MCM101 Lesson 5

LESSON 5: COMMUNICATION MODELS – GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF COMPLEX ISSUES

1. What was the major drawback identified in the Shannon-Weaver model?
   The major drawback was that it showed little concern for the interpretation of the message, focusing more on mechanical decoding.
2. Who developed the Interactive Model of communication in 1954?
   Wilbur Schramm (and Osgood) developed the Interactive Model in 1954.
3. According to Mortensen, what is one scientific value of models?
   Models provide new ways to conceive of hypothetical ideas and relationships, potentially leading to new discoveries.
4. What does ‘entropy’ measure in a communication system?
   Entropy is the measure of uncertainty in a system.
5. Define ‘redundancy’ in the context of communication models.
   Redundancy is the degree to which information is not unique in the system; items in a message that add no new information are redundant.
6. What is ‘channel capacity’?
   Channel capacity is the measure of the maximum amount of information a channel can carry.
7. According to the lesson, what is a key limitation of using models?
   A key limitation is that models can lead to over-simplifications of complex human affairs.
8. What did Schramm’s model add that was missing from Shannon-Weaver’s model?
   Schramm’s model added the elements of interpretation and feedback, giving the process a two-way, looped structure.
9. Explain how Schramm-Osgood’s model addressed the linearity of the Shannon-Weaver model.
   Schramm-Osgood’s model conceived of decoding and encoding as activities maintained simultaneously by sender and receiver, and made provisions for a two-way interchange of messages, breaking the linear one-way process.

1. Explain the concept of ‘noise’ as presented in the lesson.
   Noise is the measure of information not related to the message. It is any additional signal that interferes with the reception of information and can be physical, semantic, or psychological.
2. How does the concept of ‘field of experience’ in Schramm’s model influence communication?
   The ‘field of experience’ refers to the psychological frame of reference or attitudes that interacting people maintain; communication is more effective when the sender and receiver have overlapping fields of experience.
3. Explain one advantage of using communication models.
   One advantage is that they clarify the structure of complex events by reducing complexity to simpler, more familiar terms, giving it order and coherence.
4. Why is ‘feedback’ a vital part of communication, according to the lesson?
   Feedback is vital because it allows the sender to test a behavior with reference to its result, and the success or failure of this result influences future behavior, making communication reciprocal.
5. Explain the drawback of ‘premature closure’ in model design.
   Premature closure occurs when model design crystallizes our thoughts at a stage when they are better left open, potentially limiting awareness of unexplored possibilities and conceptualizations.
6. How does ‘redundancy’ contribute to communication efficiency?
   Redundancy contributes to efficiency by balancing the unexpected with the predictable. A message needs a balance between new information and repetition to ensure understanding.
7. Explain the difference between ‘physical noise’ and ‘semantic noise’.
   Physical noise is unexplained variation in the communication channel (e.g., loud motorbike, smudges on a page), while semantic noise is related to differences in meaning due to factors like knowledge level, culture, or experience.
8. A teacher uses a diagram to explain how a rumor spreads in a school. This diagram is a communication model. What is one potential risk of relying solely on this model?
   The risk is over-simplification; the model might not capture all the complex social dynamics and individual interpretations involved in how a rumor actually spreads.

1. Analyze the following scenario: A company’s ad campaign fails because the slogan has a different meaning in another culture. Which type of ‘noise’ from the lesson does this represent?
   This represents ‘Semantic Noise’, as the interference stems from different meanings associated with the message due to cultural differences.
2. Based on the lesson, why might a message with zero redundancy be inefficient?
   A message with zero redundancy creates sheer unpredictability, as there is no way of knowing what will come next, making it difficult for the receiver to acquire understanding.
3. A communication student is designing a model to show how a viral social media post works. What element from Schramm’s model would be crucial to include and why?
   The ‘Feedback’ element would be crucial because viral posts rely heavily on continuous, rapid, and multi-directional feedback (likes, shares, comments) that shapes the message’s spread and interpretation.
4. Apply the concept of ‘channel capacity’: Why might a presenter struggle to communicate complex data quickly through a single slide?
   The single slide has a limited channel capacity; it can only carry a certain amount of information effectively before it becomes overloaded, leading to confusion and loss of meaning for the audience.
5. According to the lesson, what is the danger of confusing a model with reality, as mentioned by Mortensen?
   The danger is that the model (the map) is taken literally, substituting a new form of ambiguity for the uncertainty it was designed to minimize, and leading to flawed conclusions about the actual subject (the territory).
6. A politician gives a speech using a lot of repetition. Based on the concept of redundancy, what is a potential benefit of this strategy?
   The benefit is that the repetition (redundancy) underscores key points, increases predictability, and helps ensure understanding among the audience, especially if the message is complex or the channel is noisy.
7. Using the concept of ‘entropy’, explain why a message announcing “We are at war” carries more information than “The meeting is at 3 PM”.
   ” We are at war” carries more information (higher entropy) because it eliminates a vast number of normal, peaceful possibilities, drastically reducing uncertainty. “The meeting is at 3 PM” eliminates fewer possibilities in a typical day.
8. If a model is described as a ‘metaphor’, what does this imply about its purpose and limitation?
   It implies the model’s purpose is to allow us to see one thing (a complex communication process) in terms of another (a simpler graphic representation). Its limitation is that it is not the thing itself and may distort or omit aspects of the original process.