Purposive Communication: Elements of Communication

Vocabulary flashcards covering the elements, functions, noise types, feedback forms, and contextual influences of the communication process.

Communication

A systemic process of interaction through symbols to create and interpret meanings (Wood, 2017).

Sender

The party in a communication event who encodes messages into symbols, words, or gestures and transmits them to convey meaning.

Receiver

The party in a communication event who decodes and interprets messages to make sense of them.

Encoding

The core communication function of forming the message into symbols, words, or gestures.

Decoding

The core communication function of interpreting and making sense of a received message.

Response

The reaction generated by a receiver after decoding a message.

Feedback

The reply to the sender consisting of verbal and nonverbal cues reacting to a message.

Message

The core content of any communication exchange, encompassing what is said and how it is expressed using words, sounds, gestures, facial expressions, touch, and smell.

Channels

The media through which messages travel from sender to receiver, engaging sensory modes such as visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory.

Face-to-Face Communication

The richest communication channel, enabling full verbal and nonverbal interaction by conveying the fullest range of cues simultaneously.

Noise

The key disruptor in communication; anything that distorts or interrupts the message during sending or receiving, internal or external.

Internal Noise

Interference originating from within the communicator, including psychological factors (stress, emotions, biases), intellectual factors (lack of knowledge, confusion), and physical factors (hunger, fatigue, illness).

External Noise

Interference coming from the surrounding environment that prevents clear message transmission, such as loud crowds, construction sounds, poor lighting, or background music.

Context

The setting or environment in which communication occurs that shapes behavior, posture, speaking style, attire, and interaction methods.

Positive Feedback

Feedback consisting of verbal and nonverbal cues that encourages and reinforces behavior.

Negative Feedback

Feedback consisting of verbal and nonverbal cues that corrects or redirects behavior.

Internal Feedback

Feedback that comes from yourself by reflecting on how you communicated.

External Feedback

Feedback that comes from others through their reactions, responses, and expressions.

Effect

The impact of communication, which is an exchange of emotional, physical, or cognitive influences that may be immediate, delayed, visible, or hidden.