Terminologies Related to Communication

1. Frame of Reference

• Refers to the stored experiences, beliefs, and values an individual possesses.
• It includes influences from personal experiences and societal roles.
• Crucial in determining how a message is interpreted or perceived by an individual.

2. Perception

• Defined as the process by which an individual maintains contact with the environment.
• Given by Gibson.
• In communication, perception helps in interpreting messages and responding appropriately.

3. Fidelity

• Refers to the faithful performance of all elements in the communication process: communicator, message, channel, and receiver.
• Objective: To maximize fidelity for accurate message delivery.
• Relationship with Noise:
  • Noise ↓ → Fidelity ↑
  • Noise ↑ → Fidelity ↓
• Therefore, fidelity and noise are two sides of the same coin.

4. Communication Gap

• Occurs when there is a difference between the intended message by the communicator and the message received or understood by the audience.
• Two Types:
  1. Message doesn’t reach the target audience.
  2. Message reaches, but fails to create the desired impact.

5. Time Lag in Communication

• Refers to the delay between message transmission and its reception or effect.
• Example: A policy is communicated, but action is delayed due to time lag.

6. Empathy

• The ability to understand another person’s internal frame of mind and accept it.
• Also defined as the ability to project oneself into another’s role.
• Empathy helps in building trust and effective communication.

7. Homophily and Heterophily (Given by Lazarsfeld and Merton)

• Homophily:
  • The degree to which two communicators are similar in attributes like:
    • Beliefs
    • Education
    • Social status
  • Homophilous communication is generally more effective.
• Heterophily:
  • The opposite of homophily.
  • Occurs between dissimilar individuals.
  • May lead to Cognitive Dissonance – a psychological discomfort due to conflicting ideas.

8. Propaganda

• Deliberate manipulation of beliefs, values, or behavior.
• Uses words, gestures, images, thoughts, music, etc.
• Often suppresses the truth to influence public opinion.

9. Publicity

• A truth-based approach to inform the public.
• Unlike propaganda, it does not manipulate or hide facts.

10. Channel Capacity

• The amount of information that can be transmitted per unit time.
• Formula:
  Channel Capacity = Bandwidth × Time

11. Redundancy

• Refers to the information that can be omitted or added without loss in a noiseless channel.
• Helps increase reliability of communication.

12. Communication Competency

• The ability to:
  • Process information cognitively
  • Explain and predict human behavior
• Essential for effective communication, especially in education and extension work.

13. Entropy

• A measure of randomness or unpredictability in information.
• High entropy = More choice/randomness.
• Important in determining message complexity.

14. Semantics

• The study of the meaning of words and language.
• Helps understand how words convey thoughts and emotions.

15. Syntax

• Refers to the rules of sentence structure and word order.
• Determines grammar and clarity in communication.

16. Morphemes

• The smallest meaningful unit in a language.
• Examples:
  • “un-” in “unhappy”
  • “-ed” in “walked”

17. Antics

• Refers to awkward verbal responses.
• Often disrupts smooth communication.

18. Kinesis

• Related to non-verbal body movements.
• Involves gesture, posture, and facial expressions.

Non-Verbal Communication Forms

Body Types and Their Communication Impact

🔸 Body types may influence perception, confidence, and communication style.

Proxemics

• The study of how people use and perceive physical space during interaction.
• Examples:
  • Personal space
  • Intimate vs. social distances

Types of Distance in Communication (According to Proxemics, the study of personal space):

• Intimate Distance:
  • Range: Touching to 18 inches (about 46 cm).
  • Use: Reserved for lovers, children, close friends, family members, and pet animals.
  • It involves physical closeness and personal bonding.

• Personal Distance:
  • Range: 18 inches to 4 feet (46 to 122 cm).
  • Use: Common in conversations with friends, informal talks with associates, and group discussions.

• Social Distance:
  • Range: 4 to 8 feet (1.2 m to 2.4 m).
  • Use: Suitable for interacting with strangers, new groups, or acquaintances—more formal than personal distance.

• Public Distance:
  • Range: More than 8 feet (above 2.4 m).
  • Use: For public speaking, such as lectures, speeches, or theatrical performances.