Module 1

Communication Principles, Processes, and Ethics

Lesson 1
Principles and Processes of Communication.
An essential tool for human survival is communication. We communicate to get what we
need and to accomplish what we want. For instance, babies normally cry when they are hungry;
consequently, they are given milk by their mothers. An adult may pick up his/her own phone an
hour before lunch and ask someone to deliver his/her food. In both scenarios, the babies and the
adult rely on communication as a vital means to accomplish their ends.

Communication in relation to human survival does not confine itself to just addressing
the biological needs of people, while the food that we take satisfies our hunger, and the water
that we drink quenches our thirst, the daily interaction through the various communication feeds
our mind, nourishes our heart and enriches our soul. However, the benefits of communication
can only be fully enjoyed if carefully understood, effectively done, and purposely carried out.

PRINCIPLES IN COMMUNICATION

1. Communication is transactional. It is a two-way process that involves an

exchange. When a message is sent, a reply is expected.
2. Communication is inevitable. It is impossible not to communicate. The moment you
wake up, you already start communicating by merely thinking of how your day will
look like. In other words, communication is an indispensable part of daily life.
3. Communication is goal-oriented- When you communicate, you have a goal in mind. You
communicate to express feelings, ideas, and emotions; to inform; persuade; entertain; ask
questions; to build and maintain a relationship and to influence others are some of the
purposes of communication.
4. Communication is complex. It entails a lot of processes, which can occur
simultaneously or successively. It requires you to know your audience, determine your
purpose, identify your topic, expect objections, establish credibility, present information
clearly and objectively, and develop a practical, useful way to seek feedback.
5. Communication can be learned. Despite its complexity, it is a skill that can be learned.
6. Communication is relational. The process of how meaning is created also echoes two
vital aspects or the relationship of the communicators. Immediacy and control.
Immediacy is the degree of liking or attractiveness in a relationship while control is
the degree to which a participant shows dominance or power.
7. Communication is guided by culture. It may be defined as a system of knowledge
shared by a relatively large group of people. The system includes shared beliefs,
values, symbols, and behaviors.
8. Communication has various levels. Various levels of communication: intrapersonal
(self-talk), interpersonal (interaction between two persons), small group (involves 3-20
people), and public or mass (more than twenty people), extended, organizational (formal-
upward, downward, horizontal, and crosswise)
9. Communication can be in the form of written, verbal, non-verbal, and visuals.
 a. Written Communication- Texts or words encoded and transmitted
through memos, letters, reports, online chat, SMS, emails, journals, and other
written documents.

b. Verbal Communication- It involves an exchange of information through face-to-

face, audio and/or video call or conferencing, lectures, meetings, radio, and
television.

c. Non-Verbal Communication -Sending and receiving messages without the

use of words.
Examples of non-verbal
Kinesics- Movements
Haptics- Touch
Proxemics- Distance
Chronemics- Time
Oculesics- eye movements

Visuals- A visual is something such as a picture, diagram, or piece of film that is used to show or
explain something. It involves the use of :
Images
Graphs
Charts
Logos
Map

The Communication Process

Communication process refers to the transmission or passage of information or message
from the sender through a selected channel to the receiver overcoming barriers that affect its
pace.
The process of communication is a cyclic one as it begins with the sender and ends with
the sender in the form of feedback. It takes place upward, downward and laterally throughout
the organization. The process must be a continuous and dynamic interaction, both affecting and
being affected by many variables.
Communication process consists of certain steps where each step constitutes the essential of an
effective communication. The following is a brief analysis of the important steps of the process
of communication.
It involves elements such as source, message, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver,
feedback, context, and barrier.

Source- the speaker or sender of the message

Message- information or ideas from the speaker
Encoding- transferring the message
Channel- the means to deliver the message (face-to-face, telephone, and emails etc.
Decoding - interpreting an encoded message.
Receiver- recipient of the message.
Feedback- The action or the responses of the receiver to the message from the sender.
Context- the situation or the environment in which communication takes place.
 Barriers- the factors which may affect the communication process
Examples of barriers to communication:

 Culture Noise
 Individual difference Past experiences
 Language use Status

Lesson 2

Communication Models
The definition of communication and its element can also be further understood in the
light of a framework or model to see their interrelatedness. The common models of
communication that have been utilized over the years are as follows.

Aristotle's Linear Model

The earliest model comes from Aristotle at around 500 B.C. in this model, well explains that the
speaker should adjust their messages according to their audience and the occasion to achieve a
particular effect. The Aristotle’s communication model revolves around the speaker as the main
concept of this theory is that, speaker plays the most important role in communication and it is
the only one who holds the responsibility to influence his/her audience through public speaking.
It is the speaker’s role to deliver a speech to the audience.

The audience is passive, influenced by the speech.

The Shannon and Weaver Model of communication is a mathematical theory of

communication that argues that human communication can be broken down into six key
concepts: sender, encoder, channel, noise, decoder, and receiver. It is known as the “Mother of
all models” because of its wide popularity. The model is also called the “Telephone Model,”
since it was developed because of the technology of the telephone and the experience of “noise”
coming from

In this model, the sender encodes the message and sends it to the receiver through a
technological channel like telephone. The sender converts the message into codes
understandable to the machine. The message is sent in codes through a medium.

The receiver has to decode the message before understanding it and interpreting it. The
receptor machine can also act as a decoder in some cases. The channel can have noise and the
receiver might not have the capacity to decode which might cause problems in the
communication process.

The Osgood-Schramm (Interactive Model) of communication is defined as a circular model

that shows that messages go in two directions. The model has four key principles: (1)
Communication is circular not linear; (2) Communication is usually equal and reciprocal; (3)
Messages require interpretation; (4) there are three steps for communicating: encoding, decoding
and interpreting.

Transactional Model

This model was adapted

from Wood (1997) in
response to the failure of
interactive models to portray
dynamism of human
communication. The key
features of the transactional
model are as follows: it has a
time element which
influences how people
communicate. For instance,
freshman college students are more reserved at the start of the semester since they are still
getting to know their classmates. This will change overtime as they become more comfortable
with their classmates due to their frequent interaction. It depicts communication is varying, not
constant and dynamic, not other lines in the model indicate that communication occurs within
systems that influence what and how people communicate. This system may include culture
context and family background.

Finally, the model does not label one as the sender and the other as the receiver.
Instead, our communicators who actively, equally, and simultaneously participate in the
communication process.

In sum, the transactional model is a model in which people interact with and through
symbols over time to share and create meaning.