Communication Studies Module 1 PDF

COMMUNICATION STUDIES | MODULE 1 GATHERING, ORGANISING, AND PROCESSING INFORMATION Prepared by Whitney P. Eaton DEFINING COMMUNICATION Definition: the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Communication is an...

COMMUNICATION STUDIES | MODULE 1 GATHERING, ORGANISING, AND PROCESSING INFORMATION Prepared by Whitney P. Eaton DEFINING COMMUNICATION Definition: the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Communication is an integral part of our daily lives, enabling us to connect, share, and exchange thoughts, ideas, and information with one another. Communication is a process. HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE? Communication occurs through various channels such as spoken or written language, body language, gestures, and visual representations. The modes of communication refer to the ways in which information is communicated, depending on the purpose, such as to inform, persuade, or evoke emotions. (e.g., oral, written, visual). Informative/Efferent mode: Focuses on informative/factual information (e.g., reading a textbook). Aesthetic mode: Engages the reader or listener emotionally (e.g., a poem or story). Critical mode: Focuses on evaluating or analyzing the text or message (e.g., identifying bias in a news article). Persuasive Mode: Used to convince an audience ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION Sender / Encoder Message Receiver / Decoder The sender is the The message is the The receiver is the person, individual who initiates content of the people or group who the communication communication, receives the message and process by formulating consisting of the interprets the its meaning. and transmitting a information, ideas, or The effectiveness of message. The sender's emotions that the sender communication relies intention is to convey intends to share with the heavily on the receiver's information, ideas, or receiver. ability to understand and emotions to the receiver. interpret the message as the sender intended it. ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION Medium Channel Feedback This is the method that Channel is associated with Feedback is the receiver’s someone chooses to medium. The channel response to the sender’s convey their message refers to the means by message. This allows for through. which the message is the sender to know if the conveyed from the sender receiver accurately to the receiver. decoded and interpreted Eg. speech is a medium, the sender’s message. but the radio (through which the speech is delivered) is the channel. ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION Noise Context Noise refers to any The environment or interference, disruption, or situation in which the barrier that hinders the communication occurs. smooth transmission and The context of a message reception of a message can be situational or social, between the sender and and is informed by the receiver. cultures of the sender and receivers.  COMMUNICATION PROCESS MODEL The communication process model is a fundamental framework that illustrates how messages are exchanged between a sender and a receiver. It outlines the sequential steps involved in successful communication, providing insights into how information is encoded, transmitted, decoded, and how feedback is received. The communication process model emphasizes the dynamic and interactive nature of communication, with both the sender and receiver actively participating in the exchange of information. STEPS IN THE PROCESS YOU WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THE PROCESS 1 Encoding The sender formulates the message by 2 Transmitting Once the message is encoded, the sender selects the medium and conceptualizing the message and channel through which they want translating their thoughts, ideas, or to transmit the message. emotions into a communicable form. 4 3 Decoding Feedback During decoding, the receiver After decoding the message, the interprets and assigns meaning to receiver provides a response or the message based on their reaction to the sender, indicating understanding, knowledge, context, their understanding and biases, and personal experiences. interpretation of the message. FACTORS THAT EFFECT COMMUNICATION Context The context refers to the specific circumstances surrounding the communication process. It includes the physical setting, the relationship between the sender and receiver, and any cultural or social factors that may influence the communication. Noise Noise in communication refers to any distractions that disrupt the smooth transmission and reception of the message. Culture & Language (Differences) Cultural and linguistic differences can significantly influence how messages are perceived and understood. Different cultures may have unique communication norms, gestures, or customs that affect the interpretation of messages. FACTORS THAT EFFECT COMMUNICATION Biases The inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair; a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly. Micommunication To communicate mistakenly, unclearly, or inadequately; when this occurs, something within the communication process has gone wrong (whether intentionally or unintentionally) Misinformation and Disinformation False, inaccurate, and/or misleading information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive (Disinformation). FACTORS THAT EFFECT COMMUNICATION Age (Differences) Communication practices tend to vary among different age groups, especially as it relates to being formal or informal. The physical aspects of age, however, can also impact communication. Misinterpretation When the intended message is misunderstood; either the sender fails to effectively convey information or ideas, or the receiver fails to interpret the message and the meaning becomes distorted. Gender-biased language Language tthat either implicitly or explicitly favours one gender over another. Fallacies of Reasoning Fallacies are common (sometimes intentional) errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument; generally, fallacies can committed through either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points. FALLACIES OF REASONING Hasty When the writer/speaker bases their argument on Generalizations insufficient or unrepresentative evidence. Non (Meaning “It Does Not Follow”) When the writer/speaker’s Sequiturs conclusion is not a logical result of the facts or argument they’ve presented. Begging the When the writer/speaker presents a statement that Question has not yet been proven as a the truth or an established fact. Red When the writer/speaker introduces an irrelevant point to Herring divert the audience’s attention from the main/relevant issue(s). Post Hoc (Meaning “After this”/”Therefore”/Because of this”) This is the assumption of a causal relationship between two thins simply because one event follows the other in time. FALLACIES OF REASONING Argument Ad (Meaning “to the man”) When the writer/speaker attacks Hominem their opponent’s character rather than their argument. Argument Ad (Meaning “to the people”) When the writer/speaker evades Populum an issue by appealing to the audience’s emotional reaction to certain words/subject matter. Either/Or When the writer/speaker attempts to convince the Fallacy audience that there are only two ways of viewing or understanding an issue (right or wrong). Bandwagon When the writer/speaker attempts to validate a point by Appeal suggesting that everyone believes it. Straw When the writer/speaker selects the opposition’s weakest, least significant point to argue against, to distract the Man audience from the real issues. FALLACIES OF REASONING Faulty Analogy When the writer/speaker uses an irrelevant or barely relevant extended comparison/metaphor as proof of a point. Arguing in a In the course of a discussion, the writer/speaker uses the Circle actual statement in question to prove either that the statement is true or another statement is true. Tabloid A form of generalization by which the Thinking writer/speaker over-simplifies complex issues by labelling/putting thing into convenient categories for easy solutions. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Verbal Communication Verbal communication is one of the most common and familiar forms of human interaction. It involves the use of spoken words and active listening to convey messages between individuals. Non-verbal Communication Non-verbal communication is the expression of messages through body language, gestures, and facial expressions. It is a powerful means of communication that can complement, reinforce, or sometimes contradict verbal messages to convey deeper meaning. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Intrapersonal Communication Interpersonal Communication Communicating with yourself, internally. This is any communication that This includes the process of thinking, happens between two or more problem solving, daydream, and (to an people. extent) the experiencing of feelings like hunger, pain, pleasure, fatigue, etc.) Written Communication Visual Communication Communication through written Visual communication utilizes words, symbols and/or special images, graphics, infographics, characters to convey a message. charts, and diagrams to convey information effectively. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Digital Communication Small Group Communication Communication through digital devices or Interaction among a small number of platforms. This includes communication people (3 to 20), typically aimed at through messaging apps and social media. achieving a common goal or sharing a core characteristic, like a family or a study group. Organizational Communication Intercultural Communication Communication that occurs in Interaction between individuals businesses, governments, and from different cultural similarly large institutions, moving backgrounds. messages within and between organizations. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Public & Academic Communication Communication aimed at a public audience or academic community, often to inform or persuade. This type of communication is often one-way or debate-style. The audience size may vary, but is usually large. Mass Communication This occurs when information is shared on a large scale (to mass amounts of people), usually through mass media to reach the widest possible audience, whether through print (eg. newspapers) or electronically (eg. TV, Radio, Social Media Broadcasts). END OF TOPIC NEXT TOPICS IN MODULE: WRITING & LANGUAGE RESEARCH & DATA