MODELS OF COMMUNICATION
Adolfo, Sofia Cassandra
Daligdig, Alyssa Fatima
Iligan, Vianne Fides
Sarmiento, June Dee
Villaflor, Alaiza Elisse
Harold Lasswell’s model of communication
aka One way model of communication
Harold Dwight Lasswell, the American
political scientist states that a convenient
way to describe an act of communication
is to answer the following questions:
• Who
• Says What
• In Which Channel
• To Whom
• With what effect?
Harold Lasswell’s model of
communication is commonly used in mass
communication. This model is also known
as the linear model of communication and
since it is a one-way communication
process; it does not involve feedbacks
from the receivers of the message, leaving
them merely receivers. The linear
communication process includes: (1) The
“who” which refers to the sender of the
message, followed by (2) “says what”
which is the message that is being
conveyed, (3) “in which channel” that
pertains to the medium that is being
utilized to send the message, (4) “to
whom” is the audience, and lastly (5)
“effect” which refers to the effect that was
made by the message to the audience.
Although this process is simple and is
usually being critique for not including
feedback, this model still focuses on
important aspects of communication.
According to Lasswell there are three
functions for communication:
1. Surveillance of the environment
An important function of the media is to
keep up a surveillance of all the
happenings in the world and provide
information to the human society. The
media has the responsibility of providing
news and cover a wide variety of issues Advantage of Lasswell Model:
that is of some service to the society.
Media help maintain social order by • It is Easy and Simple
providing instructions on what has to be • It suits for almost all types of
communication
done in times of crisis, thereby reducing
• The concept of effect
confusion among the masses.
Disadvantage of Lasswell Model:
2. Correlation of components of
society • Feedback not mentioned
This function relates to how the media’s • Noise not mentioned
selection of certain news and its • Linear Model
interpretation affects how society
understands and responds to it.

3. Cultural transmission between

generation
This refers to the ability of the media to
teach the various norms, rules and values
that exist in a society and ensure its
transfer from one generation to the next.

Shannon-Weaver model of communication

aka “A Mathematical Theory of Communication”

In 1948, Shannon was an write an article in “Bell System Technical

American mathematician, Electronic Journal” called “A Mathematical Theory of
engineer and Weaver was an American Communication” and also called as
scientist both of them join together to
“Shannon-Weaver model of
communication”. 2. The model which attracts both
This model is specially designed to academics of Human communication and
develop the effective communication Information theorist to leads their further
between sender and receiver. Also they research in communication
find factors which affecting the
communication process called “Noise”. At 3. It’s more effective in person-to-person
first the model was developed to improve communication than group or mass
the Technical communication. Later it’s audience
widely applied in the field of
Communication. 4. The model based on “Sender and
Receiver”. Here sender plays the primary
Elements role and receiver plays the secondary role
(receive the information or passive)
• Sender
The originator of message or the 5. Communication is not a one way
information source selects desire process. If it’s behaved like that, it will
message lose its strength. For example: Audience
• Encoder or receiver who listening a radio, reading
The transmitter which converts the the books or watching television is a one
message into signals way communication because absence of
• Decoder feedback
The reception place of the signal which
converts signals into message. A reverse 6. Understanding Noise will help to solve
process of encode the various problems in communication
• Receiver
The destination of the message from
sender
• Noise
The messages are transferred from
encoder to decoder through channel.
During this process the messages may
distracted or affected by physical noise
like horn sounds, thunder and crowd
noise or encoded signals may distract in
the channel during the transmission
process which affect the communication
flow or the receiver may not receive the
correct message

Criticism of Shannon-Weaver model of

communication:

1. One of the simplest model and its

general applied in various communication
theories
 Osgood and Schramm’s Interactive Model
• Charles Egerton Osgood was a
distinguished American
psychologist who developed a
technique for measuring the
connotative meaning of concepts,
known as the semantic differential.
• Wilbur Scramm is one of the
founding fathers of Mass
Communication field. Graduated
from Marietta College in 1928
(Bachelor’s Degree in History and
Political Science) Worked toward
his Masters in American
Civilization at Harvard. Completed
the doctoral program at the
University of Iowa in English
Literature. Launched the first
doctoral program in Mass
Communication studies under the
field of Journalism in University of
Iowa.
• If the Shannon model could be
described as linear, we may say
that Osgood-Schramm model is
highly circular.
• Another difference lies in that
whereas Shannon’s interest is
primarily directed to the channels
mediating between the senders
and receivers, Schramm and
Osgood devote their discussion to
the behaviour of the main actors in
the communication process.
• Encoder – Who does encoding or
Sends the message (message
originates)
• Decoder – Who receives the
message
• Interpreter – Person trying to
understand (analyses, perceive) or
interpret
• Note: From the message starting
to ending, there is an
interpretation goes on. Based on
this interpretation only the
message is received.
Advantages of Schramm model of
communication:
• Dynamic model- Shows how a
situation can change
• It shows why redundancy is an
essential part
• There is no separate sender and
receiver, sender and receiver is the
same person
 • Assume communication to be
circular in nature
• Feedback – central feature.

Disadvantage of Schramm Model of

Communication

• This model does not talk about

semantic noise and it assume the
moment of encoding and decoding.