ALLIED I HUM
AN COMMUNIC
ATION
, STUDY MATERIAL FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER - I, ACADEMIC YEAR 2025
Table of Content
UNIT CONTENT PAGE NO
I COMMUNICATION (MEANING, CONCEPT AND 3
PROCESS)
18
II SOCIALIZATION
III 28
THEORIES OF PERSUASION
IV COMMUNICATION BARRIERS 33
V LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION 36
2
, STUDY MATERIAL FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER - I, ACADEMIC YEAR 2025
UNIT -I
COMMUNICATION
Communication (Meaning, Concept and Process)
Communication is a dynamic process that takes place around us all the time. In fact we spend
70% of our time receiving and sending messages.
The meaning:
The origin of the word “communication” is “communicare” or “communis” which means “to
impart”, “to participate”, “to share” or “to make common.” The sense of sharing is inherent in
the very origin and meaning of “communication.”
The definition of communication is ‘Communication is the act or process of transferring
information from one place, person or group to another.’
Definitions by authors
1. Keith Davis: Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one
person to another.
2. John Adair: Communication is essentially the ability of one person to make contact with
another and make himself or herself understood.
3. William Newman and Charles Summer: Communication is an exchange of ideas, facts,
opinions or emotions of two or more persons.
4. Louis Allen: Communication is a bridge of meaning. It involves a systematic and continuous
process of telling, listening and understanding.
5. Peter Little: Communication is a process by which information is transmitted between
individuals and / or organizations so that an understanding response results.
6. Murphy, Hildebrandt, Thomas: Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving
verbal and non-verbal messages. It is considered effective when it achieves the desired response
or reaction from the receiver.
The process of communication:
Communication is a two-way process involving the following elements: a sender, a message, a
medium, a channel, a receiver, a response and feedback. However, it is not sufficient to have just
all these elements; there should be cooperation and understanding between the two parties
involved. It is important to have a common frame of reference or context for successful and
meaningful communication, e.g. a common language or common interpretation of a gesture.
Essentially communication involves the sender or the communicator and the receiver. Both
should necessarily share a mutually accepted code e.g. a common language. The context in
3
, STUDY MATERIAL FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER - I, ACADEMIC YEAR 2025
which the communication takes place is called the “communication environment”. The content
of the code is sent in a certain medium (oral, written or non-verbal) using channels (air, mikes,
body, pictures, text, etc.) in the form of encoded messages. The “code” is not restricted to only
language; it may also involve the use of costumes, gestures, colors among other things. The
process of communication can be described in the following manner: The sender sends a
“message” using a “medium” and a “channel” to the “receiver”. The message arrives in the
sensory world of the receiver. The receiver’s brain filters the message on the basis of his/her
knowledge, emotions, attitudes, and biases and gives the message a unique meaning. This
meaning may trigger a response which the mind of the receiver forms. The receiver encodes
his/her response and sends it across as “feedback” into the sensory world of the sender. This
completes one cycle of communication and the process continues in a cyclic manner, i.e. cycle
after cycle, as long as the people involved care to communicate.
The components of the communication process can be listed as follows:
1. Idea or impulse that arises in the sender’s mind
2. Formal expression of the idea or impulse using a medium and channel : encoding
3. Interpretation of the message by the receiver: decoding
4. Reaction or response of the receiver
5. Conveying the reaction/response in the feedback using a medium and channel
6. Decoding of the feedback received
The essentials of effective communication are:
1. A common communication environment
2. Cooperation between the sender and the receiver
3. Selection of an appropriate channel
4. Correct encoding and decoding of the message
5. Receipt of the desired response and feedback
Noise:
In some cases, the message may fail to produce the desired response because of a semantic gap
or a barrier between the sender and the receiver. This is termed as “noise”; it refers to any
unplanned interference in the communication which causes a hindrance in the transmission of the
message.
4
AN COMMUNIC
ATION
, STUDY MATERIAL FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER - I, ACADEMIC YEAR 2025
Table of Content
UNIT CONTENT PAGE NO
I COMMUNICATION (MEANING, CONCEPT AND 3
PROCESS)
18
II SOCIALIZATION
III 28
THEORIES OF PERSUASION
IV COMMUNICATION BARRIERS 33
V LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION 36
2
, STUDY MATERIAL FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER - I, ACADEMIC YEAR 2025
UNIT -I
COMMUNICATION
Communication (Meaning, Concept and Process)
Communication is a dynamic process that takes place around us all the time. In fact we spend
70% of our time receiving and sending messages.
The meaning:
The origin of the word “communication” is “communicare” or “communis” which means “to
impart”, “to participate”, “to share” or “to make common.” The sense of sharing is inherent in
the very origin and meaning of “communication.”
The definition of communication is ‘Communication is the act or process of transferring
information from one place, person or group to another.’
Definitions by authors
1. Keith Davis: Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one
person to another.
2. John Adair: Communication is essentially the ability of one person to make contact with
another and make himself or herself understood.
3. William Newman and Charles Summer: Communication is an exchange of ideas, facts,
opinions or emotions of two or more persons.
4. Louis Allen: Communication is a bridge of meaning. It involves a systematic and continuous
process of telling, listening and understanding.
5. Peter Little: Communication is a process by which information is transmitted between
individuals and / or organizations so that an understanding response results.
6. Murphy, Hildebrandt, Thomas: Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving
verbal and non-verbal messages. It is considered effective when it achieves the desired response
or reaction from the receiver.
The process of communication:
Communication is a two-way process involving the following elements: a sender, a message, a
medium, a channel, a receiver, a response and feedback. However, it is not sufficient to have just
all these elements; there should be cooperation and understanding between the two parties
involved. It is important to have a common frame of reference or context for successful and
meaningful communication, e.g. a common language or common interpretation of a gesture.
Essentially communication involves the sender or the communicator and the receiver. Both
should necessarily share a mutually accepted code e.g. a common language. The context in
3
, STUDY MATERIAL FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER - I, ACADEMIC YEAR 2025
which the communication takes place is called the “communication environment”. The content
of the code is sent in a certain medium (oral, written or non-verbal) using channels (air, mikes,
body, pictures, text, etc.) in the form of encoded messages. The “code” is not restricted to only
language; it may also involve the use of costumes, gestures, colors among other things. The
process of communication can be described in the following manner: The sender sends a
“message” using a “medium” and a “channel” to the “receiver”. The message arrives in the
sensory world of the receiver. The receiver’s brain filters the message on the basis of his/her
knowledge, emotions, attitudes, and biases and gives the message a unique meaning. This
meaning may trigger a response which the mind of the receiver forms. The receiver encodes
his/her response and sends it across as “feedback” into the sensory world of the sender. This
completes one cycle of communication and the process continues in a cyclic manner, i.e. cycle
after cycle, as long as the people involved care to communicate.
The components of the communication process can be listed as follows:
1. Idea or impulse that arises in the sender’s mind
2. Formal expression of the idea or impulse using a medium and channel : encoding
3. Interpretation of the message by the receiver: decoding
4. Reaction or response of the receiver
5. Conveying the reaction/response in the feedback using a medium and channel
6. Decoding of the feedback received
The essentials of effective communication are:
1. A common communication environment
2. Cooperation between the sender and the receiver
3. Selection of an appropriate channel
4. Correct encoding and decoding of the message
5. Receipt of the desired response and feedback
Noise:
In some cases, the message may fail to produce the desired response because of a semantic gap
or a barrier between the sender and the receiver. This is termed as “noise”; it refers to any
unplanned interference in the communication which causes a hindrance in the transmission of the
message.
4
