receive the sender’s information and

Elements of then decode it or interpret it.

The information that the sender
Communication wants to convey is called the message.
How do people communicate? Where It can come in the form of a question, a
does communication begin? The plain statement, a comment or remark.
communication model below illustrates The medium, also called the channel,
the elements and the communication is the means by which a message is
process or cycle. transmitted. When people communicate,
they use a vehicle or a medium so that
the message can get across the
receiver. This medium is called
language. Communicators use a
language that is common to both.
The communication process
reaches its final point when the
message has been successfully
transmitted, received and understood.
The receiver, in turn, responds to the
The people involved in the process sender, indicating comprehension. The
of communication are categorized into response is called
sender and receiver. You have to take the feedback. Response can come in
note though, that in the process of the form of either verbal or non-verbal
communication, both communicators cues, depending on the preference of
take turns in their roles. the receiver.
sender. The sender is one who Notice that there are elements and
initiates the conversation with the factors that shape the way a
intention of passing information and conversation begins, continues and
ideas to others. ends. Our total experience with
The communication process begins communication largely depends on the
with the sender, who is also called the context, the situation, who we are
source. The sender has some kind of talking to, and what we are talking
information, a command, a request, or about. Whether the conversation is a
idea- that he or she wants to present to positive encounter or a negative
others. For that message to get through experience, there are several factors
the receiving end, the sender must that account to it.
encode the message in a form that can
be understood, such as using a
common language that both parties can
COMMUNICATION
understand. MODELS
2. The Receiver. The Source: Businesstopia.net (2019)
person to whom a message is directed
is called the receiver or the interpreter. Communication models are
To comprehend the information from the systematic representations of the
sender, the receiver must first be able to process which helps in understanding
how communication works can be done.
Models show the process human communication as general
metaphorically and in symbols. They human communication has to have
form general perspectives on feedback and responses.
communication by breaking
communication from complex to simple Components of Linear
and keeps the components in order. Communication
Communication models can sometimes Linear model has defined set of
encourage traditional thinking and components required for a
stereotyping but can also omit some communication to be established where
major aspects of human communication. Sender is the person who sends a
There are three general types of message after encoding.
communication models in which all other
communication models are mostly 1. Encoding is the process of
categorized. converting the message into
codes compatible with the
channel and understandable for
the receiver.
2. Decoding is the process of
changing the encoded message
into understandable language by
the receiver.
3. Message is the information
sent by the sender to the
receiver.
4. Channel is the medium
through which the message is
sent.
5. Receiver is the person who
In linear model, communication is gets the message after decoding.
considered one way process where 6. Noise is the disruptions that
sender is the only one who sends are caused in the communication
message and receiver doesn’t give process in channel or in
feedback or response. The message understandability of the message.
signal is encoded and transmitted
through channel in presence of noise.
The sender is more prominent in linear
model of communication.
Linear model was founded by
Shannon and Weaver which was later
adapted by David Berlo into his own
model known as SMCR (Source,
Message, Channel, Receiver) Model of
Communication.
Linear model is applied in mass
communication like television, radio, etc.
This model is not applicable in general
Transactional model of communication
is the exchange of messages between
sender and receiver where each take
turns to send or receive messages.
Here, both sender and receiver are
known as communicators and their role
reverses each time in the
communication process as both
processes of sending and receiving
occurs at the same time.
The communicators can be humans
or machines but humans are taken as
communicators in this article to analyze
general communication between Interactive model or convergence model
humans. The model is mostly used for is similar to transactional model as they
interpersonal communication and is also are both two way communication model.
called circular model of communication. But, interactive model is mostly used for
The transactional model is the most new media, like internet. Here, people
general model of communication. can respond to any mass
Everyday talk and interactions are also communications like videos, news, etc.
a form of transactional model People can exchange their views and
communication. It is more efficient for ideas.
communicators with similar environment
and individual aspects. For instance, Components of Interactive Model
communication between people who Interactive Model of Communication
know each other is more efficient as requires different following components
they share same social system. for the communication process to work:
In transactional model, efficiency
and reliability of communicated 1. Encoder-Source-Decoder: The
message also depends on the medium person who originates a message
used. For example, the same message is the source. The encoder and
might not be perceived by a person the decoder are the same
same way when it is send through a person/source. The second
phone and when it is provided face to source is also encoder as well as
face. It is because of possible loss of decoder. The source acts as an
message on a phone call or absence of encoder while sending the
gestures. message and as decoder while
receiving the message. The
second source decodes the
message, then originates another
message, encodes it and sends it
to the first source. The source is
known to be encoder and
decoder during the act of
encoding and decoding.
 2. Message: Message is the
information sent during the
interaction.
3. Feedback: The decoder forms
a second message after receiving
the first which is known as
feedback.
4. Field of Experience: Field of
experience is the experience and
knowledge that the source
possess which affects the
message formation and
interpretation. For example, the Facial expressions are a form of
source’s culture, social behavior, non-verbal communication. They are
etc. used by humans to convey various
COMMUNICATING MEANING types of meaning in various contexts.
Facial expressions such as a frown, a
raised eyebrow, a smile can send
When you communicate, what do you
meanings depending on the context.
usually use as a medium? Do you use
Ekman (1992) claimed that there is
only words? Do you use other means to
a set of expressions that are innate, and
emphasize your ideas? What are they?
they mean that the person making that
face is experiencing an emotion. For
Verbal vs Non-Verbal example, brow raising means. “I feel
Communication surprised.” He also claimed that there
Communicating meaning utilizes are culturally acquired facial
verbal and non-verbal expressions. expressions used to modulate the innate
Verbal communication uses words emotional expressions, so-called display
which can be expressed either written or rules, and others that are used for
orally. (It is therefore wrong to say communication.
verbal to mean “oral”, like, “verbalize” While nonverbal communication and
you concern, to mean saying it orally). behavior can vary dramatically between
Non-verbal on the other hand is a cultures, the facial expressions for
wordless communication. Other means happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are
are used to convey meaning like facial similar throughout the world.
expressions, proxemics, paralanguage, What is important to note is that,
appearance, gestures, oculesics, body facial expressions must be consistent
language and posture, artifacts, haptics with the meaning that a speaker intends
and chronemics. to convey. Sometimes, communication
For better understanding about breakdown happens because of the
these different non-verbal cues, let us inconsistency in the facial expression
discuss each of them. and the intended meaning. For example,
when you say you are happy, but
Facial Expressions displays a frowning expression, there
comes the confusion. It is expected that
when one claims to be happy, a smiling
or gleeful expression accompanies the space we perceive as belonging to us is
emotion. influenced by a number of factors
including social norms, cultural
Proxemics expectations, situational factors,
personality characteristics, and level of
Edward T. Hall, the cultural familiarity.
anthropologist who coined the term in The amount of personal space
1963, defined proxemics as the needed when having a casual
interrelated observations and theories of conversation with another person
human use of space as a specialized usually varies between 18 inches to four
elaboration of culture. (study.com) feet. On the other hand, the personal
distance needed when speaking to a
Proxemics is the study of human use of crowd of people is around 10 to 12 feet.
space and the effect that population
density has on bahavior, communication
and social interaction. It refers to an
individual’s perception of the use of
space, both personal (how much space
Paralanguage
Paralanguage is the technical term
do they take up) and social (distance
for the voice cues that accompany
from one another).
spoken words. It is concerned with the
sound of the voice and the range of
meanings that people convey through
their voices rather than the words they
use
The meaning of what you express is
contained, in part, in the words you say,
but how you say it also contains
powerful meanings. For example, the
word “Yes”, can completely convey
different meanings, even in the exact
same sentence, depending on how it is
Study this illustration. How can said—whether it is spoken sincerely or
proxemics communicate meaning? Can sarcastically. The “how”—you say
you easily detect people who are something—is referred to as
intimately close without them having paralanguage, which includes your
announce publicly that they are in a conscious or unconscious intonation,
certain kind of relationship? When you accent, pitch Opens in new window,
see a couple who are normally so close pace, pause, silence, emphasis, word
everyday, but suddenly sits apart or and syllable stress.
does not walk side by side, what usually Basically, paralanguage is your voice
is your assumption? minus the words you speak. Again, it
People often refer to their need for denotes the tone (sound) of your voice.
"personal space," which is also an The sound of your voice communicates,
important type of nonverbal revealing to others your emotional state,
communication.5 The amount of attitudes, status, personality, etc.
distance we need and the amount of
The tone of your voice can help you made with the hand, for example, conveys a
communicate what you mean to convey, positive message in English-speaking
or it can reveal thoughts you mean to countries, it’s consider offensive in countries
conceal. It can reinforce or negate the such as Germany, Russia, and Brazil. So,
it’s important to be careful of how you use
words you speak. How you speak
gestures to avoid misinterpretation
influences how others interpret your
intentions, as well as how credible,
intelligent, or attractive they judge you to 1. Body Language and Posture
be. With this in mind, you may assess Consider how your perceptions of
yourself by responding to the following people are affected by the way
questions: they sit, walk, stand, or hold their
head. The way you move and carry
 Does my voice enhance or yourself communicates a wealth of
detract from the impression I make? information to the world. This type
 Does my voice support or of nonverbal communication
contradict my intended meaning? includes your posture, bearing,
 If I were interacting with stance, and the subtle movements
me, would I want to listen to the sound you make.
of my voice?
6. Oculesics or Eye Gaze
Gestures The eyes play an important role in
nonverbal communication and such things
as looking, staring and blinking are
important nonverbal behaviors. When
people encounter people or things that they
like, the rate of blinking increases and pupils
dilate. Looking at another person can
indicate a range of emotions including
hostility, interest, and attraction.
People also utilize eye gaze as a means to
determine if someone is being honest.6
Normal, steady eye contact is often taken
as a sign that a person is telling the truth
and is trustworthy. Shifty eyes and an
Deliberate movements and signals inability to maintain eye contact, on the
are an important way to communicate other hand, is frequently seen as an
meaning without words. Common indicator that someone is lying or being
gestures include waving, pointing, and deceptive.
using fingers to indicate numeric
amounts. Other gestures are arbitrary 7. Haptics
and related to culture.
Gestures are woven into the fabric of our
daily lives. You may wave, point, beckon, or
use your hands when arguing or speaking
animatedly, often expressing yourself with
gestures without thinking. However, the
meaning of some gestures can be very
different across cultures. While the OK sign
 message. This is why we wear
suits to interviews or enjoy casual
Friday at the workplace.
Our everyday attire and hairstyle
sends a message. Imagine a
woman who always wears bright,
bold tones. Perhaps she wears
orange suits with red blouses or
yellow skirts with royal blue shirts.
This is a woman who's not looking
to be a wallflower. You can
Communicating through touch is another probably roll the dice on her high
important nonverbal behavior. There has level of self-confidence.
been a substantial amount of research on On the other hand, just because
the importance of touch in infancy and early someone chooses muted tones or
childhood.
grays, it doesn't mean they're shy.
Harry Harlow's classic monkey
study demonstrated how deprived touch They might simply prefer a
and contact impedes development. Baby simplistic style. To them, less may
monkeys raised by wire mothers be more.
experienced permanent deficits in behavior Either way, how we present
and social interaction. Touch can be used to ourselves to people and situations
communicate affection, familiarity,
tells a story. We're told to take our
sympathy, and other emotions.
In her book Interpersonal Communication: hats off at the table, put a comb
Everyday Encounters, author Julia Wood through our hair, and wear our
writes that touch is also often used as a way Sunday best for a reason. It shows
to communicate both status and power.7 we put a little thought into the
Researchers have found that high-status interaction.
individuals tend to invade other people's
personal space with greater frequency and
intensity than lower-status individuals. Sex
differences also play a role in how people
utilize touch to communicate meaning.
Women tend to use touch to convey care,
concern, and nurturance. Men, on the other
hand, are more likely to use touch to assert
power or control over others. 9. Artifacts

8. Appearance
This non-verbal cue is quite
controversial. We're taught not to
judge a book by its cover. We can't
assess a person's intelligence or
demeanor by the clothes they
wear. Yet, in a professional setting,
one's appearance does send a
Objects and images are also tools that can
be used to communicate nonverbally. On an
online forum, for example, you might select
an avatar to represent your identity online
and to communicate information about who
you are and the things you like.
People often spend a great deal of
time developing a particular image and
surrounding themselves with objects
designed to convey information about the
things that are important to them.
Uniforms, for example, can be used to
transmit a tremendous amount of
information about a person. A soldier will
don fatigues, a police officer will wear a
uniform, and a doctor will wear a white lab
coat. At a mere glance, these outfits tell
people what a person does for a living.