Communication Science

1. Verbal Messages
Message production
Producing message is as fundamental to our lives as receiving them. Virtually
every aspect of our behavior is a potential source of information that may be selected for
attention, interpreted, remembered, and acted upon by others.
Encoding and decoding
In a situation such as the one described, each party is putting forth a good deal of
effort to provide information and to create particular kinds of impressions. The
individuals involved have specific goals in mind and communicate in ways designed to
achieve them. This process-converting an idea into a message-is termed encoding. Some
of the messages that become significant for others are intentionally encoded. Our hope is
that individuals for whom our messages are prepared will decode the-translate the
message into an idea-more or less as we intend.
The messages we produce fall into two broad categories: verbal and nonverbal.
Process-versus Meaning-Centered Models of Communication
Many of the major models of communication emphasize the process of
communication. These models focus on message transmission and are concerned with the
channel, sender, receiver, noise and feedback. Such models, and some of our discussion
of verbal messages, focus on sending and receiving a message. Looking at
communication in this way has several advantages. The models allow us to examine how

2. messages may get lost or distorted in the communication process and how receivers may
miss the message sent.
John Fiske describes this model by saying:
For communication to take place I have to create a message out of signs. This
message stimulates you to create a meaning for yourself that relates in some way to the
meaning that I generated in my message in the first place. The more we share the same
codes, the more we used the same sign systems, the closer our two “meanings” of the
message will approximate.
Note that this definition relies on concepts such as signs, codes, and meaning. In
this view, messages are constructed of signs which produce meaning in interaction with
receivers. Codes are the systems into which signs are organized. This view emphasizes
the meaning while the process model emphasize the sender and receiver.
The Nature of Language
Every language has an identifiable pattern and set of rules relative to:
 Phonology. The way sounds are combined to form words.
 Syntax. The way words are combined into sentences.
 Semantics. The meanings of words on the basis of their relationship to one
another and to elements in the environment.
 Pragmatics. The way in which language is used in practice.
Physiological Factors

3. The position of the tongue, lips, and jaw are the primary factors involved in the
creation of the vowel sounds in English.
Cognitive Factors
Human physiology only partially explains the workings of the communication
process. Controlling these mechanisms are the brain and nervous system, which enables
us to sense of, and relate to our environment and one another. Here, the differences
between humans and other animals are striking.
Language acquisition
There are two broad perspectives on language development-the psycholinguistic
approach and the sociolinguistic approach:
1. The psycholinguistic approach. Early utterances-protowords (the forerunners of
words) and words themselves-are based on a child’s personalized understanding
of the world. Language is a means for the expression of meanings he or she has
learned.
2. The sociolinguistic approach. Language development occurs when a child
experiences a need to communicate. Language is learned through social
interaction and is a means for accommodating the demands of social life.
Language is an incredibly powerful tool. We can classify the major everyday uses
of language into three categories: (a) representation; (b) conversation; and (c) social and
public communication.

4. a. Representation
Language and reality
 Through language, we are able to manipulate symbols in our thinking.
 Although the language system available to us has a major impact on our
perceptions, our ability to understand external reality is not controlled
entirely by our language. The realities which confront us have a great
impact on our language and the patterns we develop and use.
Limitations of Language for Representation
The principle of nonidentity (A is not A). The principle of nonidentity reminds us
that words are not the same order of “stuff” as the “realities” to which they refer.
The world is constantly changing, while the language avalailable for making
sense of it may not. The reverse may also occur when language changes but the
reality it refers to doesn’t.
The principle of non-allness (A is not all A). The principle of non-allness asserts
that “the map is not the territory”-our language can never represent all of the
object, event, or person to which we are reffering.
The principle of self-reflexiveness. The principle of self-reflexiveness calls
attention to the problem that can arise when we use language to talk about our use
of language.