Communication Theories

Communication is information-related behavior which is necessary for life process. The three common settings of communication are

• Interpersonal: This process involves four basic elements; sender who sends the information, Receiver who receives the information, Message content of information, feedback response from the receiver.
  
• Machine-assisted: Here the information is exchanged through various electronic gadgets like cell phone, fax etc


• Mass communication: Here the information is to be conveyed to large group of scattered audiences. The medium used to communicate is the print media and television.
  

Models of communication:

Lasswell’s model: In 1948 Harold Lasswell a political scientist proposed a linear model which explains “Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect.”

Shannon and Weaver’s Model: He was known as the father of Information Theory, he proposed this model in 1949. The model consists of information source, where the message may consist of written or spoken words, pictures, music etc. He introduced the term noise, and a compensating correction channel.


Schramm’s Model:

First model:

In 1954 Wilbur Shramm proposed a model which was an elaboration to the Shannon model. Here the source encodes the message and it is transmitted to the receiver where it decodes the message and reaches the destination. Here the information is encoded and decoded in a common way so that both the receiver and the sender can interpret easily.


Second Model:
In his model he is introduced the idea of field of experience. This concept is essential in determining whether or not the message would reach its destination in the manner intended by the source.

Third Model:


In this model he introduced the concept of feedback to over come the problem of distortion of messages due to noise.


Westley-MacLean Model

Bruce Westley and Malcolm MacLean, Jr. proposed the two way communication model. This model elaborates the feedback concept and emphasizes on internal communication and mass communication. Here the advocates choose to comment which is picked up by the media and later on it is picked up by the audience and they give the comment to the media and the advocates.


Kincaids’s Convergence Model:

Lawrence Kincaid proposed this model in 1979, to make sure that information is understood, interpreted and perceived by individuals. This model emphasizes on the exchange of information between individuals.