CHAPTER 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

At the end of the lesson you are expected to:

● Learn and identify the different terms related to communication; its processes and principles hence become more skillful
communicators;

● Be aware and understand the communication models and ethics for conscientious and respectful interactions; and

● Apply the gained knowledge through class exercises and in real life situations.

LESSON 1: THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Nature of Communication

● Derived from the Latin word “common” which means, “belong to many” and “communico” means to confer with others.

● It is the mutual exchange of information, ideas and understanding by any effective means.

Communication is a process by which people send messages or exchange ideas or thoughts with one another in a verbal or non-verbal
manner.

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

1. Sender - The sender also known as the encoder. It is the sender’s job to CONCEPTUALIZE.

2. Message – Set of signs and symbols which are given by the source to create meanings for the receiver.

3. Channel - The channel is responsible for the delivery of the chosen message form.

4. Receiver - The receiver or the decoder is responsible for extracting/decoding meaning from the message. The receiver is also
responsible for providing feedback to the sender. It is his/her job to INTERPRET.

5. Feedback - Refers to the response given by the receiver. This is important as it determines whether or not the decoder grasped the
intended meaning and whether the communication was successful.

6. Context - The context of any communication act is the environment surrounding it. It is also known as the setting of the
communication.

 Physical context– the physical environment where the communication takes place.

 Social context– refers to the relationship the participants hold for each other.

 Psychological context– which has to do with the mood and emotions of the communicators at the moment of
communication

7. Noise - This is the factor that inhibits the conveyance of a message. Noise is anything that interferes with the communication.

 External noise is interference that is external to both speaker and listener; it hampers the physical transmission of the signal
or message.

 Internal noise is created by barriers within the sender or receiver.

BARRIER APPEARS TO BE ATTITUDINAL.

1. A young woman whose face is veiled (we’ll call her Woman #1) tries to talk to another young woman (Woman #2) at the
subway ticket machine. Woman #1 is ignored by Woman #2 despite trying to get Woman #2’s attention.

2. Hey I’m a human being! If you don’t want to help, at least say so!
THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE BARRIER IS AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM COMES FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES THAT PROVED THIS TO BE
TRUE. WOMAN #1 BECAME ANGRY QUICKLY LIKELY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN IGNORED IN THE PAST WHEN SHE APPROACHED
OTHERS WHILE WEARING A VEIL.

3. Woman #2 takes out a device that says, “Hello I am deaf, thank you for your consideration.”

IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE BARRIER IS PHYSIOLOGICAL BECAUSE WOMAN #2 IS DEAF. THE ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION WAS WRONG.
Advice: Consider each experience as its own, separate incident. This way people and their behaviour do not get all lumped into the
same category

4. Woman #2 types into the device, “Usually I read lips to understand people.” Woman #1 realizes that her veil is stopping
Woman #2 from reading her lips.

PHYSICAL BARRIER OF THE VEIL STOPS THE HEARING IMPAIRED WOMAN FROM USING HER USUAL COMMUNICATION
TOOLS.Advice: Something you may be doing out of principle or belief could be a barrier to others without you realizing it.
Consider how to work around it.

5. Woman #2 invites Woman #1 to type into the device so they can communicate. Just then the train passes by and the device
only records a blurred sound.

TOOL DOESN’T WORK IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS – BARRIER IS ENVIRONMENTAL.

Advice: Consider the environment for communication and make adjustments where possible to improve communication options
(ie. Move to a quieter place?)

6. They try again – but the device is out of power

SYSTEM PROBLEM.

Advice:Before starting your day, check your systems and devices so they can sustain you throughout the journey.

7. Woman #1 tries to show Woman #2 where she wants to go on the subway map, but Woman #1 is simply too short to reach
it.
ENVIRONMENTAL/PHYSICAL BARRIER.
Advice: When you notice something is not working with a system, consider how it could be modified to be more accessible
8. The two women use hand gestures to communicate, and Woman #1 is able to explain using gestures that she wants to go to
Happy Valley.
USE NON-VERBAL TECHNIQUES LIKE GESTURES AND SIGNALS.
Advice: Be flexible in your communication with others. If one method doesn’t work, try something different. Consider the
role of non-verbal communication
9. It turns out that both women are going to Happy Valley. When Woman #2 shows her ticket, both women shake hands
because they have just solved the problem.
WHEN COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE, NOTICE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
Advice: Taking a small moment to acknowledge that your communication efforts have achieved a desirable outcome can
help you form a more positive overall view of communication AND of the people you have been communicating with.

10. Just then the train both women need to take leaves without them.

SYSTEM BARRIER.

Advice: Irony exists. Just because a solution seems to have been found, that solution may not be an effective one. Avoid
disappointment by realizing that if one solution does not work out, another will come that will work out, it just has not come yet.

11.Woman #2 becomes frustrated and angry. Woman #1 feels bad about it.

ATTITUDINAL BARRIER.

Advice: Helping others may not always be beneficial to you. That isn’t their problem and blaming others for your lack of benefit
doesn’t help either of you. Get over it and move on!

As if to add more stress to the situation, an announcement on the subway speaker says, “Line four is delayed for one hour.”

SYSTEM DESIGN/ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIER.

Advice: Chalk it up to your tuition fee for a life lesson on patience. Move on.

THE COMMUNICATION MODELS

1. Aristotle’s Model

Classical rhetoric dates back to ancient Greece during the time of Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek Sophists who were great
rhetoricians. Effective public speaking was an important consideration in the study of communication. They were good at
argumentation and debate and speech was characterized by repartee.

Aristotle emphasize that there are three variables in the communication process: speaker, speech, and audience.

ARISTOTLES COMMUNICATION MODEL

2. Laswell’s Model (1948)

Harold Dwight Laswell described communication as being focused on the following W’s:

Who,

says What,

in Which channel,

to Whom, and

with What effect as seen in the model.

3. Shannon and Weaver Model (1949)

This model of Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver has been considered as one of the most important models of
communication and it has led to the development of many other models.

Originally, it was conceptualized for the functioning of the radio and television serving as a model for technical
communication and, later on, adopted in the field of communication.
 4. Berlo’s Model (1960)

Initially, David Berlo’s model was called SMCR which stands for sender of the message, sent through a channel or medium to
a receiver. However, it was modified later on to include noise, hence the acronym SMCRN.

The major variables involved in the communication process are source, message, channel and receiver.

Lesson 2:

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. Know your purpose in communicating.

2. Know your audience.

3. Know your topic.

4. Adjust your speech or writing to the context of the situation.

5. Work on the feedback given to you.

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ORAL COMMUNICATION

1. Be clear with your purpose.

2. Be complete with the message you deliver.

3. Be concise.

4. Be natural with your delivery.

 5. Be specific and timely with your feedback.

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION:7CS

1. Clear

2. Concise

3. Concrete

4. Correct

5. Coherent

6. Complete

7. Courteous

Clearness

When writing to someone, be clear about your goal or message. Try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make
sure that it is easy for your reader to understand your meaning.

Conciseness is saying what needs to be said in as few words as possible. Avoid flowery words.

Remember:

“Our goal is to communicate and not to impress.”

Concreteness

This refers to being specific.

Providing example when necessary makes a message more comprehensible.

Correctness is also known as the clarity which involves correct word usage, grammar, pronunciation, sentence construction and
delivery.

Messages which are unclear oftentimes do not achieve their desired effect

Coherence

When your communication is coherent, it’s logical. All points must be connected and relevant to the main topic, and the
tone and flow of the text is consistent.

Completeness

To avoid ambiguity, messages should not leave out important details that a receiver expects to know.

Answer:

What, Who, When, Where, Why and How

Courtesy also known as politeness.

Ways to demonstrate courtesy:

• using polite words and tone to show respect to the receiver of the message

• applying tact and diplomacy

• developing the “WE” attitude using positive words instead of negative

 • being considerate of the feelings of the receiver

• selecting gender-free terms

• responding promptly to important messages

LESSON 3: ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION

1. Establish an effective value system that will pave the way for the development of your integrity as a person.

2. Provide complete and accurate information.

3. Disclose vital information adequately and appropriately.