Communication theory is a scientific discipline about the social process of interaction that underlies any processes of human life in particular and social life in general. The process of interaction itself and its results have the same name.
The theory of communication is interpreted differently in the writings of famous scientists.
So M.S. Andrianov understood by it the semantic side of interaction in society. I.P. Yakovlev believed that the theory of communication is a science that studies the importance of communication in society, its structure, development, means, ongoing processes and other aspects. Sillars and Baxter considered it a means to build and maintain relationships between people. S. V. Borisnev understood the theory of communication as a process of transmitting information through various channels of information, as well as its perception, which is socially determined and occurs in the form of communication between specific individuals and the masses using certain means.
The same S. V. Borisnev identified several communication models that were formed in the process of historical development.
First of all, this is the model of G. Lassuel. It is classic, consists of five elements involved in the communication process:
- communicator, that is, the one who sends the message;
- message, that is, the subject of transmission;
- a channel, that is, a method for realizing this transmission;
- audience, that is, the direction of the message to a specific person or several persons;
- result, that is, the effectiveness of the transmitted message.
Socio-psychological model T. Newcombo. It is also called interactionist. This model takes into account the relationship between the participants in the communication and their attitude to the subject under discussion. She argues that if interpersonal relationships coincide , the participants in the communication will strive to ensure that their relationship to the negotiated object also matches. If the relations between the subjects of communication do not coincide, then their attitude to the object of conversation will also be different. Proponents of this model consider it not quite normal that when there is a clear discrepancy between the participants in the conversation, their relationship to the subject of discussion coincides.
The noise model of C. Shannon - W. Weaver. It differs from the classical model by only one additional element - noise, or interference, which impede the communication process. When interference occurs in the channel and transmission, technical noise occurs. The distortion of the meaning of the transmitted message is semantic noise.
The factor model of G. Malecki. It is one of the options of the previous model with the inclusion of additional factors that form the context of the communication process and affect its subjects.
The closed model of K. Osgood and V. Schramm. She considers the one who sends the message and the one who receives it as equal partners.
The text model of A. Pyatigorsky under communication refers to the communication of a person with others and with himself through written communications.
R. Jacobson proposed a communication model in which communication is understood as a speech event. The main role in it belongs to language, not information (in contrast to the Shannon model).
The basics of communication theory are considered in many textbooks intended for students studying sociology, psychology, law, political science and other sciences related to various aspects of public life. Communication issues in society are well covered in the works of S. V. Borisnev, M. S. Andrianov, O. A. Gulevich, I. P. Yakovlev, P. Wenceslas and other scientists. G. Pocheptsov's Theory of Communication, published in 2001, is particularly popular, and it continues to be reprinted, as interest in it remains at a high level.