Strengths and Weaknesses

Aristotle’s Model of Communication Example & Explanation

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. Greek great scientist Aristotle introduced this one-way communication model in 300 B.C. that mainly focuses on the speech or the message. So 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.

The most common 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 explains the 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 delivering a persuasive speech. The five components of Aristotle’s communication model are speaker, speech, occasion, audience, and effect.

Aristotle's Model of Communication — Aristotle’s Model

Speaker

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.

Speech

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.

Occasion

Occasion means the context in communication that denotes the environment and represents why 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.

Audience

The audience is the receiver of the speech. The speaker addresses 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.

Effect

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 buying attitude of the customers.

Example of Aristotle’s Model of Communication

The 5 examples of Aristotle’s communication model are: 1. delivering a speech through Radio, 2. advertisement on Television, 3. delivering written political speech, 4. publishing news through newspapers, 5. receiving a no-reply email.

Delivering Speech through Radio

For example, the NBC radio station(Context) broadcasted 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.

Advertisement on Television

A salesman (Speaker) advertises on Television (Context) to persuade customers (Audience) to sell 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 T.V. advertisement. In this context, the audience listens to the speakers without providing feedback.

Political Speech Physically

Barack Obama (Speaker) delivers a speech to supporters (Audiences) to persuade them to vote for Democratic Party in the general election (C0ntext) of the United States of America. For example, many voters decide to vote (Effect) for Democratic Party after listening to the motivational speech.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Aristotle’s Model of Communication.

Advantages of Aristotle’s Model of Communication

Aristotle has placed more emphasis on the speaker’s role. Therefore, it benefits anyone looking to develop their public speaking abilities. The Aristotelian model states that the speaker needs to be aware of his intended audience. For instance, the speakers can establish their speech on their 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 No Feedback, No Noise, and Public Speaking Centered.

Criticism of Aristotle model of communication

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 regarding noise barriers in communication. Noise is an unwanted but paramount element of the communication process.

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).

Ethos

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 credibility who delivers the message.

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 a crucial model to motivate audiences. Many other theories have been established based on this model. It is the most ancient model that provided communication concepts initially.

Citation For This Article- APA- 7th Edition:

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. (2023, January 5). Aristotle’s Model of Communication Example & Explanation. Newsmoor. https://newsmoor.com/aristotles-model-of-communication-example-explanation-elements

In-text citation
According to new research … (Kobiruzzaman, 2023)
In research from Kobiruzzaman (2023)

David Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication Examples & Explanation

David Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication Example Situation. Berlo’s Model of Communication Advantages and Disadvantages.

David Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication

SMCR communication model refers to the Source-Message-Channel-Receiver formed communication theory developed by David Berlo in 1960. In 1960, David Berlo designed the SMCR communication model with four elements: Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver. SMCR refers to the Source-Message-Channel-Receiver, which are essential elements of any communication process. Therefore, the SMCR communication model is known as Berlo’s Source-Message-Channel-Receiver model. Berlo invented this model based on the Shannon-Weaver communication model (1949). He described some factors that make the communication process more effective. SMRC represents the Source, Message, Channel, and Receiver that are also part of 9 essential communication elements of the primary communication process.

There are three types of communication models: linear, interactive, and transactional communication models. The SMCR communication model refers to the one-way communication system. So, the SMCR model is a linear model of communication where feedback is absent.

Models of Communication

Berlo’s Model of Communication Example

Watching television news is a real-life example of David Barlo’s SMCR communication model. It is also known as Berlo’s model of communication example situation. The four essential elements of Barlo’s model are the source, message, channel, and Receiver. Firstly, the news presenter is the source of the news who disseminates the information. The report is the message, and television is the channel. Finally, the audiences are the message receivers who watch the television. In this context, the audience cannot provide feedback. It is also a one-way communication process where the feedback is not presented. Similarly, reading newspapers is another example of Barlo’s model of communication. Print and broadcast journalism primarily relates to one-way communication.

However, digital journalism, including social media-based citizen journalism and blogging, generates two-way communication, also known as the transactional communication model. The active audience can comment to express their opinion.

For example, you watch television, read books, newspapers, and magazines, and hear an announcement.

smcr model of communication, berlo's SMCR model of communication. berlo's model of communication example situation. David Berlo's Model of Communication Example. berlo's model. example of berlo's model of communication. david berlo model. david berlo's communication model. — Figure 1: David Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication

David Berlo’s Communication Model Elements

The Four Elements of Berlo’s Model of Communication are:

Source
Message
Channel
Receiver

1. Source

The source means the message’s sender who initiates the communication process by sending information to the Receiver. David Berlo describes five factors related to the source: Communication Skills, Attitude, Knowledge, Social Systems, and Culture.

Communication skills

Communication skills refer to the ability to speak, read, write, and listen effectively. It also indicates the ability to use verbal and nonverbal communication cues during the interaction. Communication will be more effective if the senders and receivers have excellent communication skills. The most common nonverbal communication examples are eye contact, facial expression, body language, gestures, posture, and so more. The communication skill of the source or sender increases the effectiveness of the communication process.

Attitude

Attitude is the psychological factor of the sender and Receiver that affects the message’s meaning. It is also an established perception of a person in which they think or feel about something. Thus, the message’s meaning depends on the source’s attitude and the Receiver.

Knowledge

Knowledge indicates the level of actual information, familiarity, and experience on the discussion topic. Actually, the discussion topic is the message of the communication process. Therefore, the communicator feels comfortable discussing if the topic is familiar to them. However, knowledge does not imply the educational qualification or degrees of the sender or receiver.

For example, a football player will be more interested in talking about football than cricket. On the other hand, a cricket player will surely feel comfortable discussing a cricket game. Here, knowledge indicates familiarity with the subject of the discussion topic or message.

Social Systems

Social systems refer to the values, beliefs, behaviors, rules and regulations, locations, and religions. These factors influence the method of the communication process as well as the meaning of the message.

For example, the speaker delivers an anti-America message in the American parliament election campaign. It is considerably sure that the audience will not receive and listen to his message attentively. It is an example of a location factor that is also part of the social system.

Culture

Culture refers to the social background of the Sender and Receiver. The meaning of the same message might be identical when people from different cultures interpret it. It is a significant factor from the perspective of nonverbal communication cues.

For example, exchanging “Salam” greetings with people is widespread in the Muslim community. Salam conveys a greeting message in the Muslim community; however, handshaking is another activity that also exchanges the same meaning. On the other hand, handshaking is a standard greeting among people in Western culture.

2. Message

The message is the primary substance conveyed by the source or sender of the communication to the Receiver. David Berlo proposed another five factors related to the message: Content, Elements, Treatment, Structure, and Code.

Content

Content refers to the entire body of the message from beginning to end. It is essential information for the discussion. Content is the whole script of the conversation.

For example, the lecturer is teaching students about noise in communication. So, the full speech about communication noise is the content of the message.

Elements

Elements refer to nonverbal communication cues such as facial expression, eye contact, gesture, posture, and body movement. It makes the conversation more effective and productive. So, the communication might get boring without elements.

For example, the lecturer raises five fingers when mentioning the five basic noises in the communication process.

Treatment

Treatment refers to the communication way in which the message is conveyed to the audience. The communication way affects the communication system. It represents the message packaging. The examples of treatment in communication are delivering messages formally and casually.

For example, the teachers speak formally when delivering speeches in the classroom. However, the lecturer talks very casually when meeting students outside of class.

Structure

The structure of the message describes the arrangement of the information. The effectiveness of the message depends on the message structure.

For example, the lecturer talks about the definition, types, and examples of communication noise. The students perceive the message clearly for its good arrangement.

Code

Code in the message refers to the form of the message transmitted from sender to receiver. Examples of the code are text, audio, video, visual, and so more.

For example, the teacher is speaking in front of the students; hence, the code of the message is audio.

3. Channel

Channel refers to the medium that carries the message from sender to Receiver. There are many types of channels in communication, such as radio, newspapers, TV, phone call, and social media. Berlo highlighted the five senses as the communication channel: hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting. These five channels are a crucial part of the human communication process.

For example, the face to face class is more effective than an online class. The students can see the lecturer physically and hear the lecture. Nowadays, many institutes conduct virtual classes through premium. The channels denote the physical and virtual communication way to convey messages.

David Berlo mentions only five human senses as the communication channel, such as Hearing, Seeing, Touching, Smelling, and Tasting.

Hearing

People receive messages through listening. It is the most effective channel in the communication process. For example, students hear lectures in the classroom.

Seeing

People accept messages through seeing. It is one of the crucial channels in nonverbal communication. People take less than one second to judge others by seeing their appearance. The audiences form a conception of the speaker based on body movement, facial expression, eye contact, and gesture. A proverb says that people can lie, but eyes never lie. It means people believe what they see more than what they hear.

For example, a lecturer asks students about their final exam. The student replied that it was an excellent exam; however, the student looked very worried while interacting with the lecturer. So, the lecturer does not believe the statement due to seeing the worried face. Watching television is another example of seeing channels in communication.

Touching

Touch refers to an effective nonverbal communication channel that conveys messages through touching. It is also known as Haptics in Nonverbal Communication. The most common example of touching channels in communication is holding hands, hugging, tickling, and kissing. These touching styles represent different messages.

Smelling

Smelling is another channel of the intrapersonal communication process. The intrapersonal communication process means communicating with yourself. It is also known as olfactics nonverbal communication. People judge others based on the Fragrance they have used. A good smell creates a positive attitude toward the person. The perspiration odors form a negative perception of the person. A good fragrance represents a good personality.

For example, people smell flowers and fragrances to identify whether the flavor is good or bad.

Tasting

Tasting refers to nonverbal communication channels through tasting something. For example, people test food to identify its deliciousness.

4. Receiver

Finally, R-Receiver is the person who receives the message or information in the communication process. David Berlo adds the same factors of the sources to the Receiver, such as Communication skills, Attitudes, Knowledge, Social Systems, and Culture, to the Receiver. Communication gets more effective when senders and receivers have similar skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Communication among people from the same culture and social system reduces communication noise during the interaction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the SMCR Model

Importance of the Berlo’s SMCR Communication Model

Berlo’s communication model explains the communication system with four primary and 15 sub-components. It shows a giant diagram to describe the process thoroughly.

The source or sender and receiver contain similar components. This model articulates that the sender and receiver convey and receive messages simultaneously. It indicates interactive communication even though it is a linear communication model.

Disadvantages of the Berlo’s SMCR Communication Model

David Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication is the linear communication model; therefore, feedback is absent. Hence, the SMCR model can’t explain the transactional communication processes like speaking over a smartphone.

Additionally, it illustrates a complex communication model that is difficult to understand. This model troubles students in perceiving the process.

Moreover, Berlo’s SMCR communication model avoids noise, a significant communication element. It excludes another communication element- context. It is impossible to describe the communication process without noise and context.

Conclusion

SMCR is one of the significant linear communication models that describe the communication process through multiple elements, including Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver. It is a linear model of communication since feedback is excluded.