1. Understanding the Process of Communication1
Understanding the Process of Communication

2. Chapter Summary Why Study Communication? Defining Communication
Communication as a Discipline
Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Dynamic Characteristics of the Communication Process
Communicating Responsibly: Guiding Principles for Communicators

3. Why Study Communication?
Communication has the potential to shape identities, relationships, environments, and cultures

4. Why Study Communication?
Communication in Relationships
Humans rely on communication as the basis of relationships
Satisfaction with relationships, living arrangements, classroom performance, and working environments hinge on ability to communicate
Use to learn about people we interact with
Utilize as a tool to express ourselves and instruct, inspire, and motivate others

5. Why Study Communication?
Communication and Society
Key to establishing identities, communities, and systems of shared governance
Communicate sense of self through clothing, possessions, and style of speech
Necessary for a healthy democracy

6. Why Study Communication?
Communication and Changing Technology
New technologies and the demands of global markets create the expectation that everyone has good interpersonal and presentational skills
Communication in a Diverse Workplace
Working with diverse groups of people requires skills in collaboration and relationship building

7. Defining Communication
Communication the process of creating and sharing meaning through the use of symbols
Partly an art, and a form of expression
Also a science, open for study and rigorous examination

8. Defining Communication
Four facets of Communication
1. Communication Is a Process
We are always engaged in some form of communication
Communication continues even as we stop to think about what might be happening

9. Defining Communication
2. We Create and Share Meaning through Communication
Create meaning whenever we think about our actions, interact with others, or even engage in an internal dialog with ourselves
Assume that if we say something clearly enough, we have conveyed or shared meaning with others
Our attempts at sharing meaning can fall short of creating mutual understanding

10. Defining Communication
3. Communication Is Largely Intentional
Creating and sharing meaning places particular importance on those behaviors that are intentional
Although intent can be difficult to determine, we make assumptions about it all the time
We can make conscious choices about intentional communication and work to improve our skills as communicators

11. Defining Communication
4. Communication Is Symbolic
Communication depends on the use of symbols, which includes all the words, images, gestures, and expressions that we use to represent out thoughts, ideas, beliefs

12. Communication as a Discipline
Understanding how people communicate can be traced back to the ancient Greek study of rhetoric (Brummet 1991)
Rhetorical tradition has been complemented by social scientific approaches to studying communications (Griffin 1991)
More recent approaches to communication and influence focus on understanding how communication contributes to social change

13. Communication as a Discipline
Communication as a Discipline (continued)
From its inception, the study of communication has included
A focus on the initiation and interpretation of messages
A concern about:
How people see the world
How they should behave
The role of interaction in making the world a better place

14. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Activity

15. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Every communication situation contains:
Two or more communicators
One or more messages
One or more communication channels
A certain amount of noise or interference
Feedback exchange between communicators
A communication setting or context (NCA 1998)

16. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Figure 1-1. A Contemporary Model of the Communication Process

17. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Communicators
Initiators and Interpreters
Initiator starts or advances the communication process by generating a message
Interpreter perceives and attempts to understand a message

18. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Communicators (continued)
Encoding and Decoding
Encoding occurs as a communicator translates ideas, thoughts, and feelings into symbols
Decoding occurs as a communicator interprets a message by deciphering the symbols into understandable and meaningful ideas, thoughts, and feelings
The Self is the total composite of a person’s personality, experiences, and identity
Messages in the communication process must pass through the “self”

19. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Messages—symbolic expressions of ideas, thoughts, and feelings
Verbal or nonverbal or both
Verbal messages are expressed through a formal language suing oral, written, or signed words
Nonverbal messages use symbols other than words
Written or oral
Oral communication usually less formal and more personal, more interactive, and more transient than writing

20. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Figure 1-2. Messages and Shared Meaning

21. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Channels
Mediums used to carry messages between communicators are called channels
Influence the message and alters the intent, substance, or result of the message
Three dimensions of mediation [that]can alter message:
Specificity—ability of a channel to focus or customize the message for particular individuals
Richness—the number of verbal and nonverbal clues or modes of communication that a channel carries
Interactivity—the interactive quality of the channel

22. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Noise
Anything that interferes with the creation of shared meaning between or among communicators
Internal Noise—occurs when physiological or psychological characteristics interfere in the communication process
External Noise—created by interference in the environment, such as sounds that compete for attention

23. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Feedback
Feedback is a response or reaction to a message
Tells if messages are being interpreted as intended
Used to adjust and clarify messages

24. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Context
The environment surrounding the communication process
Physical Setting—includes time of day, proximity of communicators, and occasion

25. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Context (continued)
Communicative Settings refers to the number of communicators, the type of relationship, and the nature of the interaction. Includes:
Intrapersonal communication—communication within oneself, self-talk
Interpersonal communication—interaction among a small number of people
Small group communication—takes place among 3 to 7 people
Public communication—interaction with large numbers of people
Mediated communication—uses some form of technology and includes communication by means of television, radio, film, printed books, newspapers, and the Internet

26. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
“Not a sentence or a word is independent of the circumstances under which it is uttered.” —Alfred North Whitehead, English philosopher

27. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Figure 1-3. Communicative Settings Concept Map

28. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Exploring Communication Concepts
Self-Talk
When are you most likely to engage in self-talk?
How might self-talk help you prepare for future interactions with others?

29. Basic Elements in the Communication Process
Culture
Culture is everything that makes up one’s way of life, including:
Shared values
Knowledge
Behaviors
Symbolic expression
Co-cultures—cultures within a culture

30. Dynamic Characteristics of the Communication Process
Communication is Transactional
Activity
Communication is Irreversible

31. Dynamic Characteristics of the Communication Process
“Every once and awhile, you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You can’t do that. It’s gone, gone forever.” —Dan Quayle, former Vice President of the United States

32. Communicating Responsibly: Guiding Principles for Communicators
Communicating with Civility
Accepting others as equal partners in reaching common goals
Calls for communicating clearly, effectively, and appropriately
Valuing Diversity
Understanding the process by which difference becomes meaningful and developing the ability to live, learn, and work within many cultures

33. Communicating Responsibly: Guiding Principles for Communicators
Communicating Ethically
Principles that guide our decisions about what is good or bad, right or wrong
Appropriateness—responding in ways that fit the communications context
Perspective Taking—ability to consider behavior from someone else’s point of view
Self-monitoring—ability to see, think about, and act based on the consequences of your behavior.

34. Communicating Responsibly: Guiding Principles for Communicators
“To the extent that we protect other people’s religion, speech, freedom to learn and participate in the political process, we preserve our own.” —John Frohnmayer, Chair, National Endowment for the Arts

35. Summary
Communication is the process of creating and sharing meaning through the use of symbols.
Communication is a diverse field focused on the the initiation and interpretation of messages in a variety of contexts.
The basic elements of the communication process are initiators and interpreters, messages, noise, channels, feedback, context, and culture.

36. Summary
Verbal communication uses formal languages. Nonverbal communication uses extralinguistic symbols.
Communication process is transactional, irreversible, and multidimensional.
The civil communicator cares about and participates in the world. Attention to diversity aids the communicator. Ethical guidelines help practice civility and diversity.