Lecture 2 The communication process involves 6 elements: a) Participants (who) b) Messages (what) c) Context (where) d) Channels (how) e) Noise

(distraction) f) Feedback (reaction) 1. Participants people involved in the communication two parties involved: sender and receiver a) Sender: o Participants who form and transmit messages using verbal symbols and nonverbal behavior. o The person who starts off the communication. o Also known as source, speaker, communicator, encoder b) Receiver: o Participants who interpret the messages and behaviors that have been transmitted to them. o The person who is listening to the communication. o Also known as listener, audience, decoder 2. Messages verbal utterances and nonverbal behaviors to which meaning is attributed during communication a) Meanings o Thoughts and interpretations we make of a message. o The ways that participants make sense of messages. o Meanings are created as we communicate. b) Symbols o to form a message o words, sounds and actions that represent specific ideas and feelings

c) Encoding & Decoding o Encoding is the process of putting our thoughts and feelings into words and nonverbal cues to form the message. o Decoding is the process of interpreting the message that we hear. d) Form/Organization o When the meaning is complex, we need to organise it in sections or in certain order o Form is especially important when one person talks without interruption for a relatively long time. (Eg. delivering a speech) 3. Context The setting in which communication occurs. a) Physical context o location o the environmental conditions (temperature, lighting, noise level) o distance between communicators o sitting arrangements o time of day b) Social context o nature of relationship between the sender and the receiver o Eg: Talking to parents vs. talking to friends. o Eg: Talking to girlfriend vs. talking to lecturer. c) Historical context o Background provided by previous communication episodes between the participants that influence understandings in the current encounter. d) Psychological context o Includes the moods and feelings each person brings to the conversation. o Eg: stressful, happy, upset, angry e) Cultural context o Values, attitudes, beliefs, orientations, underlying assumptions and rituals prevalent among people in a society o Affect how we think, talk and behave. o Eg: Only child in the family vs. having many siblings. o Eg: Coming from a strict family vs. a more relaxed family. o Eg: Asian students vs. Western students.

4. Channels Means (ways) of how messages are sent. Face-to-face, Internet, handphone 5. Noise Stimulus that interferes / disrupts / hinders the process of communication. a) Physical Noise o Sights, sounds and other stimuli in the environment that draw peoples attention away from intended meaning. o Visual distractions are also considered physical noise b) Psychological Noise i. Internal Noise o The thoughts and feelings that compete for attention and interfere with the communication process. o Eg: day dreaming, having a headache/toothache, feeling very upset because broke up with g/f or b/f ii. Semantic Noise o the distractions aroused by certain symbols that take our attention away from the main message and we react to it emotionally o Eg: While your lecturer was telling the class why everyone failed the test, he used the word stupid which caused you to be very upset and you might not hear the rest of what he had to say. 6. Feedback The reactions and responses to messages that indicate to the sender whether and how the messages was heard, seen, and interpreted. Verbally through words or nonverbally through actions or gestures.

Model of Basic Communication Process

1. Sender encodes thoughts or feelings into a message that is sent using a channel. 2. Receiver decodes or interprets the symbols in an attempt to understand the senders meaning. 3. Feedback is the response that the receiver gives to the sender, and this completes the process so that the sender and receiver can arrive at a similar understanding of the message. Levels of Communication 1. Intrapersonal Communication Occurs in your mind subconsciously when you are talking to yourself to develop thoughts and ideas 2. Interpersonal Communication Interaction between 2 people usually located in the same place. (mum & dad talking at the table while having lunch) Can also occur if physically separated, but have identifiable relationship with each other. (lovers talking on the hand phone, 2 friends chatting through MSN) 3. Group Communication Involves 3 to 20 people who come together to communicate with each other in order to accomplish a common purpose. (group discussion, staff meeting, committee meeting) 4. Public Communication 1 person addressing or delivering a message to an audience of more than 20 people. (delivering a speech)