Osgood-Schramm Model of Communication
Osgood and Schramm’s Circular Model of Communication (1954) was an attempt to rectify the earlier linear models of communication, and replaced the linear model of communication with the circular process of communication and took interpretation into consideration. It is a circular model, so that communication is something circular in nature.
Wilbur Schramm (1954) stated, “It is misleading to think of the communications process as starting somewhere and ending somewhere. It is really endless. We are little switchboard centers handling and re-routing the great endless current of information”. Therefore, the Circular Model is devoted to two actors who reciprocate in identical functions throughout: encoding, decoding, and interpreting. Additionally the model offers some explanation in semantic noise and interpersonal communication and how these might affect the communication process as a whole. The model presented by Osgood and Schramm shows not only the transmission and hearing of a message, but also offers explanations in how it can be perceived and understood. The process of understanding what has been said can vary widely from person to person as there will always be a degree of semantic noise to be taken into account, such as cultural differences, background, socioeconomics, education and values.
Osgood & Schramm Communication involves not only the taking in of information but making sense of it. It conceived of decoding and encoding as activities maintained simultaneously by sender and receiver; it also made provisions for a two-way interchange of messages. Therefore, the sender becomes the decoder as well as the encoder, making the model one of a circular process between source and receiver, the encoder and decoder; with each switching roles in the process as noted in the diagram below.
Encoder — Who does encoding or sends the message (message originates)
Decoder — Who receives the message
Interpreter — Person trying to understand (analyses, perceive) or interpret(https://www.daowen.com)
This model breaks the sender and receiver model and sees communication in a practical way. It can happen within our self (intrapersonal communication) or two people (interpersonal communication). Each person acts as both sender and receiver through interpretation.
Information is of no use unless and until it is carefully put into words and conveyed to others. Encoding plays a very important role because it initiates the process of communication by converting the thought into content. When the information reaches the recipient his prime responsibility is to understand what the speaker intends to convey. Unless and until the second party is able to understand or decode the information, what the sender wants to communicate, the message is actually of no use. Thus encoding and decoding are two most important factors of an effective communication without which information can never flow between two individuals. According to the Schramm’s model, encoding and decoding are the two essential processes of an effective communication.
He also emphasizes that the communication is incomplete unless and until the sender receives a feedback from the recipient. Imagine a person sharing his thoughts with his friend and his friend not responding to him. Is the communication complete? NO. Schramm believed that communication is actually a two way process between the first party and the second party.
According to this model of communication, when a sender passes on the information to the receiver, the receiver must interpret it in the desired form the sender wants and give him the feedback or respond accordingly. Any communication where the sender does not get the feedback, the communication is not complete and thus ineffective.
Words & Expressions
linear model：线性模型
reciprocate：往复运动
semantic noise：语义噪音