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Aristotle’s Model of Communication: Example Situation, Elements, and Explanation. Advantages and Disadvantages of Aristotle’s Model of Communication.

Aristotle’s Model of Communication

Aristotle’s communication model refers to the linear communication theory focusing on five elements: speaker, speech, occasion, audience, and effect. The Greek great scientist Aristotle introduced this most famous communication model in 300 B.C., which mainly focuses on the speech or the message. Hence, it is known as Aristotle’s communication model or Aristotelian model. The Aristotelian model is one of the most recognized communication models globally, emphasizing the speaker’s role in making a powerful speech. The Aristotle model focuses on public speaking, including how the speaker delivers a message to the audience. As this model was proposed before 300 B.C., it is regarded as the first communication model. Aristotle was a well-known Greek scientist and philosopher born in 384 BC in Stagira on the northern frontier of Classical Greece.

Aristotle’s Communication Model and Rhetorical Triangle

The three types of communication models are linear, interactive, and transactional. Aristotle’s communication theory is the initial linear model, followed by Shannon-Weaver and Lasswell’s communication model.

The author of this content completed a postgraduate degree in communication. He explains this model, including elements, examples, and advantages and disadvantages.

Aristotle’s Linear Model of Communication

Aristotle’s communication model explains a one-way communication process, which is a linear communication model. The linear communication model excludes feedback, whereas the transactional (two-way) model includes feedback. There is no feedback in Aristotle’s communication model; hence, it is known as Aristotle’s linear model of communication. 

Five Elements of Aristotle’s Communication Model

Aristotle’s communication model is designed to explain how to deliver a persuasive speech. The five components of Aristotle’s communication model are:

1. Speaker
2. Speech
3. Occasion
4. Audience
5. Effect

1. Speaker in  Aristotle’s Model

The speaker refers to the person who delivers the speech. It is the primary element of the communication process that initiates the conversation. Communication cannot be designed without a speaker. So, it is crucial in all verbal and nonverbal communication types.

2. Speech in  Aristotle’s Model

Speech is the message of communication that a speaker wants to deliver to audiences. The speaker delivers the speech to accomplish the goal. For example, a political leader produces persuasive speeches to motivate supporters.

3. Occasion in  Aristotle’s Model

Occasion means the context in communication that denotes the environment and represents why the conversation occurs. The speech pattern can be distinguished based on the occasion. For example, a political leader delivers speeches based on the situation, including political campaigns and social and personal events.

4. Audience in  Aristotle’s Model

The audience is the receiver of the speech. The speaker gives a speech to the audience. So, audiences are known as listeners. For example, supporters are the audience in the political campaign. The audience plays a passive role, impacted by the speech. There are two types of audiences such as active and passive audiences. This limits communication to one direction, from speaker to receiver.

5. Effect in Aristotle’s Model

The effect is positive and negative, the consequences of the speech. It measures whether the audience is persuaded or not. For example, a marketing manager provides a promotional speech to sell a product. Here, the effect refers to the buying attitude of the customers. The effect is positive if customers purchase the products. In the political context, the communication effect is positive if followers and voters are persuaded. 

Example of Aristotle’s Model of Communication

1. Delivering Speech through Radio

For example, the NBC radio station(Context) broadcast American 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (Speaker) speech through fireside chats. The president explained (Speech) the new policies directly to the citizens(Audience). Franklin D. Roosevelt was an effective communicator, and his speech created a strong relationship(Effect) between the government and the general people. This situation is the best example of Aristotle’s model.

2. Advertisement on Television

A salesman (Speaker) advertises on Television (Context) to persuade customers (Audience) to buy a laptop at the best price. He delivers a promotional message (Speech) to convince the customers. Finally, the salesman manages to sell some laptops (Effect) through a TV advertisement. In this context, the audience listens to the speakers without providing feedback. 

3. Political Speech Physically

Barack Obama (Speaker) delivers a speech to supporters (Audiences) to persuade them to vote for the Democratic Party in the general election (Context) of the United States of America. For example, many voters decide to vote (Effect) for the Democratic Party after listening to the motivational speech.

The 5 examples of Aristotle’s communication model are:

1. A charity organization delivering an emotional appeal through Radio to collect funds for refuses (Pathos).

2. The Dettle company advertises its shop on Television, mentioning how much bacteria it can protect against (Logos).

3. A scholar delivering a lecture on global warming using credibility (Ethos)

4. An editor wrote and published fact-based articles in newspapers to create social awareness (Logos).

5. Receiving a no-reply email from the embassy informing passport has been received(Ethos).

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Aristotle described the rhetorical triangle as comprised of three elements: ethos, pathos, and logos. Any written and spoken speech is generated to persuade audiences. So, the writers and speakers should include the three rhetorical components: ethos (speaker’s credibility and trustworthiness), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical message or information). 

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle Elements

The three components of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle are:

1. Ethos 
2. Pathos
3. Logos

1. Ethos (Credibility)

Ethos refers to the information’s credibility and reliability. It ensures that the information comes from reliable sources and is safe to believe. For example, people will consult with an interior designer for office decoration but not with a lawyer. On the other hand, they will consult with lawyers for legal advice. Ethos ensures the person’s credibility who delivers the message.

2. Pathos (Emotion)

Pathos refers to the use of emotional appeal to persuade the audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. It is a crucial component in public speech to persuade audiences. Pathos taps into the audience’s emotions, values, and desires, aiming to evoke sympathy, empathy, anger, fear, or excitement. Unlike logos, which appeals to logic, and ethos, which appeals to ethics and credibility, pathos taps into the audience’s emotions, aiming to create a strong emotional connection and influence their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

In communication and persuasion, pathos plays a significant role in engaging the audience deeper by eliciting emotions such as empathy, sympathy, anger, fear, or joy. By appealing to these emotions, speakers, writers, or advertisers can make their message more relatable, memorable, and persuasive. For example, in a speech advocating for environmental conservation, a speaker might evoke empathy by describing pollution’s impact on wildlife, stirring the audience’s emotions and inspiring them to take action.

However, using pathos ethically and responsibly is essential, ensuring that emotional appeals are genuine.

3. Logos (Logic)

Logos refers to the use of logical reasoning, facts, evidence, and arguments to support the speaker’s position or argument. Hence, it appeals to the audience’s intellect by presenting rational arguments, data, statistics, examples, and logical deductions.

Rhetorical Triangle Communication Example

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle ensures the message is delivered with a positive effect. In communication, it also confirms that the audiences are persuaded by the writers or speakers. The scholars articulate that a good speaker applies rhetorical theory in public speech or writing.

According to Nurkhamidah, Fahira, and Ningtyas (2021), Joe Biden used all of the Aristotelian rhetorical strategies in his inaugural address, which are: pathos at 55% of his speech, followed by ethos at 37%, and logos at 8%.

What is the rhetorical triangle used for

People use Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle in argumentative content writing and speech delivery. In argumentative content writing, the writers include evidence and personal credibility to persuade readers. Similarly, in argumentative speech delivery, the speaker uses credibility, emotion, and logic to influence followers.

Example of Using Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

For example,  the United States Presidential Debates 2024 is the best example of using Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle. Trump and Kamala Harris joined the argumentative debate on October 1 sponsored by ABC. The political debates are the best context to use Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle for pursuing voters and followers. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Aristotle’s Model of Communication.

Advantages of Aristotle’s Model of Communication

Aristotle emphasized the speaker’s role in convincing the audience in his model. Therefore, it benefits anyone looking to develop their public speaking abilities. The Aristotelian model states that the speaker needs to be aware of their intended audience. The speakers should prepare their speech based on the audience’s socioeconomic status, educational background, etc. 

In a corporate context, managers take three steps: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, to enhance organizational productivity. 

Aristotle’s model explains how to obtain more supporters with a persuasive speech on a sports team. 

Moreover, for researchers and students, Aristotle’s model serves as a motivating outcome of the systematic study of various aspects. It is also an instructive representation of the communication process that assists in system planning. It represents fresh perspectives and ideas on various topics, including verbal, written, and nonverbal communication.

Disadvantages of the Aristotle Communication Model

The three significant criticisms of Aristotle’s model are the Absence of Feedback, the Absence of Noise, and a focus on public speaking only.

The most crucial weakness of Aristotle’s communication model is that it is a linear communication process. It is considered to be a linear model of one-way communication. It did not include and explain feedback essential for the interactive communication process. Due to the lack of audience feedback and openness in this communication model, the conversation is ineffective.

Additionally, its credibility and usefulness are limited because it is only helpful for public speaking. 

Finally, Aristotle’s model shows no concept of noise barriers in communication. Noise is an unwanted but paramount element of the communication process.  

Conclusion

The five essential elements of Aristotle’s model are speaker, speech, occasion, audience, and effect. Speakers should follow Aristotle’s model to influence the audience positively when speaking in public. It is also a crucial model to motivate audiences. Many scholars extended this theory to establish other theories in different contexts. It is the most ancient model that provided communication concepts initially. 

References

Nurkhamidah, N., Fahira, R. Z., & Ningtyas , A. R. (2021). Rhetorical Analysis of Joe Biden’s Inauguration Address. JL3T (Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching), 7(2), 73-82. https://doi.org/10.32505/jl3t.v7i2.3371

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