FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION

Introduction

Communication is important and useful. It is impossible not to communicate. Everybody

communicates, everything communicates. Communication is not a process limited to human
beings only. All creatures on the earth, from worms to humans, are communicating each other
for their better existence. It is a universal phenomenon. Without communication, life will be
meaningless and human interaction would be impossible.

Your communication ability will influence how effectively you live your personal and
professional life; it will influence your effectiveness as a friend and lover. It will often make the
difference between getting a job and not getting it. Your communication skills will determine
your influence and effectiveness as a group member and your emergence as group leader. Your
communication skills will increase your ability to communicate information and influence the
attitudes and behaviors of others in a variety of public speaking situations.

We communicate to create, recreate, and understand our realities. Communication allows us to

control our environments. It is how we know ourselves and how we let others know us.

Being a universal phenomenon that defines all human behavior, it is important to have a clear
understanding of the concepts of communication. What is communication? Why is it important
to human beings? How does it work? What are the elements involved in the process of
communication? How do they relate each other? What are the different types of communication?

Meaning of Communication

The word communication was originated from the Latin word ‘communis’ which means
‘common’’(Akalugo, 2003). Communion, community, communism, commonality,
communalism etc. are some related words having the same linguistic roots.

Similarly, newer and newer terms are being coined as the concept of communication assumes
importance day by day. Communication technology, communication media, communication
age, communication management are just a few.

As the very term indicates, the ultimate aim of the communication process is to create
commonness between communicator and receiver of the message. Through communication,
both communicator and receiver enter into a mental agreement. Thus, they achieve their goal,
which may be expression of an emotion or transmission of an idea.

Transaction, interchange, interaction, dialogue, discussion, sharing, contact are some of the
concepts that come up in our minds when we refer to ‘communication’
Definitions of Communication

There have been more than 126 published definitions of communication. Theses definition builds
on other definitions of communication that have been rephrased and refined over many years.

Communication is any means by which a thought is transferred from one person to another
(Chappel & Read 1984:1)

The mechanism through which human relations exist and develop (Wilbur Schramm)

The interchange of thoughts or information to bring about mutual understanding and confidence
or good human relation. (American society of Training Directors)

Communication is a process which includes transmission of information, ideas, facts, feelings,

emotions, skills, knowledge from one person to another by using symbols, words, gestures, and
visuals and so on. Thus, the act of communication is referred to as ‘transmission’

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, Communication is the act or process of transmitting

information (as about ideas, attitudes, emotions, or objective behavior), exchange of information
between individuals through a common system of signs, symbols, or behavior. Communication
is the giving and receiving or exchange of information opinion or ideas by writing, speech or
visual means – or any combination of the three – so that the material communicated is
completely understood by everyone concerned.

Communication is the process of transferring information from a sender to a receiver with the
use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood by both sender and
receiver. It is a process that allows organisms to exchange information by several methods

Human Communication

Human communication consists of the sending and receiving of verbal and nonverbal messages
between two or more people

Human Communication is the process of generating meaning by sending and receiving verbal
and nonverbal symbols and signs that are influenced by multiple contexts.

Human communication as a transactional process in which people generate meaning through

the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in specific contexts, influenced by individual
and societal forces and embedded in culture ()

Human Communication, the process of mutual creation of meaning, is breathtakingly simple

and often maddeningly complex

Human communication refers to the process of human beings responding to the symbolic
behaviour of other persons (Adler and Rodman, 2006).
From the above definitions, one can see a common thread running through them. From the
definitions, (human) communication is viewed as:

i. A process of transmitting thought

ii. Communication is a complex process
iii. The sharing and imparting of information
iv. A common symbol system is essential for communication
v. The giving of understandable information and receiving and understanding of the
message
vi. The transmitting of messages and the linking of people
vii. The conveying of ideas, feelings and attitudes
viii. The creating and exchanging of messages within a network of interdependent
relationships.

Characteristics of Human Communication

i. Communication is human though other animals and creatures communicate; human

communication is a complex one. Sometimes we communicate with our pets.
ii. Communication is a process it is a continuous ongoing process. Communication is not a
series of incidents pasted together like photographs in a scrap book; instead it is more like
a motion picture in which the meaning comes from unfolding of an interrelated series of
images.
iii. Communication is symbolic: symbols are used to represent things, ideas, or events in
ways that make communication possible. Symbols are arbitrary in nature for example
why should the letters book represent the object you read? We overcome the arbitrary
nature of symbols by linguistic rules and customs. Effective communication depends on
agreement among people about these rules. Spoken or written words are verbal, however
nonverbal behaviour also do have symbolic meaning for example in many countries
nodding your head up and down means “yes”. (Adler and Rodman, 2006)

Components of Human Communication

Communication is a complex process that can require considerable thought and planning, and it
is difficult to determine where or with whom a communication encounter starts and ends. The
complexity inherent in communication is a result of the variety of factors that compose and
influence it. The seven basic components of communication to consider in planning an
interaction are message creation, meaning creation, setting, participants, channels, noise and
feedback. Each of these features is central to how a communication interaction unfolds

Message Creation Messages are the building blocks of communication, and the process of
taking ideas and converting them into messages is called encoding. (Receiving a message and
interpreting its meaning is referred to as decoding). The message creator is also known as the
source, the encoder, the communicator or the sender. The transmitter is the initiator of the
communication encounter. According to Soola, O (1998:14), the “source or sender of the
message, ideas or information may be an individual, a group or an organization. We can thus talk
about intrapersonal, interpersonal, intra-organizational and inter-organizational communication”.

In mass media, for example, news reporter is the sender or source as he/she constructs the
message (news story). In a musical performance, the singer is the sender as his message is
enjoyed by the audience.

Sender is a critical component in communication as his/her social background, personality status,

education etc influence the quality of the message he/she creates. The message is created from
the idea generated in the mind of the sender.

The source/sender has three functions:

➢ To decide what is to be communicated

➢ Encoding (Put the idea in such a way that the receiver understands it)
➢ Transmitting the message to the receiver

When we communicate, we encode and exchange two types of messages—verbal and

nonverbal—and most of these messages are symbolic. A symbol is something that represents
something else and conveys meaning (Buck & VanLear, 2002). For example, a Valentine’s Day
heart symbolizes the physical heart, it represents romantic love, and it conveys feelings of love
and romance when given to a relational partner.

➢ Verbal message means written or oral messages. They are composed of words.
Example: A newspaper report or a lecture by a teacher
➢ Non-verbal messages are those communicated through our behaviour, movements,
actions, clothes, style of conversation, pitch of the sound etc. What is fundamental in
message construction is the agreement between sender and receiver in the code used for
it. If the receiver cannot identify the language or meaning of the message, the
communication will be defective

Meaning Creation After the sender decides to share his ideas, feelings and information with
someone else, he will choose which symbols to use to put across his message to the receiver.
Writing, speaking, gesturing, etc are some of the means the communicator can reach out to the
intended receiver. The goal of exchanging symbols—that is, of communicating—is to create
meaning. The messages we send and receive shape meaning beyond the symbols themselves.
We also bring to each message a set of experiences, beliefs, and values that help shape specific
meanings. This is why people can hear the same message but understand it differently. Meaning
is made even more complex because, each message carries with it two types of meaning—
content meaning and relationship meaning.
 i. Content meaning includes denotative and connotative meaning. Denotative meaning
is the concrete meaning of the message, such as the definition you would find in a
dictionary. Connotative meaning describes the meanings suggested by or associated with the
message and the emotions triggered by it. For example, denotatively the word mother refers
to one’s female parent, whereas connotatively it may include meanings such as warmth,
nurturance, and intimacy
ii. Relationship meaning describes what the message conveys about the relationship
between the parties. For example, if a colleague in class told you to “clean the entire
board” you might become irritated, but you probably wouldn’t mind if your lecturer
told you to do the same thing. In both cases the relationship message may be
understood as “I have the right to tell you what to do,” which is appropriate if it
comes from your supervisor—but not if it comes from a peer.

Setting/context The physical surroundings of a communication event make up its setting or

context. Setting includes the location where the communication occurs, environmental
conditions, time of day or day of the week, and the proximity of the communicators. These
factors create the physical setting, which affects communication interaction. Carefully choose a
comfortable setting that you believe would enhance chances of being successful in your
communication.

Communication takes place in a context. At times it is noticeable and at other times not. In other
words, time, place, culture, physical and social condition and psychology of the participants are
important in determining communication effect. If we try to interpret a message out of its
context, we may get an entirely different meaning which may result in communication error.
Rules and roles are two important factors related to communication context.

Participants During communication, participants—two or more people—interact. The number

of participants, as well as their characteristics, will influence how the interaction unfolds.
Typically, the more characteristics participants share (cultural, values, history), the easier they
will find it to communicate, because they can rely on their common assumptions about the
world. Important participants in a communication process are the sender and receiver. The
receiver needs to pay much attention in other to receive the message with clear understanding.
There must be perceptive listening on the side of the receiver. Idea receiving end in
communication process is called receiver. A person or thing may be at the receiving end. The
receiver’s role is as important as a sender’s role

Channels For a message to be transmitted from one participant to another, it must travel through
a channel. A channel is the means through which a message is conveyed, include face to face,
written, technology channels. Today, thanks to technology, we have many more communication
channels—email, texting, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and Facetime, to name
just a few. The channel means medium by which sender transmits the message to the receiver.
Our five senses such hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, seeing are basic natural channels of
human communication.

Communication can be classified on the basis of the basic natural channels.

➢ Tactile communication: Communication by touch or taste

➢ Olfactory communication: communication by smell
➢ Audio communication: Communication through sound waves
➢ Visual communication: Communication through visual elements or properties.

We use any technically developed medium (like television, newspaper, books etc) with
the help of one or more of these five senses. Similarly, sender uses one or more channels
to maximize the communication effect. For example multi-media class room where
teacher uses projector, blackboard, lecture, gestures etc. simultaneously.

Noise Noise refers to any stimulus that can interfere with, or degrade, the quality of a message.
Noise or communication barrier is anything that distorts message. Noise may originate in any of
the components of communication like source, message, channel, context, receiver etc. Noise
includes external signals of all kinds: not only loud music and voices, but also distracting
clothing or hairstyles, uncomfortably warm or chilly temperatures, and so on.

Noise is present when there is difference between the message sent and received.
Communication is not possible without noise, but its effects may be reduced through various
methods such as using good grammar, clear voice, simple language, quality signal etc.

Noise can also come from internal stimuli, such as hunger or sleepiness. Semantic interference,
which occurs when speakers use words you do not know or use a familiar word in an unfamiliar
way, is another form of noise. If you have ever tried to have a conversation with someone who
used highly technical language in a noisy room while you were sleepy, you have experienced a
“perfect storm” of noise.

Noise is of different types depending on the nature and reasons of the distortion.

• Psychological noise: Any communication error due to the psychological reasons. Eg. A
fearful audience can’t enjoy the musical programme.
• Semantic noise: Language related problems in communication. Eg. Poor grammar,
complex sentence structure, rare vocabulary etc.
• Contextual noise: If communication takes place in inappropriate time or place, message is
not conveyed well. Eg. Wishing compliments during a funeral function. Or An outdoor
meeting at noon in a hot summer.
• Channel noise: Medium related communication barrier. Eg. Poor signal affecting picture
clarity of television
Feedback Finally, the response to a message is called feedback. This is the reaction or reply to
the message. Feedback lets a sender know if the message was received and how the message
was interpreted. For example, if a friend tells you a joke and you laugh heartily, your laughter
serves as feedback, indicating that you heard the joke and found it amusing. Similarly, if you fall
asleep during a lecture, you provide feedback to your professor that either you are tired or you
find the lecture boring. Thus, your feedback serves as a message to the sender, who then uses
the information conveyed to help shape his or her next message.

To respond to the message through feedback receivers may be audience watching

movies, persons listening to music, students hearing a lecture or a computer getting e-
mail from a remote server. Communication fails or remains faulty when message is
rejected or misinterpreted by the receiver.

Feedback is the last but important part of the communication process. Sybil et al (1990:10) stated
that feedback helps to show whether or not:

➢ communication has taken place

➢ the decoder of the message has understood
➢ the decoder is prepared and willing to partake in the communication process, and
➢ The encoder has adequately formulated and sent his message

Information or message that is fed back to the source is called feedback. If you get clapping for
your singing, clapping is the feedback. Questions raised by students in a class room for more
information is another example for feedback.

Feedback may be self-feedback, negative or positive, immediate or delayed

Feedback originated either from the sources’ own message is called self-feedback. Example:
When you talk to somebody, you hear yourself and evaluate your tone, pitch etc. Another self-
feedback. Another that originated from the receiver may be in the form of questions, applauses,
puzzled look etc.

• Receiver’s indication to the sender that the message was not received well is called
negative feedback. Eg. Looks of indifference, rejection or boredom may be considered
as negative feedback.
• Receiver’s favourable responses like acceptance, applauses etc. are positive feedback.
• Feedback at the time of the communication itself or just after it is immediate feedback.
Eg. Applauses a singer gets during the performance.
• Receiver’s response relatively much after the communication is delayed feedback. Eg.
Letters to the Editor.
Effect

Why do we communicate? It is a fundamental question. To make some effect on the receiver is

the answer. Effect is consequence or result of communication. Every communication act makes
some effect on the person/s. Effect may be positive or negative. Communication is said to be
success when we achieve the indented effect.

Communication effects are of three types:

• Cognitive effects: The consequences take place in the receiver’s intelligence due to
communication. Example: Knowledge acquisition
• Affective effects: The consequences occurred in the emotions of the person/s due to
communication. Eg. Compassion, love etc.
• Behavioral effects: The change in the receiver’s bahaviour or actions due to
communication. Eg. Political campaign and change in people’s voting behaviour or
purchasing new products inspired by the advertisements.