wrote, "If words matter too, if the whole range of human motive is seen as
animating prose discourse, then rhetoric analysis leads us to the essential questions about
prose style"€ (Lanham 10). This is saying that rhetoric and style are fundamentally
important; they are not errors to what we actually intend to transmit. The process which we
construct and deconstruct meaning deserves analysis.
Erving Goffman sees the performance of self as the most important frame to understand
communication. Goffman wrote, "What does seem to be required of the individual is that
he learn enough pieces of expression to be able to "€fill in"€™ and manage, more or less,
any part that he is likely to be given"€ (Goffman 73) Goffman is highlighting the
significance of expression. The truth in both cases is the articulation of the message and
the package as one. The construction of the message from social and historical context is
the seed as is the pre-existing message is for the transmission model. Therefore any look
into communication theory should include the possibilities drafted by such great scholars
as Robert A. Lanham and Erving Goffman that style and performance is the whole process.
Communication Theory attempts to document types of communication, and to optimize
communications for the benefit of all. Indeed, a theory is some form of explanation of a
class of observed phenomena. Karl Popper colorfully described theory as the net which we
throw out in order to catch the world--to rationalize, explain, and dominate it." The idea of
a theory lies at the heart of any scholarly process, and while those in the social sciences
tend to adopt the tests of a good theory from the natural sciences, many who study
communication adhere to an idea of communication theory that is akin to that found in
other academic fields.
This approaches communication theory from a biographical perspective, in an attempt to
show theory development within a social context. Many of these theorists would not
actually consider themselves "communication" researchers. The field of communication
study is remarkably inclusionary, and integrates theoretical perspectives originally
developed in a range of other disciplines. Humans communicate everyday. Communication
is a basic activity by which humans consider fundamental. Everybody delivers messages
but not everybody understands the underlying theories and studies about this way of life.
The following are the major theorist with their theories and models
COMMUNICATION THEORIES AND MODELS
|Theory |Date |Theorist |Definition |Illustrations
|
|Verbal Model of |1948 |Harold Lasswell |Who says what in which channel
to|Persuasive speaker |
|Communication | | |whom with what effects? |
|
|Transmission Model of |1949 |Claude Shannon & |Diagram of Transmission Model
of |Telephone conversation, Radio or television broadcast |
|Communication | |Warren Weaver |Communication (see below) |
|
| | | | |
|
|Coorientation Model of |1953 |Theodore |Diagram of Coorientation Model
of|Tobacco companies and health agencies differ on public |
|Communication | |Newcomb |Communication (see below)
|policies about tobacco. |
| | | | |
|
| | | | |Accuracy, Agreement, and
Congruency |
|Shared Experience Model of|1954 |Wilbur Schramm |Diagram of Shared Experience
|Successful message encoding and decoding depends on |
|Communication | | |Model of Communication (see |similar
language and values. |
| | | |below) |Feedback helps to clarify
meanings |
|Transcendental Model of |1967 |Alfred Schutz |Diagram of Transcendental Model
|Cultural and background differences result in different |
|Communication | | |of Communication (see below)
|understandings of messages. |
