Communication Models: Basic SMCR Model

Summary

The video explains the basic communication model, focusing on David Berlo's SMCR model from 1960. It breaks down communication into five key elements: the sender, message, channel, receiver, and the encoding/decoding process. The model is initially presented as a one-way communication process, but scholars later added a feedback loop to address its limitations. The video also touches on various communication channels, both verbal and nonverbal, and prompts viewers to consider the model’s application and criticisms, encouraging interaction through a quiz.

Takeaways

• 😀 Communication is a process of sharing meaning, involving a sender, message, channel, and receiver.
• 😀 The basic communication model helps us understand how messages travel from sender to receiver.
• 😀 In 1948, Harold Laswell defined a model of communication: WHO says WHAT, using which CHANNEL, to WHOM, and with what EFFECT.
• 😀 The SMCR model by David Berlo (1960) is one of the simplest and most commonly studied models of communication.
• 😀 In the SMCR model, communication starts with the sender encoding a message that travels through a channel to the receiver.
• 😀 The channel is the medium through which the message travels, which can be auditory, visual, or a combination of both.
• 😀 Encoding refers to the process of turning thoughts or ideas into symbols that can be transmitted through a channel.
• 😀 Decoding is the process by which the receiver interprets and understands the symbols in the message.
• 😀 Initially, the SMCR model suggests one-way communication, where the sender transmits the message to the receiver.
• 😀 The feedback loop was added later to address the missing element of two-way communication, allowing the receiver to send a response back to the sender.

Q & A

What is the simplest definition of communication?

Communication is the process of sharing meaning, where a message travels from a sender to a receiver.

What does the basic communication model help us understand?

The basic communication model helps us understand how a message travels from a sender (source) to a receiver (audience).

What was Howard Laswell's contribution to communication models?

In 1948, Howard Laswell introduced a model asking 'WHO says WHAT, using which CHANNEL, to WHOM, and with what EFFECT?'

What is the SMCR model, and who developed it?

The SMCR model, developed by David Berlo in 1960, is a simple communication model that includes the sender, message, channel, and receiver.

What does the 'channel' in the communication model refer to?

The channel refers to the route through which the message travels, such as auditory, visual, or a combination of both. It can be via face-to-face, radio, television, or the internet.

What does it mean when we say the sender 'encodes' a message?

When the sender encodes a message, they put their thoughts or information into a form that can travel through a chosen channel, such as words, pictures, or sounds.

What does the receiver do in the communication process?

The receiver decodes the message by interpreting the symbols (words, images, sounds) that were encoded by the sender, converting them back into meaning.

What is the primary limitation of the Berlo SMCR model?

The primary limitation is that it initially views communication as one-way, from sender to receiver, without considering feedback from the receiver.

How does the feedback loop modify the SMCR model?

The feedback loop adds an interactive component, allowing the receiver to send a message back to the sender, creating a two-way communication process.

What are some examples of nonverbal communication in speech?

Nonverbal communication in speech can include tone of voice, pitch, and the ability to infer things like gender or emotion based on voice characteristics.