5 Communication Process

Mrs. Bhavna Dave

epgp books

 

Unit Structure:

 

4.0 Learning Outcomes

 

4.1 Introduction

 

4.2 Principles of communication

 

4.3Components of Communication

 

4.4 Process of communication

 

4.5  Modes of communication

 

4.6  Theories of communication

 

4.7  Let us sum up

 

4.0    Learning Outcomes:

 

With the help of this unit, you will be able to:

  • understand the principles of communication
  • identify the components of communication
  • explain the process of communication
  • illustrate with examples the modes of communication
  • understand the theories of communication

 

4.1  Introduction:

 

When we exchange ideas, feelings, intentions, attitudes, expectations, and perceptions or commands with some other individual or a group, it is called Communication.It may be through the medium ofspeech, gestures, writings, and behaviour through electromagnetic, chemical or physical phenomena. It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more participants. In this chapter, let us study more about communication.

 

4.2 Principles of communication:

 

Communication is a two-way process. There are many different channels through which we give and receive information. There are certain elementary principles which we all need to follow to be effective communicators. Whether it is an informal talk like speaking to a colleague, or a formal mode of communication like addressing a conference or meeting, writing a newsletter article or formal report, the following basic principles apply:

 

 

1. Clarity:

 

Everycommunication must have clarity. A message that leaves the reader scratching his head is a failed message. Clarity springs from knowledge of the message (what you want to say), the method (how you want to say it), and the medium (what format you want to say it in). A lack of mindfulness in any one of these components affects the effectiveness of the message.

 

2.  Conciseness:

 

Communication is founded on the principles of conciseness. This applies not just to the length of your message, but also its contents. Try to use short sentences and short words. Avoid jargon and words that send the reader to the dictionary.

 

3. Objectivity:

 

Any communication must always have a purpose. This purpose must be apparent to anyone who glances through your message. Before you put a single word to paper, ask yourself: “What am I trying to achieve with this message?” This will help you stay on course through the message creation process and effect a remarkable improvement in the message efficacy.

 

4. Consistency:

 

All communication must have consistency of tone, voice and content. Imagine that you’re reading a book that starts out with a humorous satire on one page, a serious explanation on another, a serious medieval romance half way through and finally finishing as a supernatural comedy! Such a book will alienate the readers and leave them confused and even angry. Although you can stray from the set tone from time to time – a few humorous jokes can help lighten the mood – the overall theme must remain consistent.

 

5. Completeness:

 

Each message must have a clear and logical conclusion. The receiver shouldn’t be left wondering if there is more to come. The message must be self-sufficient, that is, it must hold goodon its own without support from other messages. This is particularly apt for blog posts which often end abruptly and leave the readers scratching their heads.

 

6. Relevancy:

 

Every message sent out must be contextually cohesive with previous/future messages. The message must also be relevant and related.

 

7. Audience Knowledge:

 

Lastly, your message must have a thorough understanding of your primary audience. Everything else – clarity, completeness, objectivity – results from your knowledge of your audience. Your message must reflect the age, education level, aims and objective of your audience. This is possible only if you thoroughly know your receivers and can see things from their perspective.

 

4.3 Components of Communication:

 

The main components of communication are as follows:

  1. Context – Any message whether it is oral or written, begins with a context. Context may be a place, culture or organization. Every organization, culture and country communicates information in its own way. Context also includes external or internal stimuli.Meetings, letters, memos, telephone calls, fax, notes, email and even a casual conversation are external stimuli. This external stimulus motivates you to respond which may be oral or written. Internal Stimuli includes opinions, attitudes, likes, dislikes, emotions, experience, education and confidence.
  2. Sender / Encoder –A Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. The sender may be an individual, a group or an organization. The sender’s views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge have a great impact on the message. The receiver interprets a message depending on the verbal and non-verbal symbols chosen by the sender.
  3. Message – Message is the information that is exchanged between sender and receiver. It is the key idea that the sender wants to communicate. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear. The first task is to decide what you want to communicate and what would be the content of your message; what the main points of your message are and what other information to include. While writing the message, encoder should keep in mind all aspects of context and the receiver (How he will interpret the message). Messages can be intentional or unintentional.
  4. Medium – Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message; else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and ensuring that it is correctly interpreted by the recipient. For instance – a written medium would be more appropriate when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when immediate feedback is required from the recipient.
  5. Recipient / Decoder – Receiver is the person who interprets the message. S/he is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of the recipient, his perception, opinion, attitude and personality. Receiver is also influenced by the context, internal and external stimuli.
  6. Feedback –Feedback is the response or reaction of the receiver to a message. Feedback may be a written or oral message. It may be an action or simply silence.Feedback helps the sender to know the efficacy of his/her message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder.

 

4.4Process of communication:

 

 

The process of communication is a sequence of events in which a sender transmits a message to a recipient. The message can be verbal or nonverbal. There are several steps in the process: encoding, medium of transmission, decoding, and feedback.

 

The necessary components that need to be present for the process of communication to occur include the sender, the recipient, and the message. In order for effective communication to take place, it is vital that the message is easily understood.

 

  1. Encoding:The first step in the process of communication is called encoding. This is when the message is transformed from a thought in someone’s mind to a form that can be understood by others. The message can be written down, spoken, or it can even take a nonverbal, or wordless, form such as gestures or a picture. Once the message has been encoded, it should be in a form that is ready to be received and understood.
  2. Transmitting:After the message has been prepared for transmission, it needs to be sent. This part of the process of communication is called the medium of transmission. In this step, the sender selects the best method for sending the message and transmits it. For example, a written message may take the form of e-mail or a business report that is printed out and hand delivered. A verbal message may be telephone conversation or a speech given before an audience, and a nonverbal message such as a picture may be transmitted by posting it on the Internet or hanging it in a museum.
  3. Decoding:Once the message has been transmitted, the next step in the process of communication requires decoding. This occurs once the recipient gets the message, examines and interprets it using prior knowledge and experience. In this manner the recipient develops an understanding of the meaning of the message which is partially based his or her own background.
  4. Feedback: Finally, feedback is the last part of the process where the recipient responds to the message, thereby indicating understanding.

 

4.5 Modes of communication:

 

  1. Interpersonal Mode:The Interpersonal Mode is characterized by active negotiation of meaning among individuals. Participants observe and monitor one another to see how their meaning and intentions are being communicated. Adjustments and clarifications can be made accordingly. As a result, there is a higher probability of ultimately achieving the goal of successful communication in this mode than in the other two modes. The Interpersonal Mode is most obvious in conversation, but both the interpersonal and negotiated dimensions can be realized through reading and writing, such as the exchange of personal letters orelectronicmail messages. Examples of Interpersonal mode:
  •  Exchange information via letters, e-mail/video mail, notes, conversations or interviews on familiar topics (e.g. school events, weekend activities, memorable experiences, family life).
  • Express and compare opinions and preferences about information gathered regarding events, experiences and other school subjects.
  • Clarify meaning (e.g. paraphrasing, questioning).
  • Give and follow directions, instructions and requests (e.g., installing software, dance steps).
  • Demonstrate the ability to acquire goods, services or information (e.g., using public transportation, making a hotel reservation, buying food).

 

2.Interpretive Mode: The Interpretive Mode is focused on the appropriate cultural interpretation of meanings that occur in written and spoken form where there is no recourse to the active negotiation of meaning with the writer or the speaker. Such instances of “one-way” reading or listening which include the cultural interpretation of texts, oral or written, must be distinguished from the notion of reading and listening “comprehension,” where the term could refer to understanding a text with an American mindset. Put another way, interpretation differs from comprehension in that the former implies the ability to “read(or listen) between the lines.”Since the Interpretive Mode does not allow for active negotiation between the reader and the writer or the listener and the speaker, it requires a much more profound knowledge of culture from the outset. The more one knows about the other language and culture, the greater the chances of creating the appropriate cultural interpretations of a written or spoken text. It must be noted, however, that cultural literacy and the ability to read or listen between the lines are developed over time and through exposure to the language and culture. Examples of Interpretive mode:

  • Follow directions, instructions and requests (e.g., recipes, travel directions, prompts on ATMs).
  • Use listening and reading strategies (e.g., skimming and scanning techniques) to determine main ideas and purpose.
  1. Presentational Mode: The Presentational Mode refers to the creation of messages in a manner that facilities interpretation by members of the other culture where no direct opportunity for active negotiation of meaning between members of the two cultures exists. Examples of the “one-way” writing and speaking require a substantial knowledge of language and culture from the outset, since the goal is to make sure that members of the other culture, the audience, will be successful in reading and listening between the lines. Examples of Presentational mode:
  •  Summarize information from authentic language materials and artifacts (e.g., TV programs, articles from youth magazines, Internet, videos, currency) and give personal reactions.
  • Use information acquired from target language sources to solve everyday problems and situations (e.g., using a newspaper to make plans to see a movie, perusing a catalog to shop for a birthday gift, watching a weather forecast to help plan an activity).
  • Create and present a narrative (e.g. current events, personal experiences, school happenings).
  • Present differences in products and practices (e.g. sports, celebrations, school life) found in the target culture.
  • Prepare and deliver a summary of characters and plot in selected pieces of literature.
  • Apply age-appropriate writing process strategies (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing).

 

4.5     Theories of communication:

 

The study of communication and mass media has led to the formulation of many theories.Structural and functional theories believe that social structures are real and function in ways that can be observed objectively; cognitive and behavioral theories tend to focus on psychology of individuals; interactionist theories view social life as a process of interaction; interpretive theories uncover the ways people actually understand their own experience; and critical theories are concerned with the conflict of interests in society and the way communication perpetuates domination of one group over another .

 

A few of them are discussed below:

 

  1. Communication accommodation theory elaborates the human tendency to adjust their behaviour while interacting. The reason behind this behaviour is explained as to control the social differences between the people interacting. People accommodate their communication activities to get approval and to set a positive image with whom they interact. The environment in which they are interacting also affects the communication behaviour.

 

There are two types of accommodation process explained in this theory. The two processes usually are dependent on the characteristics of the people interacting.

  • Convergence- convergence is a process where people tend to adapt the other person’s communication characteristics to reduce the social differences.
  • Divergence-the process contradicts the method of adaptation and in this context the individual emphasis is on the social difference and nonverbal differences between the people interacting.

 

2. Cross-cultural communication theory refers to the communication between people who have differences in any one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Cross cultural communication can also refer to the attempts that are made to exchange, negotiate and mediate cultural differences by means of language, gestures and body language. It is how people belonging to different cultures communicate with each other.

 

By accepting people and their differences and acknowledging that we don’t know everything makes us open up to people and their differences results in the use of contextual information for better understanding. Seeking feedback and taking risks to open up channels of communication and being responsible for our feelings and actions goes a long way in ensuring that miscommunication is mitigated.

 

Cross cultural communication creates a feeling of trust and enables cooperation. The focus is on providing the right response rather than providing the right message.

 

3. The Cultivation theory argues that the media generally presents an image of the world that does not reflect reality. Television images are an exaggeration or fantasy of what actually exists. There are a disproportionate number of handsome gentlemen, beautiful women, crime, wealth and violence. As a result, people end up perceiving the real world in a distorted manner and viewing actuality through a ‘television perspective.’ Television offers a plethora of ideas and conceptions on a variety of social and cultural dynamics like race, gender, sexuality, etc. Over a period of time, a fixed image of various groups of people is formed and viewers start to absorb these ideas which they then use as a map to navigate through life. This constant exposure to the media content cultivates specific values, beliefs, attitudes and desires in people.

 

These newly preconceived notions shape their perception of the world and they ultimately influence how others perceive them. People therefore end up unconsciously shaping their thought processes and behaviour based on what they consume. Cultivation theory research views television as a system of messages and tries to understand its function and consequences on an audience.

 

4. Muted group theory is a critical theory concerning certain groups of people who remain powerless compared to the others.

 

The muted group theory explains the cause of muteness especially that of women in the society. The theory upholds a gender perspective where the male is the dominant class. When women come to social space, they face the most abusive language because women are considered to be less powerful than men. Men take more advantage by using the existing male dominant power in the social space and protect themselves from abusive language. In our society most of the abusive language is feminine. Women being stereotyped is also seen in mass media and converted into popular culture. Women are portrayed as sex symbol in most advertisements even for male products. The perspective of males towards women has been narrowed down to either sexual or an emotional symbol. Thus the muted group theory brought to light how communication is affected due to this narrow perspective of the society.

 

The muted group theory can be applied to understand the problems of the marginalized groups.

 

5. Knowledge Gap theory states that the infusion of mass media information into a social system increases the acquisition of information by the higher socioeconomic segments faster than the lower socioeconomic segments. This increases the gap in knowledge between the two. The higher economic class gains more benefits.A person of the higher economic class receives more education which in turnincreases his communication skill and hence gathering information becomes easier for him. Along with this reading, understanding and memory skills also become better and thus he understands the issues of various spheres better. A person with more education has more social integration. This helps him to counter various perspectives with better understanding.

 

Ifthe Information services are not made equal for the entire society, this gap of information will increase over the years.

 

4.6 Let us sum up:

  • Objectivity, conciseness, clarity, consistency, completeness, relevancy and audience knowledge are the principles of communication.
  • The components of communication are context, sender / encoder, message, medium, recipient / decoder and feedback.
  • The process of communication is a sequence of events in which a sender transmits a message to a recipient. The message can be verbal or nonverbal as long as the recipient is able to understand it.
  • There are three modes of communication- the Interpersonal mode, the Interpretative mode and the Presentational mode.
  • There are various Communication theories. Some of them are communication accommodation theory, cross-cultural communication theory, cultivation theory, muted group theory and the knowledge gap theory.

 

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References:

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