Elements of Communication

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts from the lecture notes on Elements of Communication.

People

The communicators who send and receive messages; includes the sender/source (who encodes and transmits) and the receiver (who decodes and interprets).

Messages

The content of communication exchanged between source and receiver; can be verbal or non-verbal (e.g., words, sounds, gestures, facial expressions).

Channels

The medium through which a message is sent; multichannel and can be verbal or non-verbal (e.g., face-to-face, email, text, mass media).

Noise

Anything that interferes with or distorts communication; types include internal, external, physiological, psychological, and semantic noise.

Context

The physical setting, relationships, time, and culture that influence how people respond; subtypes include physical, social-psychological, temporal, and cultural contexts.

Feedback

Responses that influence future communication; can be positive or negative and may originate from internal or external sources.

Effect

The physical, cognitive, and emotional outcomes of a communication act; may involve changes in attitudes, beliefs, emotions, or behavior.

Sender

The source that encodes and transmits a message.

Receiver

The person who decodes and interprets a message.

Verbal

Communication using spoken or written language.

Non-verbal

Communication through body language, facial expressions, gestures, and other cues without words.

Face-to-face interaction

Direct, in-person communication between people.

Computer-mediated communication

Communication via digital platforms (e.g., email, social media, messaging apps).

Text messaging

Short, written messages exchanged via mobile apps.

Mass medium

Channels that reach broad audiences (e.g., television, video streaming).

Auditory

A sense-based channel for communication using hearing (sound and intonation).

Sight

A sense-based channel using visual information (appearance, expressions).

Taste

A sense-based channel involving flavour used as part of sensory communication.

Smell

A sense-based channel involving olfactory cues used in communication.

Touch

A sense-based channel involving tactile contact used to convey information.

Physical context

The tangible environment where communication occurs (room, park, field).

Social-psychological context

The relationships and social dynamics between communicators (status, friendliness, formality, seriousness).

Temporal context

Time-related factors: time of day, historical moment, and the sequence of communication events.

Cultural context

Beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by a group and passed down through generations.

Positive feedback

Extinguishes or stops, corrects or changes our behaviour.

Negative feedback

A response that we give to ourselves as we monitor our own behaviour or performance during interaction.

Internal feedback

A self-generated response during interaction (self-monitoring).

External feedback

The response or information returned to a message source (from others).

Physical effect

A physical change in state or action resulting from the communication encounter.

Cognitive effect

Changes in attitudes, beliefs, or knowledge caused by the communication.

Emotional effect

Changes in emotions or affect resulting from the communication.