Westley and MacLean’s Model of Communication

Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication, also known as the Two-Process Model of Communication, is a significant theoretical framework that was developed in the 1950s by Bruce Westley and Malcolm S. MacLean Jr. This model offers a comprehensive understanding of the communication process by emphasizing the dynamic and interactive nature of communication. It is particularly relevant in the fields of mass communication, journalism, and interpersonal communication. In this extensive explanation, we will delve deep into the various components and concepts within Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication.

1. Introduction to Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication

Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication emerged as a response to the limitations of earlier communication models, such as the Shannon-Weaver Model and the Linear Model. While these models focused on the transmission of messages from a sender to a receiver, Westley and MacLean sought to incorporate the complexities of human communication, taking into account the role of feedback, context, and the interdependence of communication processes.

2. Components of Westley and MacLean's Model

Westley and MacLean's Model comprises three primary components, each representing a distinct stage in the communication process. These components are:

a. Interactional Communication b. Message Production c. Message Interpretation

Let's explore each of these components in detail.

a. Interactional Communication

The first stage in Westley and MacLean's Model is Interactional Communication. This stage involves the ongoing exchange of information and messages between individuals or groups. It recognizes that communication is not a one-way process but a dynamic, continuous interaction between senders and receivers.

Key points in the Interactional Communication stage:

1. Feedback Loop: This stage introduces the concept of feedback, which plays a pivotal role in the model. Feedback refers to the responses, reactions, and cues that individuals or groups provide during a communication exchange. It allows the sender to adjust their message based on the receiver's feedback, making communication more adaptive and effective.

2. Multiple Channels: Communication can occur through various channels, including verbal, non-verbal, and symbolic. Verbal communication involves spoken or written words, while non-verbal communication encompasses body language, facial expressions, and gestures. Symbolic communication involves the use of symbols, signs, and codes, which may be cultural or contextual.

3. Simultaneous Processes: Interactional Communication acknowledges that people can send and receive messages simultaneously. In a conversation, both parties are often sending and interpreting messages simultaneously, leading to dynamic exchanges.

4. Cyclic Nature: Communication is cyclical, not linear. It does not follow a strict sender-receiver pattern but involves continuous interaction and adjustment.

b. Message Production

The second stage in Westley and MacLean's Model is Message Production. This stage focuses on how individuals or groups formulate and transmit messages to convey information, ideas, or emotions to others.

Key points in the Message Production stage:

1. Message Creation: This stage involves the creation or generation of messages. Messages can take various forms, such as spoken words, written texts, visual images, or multimedia presentations.

2. Intentionality: Senders in this stage have specific intentions or purposes for their messages. They encode their thoughts, feelings, and information into a format that they believe will effectively communicate their message to the receiver.

3. Selectivity: Senders must choose what to include and exclude from their messages. This process involves selecting words, images, and symbols that align with their intended message and purpose.

4. Encoding: Encoding refers to the process of translating thoughts and ideas into a symbolic form that can be transmitted to the receiver. This symbolic form may involve language, gestures, or visual representations.

c. Message Interpretation

The third stage in Westley and MacLean's Model is Message Interpretation. This stage focuses on how receivers decode and make sense of the messages they receive.

Key points in the Message Interpretation stage:

1. Decoding: Receivers decode the messages they receive by interpreting the symbols, words, and non-verbal cues used by the sender. Decoding is influenced by the receiver's knowledge, culture, context, and personal experiences.

2. Perception: Message interpretation is a subjective process influenced by the receiver's perception. Two individuals may interpret the same message differently based on their unique perspectives and backgrounds.

3. Feedback Loop: Feedback continues to play a crucial role in this stage. As receivers interpret messages, they provide feedback to the sender, either verbally or non-verbally. This feedback informs the sender about how well their message was understood and received.

4. Contextual Factors: The interpretation of messages is influenced by the context in which communication takes place. Contextual factors include the physical environment, social norms, cultural norms, and the relationship between the sender and receiver.

3. The Feedback Loop

The concept of the feedback loop is a central feature of Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication. It highlights the continuous and interactive nature of communication. The feedback loop consists of two types of feedback:

a. Non-interactive Feedback: Non-interactive feedback occurs when a sender receives feedback from a receiver but does not engage in a direct response. For example, a speaker delivering a lecture may observe the facial expressions and body language of the audience to gauge their engagement and understanding. However, the speaker may not verbally interact with individual audience members during the lecture.

b. Interactive Feedback: Interactive feedback involves direct communication and interaction between the sender and receiver. In interactive feedback, the receiver provides verbal or non-verbal cues, and the sender responds to these cues. This type of feedback allows for immediate clarification, adjustment, and adaptation of the message.

The feedback loop serves several essential functions in communication:

• Error Correction: Feedback helps identify misunderstandings or misinterpretations and allows for corrective actions. If a receiver provides non-verbal cues indicating confusion, the sender can modify their message to improve clarity.

• Confirmation: Positive feedback confirms that the message was understood as intended. This confirmation reinforces effective communication and promotes understanding.

• Engagement: Feedback informs the sender about the receiver's level of engagement and interest. If the receiver appears disengaged, the sender may adjust their message or delivery to regain the receiver's attention.

• Mutual Understanding: Through feedback, both sender and receiver work towards achieving mutual understanding. The sender adapts their message based on the receiver's responses, increasing the likelihood of shared meaning.

4. Applications of Westley and MacLean's Model

Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication has found application in various fields and contexts, including:

a. Mass Communication and Media Studies: This model is often used to analyze the communication process in mass media, journalism, and advertising. It helps researchers and practitioners understand how messages are created, transmitted, and interpreted by audiences. It also highlights the importance of audience feedback in shaping media content.

b. Interpersonal Communication: The model is relevant to the study of face-to-face communication and interpersonal relationships. It emphasizes the role of feedback in effective communication between individuals and groups.

c. Organizational Communication: Organizations use this model to improve internal and external communication. It underscores the importance of feedback in enhancing communication within teams and between different departments.

d. Public Relations: Public relations professionals apply the model to develop effective communication strategies and campaigns. They use feedback to gauge public perceptions and adjust their messages accordingly.

e. Education: Educators and instructional designers use the model to enhance teaching and learning processes. It underscores the importance of feedback in assessing student comprehension and adjusting instructional methods.

5. Critiques and Limitations

While Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication provides a valuable framework for understanding communication processes, it is not without its critiques and limitations:

a. Complexity: Some critics argue that the model's emphasis on feedback and interaction makes it overly complex. They contend that it may not be as applicable to simple, one-way communication scenarios.

b. Lack of Clarity: The model's concepts, especially the feedback loop, can be challenging to operationalize and measure in empirical research.

c. Linear Representation: Despite its emphasis on interaction, the model is often presented in a linear diagram, which can give the impression that communication is a step-by-step process.

d. Limited Cultural Consideration: The model does not explicitly address the influence of culture on communication. Culture can significantly impact message interpretation and feedback processes, and this aspect is not fully explored in the model.

e. Incomplete Explanation: Some critics argue that the model does not provide a comprehensive explanation of how communication functions in complex, real-world situations, such as crisis communication or cross-cultural communication.

Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication, also known as the Two-Process Model of Communication, is a communication theory developed by Bruce Westley and Malcolm S. MacLean in 1957. This model outlines the communication process as consisting of two main components: Interpersonal Communication and Mass Communication. Here's a table summarizing the key elements of their model:

Aspect	Interpersonal Communication	Mass Communication
Source	Individual or small group	Large organization, media, or institution
Message Encoding	Direct, often face-to-face	Mediated through various channels (e.g., TV, radio, print)
Channel	Personal, immediate	Often one-to-many, less immediate
Receiver	Individual or small group	Mass audience
Feedback	Immediate and direct	Delayed or indirect
Noise	Primarily interpersonal	Primarily external (e.g., environmental, media noise)
Gatekeepers	Few or none	Editors, publishers, producers, etc.
Feedback Loops	Rapid and continuous	Slower and mediated through audience responses
Role of Culture and Context	Important, context-specific	May play a role, but less emphasis on interpersonal context

This model highlights the differences between interpersonal communication, which occurs on a personal level, and mass communication, which involves reaching a large and diverse audience through various mediated channels. It emphasizes the role of feedback, gatekeepers, and the influence of culture and context in shaping communication processes.

Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication offers a valuable perspective on the intricacies of human communication. By highlighting the dynamic and interactive nature of communication, it provides insights into how messages are created, transmitted, and interpreted in various contexts. The model's emphasis on feedback underscores the importance of ongoing dialogue and adaptation in effective communication.

While the model has its limitations, it remains a foundational framework in the fields of mass communication, journalism, and interpersonal communication. Researchers and practitioners continue to draw upon its concepts to better understand and improve communication processes in a rapidly evolving media landscape and diverse societal contexts.

Westley and MacLean's Model of Communication enriches our comprehension of the multifaceted process of human communication, reminding us that effective communication is not a one-way transmission but a dynamic, interactive exchange of messages influenced by feedback, context, and individual perceptions.

Another significant contribution to the field of communication came in the form of Westley and MacLean's communication model, introduced by Bruce Westley and Malcolm S. MacLean Jr. in 1957. Let's delve into this model with the assistance of the following examples:

1. Earthquake Alert: Picture a scenario where an individual is abruptly awakened at night by the shaking of the earth's crust or signs of an impending earthquake. This person promptly rouses their family and urges them to evacuate the house immediately.

2. Rainy Day Meetings: Consider Jackson, who had vital meetings scheduled for the day. As he was about to leave his house, he was met with a heavy downpour. Despite the urgency of his appointments, he made the decision to cancel and reschedule them, opting to stay indoors due to the heavy rain.

3. Roadside Incident: Envision a situation where someone witnesses a road accident or a crime on their way to the office. Their immediate response is to call friends or relatives and share their experience, cautioning them to stay safe and contact them upon reaching their respective destinations.

In each of these instances, communication originated from external environmental cues that prompted the individual to convey information to others. This exemplifies the essence of Westley and MacLean's communication model.

Unlike Frank Dance's perspective, Westley and MacLean assert that communication doesn't commence from the moment someone is born but rather begins when individuals receive signals or messages from their external surroundings. In this model, the process of initiating communication by sending messages takes a secondary role, emphasizing that communication actually commences with the reception of messages from the environment.

Let's explore another example:

Jim is employed at a prominent advertising agency and is responsible for designing ads for clients. One day, while driving home, he spots a billboard advertising a specific product. This sighting sparks a brilliant idea in Jim's mind, prompting him to immediately call one of his team members to share it.

In this case, communication initiated with Jim receiving a message from the billboard and subsequently relaying it to his team members—an instance that aligns with Westley and MacLean's communication model.

This model underscores a strong connection between external environmental signals and the communication process. According to this model, communication starts with the reception of messages rather than their transmission.

(Receives message)
Environment----------------------------------------------Sender----then sends message (Communication starts)

Importantly, this model doesn't require signals from the environment to be intentionally sent to initiate communication. Events may occur unexpectedly, and thoughts can be spontaneously received.

Consider Jim's situation; he had been using the same road for nearly a year, passing by the same billboard regularly. However, on that particular day, he received an idea from the billboard that sparked the communication process. Thus, signals can be received at any time, leading to communication initiation.

However, a potential pitfall of this model is the possibility of information being altered as it is passed from one person to another. In Jim's case, his team members did not see the billboard, so there's a chance they might misinterpret or modify the message.

In summary, this communication model supports the idea that communication begins with the reception of messages from the environment, rather than with the sender's intentional message transmission.

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