Fundamentals of Communication

Cards · 55

Communication

The process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, and feelings between two or more entities through shared symbols, signs, or behaviors.

Sender (Encoder)

The originator of a message who conceives an idea, encodes it into a transmittable format, and initiates the communication process.

Receiver (Decoder)

The intended target or recipient of a message who perceives, interprets, and assigns meaning to the transmitted signals.

Message

The actual content, information, idea, or feeling transmitted by the sender to the receiver.

Encoding

The cognitive process of converting abstract thoughts or ideas into symbols, words, gestures, or codes for transmission.

Decoding

The cognitive process of interpreting and translating received symbols or signals back into meaningful thoughts and ideas.

Channel (Medium)

The physical or sensory pathway (such as spoken airwaves, digital text, video, or paper) through which a message travels.

Feedback

The receiver's verbal or nonverbal response to the sender's message, indicating whether it was understood as intended.

Noise

Any internal or external interference that distorts, interrupts, or degrades the clarity and fidelity of a transmitted message.

Physical noise

External environmental distractions, such as loud traffic or static on a phone line, that impede sensory transmission.

Psychological noise

Internal mental states, biases, strong emotions, or prejudices that interfere with accurate encoding or decoding.

Physiological noise

Biological impairments or bodily conditions, such as fatigue, illness, headache, or hearing loss, that reduce message comprehension.

Semantic noise

Misunderstandings caused by confusing language, ambiguous jargon, offensive terms, or mismatched word definitions.

Context

The physical, social, relational, cultural, and temporal setting in which a communicative exchange takes place.

Linear model of communication

A one-way transmission model (such as Shannon-Weaver) viewing communication as a straight line from sender to receiver without feedback.

Interactive model of communication

A two-way communication model where sender and receiver alternate roles, incorporating feedback and individual fields of experience.

Transactional model of communication

A dynamic model where participants act simultaneously as senders and receivers, co-creating meaning within shared contexts.

Field of experience

The totality of a person's life experiences, cultural background, values, and knowledge that shapes how they encode and decode messages.

Verbal communication

The sharing of information using spoken words or written text governed by specific linguistic syntax and grammar rules.

Nonverbal communication

The transmission of meaning through body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and spatial distance without words.

Kinesics

The study of communication through bodily movements, including hand gestures, head nods, posture, and facial expressions.

Proxemics

The study of how people use, perceive, and structure physical space and interpersonal distance during communication.

Haptics

The study of nonverbal communication conveyed through physical touch, such as handshakes, pats, or embraces.

Paralanguage (Vocalics)

The nonverbal vocal cues accompanying speech, including tone, pitch, volume, pacing, inflection, and vocal fillers.

Chronemics

The study of how time and timing—such as punctuality, pauses, and response latency—affect interpersonal communication.

Oculesics

The study of eye behavior, including eye contact, pupil dilation, gaze duration, and blinking, as a form of nonverbal interaction.

Intrapersonal communication

Internal communication occurring within oneself, encompassing self-talk, introspection, visualization, and internal decision-making.

Interpersonal communication

Direct, face-to-face or digitally mediated communication between two or more people who influence each other.

Small group communication

Interaction among three to twelve interdependent individuals working toward a common purpose or goal.

Public communication

A formal, predominantly one-to-many speech or presentation delivered to a live, physically present audience.

Mass communication

The dissemination of messages to large, diverse, and geographically dispersed audiences via mass media like television, radio, or print.

Active listening

A structured listening practice requiring full concentration, comprehension, validation, and thoughtful verbal response to the speaker.

Passive listening

Hearing words without fully engaging mentally, processing meaning, or providing verbal and nonverbal feedback.

Empathic listening

Listening aimed at understanding another person's emotional state and perspective without judgment or immediate problem-solving.

Critical listening

Evaluating and analyzing a message's logic, credibility, evidence, and underlying arguments before accepting it.

Denotative meaning

The objective, literal, explicit dictionary definition of a word, independent of personal or emotional associations.

Connotative meaning

The subjective, emotional, and cultural associations evoked by a word beyond its strict literal definition.

Open-ended question

A question designed to prompt a detailed, expressive response rather than a brief 'yes' or 'no' answer.

Closed-ended question

A question that limits the respondent to a narrow set of predefined options, typically a single word or a factual answer.

Self-disclosure

The purposeful revelation of private, personal information about oneself that others would not otherwise know.

Johari Window

A psychological tool using four quadrants (open, blind, hidden, unknown) to illustrate self-awareness and interpersonal relations.

Social Penetration Theory

A theory proposing that relationships develop from superficial to intimate through gradual increases in breadth and depth of disclosure.

Ethos

Aristotle's rhetorical proof referring to the speaker's perceived credibility, character, competence, and trustworthiness.

Pathos

Aristotle's rhetorical proof appealing directly to the audience's emotions, values, sympathy, and imagination.

Logos

Aristotle's rhetorical proof relying on reason, logical arguments, factual evidence, and sound deductive or inductive deductions.

Assertive communication

Expressing one's needs, opinions, and boundaries clearly, directly, and respectfully without infringing upon the rights of others.

Aggressive communication

Expressing desires or opinions in a forceful, hostile manner that violates others' boundaries and disregards their feelings.

Passive communication

Failing to express personal thoughts, needs, or rights, often leading to deference, compliance, and suppressed resentment.

Passive-aggressive communication

Indirectly expressing negative feelings, anger, or resistance through subtle hostility, sarcasm, procrastination, or sulking.

High-context culture

A culture where message meaning relies heavily on contextual clues, interpersonal history, status, and nonverbal signals rather than explicit words.

Low-context culture

A culture where communication is expected to be direct, explicit, detailed, and primarily literal, minimizing reliance on contextual nuances.

Communication apprehension

An individual's level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication interactions with other people.

Meta-communication

Communication about the communication process itself, such as discussing tone of voice, misunderstandings, or rules of conversation.

Confirmation bias

The cognitive tendency to interpret incoming messages in a way that confirms preexisting beliefs while disregarding contradictory evidence.

Framing

The way information is presented, emphasizing particular aspects of an issue to influence how the audience interprets and evaluates it.