Theories Of Persuasion
Amanda Hammer
Persuasive Theory Application
COM4405.E1
April 13, 2015
The SMCR Model was created in 1949 by Shannon and Weaver and it is the most commonly used basic communications model. The basic sequence of the model is a source, a message, a channel, and a receiver. Communication starts with the source, or persuader, who encodes the message and then transmits it to the receiver. The message is what the source is trying to get the receiver to hear and understand. The message has to be translated into an encoded message between the source and the receiver. The goal is to provide an encoded message that the receiver can translate with reasonable precision. The medium through which the message is transmitted is called the channel. This can be done by controlled media or by a direct channel. Controlled media can include television ads or newspaper articles, and a more direct channel may include telephone or face-to-face contact. Channels that contain distracting noise make it harder for the receiver to decode the message. Messages are channeled through our five senses; hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting. The receiver, or persuadee, is the person at the end of the conversation who decodes the message sent by the source. The receiver often creates their own meaning of the message by eliminating channel noise. In theory this is a great model to reference for the process of communication, however there are many things that can cause problems in the message between the sender and the receiver. First, the message can be lost or distorted because the sender is not able to properly communicate their message because of poor communication skills. Second, external distractions interfere with the message or detract the source. The well-known game of Telephone is a great example of this. One person starts a message and by the time is reaches the last person the message is usually completely different than how it started. Language, gestures,
Persuasive Theory Application
COM4405.E1
April 13, 2015
The SMCR Model was created in 1949 by Shannon and Weaver and it is the most commonly used basic communications model. The basic sequence of the model is a source, a message, a channel, and a receiver. Communication starts with the source, or persuader, who encodes the message and then transmits it to the receiver. The message is what the source is trying to get the receiver to hear and understand. The message has to be translated into an encoded message between the source and the receiver. The goal is to provide an encoded message that the receiver can translate with reasonable precision. The medium through which the message is transmitted is called the channel. This can be done by controlled media or by a direct channel. Controlled media can include television ads or newspaper articles, and a more direct channel may include telephone or face-to-face contact. Channels that contain distracting noise make it harder for the receiver to decode the message. Messages are channeled through our five senses; hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting. The receiver, or persuadee, is the person at the end of the conversation who decodes the message sent by the source. The receiver often creates their own meaning of the message by eliminating channel noise. In theory this is a great model to reference for the process of communication, however there are many things that can cause problems in the message between the sender and the receiver. First, the message can be lost or distorted because the sender is not able to properly communicate their message because of poor communication skills. Second, external distractions interfere with the message or detract the source. The well-known game of Telephone is a great example of this. One person starts a message and by the time is reaches the last person the message is usually completely different than how it started. Language, gestures,