DIFFERENT MODELS,

ELEMENTS AND TYPES

OF COMMUNICATION
(OLR #1)

SUBMITTED BY:
SCARLETT G. YU
STEM 11-07

SUBMITTED TO:
MS. BEA MARQUEZ
Subject Teacher
 Communication is a very basic and fundamental process for human beings. However,
when a brand wants to communicate with their customers, then the communication takes
another form. Similarly, there is communication involved between teams as well. There
are various types of communication between people as well as between teams.

What is communication?
Communication is the act of sending information or ideas via speech, visuals, writing or
any other such method. The Communication model has a sender who is sending the
message and the receiver who is receiving the message. In between, the speech or ideas
need to be simple enough to be decoded and understood by the receiver. If the ideas are
not presented properly, then decoding is improper and the receiver does not understand.

Communication Models
Communication is a complex process, and it is difficult to determine where or with
whom a communication encounter starts and ends. It can sometimes be helpful to
consider different communication models.
 Models of communication simplify the process by providing a visual representation of
the various aspects of a communication encounter. Some models explain
communication in more detail than others, but even the most complex model still
doesn’t recreate what we experience in even a moment of a communication
encounter. Models still serve a valuable purpose for students of communication
because they allow us to see specific concepts and steps within the process of
communication, define communication, and apply communication concepts. When
you become aware of how communication functions, you can think more deliberately
through your communication encounters, which can help you better prepare for future
communication and learn from your previous communication. The different models of
communication are the transmission, interaction, transaction models, Shannon and
Weaver's model of communication, communication major dimension scheme,
communication code scheme, Berlo's Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver Model of
Communication.
 The internal cognitive process that allows participants to send, receive, and
understand messages is the encoding and decoding process. Encoding is the process
of turning thoughts into communication. Decoding is the process of turning
communication into thoughts.
 Encoded messages are sent through a channel, or a sensory route on which a
message travels, to the receiver for decoding. While communication can be sent and
received using any sensory route (sight, smell, touch, taste, or sound), most
communication occurs through visual (sight) and/or auditory (sound) channels.
 1. Linear/Transmission Model of Communication

The linear or transmission model of communication describes communication as a linear,

one-way process in which a sender intentionally transmits a message to a receiver (Ellis
& McClintock, 1990). This model focuses on the sender and message within a
communication encounter. Although the receiver is included in the model, this role is
viewed as more of a target or end point rather than part of an ongoing process. We are
left to presume that the receiver either successfully receives and understands the
message or does not.

Think of how a radio message is sent from a person in the radio studio to you listening in
your car. The sender is the radio announcer who encodes a verbal message that is
transmitted by a radio tower through electromagnetic waves (the channel) and eventually
reaches your (the receiver’s) ears via an antenna and speakers in order to be decoded.
The radio announcer doesn’t really know if you receive their message or not, but if the
equipment is working and the channel is free of static, then there is a good chance that
the message was successfully received.

2. Interactive/Interaction Model of Communication

The interactive or interaction model of communication describes communication as a

process in which participants alternate positions as sender and receiver and generate
meaning by sending messages and receiving feedback within physical and psychological
contexts (Schramm, 1997). Rather than illustrating communication as a linear, one-way
process, the interactive model incorporates feedback, which makes communication a
more interactive, two-way process. Feedback includes messages sent in response to
other messages.

For example, your instructor may respond to a point you raise during class discussion or
you may point to the sofa when your roommate asks you where the remote control is. The
inclusion of a feedback loop also leads to a more complex understanding of the roles of
participants in a communication encounter. Rather than having one sender, one
message, and one receiver, this model has two sender-receivers who exchange
messages. Each participant alternates roles as sender and receiver in order to keep a
communication encounter going. Although this seems like a perceptible and deliberate
process, we alternate between the roles of sender and receiver very quickly and often
without conscious thought.

The interactive model is also less message focused and more interaction focused. While
the linear model focused on how a message was transmitted and whether or not it was
received, the interactive model is more concerned with the communication process itself.
In fact, this model acknowledges that there are so many messages being sent at one time
that many of them may not even be received. Some messages are also unintentionally
sent. Therefore, communication isn’t judged effective or ineffective in this model based
on whether or not a single message was successfully transmitted and received.
 3. Transaction Model of Communication

The transaction model of communication describes communication as a process in which

communicators generate social realities within social, relational, and cultural
contexts. We don’t just communicate to exchange messages; we communicate to create
relationships, form intercultural alliances, shape our self-concepts, and engage with
others in dialogue to create communities.

The roles of sender and receiver in the transaction model of communication differ
significantly from the other models. Instead of labeling participants as senders and
receivers, the people in a communication encounter are referred to as communicators.
Unlike the interactive model, which suggests that participants alternate positions as
sender and receiver, the transaction model suggests that we are simultaneously senders
and receivers. This is an important addition to the model because it allows us to
understand how we are able to adapt our communication—for example, a verbal
message—in the middle of sending it based on the communication we are simultaneously
receiving from our communication partner.

The transaction model also includes a more complex understanding of context. The
interaction model portrays context as physical and psychological influences that enhance
or impede communication. While these contexts are important, they focus on message
transmission and reception. Since the transaction model of communication views
communication as a force that shapes our realities before and after specific interactions
occur, it must account for contextual influences outside of a single interaction. To do this,
the transaction model considers how social, relational, and cultural contexts frame and
influence our communication encounters.
Social context refers to the stated rules or unstated norms that guide
communication. Norms are social conventions that we pick up on through observation,
practice, and trial and error. We may not even know we are breaking a social norm until
we notice people looking at us strangely or someone corrects or teases us. Relational
context includes the previous interpersonal history and type of relationship we have with
a person. We communicate differently with someone we just met versus someone we’ve
known for a long time. Initial interactions with people tend to be more highly scripted and
governed by established norms and rules, but when we have an established relational
context, we may be able to bend or break social norms and rules more easily. Cultural
context includes various aspects of identities such as race, gender, nationality, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, class, and ability. We all have multiple cultural identities that influence
our communication. Some people, especially those with identities that have been
historically marginalized, are regularly aware of how their cultural identities influence their
communication and influence how others communicate with them. Conversely, people
with identities that are dominant or in the majority may rarely, if ever, think about the role
their cultural identities play in their communication. Cultural context is influenced by
numerous aspects of our identities and is not limited to race or ethnicity.

Elements of Communication
Communicating effectively is an amalgamation of art and science. In fact, when
technology advanced rapidly through the turn of the 20 th century, a new theoretical field,
Communication Theory, was introduced alongside Information Theory. Notable
products of that field (livelier today than ever) are the Elements of Communication, for
which there exists a basic model. Naturally, debate abounds over what these elements
are in what order they should appear, but a general blueprint survives to help us better
understand the tangibles and intangibles behind the art of communication.
Over the years, and with the help of distinguished communication theorists Claude
Shannon, Wilbur Lang Schramm and Robert Craig, among others, a simple model of
communication has evolved to signify the aforementioned “elements of
communication.” Again, there is no universally accepted archetype, and dissidents will
flock to anything claiming to be such. Still, what follows is not only an accurate
assessment of the basics; it is also an informative lesson for anyone with a desire to
better understand the mechanics of communication.

1. Source

The source is the person (or thing) attempting to share information. The source can
be a living or non-living entity. The only qualifications necessary for a source are an
origin of information (in Information Theory, the source generates data that one would
like to communicate) and an ability to transmit this information, through a channel, to a
receiver.
2. Message

At first glance, the message is simply the information you want to communicate. But it
goes deeper than that. Communication theorists examine messages from a semiotic
perspective (the study of signs and symbols, and how meaning is created through
them; note: it is not the study of meaning, just how meaning is created). For example,
a commencement speaker produces meaning through several criteria. First, there is
the object (in this case, the speaker has an inherent meaning, maybe through being a
local celebrity or famous alum). The second criterion would be his or her image,
acting as a symbol or representation of the meaning of the object (a well-dressed,
professional and successful person). The third criterion is interpretation or derived
meaning. If the object and image (and, in this case, speech) are successful, then the
audience will leave with an understanding of how to proceed toward a life of personal
fulfillment.

3. Encoding

Encoding is the process of assembling the message (information, ideas and thoughts)
into a representative design with the objective of ensuring that the receiver can
comprehend it. Communication is only established when it results in both the source
and the receiver understanding the same information. People who are great
communicators are great encoders; they know how to present their message in a way
that their audience (receivers) can easily understand. They are also able to identify
information that is superfluous, irrelevant or even accidentally offensive, and eliminate
it in advance through anticipation.

4. Channel

An encoded message is conveyed by the source through a channel. There are

numerous channel categories: verbal, non-verbal, personal, non-personal, etc. A
channel could be the paper on which words are written, or the Internet acting in the
client-server model that is allowing you to read these words right now.

A good communicator is one who understands which channels to use under different
circumstances. Unfortunately, there is no perfect channel. All channels have
strengths and weaknesses (smartphones are great, for example, but a marriage
proposal is best done in person).

5. Decoding

Now would be an appropriate time to remind yourself that you can just as easily fill the
role of decoder as you can encoder. This is where listening, and reading directions
carefully, makes its claim to fame—decode with care, my friends. As we discussed in
Encoding, communication is only successful when it results in both the source and the
receiver understanding the same information. For this to happen, there can be no
errors in processing. The most common among these would be, for example, a first-
grader sitting in on a lecture on differential equations, i.e. decoding is impossible if the
decoder cannot even understand the message.

6. Receiver

Ultimately, the message is delivered to the receiver. A good communicator takes the
receivers preconceptions and frames of reference into consideration; how they will
react, where common ground is shared, their sense of humor, their moral conduct,
etc. All of these things will affect how the receivers decode messages.

7. Feedback

A better word might be “reaction” or “responses.” The source judges its success
based on the feedback it receives, so pay close attention. If Google’s servers crashed
tomorrow, there would be a lot of confused sources. The same would be true if you
delivered a flawless marriage proposal, only to receive a look of bewilderment and
horror. Feedback is the moment of reckoning. Whether things go right or wrong, it
serves as one of the most important learning opportunities we have.

8. Context

Communication does not take place in a vacuum. The context of any communication
act is the environment surrounding it. This includes, among other things, place, time,
event, and attitudes of sender and receiver.

9. Noise (also called as Interference)

This is any factor that inhibits the conveyance of a message. That is, anything that
gets in the way of the message being accurately received, interpreted and responded
to. Noise may be internal or external. A student worrying about an incomplete
assignment may not be attentive in class (internal noise) or the sounds of heavy rain
on a galvanized roof may inhibit the reading of a storybook to second graders
(external noise).

The communication process is dynamic, continuous, irreversible, and contextual. It is

not possible to participate in any element of the process without acknowledging the
existence and functioning of the other elements.

Types of Communication

Based on the types of senders and receivers involved, we can define various types of
communications. If we take an example of communication between teams, you will see
the higher amount of formal communication as compared to informal. On the other hand,
when we consider personal communication and communication between the group of
personal friends, you will find these types of communication to be more informal in nature.

1. Verbal Communication

Verbal communication can also be called as Oral communication. In very simple terms,
any communication that happens orally between people is known as verbal
communication. The objective of such communications is to ensure that people
understand whatever you want to convey. Because of its very nature, verbal
communications are more quick and precise than email communication.
In the era of messaging via Whatsapp or using email, people still prefer personal meetings
or phone calls (or face to face skype calls) because they are effective and much more
convenient in conveying the message.

Nowadays, Verbal communication is an important aspect and is looked as a key strength

in an individual.
2. Non-verbal / Interpersonal communication

How do you make people feel when you enter the room? Is your body language strong
and are you standing straight and erect or are you slouched and tired? Are you clean
shaven, looking your immaculate best for a team meeting or are you shabby with shirts
that are not ironed? When you shake hands, do you do so strongly or do you just brush
your hand against others?

The above were some examples of Non-verbal communications or interpersonal

communications.

Example, in customer service, non-verbal and interpersonal skills play a huge role.
Imagine you were unhappy with a product and you went to the customer service
department. Instead of understanding your problem, the customer service executive gives
a rude reply. Repeatedly you visit them and even though the problem is not resolved, you
don’t get a satisfactory answer.

Compare that with a customer service department which smiles when you come in. They
reassure you that they are on top of your problem. They are proactive and update you
themselves on when to expect the problem to be resolved. Later on, they follow up
whether you were satisfied with the response and if there was anything they could do
further.

This smile, the body language of reassurance, the listening ability are all non-verbal type
of communications. A good customer service executive will pay special attention to them
and will ensure that you leave satisfied! Hiring good customer service executives, who
have great interpersonal skills, is the sign of a good organization which is focused
on customer satisfaction.

3. Written Communication

One of the most common forms of written communications used till date is Email. But
slowly, written type of communications is becoming more informal with Whatsapp and
other online messaging apps being used regularly.

All different forms of written communication can be formal or informal. If today, we visit a
court of law, you will find that even Whatsapp messages are considered to be legal in
nature. In fact, there have been so many cases of celebrities brought under the scanner
because of wrong written communications on their social media account.

Thus, the above example is further proof that written communication needs to be used
safely and effectively. In fact, written communication between friends can be informal but
this type of communication between working professionals should always be formal so
that any misquoted words are not misused with ill intent.

The advantage of written communication is that it acts as the final word once a decision
has been taken. When you quote your prices to the customer, when you rank a dealer on
top, when you promote an employee or when you launch a new product, you use written
communication to communicate the update to your team and your employees.

A problem with written communication is that it becomes too formal and might incite ego
or various political problems when written communication is used. Newspapers are
perfect examples of written words which create controversy.

4. Formal & Informal

There are two types of communication when considering the formality of the
communication. One is the formal and official type of communication which can be emails,
letterheads, memos, reports and other such kinds of written material. These are
considered as documentary evidence and certain formality is associated with them. You
cannot submit such formal documents and later deny them.

Informal communication is one where there is nothing official about the communication
that is happening. It can be known as Grapevine communication. There is no
specific channel of informal communication because there is Social media, Whatsapp,
SMS which are all vehicles of informal communication which can be used by people.

Advantages of formal communication

 When you want to finalize policy and want to decide a course to adopt, then formal
communication is more effective
 Formal communication can help in establishing procedures and ensuring that the
steps are followed.
 Any promises or any official plans need to be formally documented so that they can
be referred to later.

Advantages of informal communication

 informal communication helps the “Open door policy” and makes people more
confident and forthcoming with their ideas and creativity.
 Informal communication does not incite fear into peoples mind
 Informal talks encourage people to share their problems.
The problem with formal communication is that it is not personal and a distance is
maintained if you use only formal communications. Whereas on the other hand, informal
conversations can get out of hand and there can be negative grapevine generated.

5. Visual Communication

One of the industries which most prominently uses Visual communication is the medical
industry. New medicines which come into the market have to be shown to doctors and
the advantages have to be explained. At such times, the medical representatives carry
informative pamphlets which are shown to the doctors and dropped with the doctors.

These informative pamphlets have all the information about the medicine so that doctors
can feel confident in suggesting the medicine to their patients. Similarly, many different
industries are using visual communication to help interaction with their customers so that
they can communicate their ideas better. Explainer videos as a concept is rising and is
becoming as one of the best types of communication observed on websites.

There are many elements in visual communication that can be used by marketers
or companies.

 Colors (such as brand colors)

 Design (logo and brand design)
 Advertising
 Animations
 Illustrations
 Typography
 Presentations
 Video resume’s

In person to person communication too visual communication plays a role. Consider the
diagrams made by teachers on blackboards when explaining a concept to a class of
students. Or we can also take the example of graphs made in powerpoints by managers
when doing a powerpoint presentation to a team of executives or seniors.

To summarize, the type of communication most common are

In teams

 Formal Communication
 Verbal Communication and Non-verbal communication
 Written communication
 Visual communication
In group of people

 Informal Communication
 Verbal and Non-verbal communication
 Informal written communications

Above were all the different types of communications used by a group of people or
between the team.

REFERENCES

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/professionalcomms/chapter/3-2-the-communication-process-
communication-in-the-real-world-an-introduction-to-communication-studies/

https://blog.udemy.com/elements-of-communication/

http://cape-commstudies.blogspot.com/2011/10/communication-process.html

https://www.marketing91.com/five-types-of-communication/