Communication Theory

Synonyms

Conversation; Information transmission; Language; Listening; Message; Speech; Statement

Definition

Communication must be seen as a two-way street. A stimulus is provided, and upon reception on the part of another species, a reaction (appropriate or inappropriate, overt or implicit) takes place. When speaking of communication, so far it is still essential that both participants are living organisms, not electro-mechanical or other devices. The day fast approaches where artificial intelligence provided through computers may adequately integrate thinking and feeling behaviors to qualify as communication.

Communication’s definition lies in two parts: there is a transmitting or sending organism, often times referred to as the encoder. The encoder encodes the message to be delivered. A recipient organism, often referred to as the decoder, receives the message. Much processing, with many components, takes place in the transmission between the two beings, and components of that...