Comprehensive Study Notes on Purposive Communication (PCM) Communication Principles

Core Concepts of Communication and Language

• Communication:

  • Etymology: Derived from the Latin word "communicare," which means "to share."

  • General Definition: The exchange of thoughts, ideas, concepts, and views between or among two or more people in various contexts.

• Language: A system of communication used by a particular country or community.

• Linguist: A person who studies language.

• Culture: Refers to the way people live, think, act, and respond that exists within a group of people. It includes knowledge and attitudes.

• Social System: Refers to the patterned network of relationships constituting a coherent whole that exists between individuals, groups, and institutions. It is the formal structure of role and status that can form in a small, stable group.

The Communication Process and Components

• Context:

  • General definition: The circumstance or environment in which communication takes place. It helps establish meaning and can influence what is said and how it is said.

  • Scope: This may include the physical or actual setting, value positions, and the relevance of the message being conveyed.

  • Aspects of Context (According to De Vito, $2005$):

    • Physical: The actual setting or environment.

    • Temporal: The positioning of a message within a sequence of conversational events.

    • Cultural: The rules, beliefs, and norms of a society.

    • Socio-psychological: An aspect of context referring to a certain type of communication formed through status relationships, roles and games that people play, and the cultural rules within a society.

• Channel:

  • Definition: The medium or system through which communications are conveyed.

  • Function: It refers to the medium of how the information flows from the sender to the receiver. It involves the senses (hearing, seeing, etc.).

• Mode: The means in communicating.

• Feedback: The audience's response; it enables the speaker to evaluate the effectiveness of their message.

• Decoding: The process of receiving and interpreting a message.

Berlo’s Model of Communication (SMCR Model)

• Source (S) / Encoder:

  • Influencing factors: Communications Skills, Attitude, Knowledge, Social System, Culture.

• Message (M):

  • Components: Content, Elements, Treatment, Structure, Code.

• Channel (C):

  • Based on the five senses: Hearing, Seeing, Touching, Tasting, Feeling.

• Receiver (R) / Decoder:

  • Influencing factors: Communications Skills, Attitude, Knowledge, Social System, Culture.

Types and Categories of Communication

• Verbal Communication: A type of communication wherein the message is transmitted through words (oral or written).

• Non-Verbal Communication:

  • Definition: The transfer of information through the use of body language including eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and more.

• Visual Communication: Communication through the use of graphs, signs, symbols, imagery, maps, charts, diagrams, pictograms, drawings, illustrations, and various forms of electronic images like emojis and gifs.

• Intrapersonal Communication: Communication that means talking to oneself.

• Interpersonal Communication: Communication that happens between or among individuals.

Multimodal Communication Aspects

• Spatial: A type of multimodal communication where the speaker and the listener focus on the spaced-based aspect of communication.

• Aural: A type of multimodal communication which relies heavily on verbal language when information is transmitted through spoken words.

• Linguistic: Focuses on the language-based aspects.

• Gestural: Focuses on body movement and gestures.

• Tactile: Focuses on communication through touch.

Organizational Communication Approaches

• Vertical: Communication between different hierarchical levels (upward or downward).

• Downward: Communication flowing from higher levels to lower levels of an organization.

• Horizontal: Communication between individuals at the same level of an organization.

• Crosswise: Communication that cuts across different departments and levels of hierarchy.

Barriers to Communication

• Noise: Any interference that hinders the communication process.

• Language: Differences in language or dialect.

• Culture: Differences in social norms and values.

• Perception: Differing ways of interpreting information.

• Time: Constraints or timing issues in communication.

• Biological/Social Factors: Race, nationality, and community.

• Emotions: Emotional states that can act as barriers, including:

  • Anxious

  • Fearful

  • Angry

  • Loving

  • Surprise

  • Happy

  • Awed

  • Sad

Social Classification and Status in Communication

• Formal Communication: A type of communication that people use in communicating with someone of higher class or status.

• Informal Communication: Casual or traditional communication used among peers or in less regulated settings.