Communication has been evolvong over the years. From the most primitive methods to where communication is today, the study of the changes throughout time have opened a discipline known as Communication Theory.
Although human beings have always communicated in some way or another,
it took some time before communication itself was analyzed. In the twentieth century, people began to study the communication process with intensity. Over time, this study became known as Communication Theory. Because communication is central to the human experience, it is the main focus to the study of Communication Theory.
In 1980, S.F. Scudder determined the "Universal Communication Law," which states that "All living entities, beings and creatures communicate through sounds, reactions, physical exchange, movement, gestures, languages, etc." In addition, Scudder denotes that communication is often used as a means of survival; such as when a baby cries for nourishment, or a plant changes color due to lack of water.
Communication Theory is examined through several different viewpoints. The "Psychological" viewpoint suggests that communication between human beings is determined through the thoughts and feelings the receiver has after he has interpreted the message he has received. Such as, if the speaker tells the receiver that his house is on fire, the receiver may then feel shock, panic, and be caused to react. How the receiver feels at this point is the actual "communication" taking place.
On the other end, the "Mechanistic" viewpoint considers the "perfect" transaction of a message. That is, the speaker relays information to the receiver, and the receiver listens and obtains the information spoken to him. This view of communication portrays no sense of the receiver''s feelings or thoughts, but focuses only on the physical acts of speaking and listening.
In addition, to examine a message and how it is re-interpreted as it travels from person to person are a "Systematic" view of Communication Theory. It considers how much or how little the message is changed, and for what possible reasons are the changes made. Next, a "Critical" view of communication deals with using power and oppression over people to dominate.
The "Social Constructionist" view of Communication Theory examines the exchange of viewpoints between the sender and receiver to create meaning. It considers that "how" you say something determines what the message is. Further, from the Social Constructionist vantage, "truth" and "ideas" are invented. Robert T. Craig has expresses that the constructionist viewpoint is "ongoing." Because of this, he also feels that our personal identities become "formed and reformed" through this particular theory.
In opposition to the Constructionist View, the "Transition" model formulates that "perfecting" communication is the priority. It comprehends communication in a computer-like or robotic method. It does not relish in the interaction of thoughts and ideas between human beings as does the Constructionist viewpoint. It appears to oversimplify the nature of human communication by focusing on the simple act of sending factual information and data between people.
The study of Communication Theory is relatively young and it crosses curriculum with the fields of Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology. To that end, a consensus among these fields of study has yet to be conceptualized.
