Models of Communication

In the field of communication studies, there are numerous models. No one model is suitable for all purposes and all levels of analysis. Some common models are known as Lasswell Model, George Gerbner Model, David Berlo Model, Shanon and Weaver Model, Osgoods Model, and Schramm Model. All these describe the four components of the communication process, namely, the source (communicator), the message, the channel, the receiver (audience).

So far we have discussed the concept and different types of communication. Now let us examine some popular models of communication that are how students of communication have attempted to model it. This will help in understanding the process of communication. As the nature and concept of communication, models of communication have also been the subject of a vast amount of research and this has occupied a great many researchers a great many hours. No single theory or model has found general acceptance.

What is a Model?

Before discussing the models of communication, let us first understand what the term 'model' means. A model is a graphic representation designed to explain the way a variable works. It is a pattern, plan, representation, or description designed to show the structure or workings of an object, system, or concept. A model of communication offers a convenient way to think about it by providing a graphical checklist of its various elements.

Aristotle – The first Model of Communication

The Greek philosopher Aristotle looked at communication from the rhetorical perspective i.e. speaking to the masses to influence them and thus persuade them. Aristotle constructed a model with three elements: Speaker-Speech-Audience in which the basic function of communication was to persuade the other party. This is accepted by many as the first model of communication.

Very basically we have:

Senderà Messageà Receiver

Now what the Sender does is to encode a message, that is put it in some form that he or she thinks will be understood by the person receiving it – unless there is a deliberate intention of not communicating. The sender will select the appropriate language, decide on the appropriate structure, consider the appropriate channel, and decide on the time for the message. On the other hand, the receiver will need to decode the message so that he can understand the message clearly, quickly, and fully.

Development of Communication Models

Thereafter in the twentieth century, many more models came up. In the latter part of the century, the concept of communication changed due to the advent of various mass communication media such as newspapers, radio, and television. During the First and Second World Wars, communication was also used for propaganda and it was perceived as a magic bullet that transferred ideas and knowledge automatically from one mind to another. However, this was later found to be a very simplistic model that showed communication as a linear one-way flow of communication. Sociologists, political scientists, and psychologists who joined the debate around this time argued that communication was a complex process that was dynamic and two-way in nature.

During this period, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) sought to create greater awareness of how we decode a whole array of communication cues and in particular, as described by O’Connor (O’Connor & Seymour, 2002). NLP is a set of skills for communicating more effectively with you and others and a way of extending choices and making better decisions.

The practitioners of NLP claim that, by studying and application, students of NLP can re-program their senses so that their ability to ‘read’ others is enhanced. More recently, Goleman (2007) has put forward the notion of Emotional Quotient (EQ). This implies that there is an attribute that marks some people off from others – the ability to be ‘intelligent’ with emotions. Organizations, in their selection process, are increasingly looking for both IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ. It is realized that future leaders will need to have both attributes. There will be fewer opportunities for bright but insensitive leaders. Goleman has also come up with the notion of Social Intelligence (SI), a more refined ability to appreciate and act on the signals of others.

Some Common Models of Communication

The Lasswell model is the most widely quoted of all models of the communication process. It is a communicator-based linear model. Communication, according to Lasswell, is one-way or two-way. His concern is the effect rather than the meaning. Who says What; in Which Channel; to Whom; with What Effect;" captures the essence of the communication process as per the model.

Gerbner's model is a development of previous theories based on the linear process model. It relates the message to the 'reality' that it is 'about' and thus enables us to approach questions of perception and meaning, and it sees the communication process as consisting of two alternating dimensions - the perceptual or the receptive, and the communicating or means and control dimension. The merit of Gerbner's model is in localizing the meaning in the culture. Human perception is determined by culture. Consequently, it helps to explain different reception or interpretations of the same message by different audiences.

Berlo's ' proposed source-message-channel-receiver model (SMCR). He introduced six constituents of the communication model, namely, the communication: source, the encoder, the message, the channel, the decoder, and the communication receiver. These, he says, should not be viewed as separate things or entities or people. They are the names of behaviors that have to be performed for communication to occur.

Importance of Communication Models

The models assist us in our understanding of whether the process of communication in the society in which we live is: sender-centered (who), receiver-centered (to whom), or message-centered (what), channel/media-centered (how), goal-centered (with what effect). They also tell us that if the aim of communication is the transmission of a message to establish commonness, then the process must be two-way rather than one way, circular rather than linear. Communication must also take into account factors like context, culture, symbolic systems, and field of experience.