OSGOOD & WILBUR SCHRAMMS' MODELS OF COMMUNICATION

Osgood and Wilbur Schramm explained communication as a two-way, interactive process in which both the sender and the receiver participate actively. Unlike one-way models such as Aristotle’s Model and Lasswell’s Model, their approach gives importance to feedback and the sharing of meaning.

There are two important models associated with their work:

1. Osgood’s Circular Model of Communication
2. Schramm’s Model of Communication

Osgood’s Circular Model of Communication - Two-way communication

Charles E. Osgood developed the Circular Model of Communication in 1954. It explains that communication is a continuous process in which the sender and receiver keep exchanging roles.

In this model, there is no fixed sender or receiver. Both participants perform three important functions:

• Encoding: Converting thoughts or ideas into words, signs or symbols.
• Decoding: Understanding and interpreting the message received.
• Interpreting: Giving meaning to the message based on one's knowledge and experience.

Person A: Encodes → Sends message

                 Receives → Decodes → Interprets

                 Continuous exchange of messages and feedback

Person B: Receives → Decodes → Interprets

                 Encodes → Sends response

Example: Imagine two students, Riya and Rahul, discussing a college project.

1. Riya asks Rahul, "Have you completed your part of the project?"
2. Rahul understands the question and replies, "Yes, I have completed the research."
3. Riya understands his response and asks, "Can you share the findings today?"
4. Rahul responds, "Sure, I will send them by evening."

Here, both students continuously encode, decode and interpret messages. They keep changing roles as sender and receiver.

Features of Osgood’s Model

1. Circular process: Communication does not have a fixed beginning or end.
2. Two-way communication: Both participants send and receive messages.
3. Feedback: Each participant responds to the other.
4. Equal participation: Both individuals have an active role.
5. Continuous interaction: Communication continues through the exchange of messages.

Advantages

• Explains the importance of feedback.
• Shows that communication is a two-way process.
• Gives equal importance to both participants.
• Useful for understanding interpersonal conversations.

Limitations

• It does not explain communication involving large audiences.
• It does not give much importance to external noise and communication barriers.
• It is less suitable for explaining one-way mass communication such as television broadcasts.

 

Wilbur Schramm’s Model of Communication - Interactive communication

Wilbur Schramm developed his model of communication in 1954. He explained that communication is successful when the sender and receiver are able to understand each other's messages.

An important concept in Schramm's model is the Field of Experience.

The Field of Experience refers to a person's background, knowledge, education, culture, language and personal experiences.

For effective communication, the sender and receiver should have some common experiences or understanding.

Important Elements of Schramm’s Model

1. Sender: The person who starts the communication by sharing an idea or information.

2. Encoder: The sender converts thoughts into words, signs, symbols or gestures.

3. Message: The information or idea being communicated.

4. Decoder: The receiver interprets and understands the message.

5. Receiver: The person who receives the message.

6. Feedback: The receiver responds to the sender, making communication interactive.

7. Field of Experience: The knowledge, culture, language and experiences shared by the sender and receiver.

What is the Field of Experience?: The Field of Experience is one of the most important concepts in Schramm's model.

For example, a professor explains a marketing concept using terms such as brand positioning, target audience and market segmentation.

• A management student who has studied marketing will understand these terms easily.
• A person who has never studied marketing may find them difficult to understand.

This shows that communication becomes more effective when the sender and receiver share a common background or knowledge.

Example: Classroom Communication: A teacher explains the concept of advertising to students using the example of an Amul advertisement.

1. The teacher encodes the message using simple words and examples.
2. Students receive and decode the information.
3. Students ask questions to clarify their doubts.
4. The teacher responds and explains the concept again.
5. Students provide feedback through their answers and participation.

The teacher and students share some common understanding of advertisements and everyday brands. This makes communication more effective.

Features of Schramm’s Model

1. Two-way communication: Both sender and receiver participate.
2. Feedback: The receiver responds to the message.
3. Field of Experience: Shared knowledge and experiences help in understanding.
4. Interactive process: Communication involves continuous exchange.
5. Mutual understanding: The main aim is to ensure that the message is understood correctly.

Advantages

• Explains the importance of feedback.
• Highlights the role of shared experiences.
• Helps understand interpersonal and classroom communication.
• Recognises that communication is a continuous and interactive process.

Limitations

• Communication may become difficult when people have very different backgrounds or languages.
• It does not fully explain the role of technology and mass media.
• It gives limited attention to external barriers and noise.

Osgood and Schramm helped explain that communication is not simply about sending information. It is about exchanging messages, receiving feedback and developing mutual understanding. Their models are especially useful for understanding conversations, classroom discussions, interviews and interpersonal communication.