BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

Communication as understanding: “Communication is the process
by which we understand others and in turn endeavor to be understood by
them. It is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting in response to the
total situation” (Anderson, 1959).
Communication as social process: “Interaction, even on the
biological level, is a kind of communication; otherwise common acts could
not occur” (Mead, reprinted 1963).
Communication as reduction of uncertainties: “Communication
arises out of the need to reduce uncertainty, to act effectively, to defend or
strengthen the ego” (Barnlund, 1964).
Communication as transfer, transmission: “The connecting thread
appears to be the idea of something’s being transferred from one thing, or
person, to another. We use the word ‘communication’ sometimes to refer
to what is so transferred, sometimes to the means, by which it is
transferred, sometimes to the whole process. In many cases, what is
transferred in this way continues to be shared; if I convey information to
another person, it does not leave my own possession through coming into
his. Accordingly, the word ‘communication’ acquires also the sense of
participation. It is, in this sense, for example, that religious worshipers are
said to communicate” (Ayer, 1955).
Communication as commonality: “It (communication) is a process
that makes common to two or several what was the monopoly of one or
some” (Gode, 1959).
Communication as Discriminative Response/Behavior Modifying
Response: “Communication is the discriminatory response of an organism
to a stimulus” (Stevens, 1950).
Communication as intention: “In the main, communication has as its
central interest those behavioral situations in which a source transmits a
message to a receiver(s) with conscious intent to affect the latter’s
behaviors” (Miller, 1966).
Communication as power: “Communication is the mechanism by
which power is exerted” (Schacter, 1951).
Communication as a process:” Communication can be define as a
process of conveying information from a sender to a receiver with the use
of a medium in which the communicated information is understood the
same way by both sender and receiver” (Shannon, 1963).
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