The strengths of Shannon and Weaver‟s model are its
Simplicity Generality, and
Quantifiability.
Such advantages made this model attractive to several academic disciplines. It also drew
serious academic attention to human communication and „information theory‟, leading to
further theory and research.
Weaknesses of the transmission model of communication: The transmission model
tends to over-simplify and misrepresent the nature of human communication, reducing it
to a process of “transmitting information.” It fails to recognize that human
communication is about meaning rather than information.
The transmission model fixes and separates the roles of „sender‟ and „receiver‟, whereas
human communication often involves simultaneous „sending‟ and „receiving‟ (not only
talking, but also „body language‟ and so on). In Shannon and Weaver‟s model the source
is seen as the active decision-maker who determines the meaning of the message; the
destination is the passive target. It is a linear, one-way model, ascribing a secondary role
to the „receiver‟, who is seen as absorbing information. There was no provision in the
original model for feedback (reaction from the receiver). Feedback enables speakers to
adjust their performance to the needs and responses of their audience. A „feedback loop‟
was added by later theorists, but the model remains linear.
For the purposes of this course, however, we shall make use of the modified version of
the transmission model of communication, highlighting some important behavioral
aspects and implications of human communication.
