Foundations of Communication Study

The beginnings of human communication:

  • Prehistoric people ± half a million years ago: did not walk upright, ==incapable of producing speech==.
  • Communicated through the ==senses, gestures, posture, facial expressions== and a limited number of sounds, e.g. grunts.
  • ==Climatic changes== caused people to move out of the caves and ==settle in small communities== – the need to communicate plays an important role in the ability to participate in community life.
  • ==Developed speech and language==

The role of speech today

  • Individual - self-expression
  • Community – community construction and maintenance

Speech today – liberate people by ==allowing them to express themselves== effectively ==in their own specific social group==

Defining “communication”

  1. Technical definition: most common

    1. ==Transmission== of messages from one person to another

  2. Process definition: ==communication is a dynamic process==

    1. The ==interpretation of the meaning== of messages that are transmitted from one person to another

  3. Transactional definition:

    1. A transactional process of ==exchanging messages and negotiating meaning== to establish and maintain meaningful relationships.

Dimensions of communication

  • Verbal and nonverbal communication

    • Communication is not just spoken messages
    • Verbal communication refers to the ==spoken or written signs== called words.
    • Nonverbal communication refers to all human communication that ==does not use written or spoken signs==.

  • Oral and Written communication

    • Both oral and written communication ==involves the use of words==.
    • Written communication is taking place right now as you read these notes, and also has a ==non-verbal dimension== (Oral communication is verbal)
    • Both involve the creation and sending of messages

  • Formal and informal communication

    • Whether we communicate formally or informally ==depends largely on the situation== in which we find ourselves
    • When we are involved in formal communication, such as a job interview, we pay ==more attention to both our verbal and nonverbal messages==.
    • When we are involved in informal communication, such as talking to friends at a party, we are ==more at ease and can communicate more naturally==.

  • Intentional and Unintentional communication

    • Intentional communication occurs when we ==communicate with a specific goal in mind==.
    • Unintentional communication refers to the occasions when ==communication takes place without the communicator being aware of it== - such as non-verbal cues that might be picked up on by the recipient.

Components of the communication process

  • People
  • Messages
    • Signs and codes
    • Encoding and decoding
    • Meaning
    • Interpretation
  • Medium and channel
  • Noise
  • Feedback
  • Context

Models of the Communication Process

  • Classical View of Communication

    • Focus on the study of oratory – the creation and delivery of the spoken message (Classical Greeks)
    • Effective public speaking and the ability to use persuasive forms of communication became a priority for the majority of the people
    • Aristotle’s view of communication:
    • Aristotle saw communication as persuasion with ethos, pathos, and logos. He aimed to ==convince the audience of the speaker's perspective and stressed the need to tailor the message to the audience==.
    • Speaker - Argument - Speech - Listener

  • Twentieth-century View of Communication

    • New political and religious ideas began to circulate in society and throughout Europe and America, making use of ==printed media== (==Industrial Revolution==)
    • Interest in communication continued in rhetoric and speech. The study of journalism became important.
    • Communication was established as a field of study at universities in the late nineteenth century, housed in English departments - ==introduction of scholarly views of communication==

  • Laswell’s View of Communication

    • MAIN INTEREST = PROPAGANDA
    • WHO? - Communicator
    • SAYS WHAT? - Message
    • IN WHICH CHANNEL? - Medium
    • TO WHOM? - Recipient
    • WITH WHAT EFFECT? - Effect

  • The Shannon and Weaver Model (Transmission or Technical Model)

    • Concentrate on how the channels of communication could be used most efficiently – ==what channel can carry the maximum number of signals or sounds==
    • EFFECT OF THE MESSAGE

  • The Schramm Model

    • ==Fields of experience==: sender and recipient must share a common language, background and culture (2nd model)
    • Overcome the problems created by noise by introducing feedback into the communication process (3rd model)
    • Meaning as the most important aspect of the communication process
    • Definition of communication according to Schramm: communication as a dynamic interaction in which meaningful messages are exchanged by two active participants

  • Transactional Model of Communication

    • This model shows that communication is more than just the transmission of messages, nor is it simply an interaction between two people.
    • The communication process becomes ==a transaction during which the meaning of a message is negotiated== between the two (active) participants

Context of communication

  • Intrapersonal communication – you speak to yourself.
  • Interpersonal communication – communication between two people in a face-to-face situation.
  • Small-group communication – communication within a group of between 3 to 12 people.
  • Organisational communication – the communication within an organisation or business.
  • Public speaking (oral presentations) – when the group becomes too large for direct interaction between the members.
  • Mass communication – mediated communication to large masses of people who do not know each other and who are usually not in the same place.