The factors influencing communication

The factors influencing communication

The factors of communication, as described by Claude And Shannon, an engineer and mathematician, and Warren Weaver, a sociologist, in their work "The Mathematical Theory of Communication" (1949), consist of six elements that play a role in the transmission of a message or information. The components, including the communication process, include the source, transmitter, signal, sounds, receiver, and addressee. 

Subsequently, the scheme was expanded to incorporate other components, namely the emitter, code, message, channel, redundancy, emitted signal, received signal, circumstance, and context. Shannon assumed responsibility for the quantifiable aspects of the process, while Warren Weaver further developed this framework by proposing that communication problems could be examined at three levels: technical, semantic (pertaining to the meaning and interpretation of the message), and pragmatic (concerning the impact of communication on individuals' behavior).

Subsequently, researchers at California's High Wood School took a very critical stance against this particular model, asserting that it failed to encompass the comprehensive nature of human communication, which is inherently characterized by intricate interactions. In 1967, Watzlawick, Jackson, and Beavin formulated five axioms pertaining to human communication. 

Among these axioms, we placed particular emphasis on:

1) The assertion that non-communication is an impossibility Within the realm of human connection, every action carries the inherent significance of conveying a message. Given that the concept of "noconducta" does not have a tangible existence, it can be argued that communication is an inherent and constant aspect of human interaction.

2) Communication encompasses both a content level, which pertains to the actual information conveyed, and a relational level, which concerns the intended audience and the manner in which the message is delivered. In addition to transmitting data, we also established a rapport with our interlocutor.

3) Individuals extensively utilize digital communication, which encompasses linguistic symbols and written forms, alongside analogical communication that involves nonverbal language.

The components or parts involved in the process of communication can be summarized as follows:

The source refers to the unprocessed information or content that has not been organized for transmission in a message. For instance, the temperatures conveyed in a meteorological communication

The emitter refers to the component that receives and processes the input from a source using a specific code in order to transmit a message that has been processed using the same code. The individual in question, for instance.

The term "code" refers to a collection of symbols and regulations governing their arrangement, which facilitates the transmission of information or messages in a manner that can be understood and deciphered by both the sender and the recipient. For instance, the system of temperature measurement employed in weather reports includes units such as centigrade, Réaumur scale, and Fahrenheit. Similarly, weather messages may be sent in many languages, such as Spanish or English.

The content of the source is conveyed through a code, resulting in a weather message being issued.

The emitted signal refers to the intensity of the transmission after it has left the emitter. It is consistently observed to be more intense and less subject to modification or distortion compared to the received signal.

The channel refers to the means by which the message is transmitted, such as the nervous system, air, or water, in the context of an average physicist.

Noise refers to any factor that leads to a loss or distortion in the content or form of a message. These factors can include the opacity of the communication channel, a weak signal, long distances, fatigue of the sender, poor understanding or mastery of the code, ambiguity, deafness, distraction, mental illness, prejudices, and so on.

Redundancy refers to the repetitive inclusion of information within a message with the purpose of mitigating the negative effects of noise, such as modifications, distortions, and information loss, in order to preserve the integrity of important information.

The context refers to the understanding of a set of linguistic circumstances, including prior messages, necessary presuppositions, and data that are required for the accurate comprehension of a message.

The situation refers to the tangible, transitory, and spatial structure that exists outside of language and plays a crucial role in facilitating the communicating process, often necessary for accurate message interpretation. 

The collector is the intended recipient of the communication; however, it is not always the entity responsible for deciphering it.

In the context of communication, the receiver is the individual or entity responsible for receiving and interpreting a message that has been encoded by the sender. In an ideal transmission scenario, the receiver employs the same code as the sender to decrypt the message.