THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

•The goal of communication is to convey Information-and the understanding

of that Information-from one person or group to another person or group.

•The communication process is divided into three basic components: A

sender transmits a message through a channel to the receiver.

THE COMPONENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

1. Source/Sender – The sender carefully crafts the message. The sender

may be anyone an author of a book, a public speaker in a special
occasion or even a specific enforcer.

2. Message- The message is the reason behind any Interaction. It is the

meaning shared between the sender and the receiver. Messages take
many forms. They could mean poems, songs, essays, news articles,
road signs and even symbols

3. Channel/Medium- The channel is the means by which is conveyed.

When we answer a phone call, the phone is the channel. On the other
hand, when your parents receive a notification of your absences from
school, the channel is a letter. It is the responsibility of both the sender
and the receiver to choose the best channel for the interaction.

4. Receiver -The receiver is the person who receives the transmitted

message. The receiver may be part of an audience in a public speaking
event, a reader of a letter or a driver who reads the road signs. The
receiver is expected to listen or read carefully, to be aware of different
kinds of sender to jot down information when needed, to provide
response and to ask questions for clarification.
 5. Feedback- A feedback is essential to confirm recipient understanding.
Feedbacks, like messages, are expressed in varied forms. A simple nod
for a question of verification is considered feedback. Thus, feedbacks
may be written, spoken or acted out

•Feedback cycle is an important feature in the communication process.

• The feedback cycle is the same as the sender-receiver feedback Otherwise,

the sender cannot know whether the other parties properly interpreted the
message or how they reacted to it.

• The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is

UNDERSTANDING Understanding exists when all parties involved have a
mutual agreement as to not only the information, but also the meaning of
the information.

• Effective communication occurs when the intended message of the sender

and the interpreted message of the receiver are one and the same

The most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of

Resources expended. TIME is an important resource in the communication

process

• Efficient time-saving communications are not always effective. Sometimes

communication is effective, but not efficient.

6. Environment- The place, the feeling, the mood, the mindset and the
condition of both sender and receiver are called the environment. The
environment may involve the physical set-up of a location where
communication takes place, the space occupied by both the sender
and the receiver, Including the objects surrounding the sender and
receiver.
 7. Context-involves the expectations of the sender and the receiver and
the common or shared understanding through the environmental
signals.

•Setting and situation in which communication takes place.

• It can have an impact on the successful exchange of Information

• It may have a physical, social, or cultural aspect of it.

•Psychological context, which is who you are and what you bring to the
Interaction. Your needs, desires, values, personality, etc., all form the
psychological context;

• Relational context, which concerns your reactions to the other person

•Situational context, which deals with the psyco-sexual where you are
communicating. An interaction that takes place in a classroom will be
different from one that takes place in a bar

•Environmental context, which deals with the physical where you are
communicating. Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of
day,

•Cultural context, which includes all the learned behaviors and rules that
affect the interaction. If you come from a culture (foreign or within your
country) where it is considered rude to make long, direct eye contact, you
will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If other person comes from a culture

Where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then we have in the
cultural context a basis for misunderstanding

8. Interference- Known as the barrier or block that prevents effective

communication

KINDS OF INTERFERENCE

Psychological barriers are thoughts that hamper the message to be

interpreted correctly by the receiver
• Physical barriers include competing stimulus, weather and climate, health
and ignorance of the medium.

• Linguistic and cultural barriers pertain to the language and its cultural
environment. Words may mean another in different cultures.

• Mechanical barriers are those raised by the channels employed for

interpersonal, group or mass communication. These include cellphones,
laptops and other gadgets used in communication.

PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is an interaction situation wherein the participants are

affected by each one’s behavior

• Every message is simultaneously a stimulus to new behavior and a

response to prior behavior of the receiver.

• No message should be isolated from what has occurred before between the
communicants if we really want to understand the message

• It should be understood in the totality of the situation.

One does communicate.

• We do communicate even when we are ignoring the message of another or

maintaining complete silence

•Silence, posture and all non-verbal behaviors are the ways we communicate
eve when we wish to deny it

• The message received is not necessarily the message sent.

• We usually relate to others as if there was only one reality the way we
perceive the world

We all live as separate individuals with different experiences and different

views of reality.

•How we interpret verbal and non-verbal messages maybe quite different

from the meaning intended by the speaker (communicator).

•Communication occurs simultaneously at more than one level.

• We communicate on the level of the literal content of the Information being
conveyed as well as on the relationship level.

• In other words, we do not convey information to the receiver verbally only

• By the context, in which the communication occurs, and by various verbal

and nonverbal cues, we are also telling the other person how we see our
relationship with him, how we see ourselves, and how he should interpret our
messages.

SECOND LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION is called Meta-communication

Refers to any communication about communication or any verbal or non-

verbal cues about the literal content of the message sent.

•For example, I may say to another person, I am happy with you, and be
serious indicating that I do not mean what I say.

I may also verbally meta-communicate by adding, I was only joking, which

tells the receiver how he should interpret my original statement.

The context in which communication occurs is another Important component

of meta-communication.

Four Basic Principles of Interpersonal communication

•Interpersonal communication is inescapable.

• We can Not communicate.

• The very attempt not to communicate communicates something.

•Through not only words, but through tone of voice and through gesture,
posture, facial expression, etc., we constantly communicate to those around
us.

• Through these channels, we constantly receive communication from

others.
-Interpersonal communication is Irreversible.

• You can not really take back something once it has been said.

•The effect must inevitably remain.

• A Russian proverb says, “Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can
never swallow it again”

- Interpersonal communication is complicated.

• No form of communication is simple. Because of the number of variables

involved, even simple requests are extremely complex.

•Theorists note that whenever we communicate there are really at least six
people Involved:

A.Who you think you are

B.) who you think the other person is;

C.) who you think the other person thinks you are

D.) who the other person thinks/she is;

E) who the other person thinks you are;

F.) who the other person thinks you think s/he is

-We do not actually swap ideas, we swap symbols that stand for ideas.

-This complicates communication.

-Words (symbols) do not have inherent meaning, we simply use them In

certain ways, and no two people use the same word exactly alike

Interpersonal communication is contextual.

• Communication does not happen in isolation:

• Psychological context
•Relational context

•Situational context

• Environmental context

•Cultural context

The Nine Principles of Effective Communication (Michael Osborn (2009)

1. Clarity- Clarity makes speeches understandable. Fuzzy language is

absolutely forbidden, as are jargons, cliché expressions, euphemisms
and doublespeak language.
2. Concreteness-reduces misunderstandings, Messages must be
supported by facts such as research data, statistics or figures. To
achieve concreteness, abstract words must be avoided.
3. Courtesy- builds goodwill. It involves being polite in terms of approach
and manner of addressing an individual.
4. Correctness- Glaring mistakes in grammar obscures the meaning of a T
sentence, Also, the misuse of language can damage your credibility.
5. Consideration- Messages must be geared towards the audience. The
sender of a message must consider the recipient’s profession, level of
education, race, ethnicity, hobbies, Interests, passions, advocacies and
age when drafting or delivering a message.
6. Creativity- in communication means having the ability to craft
Interesting messages in terms of sentence structure and word
7. Conciseness- Simplicity and directness help you to be concise Avoid
using lengthy expressions and words that may confuse the recipient
8. Cultural Sensitivity- Today, with the increasing emphasis on
empowering diverse cultures, lifestyles, and races and the pursuit for
gender equality, cultural sensitivity becomes an Important standard for
effective communication.
9. Captivating-You must strive to make messages interesting to command
more attention and better responses.

Ethical Consideration in Communication

• Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that focuses on issues of right and wrong in

human affairs.
• Bovee and Thill explained that ethical communication includes all relevant
Information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way.

Ethical Communicators:

-Respect audience

-Consider the result of communication

-Value truth

-Use information correctly

-Do not falsify information

Ethics of Communication

•Communication ethics is the notion that an Individual’s or group’s behavior

are governed by their morals which in tum affects communication.

• Generally speaking communication, ethics deals with the moral good

present in any form of human communication.

• This includes interpersonal communication, mass mediated

communication, and digital communication.

Moreover, ethical communication enhances human worth and dignity by

fostering truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, personal integrity, and respect
for self and others. We believe that unethical communication threatens the
quality of all communication and consequently the well-being of individuals
and the society in which we live.

Therefore we, the members of the National Communication Association,

endorse and are committed to practicing the following principles of ethical
communication
-We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the
integrity of communication

-We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of

dissent to achieve the Informed and responsible decision making
fundamental to a civil society.

-We strive to understand and respect other communicators before evaluating

and responding to their messages.

-We promote access to communication resources and opportunities as

necessary to fulfill human potential and contribute to the well-being of
individuals, families, communities, and society.

-We promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding

that respect the unique needs and characteristics of individual
communicators.

-We condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity

through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the
expression of Intolerance and hatred.

-We are committed to the courageous expression of personal convictions in

pursuit of fairness and justice.

-We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings when facing

significant choices while also respecting privacy and confidentiality.

-We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences for our
own communication and expect the same of others.

Johnson (2015) developed the Ten Basics of Ethical communication using

principles learned in Straight Talk and Nonviolent Communication and best
practices for small group work:
•Seek to elicit the best in communications and Interactions with group
members.

• Listen when others speak.

•Speak non-judgmentally

•Speak from your own experience and perspective, expressing your own
thoughts, needs, and feelings.

•Seek to understand others (rather than to be right or more ethical than

thou).

•Avoid speaking for others, for example by

Characterizing what others have said without checking your understanding,

or by universalizing your opinions, beliefs, values, and conclusions, assuming
everyone shares them.

•Manage your own personal boundaries. Share only what you are
comfortable sharing.

• Respect the personal boundaries of others.

•Avoid interrupting and side conversations.

•Make sure that everyone has time to speak, that all members have
relatively equal air time if they want it.

By contrast, unethical communication can include misleading Information,

falsehoods or exclusions of Important Information.

Unethical Communication

1. Selecting misquoting-Deliberating omitting unflattering or damaging

comments to paint a better but false picture of you or your group.
2. Misrepresenting Numbers-Altering statistics, increasing or decreasing
numbers, exaggerating, or omitting statistical data.
 3. Distorting visuals-Making a product look bigger or changing the scale
of graphs and charts to amplify or conceal differences.
4. Plagiarism-Stealing someone else’s words or work and claiming it as
your own.

Ethical communication treat people fairly, communicate honestly, and avoid

immoral or unethical behavior.