Models of Communication

1. Aristotle’s Model of Communication

• First basic persuasive model of communication.
• Consists of three elements:
  1. Speaker – The one who speaks.
  2. Speech – The message or content produced.
  3. Audience – The one who listens.
• 👉 Focus: Public speaking and persuasion.

2. Rudimentary Model of Communication

• Developed by propaganda and mass media analysts.
• Defined communication using six reference questions:
  1. Who says
  2. What
  3. In which channel
  4. To whom
  5. Under what circumstances
  6. With what effect
• A simple, one-way model of communication.
• Highly useful in political communication, propaganda, and political symbolism.

3. Schramm’s Model of Communication

• Structure:
  • Source ➖ Encoder ➖ Signal ➖ Decoder ➖ Receiver
• The source encodes a signal and the receiver decodes it.
• Particularly relevant for mass media communication.

4. Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication

• Also called Information Theory or Mathematical Theory of Communication.
• Five elements (STSRD):
  1. Source
  2. Transmitter
  3. Signal
  4. Receiver
  5. Destination
• Noise is a crucial part of this model (any unwanted disturbance during transmission, e.g., sound disruptions on TV or radio).

• Three levels of communication problems:
  1. Technical – Accuracy of transferring signals from sender to receiver.
  2. Semantic – How well the receiver interprets the meaning.
  3. Influential – Whether the message leads to desired behavior in the receiver.

🔸 Example (Oral Communication):

• Information source = Brain
• Transmitter = Voice mechanism
• Signal = Sound pressure
• Channel = Air

👉 Best suited for broadcasting farm information.

5. Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication (1960)

• Six elements:
  1. Source – Originator of the message.
  2. Message – Content to be communicated.
  3. Code – A system of signals for communication.
  4. Encode – Converting message into coded form.
  5. Channel – Medium through which signal moves.
  6. Decode – Converting the coded message into ordinary language.
• Emphasized behavioral aspects of communication.
• Book: “The Process of Mass Communication” written by Berlo.

6. Leagan’s Model of Communication (1963)

• Six elements:
  1. Communicator
  2. Message
  3. Channel
  4. Treatment
  5. Audience
  6. Audience Response
• A skillful communicator sends a useful message through a proper channel with effective treatment to an appropriate audience, which leads to desired response.
• This model provides incentives for change.
• Best applicable in field extension work.

7. Rogers and Shoemaker Model of Communication

• Five elements:
  • Source → Message → Channel → Receiver → Effect
• The model focuses on effectiveness and behavioral change.
• Suited to newspaper reading and mass communication scenarios.
• Related model: Barkner Wiseman Model

Summary Table

Theories of Communication

1. Linguistic Theory (Given by Williams)

• Focuses on spoken language.
• Emphasizes that “meanings are in people, not in words” – highlighting the role of interpretation by the listener, not just word choice.

2. Psycholinguistic Theory

• Explains coding behavior (how thoughts are encoded into messages).
• Linguistics aids in understanding the code, while psycholinguistics explores how people mentally process language.

3. Theory of Mass Communication – Defleur; Deals with mass media effects on large-scale audiences.
4. Balance Theory – Heiher; Focuses on consistency in attitudes and perceptions during communication.
5. Role Taking Theory – George Mead; Emphasizes understanding others’ perspectives in social interaction.
6. Purpose of Communication – Festinger

• States two main purposes:
  • Consummatory – for self-satisfaction.
  • Instrumental – to achieve an external goal.

7. Medium is the Message – McLuhan; Suggests that the channel (medium) used for communication influences how the message is perceived, sometimes more than the content itself.
8. Communication IQ – Bhajna; Refers to an individual’s communication intelligence – their ability to effectively understand and convey messages.
9. Communication Competency – Hymes; The ability to communicate appropriately and effectively in various contexts.
10. Key Communicator Concept – Lazarsfeld; A key communicator is a trusted person in a social system whom others seek for information and advice. Also known as Spark-plug, influencer, fashion leader, etc.

Additional Important Communication Facts:

• Body Language Communication: 40%
• Message Distortion (verbal): Up to 30%
• Time spent communicating verbally (on average): 70%
• Sensory Distribution in Communication (Haas and Parker, 1964):
  • Sight: 87%
  • Hearing: 7%
  • Smell: 3.5%
  • Touch: 1.5%
  • Taste: 1%