Communication Theory: Definitions and Importance

Communication Theory Overview

• Theories are preliminary guesses that provide explanations for communication.
• Theories may not apply to all real-life communication scenarios.

Defining Communication

• Defining communication is a social process where individuals use symbols to establish, interpret, and co-create meaning in their environments.
• Communication is cumulative and infinite, which means it affects the future possibilities of a conversation, according to the Helical Communication Model by Frank Dance.
• Environment, social aspects, processes, symbols, and meaning are all parts of communication
• Communication is instrumental in human relationships.
• Good communication by risk managers is essential.
• Doctor-patient communication is essential for patient recovery.
• Affirming feedback and student confirmation positively affects student learning.
• Confirming communication influences athlete motivation and competitiveness.
• Cross-platform messaging sites help intergenerational families communicate realistically and practically.
• Understanding is a primary goal of communication.
• Close relationships can still have difficulty expressing thoughts.
• Differences in expression can be due to expectation and premeditated disappointments.

Expectancy Violation Theory

• Feelings may vary depending on whether an expectation is met or not.
• The reaction to unmet expectations can lead to cutting someone off or initiating more communication.

Standpoint Theory

• Every person has their own unique standpoint.

Achieving Shared Understanding

• Sharing meanings is essential; without it, speaking or interpreting events becomes difficult.
• Listening helps us seek understanding.

Fake News

• Fake news is a buzz term used against the media.

Historical Revisionism

• Historical revisionism must be based on evidence and facts
• Historical distortion removes history without facts or based on inaccurate information.

Communication Accommodation Theory

• Status and level influence communication.
• In boss-employee relationships, bosses may use simpler communication for employees to understand.
• Not all meaning is shared, highlighting the need for explanation, repetition, and clarification (ERC Principle).

Models of Understanding Communication

• Models of understanding communication include "Communication as Action", "Interaction", and "Transaction".

Communication as Action (Linear Model)

• The linear model is a one-time communication sequence (Sender/Source → Message → Target/Receiver), such as the SMRC model.

Communication as Interaction (Interactional Model)

• Communication is interactional, involving feedback and channels, but can be affected by noise.
• Each person's unique field of experience influences the communication episode.

Communication as Transactional (Transactional Model)

• This model includes psychological, semantic, physical, and physiological noise.
• Shared fields of experience are integral to this model.

Communication Model of the Future: The Holistic Model

• This model includes cultural, historical, and situational contexts along with shared fields of experience and shared technology.
• Co-creation of meaning between communicators through shared technology defines this model.

Shared Technological Field of Experience

• Shared technological field of experience is an important concept in the holistic model.

Technological Field of Experience

• This refers to how a person's use of technology is influenced by their culture, past experiences, personal history, and heredity.

Context in Communication

• All communication occurs within a context, which is the environment a message is sent in.
• Communication can have cultural and situational contexts.
• Communication models are often incomplete and unsuitable for all purposes.

Models of Communication

• Examples include:
• Anxiety Management Theory
• Social Penetration Theory
• Social Information Process Theory
• Good Theory - Heuristic value
• Enhancements to previous models characterize communication models.
• Critical study is essential to improve the theory.
• Recognizing patterns across cases allows generalization to other unobserved cases.