Models of Communication

Linear Communication Model

 Lasswell’s Model
 Aristotle’s Model
 Berlo’s SMCR Model

Transactional Model
 Barlund’s Model
 Shannon & Weaver Model

Interactive Model
 Schramm’s Model
 White’s Model

Linear model has defined set of components required for a communication to be established
where
 Sender is the person who sends a message after encoding.
 Encoding is the process of converting the message into codes compatible with the channel and
understandable for the receiver.
 Decoding is the process of changing the encoded message into understandable language by the
receiver.
 Message is the information sent by the sender to the receiver.
 Channel is the medium through which the message is sent.
 Receiver is the person who gets the message after decoding.
 Noise is the disruptions that are caused in the communication process in channel or in
understandability of the message.

Lasswell's communication model was developed by

communication theorist Harold D. Lasswell (1902-1978) in 1948.
Lasswell’s model of communication (also known as action model or
linear model or one way model of communication) is regarded as one
the most influential communication models.

Aristotle’s Model of Communication -The first and earliest

linear model is that of Aristotle, who was a teacher of Rhetoric and
even put up an academy to produce good speakers.
There are few criticisms around this Aristotle’s model. Some of them are:
 There is no concept of feedback, it is one way from speaker to audience.
 There is no concept of communication failure like noise and barriers.
 This model can only be used in public speaking.

In 1960, David Berlo postulated

Berlo's Sender-Message-
Channel-Receiver (SMCR) Model
of Communication from Shannon Weaver's
Model of Communication (1949). He
described factors affecting the individual
components in the communication making
the communication more efficient. This
model also focuses on encoding and decoding
which happens before sender sends the
message and before receiver receives the
message respectively.

There are few criticisms around this Berlo postulated Berlo's model. Some of them are:
 There is no concept of feedback, so the effect is not considered.
 There is no concept of noise or any kind of barriers in communication.
 It is a linear model of communication, there is no two way communication.
 Both of the people must be similar according to all the factors mentioned above.

Transactional model of
communication is the exchange of
messages between sender and receiver where
each take turns to send or receive messages.
Here, both "sender" and "receiver" are known
as "communicators" and their role reverses
each time in the communication process as
both processes of sending and receiving occurs
at the same time.

There are few criticisms around this model. Some of

them are:
 Without verbal response, the sender can not
be sure that the receiver got the message as
intended. Feedback is an important
component in the communication process,
especially in interpersonal communication as
it gives a space to clarify misunderstandings.
 The transactional model gives the
opportunity for a lot of noise because the
 communication is simultaneous. For example, when many people are talking at the same time in
a meeting, the objective of the meeting will not be fulfilled.

Transactional Model Other Models

 Used for interpersonal communication  Used for Intrapersonal, interpersonal,

 Senders and Receivers are known as group or mass communications.
Communicators, they interchange their  Senders and receivers are different
people
roles
 Role of context and environment are
 Includes the role of context and not mentioned in other models
environment  Not necessarily have the concept of
 Includes the role of context and noise
environment  Ignores non-verbal communication
 Includes noise and communication  Feedback comes later in interaction
barriers as factors model and is not included in linear
 Talks about non-verbal communication model Differences Between
 Simultaneous feedback Transactional and Other
Communication Models

The second model is that of Claude

Shannon and Warren
Weaver (1948) which gave us the
concept of “NOISE”. This is often
called Telephone Model because it is
based on the experience of having the
message interfered with by “noise”
from the telephone switchboard back
in 1940s.

Example of Shannon-Weaver model Sender : Businessman

communication process
A businessman sends a message via phone text to his worker Encoder : Telephone network
about a meeting happening about their brand promotion.
company
The worker does not receive the full message because of
noise. It goes like this: Channel : Mobile network

Businessman: We have a meeting at the office ("at 8 am" Noise : Distraction in voice
goes missing due to phone network disruption or noise) (workplace noises)
Worker (feedback) : At what time?
Decoder: Mobile phone Receiver :
Worker

Advantages of Shannon-Weaver model

  Concept of noise helps in making the communication effective by removing the noise or
problem causing noise.
 This model takes communication as a two way process. It makes the model applicable in general
communication.
 Communication is taken as quantifiable in Shannon Weaver model.
There are few criticisms around this model. Some of them are:
 It can be applied more for interpersonal communication than group communication and mass
communication.
 Receiver plays the passive part in the communication process as sender plays the primary role
that sends messages.
 Feedback is taken as less important in comparison to the messages sent by the sender.
 The model is taken by some critics as a "misleading misrepresentation of the nature of human
communication" as human communication is not mathematical in nature.

Dean Barnlund proposed a transactional model

of communication in 1970 for basic interpersonal
communication which articulates that sending
and receiving of messages happens
simultaneously between people which is
popularly known as Barlund's
Transactional Model of
Communication. The model has been
further adapted and reformed by other theorists
as General Transactional Model. The model
shifted from the trend of linear model to
dynamic and two way communication model.

Advantages of Barlund's Transactional model

 The model shows shared field experience of the sender and receiver.
 Transactional model talks about simultaneous message sending, noise and feedback.
 Barnlund’s model is taken by critics as the most systematic model of communication.
Disadvantages of Barlund's Transactional model
 Barnlund’s model is very complex.
 Both the sender and receiver must understand the codes sent by the other. So they must each
possess a similar "code book". (The concept of code book is not mentioned in the model but
understood.)

Interactive model (also known as

convergence model) deals with exchange of
ideas and messages taking place both ways
from sender to receiver and vice-versa. The
communication process take place between
humans or machines in both verbal or non-
verbal way. This is a relatively new model of
communication for new technologies like web.
Interactive model, whenever a source sends a message to a receiver (source), he/she encodes the
message first. The encoded message is then received by the receiver where it is decoded to get the
original information. Again, the receiver acts as a source, encodes another message (also known as a
feedback) and sends it back to the sender.

Interactive Model of Communication Other Models of Communication

 Indirect and slow feedback  Direct and fast feedback

 Feedback is a whole new process of  Feedback is the part of a single
communication communication process
 For all other kinds of media like print,
 For new media
news, etc.
 No engagement of sender and  Engagement of sender and receiver in
receiver in communication communication
 Sender and receiver is equally  Sender is important and overpowering
important than receiver
 It can become linear if the receiver  The receiver is bound to give some kind of
does not respond response verbal or non- verbal Interactive
Model and Other Models Differences

An example of Interactive model is that of

Wilbur Schramm, who is considered the Father of Mass Communication. He came up with five
models, but the Schramm Model in (1995) we are concerned with is the concept that explains why
communication breakdown occurs. Schramm asserts that communication can take place if and only if
there is an overlap between the Field of Experience of the Speaker and the Field of Experience of the
Listener.
What is Field of Experience?
Field of Experience are the things that influences the understanding and interpretation of message like
culture, social background, beliefs, experiences, values and rules.
Examples:
 a person who always eats with spoon is informed that that he has to eat with hands in that
place, the person will get offended because he will think it is impolite to eat that way
 the teacher must deliver his/her lecture in either English or Filipino because that is the language
that students know and use.

Advantages of Schramm’s model

 Circular communication gives opportunity to both parties to give their opinion.
 As it is dynamic and ever changing model, it is helpful in general practice.
 Sender and receiver interchanges and both are equally active.
 Semantic noise included as a concept helps in understanding problems that can occur during
interpretation of message.
 Feedback makes it easier to know if the message is interpreted by the receiver as intended or
not.
 Concept of interpretation makes the communication effective.
 Field of experience (psychological effect) helps to understand the communication process in
many other ways than the traditional ones..
  Concept of context makes the environmental factor be included in interpretation of message
and brings change in the message

Disadvantages of Schramm’s model

 This model cannot deal with multiple levels of communication and complex communication
processes.
 There can only be two sources communicating, many sources complicates the process and the
model cannot be implemented.
 Message sent and received might be interpreted differently than intended.

Communication Process