According to Mussa (2020), the Shannon and Weaver model is a linear communication theory

that explains how messages are sent and received. The "Shannon theory," was first proposed in
1948 by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver. Both from the United States, Shannon was a
mathematician, and Weaver was an electrical engineer. The model is often attributed to
Shannon's contributions to the field. It is also known as the "mother of all models" due to its
widespread popularity.

It is a mathematical theory that breaks down human communication into different key
concepts

1. Sender (Information Source) – the person who decides on and creates the message.

Example: An author of a newspaper article.

2. Encoder/ Transmitter – the element that translates the message into a signal. The encoder
can also be a person that turns an idea into spoken words, written words,

or sign language to communicate an idea to someone.

Examples: A radio station, which converts voice into waves to be sent via radio to someone

3. Channel / medium — the way the signal is delivered/carried.

Examples: Email, Video conferencing, Phone calls, Instant messaging

4. Decoder - how an audience member is able to understand, and interpret the message.

Example: you may realize you’re hungry and encode the following message to send to your
roommate: “I’m hungry. Do you want to get pizza tonight?” As your roommate receives the
message, they decode your communication and turn it back into thoughts to make meaning.

5. Receiver/ Destination – the person the message was intended for.

Example: the person on the other end of a telephone or the person reading an email you sent
them.
7. Feedback — the response, reaction, or information given by the recipient of a message to the
sender.

The ‘feedback’ step was not originally proposed by Shannon and Weaver in 1948. Norbert
Weiner came up with the feedback step in response to criticism of the linear nature of the
approach. ‘Linear’ means that the messages are only going one way.

In addition to these elements, Shannon and Weaver also considered the impact of ‘noise’ on
effective communication. Noise is classified as anything that might distort the message (Macale,
2021).

Barriers that may cause breakdown in communication

1. Mental or Psychological barriers

These refer to social and personal issues of a speaker towards communicating with others.

Examples are, trauma, when you experience stage fright, depression and many more.

2. Cultural barrier

which pertain to communication problems encountered by people regarding their intrinsic

values beliefs and traditions in conflict with other people's culture affect the way they
communicate and relate to others.

3. Physical noise

it is the sound that makes it difficult to hear someone's message such as uncontrolled sounds
like karaoke near you or siblings that are fighting.

4. Physiological Noise

This noise prevents you from giving your full attention to someone. A common example for this
is hunger, stress, tiredness, or sickness.

5. Semantic noise
occurs when the communicator finds a hard time to sympathetically understand what the
speaker is saying. This includes the language, dialects, vernaculars and the grammatical
structure of a message.

6. Factual Noise

which is the most common barrier among all. It is a form of interference that occurs when you
are having a hard time to recall small details, missing and omitting the main points of the
information.

Barriers that may cause breakdown in communication

The original model identified three levels where communication can be interrupted

was created to improve telecom sys in 1940s

they say that Old model is foc on technical transmission of the messa not meaning or
iterpreta- new includes context like cultu psych social in which communication occurs and
how the receiver interprets the messa. It just says that the old One wy technical framework
old

so these are the 3

1. Technical – issues that affect the accuracy of the message being sent ( signa loss tech issu,
static)

2. Semantic – problems that affect the meaning of the message ( language barr, jargons
ambiguious words

3. Effectiveness – this issue arises when the receiver doesn’t respond in the way the source
wanted para syang meter reference as to how the sender was understood

Advantages of Shannon Weaver Model

• Concept of noise helps in making the communication effective by removing the noise or
problem causing noise. (Introduced ang noise) looking at which part it wasn’t effect which
would be the noise or the pr causing the noise
• This model takes communication as a two way process. It makes the model applicable in
general communication. New one is expanded and it incorporate human elements llike
interactivity and feedback making it more applicable to complex human communicatio

• Communication is taken as quantifiable in Shannon Weaver model. With quantity facts values
figures and easier to dissect

Criticisms of Shannon Weaver Model

•It can be applied more for interpersonal communication than group communication and mass
communication. Decode encode are easier to control and manage bet 2 idi. In mass comm it
is linear feedback is delayed and ndirect . not for large scale

• Receiver plays the passive part in the communication process as sender plays the primary role
that sends messages. Not really a 2 way dialog

• Feedback is taken as less important in comparison to the messages sent by the sender.
Without feedback you cant conclude that comm is effective cos this is cue for the sender to
know if he she was understood. Met an old acquaintance and happen to talk about abt social
issue, ofcourse u being in an active conversation will respond to what his her opinion is.
Without ur feedback how can he she know that his poit was understood or how can you
correct or give insights if there is no feedba. So that is why It is a criticism for this model

• The model is taken by some critics as a “misleading misrepresentation of the nature of human
communication” as human communication is not mathematical in nature. It is originally called
mathematical theory of communication as it is devt for telecomm so it not originally focused
on the f2f or the not virtual conversation even it was later developed or expanded. Still it
inhibits or holds the original model where u have a channel for comms. And that being
technical, it is mathematical and not as flexible compared to physical or f2f communication
that is very complex meaning despite being quantifiable, it is limited.

References

Mussa, K. (2020). Shannon Weaver Model of Communication. Academia. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/43470628/Shannon_Weaver_Model_of_Communication
Macale, L.M (2021, Oct 09). Noises and Barriers in Communication. Scribd. Retrieved from
https://www.scribd.com/document/531187261/Noises-and-Barriers-in-communication