Nothing Has Changed!

Theories are made to explain things we cannot be completely sure of, or to give a pattern we can follow to analyze certain phenomena. The dictionary defines theory as

A supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, esp. one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained

• - Darwin's theory of evolution

A set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based

• - a theory of education
• - music theory

An idea used to account for a situation or justify a course of action

• - my theory would be that the place has been seriously mismanaged

A collection of propositions to illustrate the principles of a subject

Theories are basically a set of rules and principles for an activity, to analyze something or to help understand certain unpredictable happenings.

This week, sir Beaver discussed in detail the dimensions of communication and several communication theories.

First of are the list of dimensions:

1.     Scope

     What does the theory cover? What, and until where is the coverage or the spectrum of the theory?

2.     The Appropriateness/Logical Consistency

Is the theory logical? Does it follow the rules set so it will be easily understandable?

3.     Testability/Validity

Is the information and data used by the theory accurate and valid? If so, can the source be trusted?

4.     Parsimony/Simplicity

Is the theory too wordy? The presentation of the theory must be simple and expressible in one sentence.

5.     Openness

Is the theory open to change?

6.      Utility

What are the uses of the theory?

7.     Test of Time

Will the arguments and truths of the theory remain the same throughout time?

Below are the list of theories concerning Communication. These principles will help us understand the phenomenon of communication.

The Rhetorical Theory

Speaker -->Message --> Recipient

This is the most basic of all the theories. Aristotle said that the most important part of this equation is the speaker. If there is any error, any misinterpretation by the recipient or wrong information in the message, it is the fault of the speaker. The most basic question regarding the speaker is,

“How do I persuade my audience?”

One of the ways is to appeal to one or more of these aspects:

Ethos (Ethics), to plead to the moral beliefs or natural leanings of right and wrong in a person

Logos (Logic), to reason with the common sense.

Pathos (Emotions), to appeal to the convictions and feelings of the audience

The second of these theories is.

The Social Communication Theory

This theory was made by Harold Lasswall 1948

Who? (Source) --> Says What? (Message) --> To Whom? (Audience) --> With What Effect? (Impacts/Effects)

This theory is basically the same as the Rhetorical theory, except they included the effects of the speaker’s message whether it be positive or negative.

The Mathematical Theory

Created by Shannon and Weaver who were two engineers for the a telecommunications company, Bell Inc.

Source --> Transmitter --> Channel --> Receiver --> Destination

Again, the theory has pretty much the same structure as the Rhetorical theory. Although, the two engineers discovered interferences that can disrupt the message of the source, they call these interruptions noise.

Below is a table that showcases the elements of the theory.

Element	Electronic Communication	Human Communication
Information Source	Origin of the Code, the person using the transmitting device	The Brain
Transmitter	Phones, Radios	The Voice
Signal	Codes Transmitter	Gestures, Words
Channel	Cables	Media
Receiver	Decoding Device	Senses
Destination	Recipient Device	The Brain
Noise	Static/Power Failure/Interruptions/Interferences	Physical/Psychological/Semantic Noises

Look at the structure of each of these theories

Speaker --> Message --> Recipient

Who? (Source) --> Says What? (Message) --> To Whom? (Audience) --> With What Effect? (Impacts/Effects)

Source --> Transmitter --> Channel --> Receiver --> Destination

Do you notice anything? There are additions but the structure of each basically stays the same. There is nothing new. Communication has basically had the same elements since the beginning of time. Wherever you are and whenever, everyone communicates in the same way.