Communication 101

Elements of Human Communication

• Human beings have developed a complex system of communication that is open and combines symbols freely.
• Animal communication is limited to specific situations and conditions, while human communication has unlimited potential.
• Communication is not exclusively linguistic, and different cultures use various nonverbal communication systems such as proxemics, kinesthetics, gestures, and personal presentation.
• Sciences, with the aim of helping individuals and governments or for scientific purposes, have studied social communication and the ways in which individuals use it.
• The circuit model of communication, which indicates the communicative circuit and its participants, was developed more than 100 years ago and has been subject to criticism for its simplicity.
• The circuit of communication consists of the sender, receiver, channel, code, message, situation/context, and effects.
• The sender is the person, group, or institution that emits a message and employs some type of code to produce it.
• The sender can also become a receiver when they become passive and listen to messages.
• The receiver is the agent that decodes the message based on the code used.
• Other elements of communication include the channel, which is the physical medium through which a message is transmitted, and the code, which is the system of signs or signals used to transmit a message.
• The message is the content of the transmission, while the situation/context is the extralinguistic environment where the communicative act takes place.
• The effects of communication are the consequences of what messages do or do not do to the receiver, such as informing or misinforming them.

Test your knowledge of the fundamental elements of human communication with this quiz! From linguistic and nonverbal communication to the circuit model of communication, this quiz covers it all. Challenge yourself to identify the different components of communication, including the sender, receiver, channel, code, message, situation/context, and effects. Discover how communication has evolved throughout history and learn about the complex system of symbols that humans use to communicate effectively. Sharpen your communication skills and take this quiz today!