LESSON 5
LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION
INTRO.
⚫ Based on the number of people involved in the
communication process, we identify 4 levels of
communication.
⚫ Some researchers refer to these as types of
communication while others call it communication
contexts.
1. Intrapersonal Communication
⚫ This can be described as communication within
oneself or with oneself . It can also be described as
the process of understanding and sharing meaning
within the self e.g. Talking to yourself.
⚫ It involves processing information or the mental
response to external stimuli or data. The stimuli
could be in the form of sound, heat, light etc
Contd.
⚫ Intrapersonal communication involves activities
such as decision making, resolving internal conflicts,
planning for the future and evaluating yourself.
Contd.
Intrapersonal communication is what takes place
between receiving information and reacting to that
information or giving feedback.
It therefore involves:
⚫ Receiving data
⚫ Giving meaning
⚫ Internal reaction or organization
⚫ Reaction
2. Interpersonal Communication
⚫ This is the personal process of coordinating
meaning between at least two people in a situation
that allows mutual opportunities for both speaking
and listening.
⚫ It can also be described as the act of transferring or
processing information between two or more people.
Contd.
Interpersonal communication has two subsets:
1. Dyadic communication- two person
communication.
2. Small-group communication- interaction of a
small group of people (3-13) to achieve an
interdependent goal.
3. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
It is the process of generating meaning in a situation
where a single source transmits a message to a
number of receivers who give nonverbal and
sometimes question-and-answer feedback.
Contd.
⚫ Public communication is generally formal and
occurs in settings such as lecture rooms,
convocations, religious services etc.
⚫ In public communication, the source adapts the
message to the audience in order to achieve
maximum understanding.
4. Mass Communication
⚫ This is mediated communication between a source and a large
number of unseen receivers.
⚫ There is always a transmission system- the mediator between the
sender and the receiver.
⚫ The mediator is the channel - the method of transmission e.g.
Satellites, cables
Contd.
⚫ This level of communication is called ‘mass’ because
of the number of people who receive the message.
⚫ Mass communication is the communication that
occurs via television, radio, newspapers, magazines
etc.