COMMUNICATION MODELS
Later it’s widely
Classical Model of Communication –
It was developed by Aristotle, one of the three pioneering Greek
Philosophers.
Aristotle’s Model of Communication
(From Ehninger, Gronbeck and Monroe)
A speaker …
 Dicovers rational(logos), emotional(pathos) and ethical
(ethos) proofs (pistis)
 Arranges those proofs strategically.
 Clothes the ideas in clear and compelling words
 Delivers the product appropriately.
Aristotle’s speaker-centered model received perhaps its fullest
development in the hands of Roman educator Quintilian (ca. 35-
95 A.D.), whose Institutio Oratoria was filled with advice on the
full training of a “good” speaker-statesman
Aristotle’s model of proof
a. Logos, inheres in the content or the message itself
b. Pathos, inheres in the audience
c. Ethos, inheres in the speaker
LINEAR MODELS
“Shannon-Weaver model of communication”.
- In 1948, Shannon was an American mathematician,
Electronic engineer and Weaver was an American
scientist both of them join together to write an article in
“Bell System Technical Journal” called “A
Mathematical Theory of Communication” and also
called as “Shannon-Weaver model of
communication”.
- This model is specially designed to develop the effective
communication between sender and receiver. Also they
find factors which affecting the communication process
called “Noise”. At first the model was developed to
improve the Technical communication.
applied in the field of Communication.
Elements:
Sender: The originator of message or the information source
selects desire message
Encoder: The transmitter which converts the message into
signals
Decoder: The reception place of the signal which converts
signals into message. A reverse process of encode
Receiver: The destination of the message from sender
Noise: The messages are transferred from encoder to
decoder through channel. During this process the messages
may distracted or affected by physical noise like horn sounds,
thunder and crowd noise or encoded signals may distract in
the channel during the transmission process which affect the
communication flow or the receiver may not receive the
correct message
Practical Example of Shannon- Weaver model of
communication:
Sender: Thomson
Encoder: Telephone (Thomson)
Channel: Cable
Noise: Distraction in voice
Reception: Telephone (Assistant)
Receive: Assistant.
Criticism of Shannon-Weaver model of communication:
1. One of the simplest model and its general applied in
various communication theories
2. The model which attracts both academics of Human
communication and Information theorist to leads their further
research in communication
3. it’s more effective in person-to-person communication than
group or mass audience
4. The model based on “Sender and Receiver”. Here sender
plays the primary role and receiver plays the secondary role
(receive the information or passive)
5. Communication is not a one way process. If it’s behaved
like that, it will lose its strength. For example: Audience or
receiver who listening a radio, reading the books or watching
television is a one way communication because absence of
feedback
6. Understanding Noise will help to solve the various
problems in communication
Berlos’s SMCR Model of Communication
The berlo’s model follows the smcr model this model is not
specific to any particular communication.
Elements
• Source: The source is where the message originates.
• Communication skills – It is the individual’s skill to
communicate (ability to read, write, speak, listen etc…)
• Attitudes – The attitude towards the audience, subject and
towards one self for e.g. for the student the attitude is to learn
more and for teachers wants to help teach.
• Knowledge– The knowledge about the subject one is going
to communicate for e.g. whatever the teacher communicates
in the class about the subject so having knowledge in what
you are communicating
• Social system – The Social system includes the various
aspects in society like values, beliefs, culture, religion and
general understanding of society. It is where the
communication takes place
Note: We can communicate only to the extent that the social
system allows, when we communicate take social system into
account.
• Culture: Culture of the particular society also comes under
social system.
• Encoder: The sender of the message (message originates)
is referred as encoder, so the source is encoding the
message here.
• Message
• Content – The beginning to the end of a message
comprises its content for e.g. From beginning to end whatever
the class teacher speaks in the class is the content of the
message
• Elements – It includes various things like language,
gestures, body language etc, so these are all the elements of
the particular message. Content is accompanied by some
elements.
• Treatment – It refers to the packing of the message. The
way in which the message is conveyed or the way in which
the message is passed on or deliver it.
Note: When it is too much treatment also the communication
will not happen properly
• Structure– The structure of the message how it is
arranged, the way you structure the message into various
parts.
Note: Message is the same but if the structure is not properly
arranged then the message will not get to the receiver
• Code– The code of the message means how it is sent in
what form it could be e.g. language, body language, gestures,
music and even culture is a code. Through this you get/give
the message or through which the communication takes place
or being reached.
Note: Only when the code is proper, the message will be clear,
improper use may lead to misinterpretation
• Channel– It is nothing but the five senses through this only we
do. The following are the five senses which we use
 Hearing
 Seeing
 Touching
 Smelling
 Tasting
This model believes that for an effective communication to take
place the source and the receiver needs to be in the same level,
only if the source and receiver are on the same level
communication will happen or take place properly. So source and
receiver should be similar
Criticism of Berlo’s SMCR model of Communication:
• No feedback / don’t know about the effect
• Does not mention barriers to communication
• No room for noise
• Complex model
• It is a linear model of communication
• Needs people to be on same level for communication to occur
but not true in real life
• Main drawback of the model is that the model omits the usage
of sixth sense as a channel which is actually a gift to the human
beings (thinking, understanding, analyzing etc).
SCHRAMM’S INTERACTIVE MODEL
• Wilbur Schramm (1954) was one of the first to alter the
mathematical model of Shannon and Weaver.
• It is a Circular Model, so that communication is something
circular in nature.
• This model breaks the sender and receiver model it seems
communication in a practical way. It is not a traditional model.
• It can happen within our self or two people; each person acts as
both sender and receiver and hence uses interpretation. It is
simultaneously take place e.g. encoding, interpret and decoding.
 Encoder – Who does encoding or Sends the
message (message originates)
 Decoder – Who receives the message
 Interpreter – Person trying to understand (analyses,
perceive) or interpret
Note: From the message starting to ending, there is an
interpretation goes on. Based on this interpretation only the
message is received.
Advantage of Schramm model of communication
• Dynamic model- Shows how a situation can change
• It shows why redundancy is an essential part
• There is no separate sender and receiver, sender and
receiver is the same person
• Assume communication to be circular in nature
• Feedback – central feature.
Disadvantage of Schramm Model of Communication
• This model does not talk about semantic noise and it assume
the moment of encoding and decoding.
NON-LINEAR MODELS
Helical Model of Communication
- In 1967, Frank Dance proposed the communication model
called Dance’s Helix Model for a better communication
process.
- The name helical comes from “Helix” which means an
object having a three-dimensional shape like that of a wire
 wound uniformly around a cylinder or cone. He shows
communication as a dynamic and non-linear process
• As like helix, the communication process starts very slowly
and defined small circle. Communicators share information
only with small portion of themselves to their relationships. Its
gradually develops into next level but which will take some
time to reach and expanding its boundaries to the next level.
Later the communicators commit more and share more
portions themselves.
• The process is evolutionary.
• It is dependent on its past.
Conclusion
• Frank Dance included the concept of time in his theory.
• According to this theory a communication process is the
product of what we learnt.
Westley and MacLean’s Model of Communication
- In 1957 Westley and MacLean’s model of communication
is proposed by Bruce Westley (1915-1990) and Malcolm
S. MacLean Jr (1913- 2001). Being one of the creators of
journalism studies, Westley served as a teacher at the
University of Wisconsin, Madison, between 1946 and
1968. Malcolm was director of University of Journalism
School (1967-74) and co founder of the University College
at University of Minnesota.
• This model can be seen two contexts, interpersonal and
mass communication. And the point of difference between
interpersonal and mass communication is the feedback. In
interpersonal, the feedback is direct and fast. In the mass, the
feedback is indirect and slow.
• Westely and Maclean realized that communication does not
begin when one person starts to talk, but rather when a
person responds selectively to his/her physical surroundings.
• It is a strong relation between responds from surroundings
and the process of communication.
• Communication begins only when a person receives
message from surroundings. Each receiver responds to the
message they received based on their object of orientation.
Merits and Demerits:
• This model accounts for Feedback.
• It can account for different modes of communication, i.e., for
both interpersonal communication and Mass communication.
• It is a predictive model of communication and very
descriptive also.
• It also account for non-binary interactions, this means that it
will remain good even for communications involving more
than two sources.
• Westley and Maclean communication model is Two
Dimensional.
• It cannot account for multi dimensions; this means this
model will not be applicable for typical communication events
that involve broader context and wide range of
communication messages.
Lasswell’s model
Harold Dwight Lasswell, the American political scientist states
that a convenient way to describe an act of communication is
to answer the following questions
• Who
• Says What
• In Which Channel
• To Whom
• With what effect?
 Joseph Luft. The name ‘Johari’ came from joining their first two
names. This model is also denoted as feedback/disclosure model
of self-awareness.

According to Lasswell there are three functions for

communication:
1. Surveillance of the environment
2. Correlation of components of society
3. Cultural transmission between generation

• It suggests the message flow in a multicultural society with

multiple audiences. The flow of message is through various
1. Open/self-area or arena – Here the information about the
channels.
person his attitudes, behavior, emotions, feelings, skills and views
• communication = “Control Analysis”,
will be known by the person as well as by others.
• says = “Content Analysis”,
•‘Feedback solicitation’ is a process which occurs by
• channel = “Media Analysis”,
understanding and listening to the feedback from another
• To Whom = “Audience Analysis”
person.
• With What Effect = “Effect Analysis”
2. Blind self or blind spot – Information about yourselves that
Advantage of Lasswell Model:
others know in a group but you will be unaware of it. Others may
• It is Easy and Simple
interpret yourselves differently than you expect. The blind spot is
• It suits for almost all types of communication
reduced for an efficient communication through seeking feedback
• The concept of effect
from others.
Disadvantage of Lasswell Model
3. Hidden area or façade – Information that is known to you but
• Feedback not mentioned
will be kept unknown from others. This can be any personal
• Noise not mentioned
information which you feel reluctant to reveal. This includes
• Linear Model
feelings, past experiences, fears, secrets etc. we keep some of
our feelings and information as private as it affects the
The Johari Window Model
relationships and thus the hidden area must be reduced by
History
moving the information to the open areas.
The ‘Johari’ window model is a convenient method used
4. Unknown area – The Information which are unaware to
to achieve this task of understanding and enhancing
yourselves as well as others. This includes the information,
communication between the members in a group. American
feelings, capabilities, talents etc. This can be due to traumatic
psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham developed this
past experiences or events which can be unknown for a lifetime.
model in 1955. The idea was derived as the upshot of the group
The person will be unaware till he discovers his hidden qualities
dynamics in University of California and was later improved by
and capabilities or through observation of others. Open
communication is also an effective way to decrease the unknown Trachea
area and thus to communicate effectively. • Also known as windpipe
• Passageway of air going up from the lungs
RESONATION STAGE
THE SPEAKING PROCESS The voice produced in phonation is weak. It becomes strong and
rich only when amplified and modified by the human resonators.
Stages of the Speaking Process:
 Breathing stage Resonation is the process of voice amplification and
 Phonation stage modification.
 Resonation stage Pharynx
 Articulation stage • Common passageway for air and food
• Located behind the nose and mouth and includes the
BREATHING STAGE cavity at the back of the tongue
Breathing, which is primarily concerned with maintaining life, is • Divisions of the pharynx:
secondarily a force assisting in vocalization. It consists of two  Nasal pharynx
phases --- inhalation and exhalation.  Oral pharynx
LUNGS  Laryngeal pharynx
• Serve as the reservoir of air Nose
• As you inhale, fill the lungs comfortably in preparation • Consists of the external and internal portions
for speaking. • Nostrils – openings of the external nose
Diaphragm • Nasal cavity – internal nose; directly behind the
• A large sheet of muscle separating the chest cavity from external nose through which the air passes on its way to
the abdomen the pharynx
• Forms the floor of the chest and the roof of the abdomen • Septum – divides the external and internal nose into two
• Gives pressure to the breath stream separate passageways
PHONATION STAGE Mouth
Phonation takes place when voice is produced in speaking as the • Divided into the vestibule and the oral cavity proper
expiratory air stream from the lungs goes up through the trachea • Vestibule – felt by placing the tongue tip outside the
or windpipe to the larynx. teeth but inside the lips
Larynx • Oral cavity – felt by retracting the tongue, closing the
• Principal organ of phonation jaws and moving the tongue about
• Found at the top of the trachea RESONATORS:
• Protuberance is known as the “Adam’s apple” Upper part of the larynx
Vocal Cords Oral cavity
• A pair of bundles of muscles and cartilages Pharynx
• Open and close at various degrees Nasal cavity
ARTICULATION STAGE Articulators
Articulation occurs when the tone produced in the larynx is  Lower jaw
changed into specific sounds. This is the result of the movement  Uvula
of the articulators towards the points of articulation.  Lower lip
1. Lips  Velum
 Highly flexible  Tongue
 Can be moved into numerous positions essential
to articulation Points of Articulation
2. Teeth o Upper lip
 Serve as important surfaces in articulation o Upper teeth
 Embedded in the alveolar ridge or gum ridges of o Upper alveolar ridge
the oral cavity o Hard palate
3. Dome o Soft palate
 Also known as the hard palate
 Bony roof of the mouth
 Serves as an important surface against which the
tongue makes contact
4. Uvula
 Small nub on the lower border of the soft palate
 Movable tip at the midline of the free border of the soft
palate
5. Velum
 Also known as the soft palate
 Separates the nasal pharynx from the oral cavity
 A flexible curtain attached along the rear border of the
hard palate
6. Tongue
 Flexible organ consisting of muscles, glands and
connective tissues
 Parts of the tongue:
– Apex or tip
– Blade
• Front
• Center
• Back
• root