A General Theory/Model of Communication

Three Stages of Development Action Model Interaction Model Transactional Model

Action Model Source  Receiver This is the simplest model of communication. It assumes that communication is a simple unidirectional event.

Interaction Model Source/Receiver---Message---Channel---Receiver/Source This model is more complicated and assumes that communication is like a ping pong game where the ping pong ball is the message.

Transactional Model Self Message-Channel Self

The transactional model is the most complicated and the last stage of development for communication models. It emphasizes and ongoing, irreversible, non-repeatable process in which all the elements are constantly changing. The end result is that our notion of our self is continuously negotiated or transacted.