Part 1: Communication Theory: Perspectives [Foundations of Communication Theory]

The task of formulating a broadly based perspective on any applied field of knowledge requires at the outset a meaningful conception of the nature and range of subject matter. Yet, as is often the case with highly interdisciplinary subjects, many difficulties beset any attempt to establish a fixed domain for communication theory. For if the approach to human communication is too narrowly conceived the subject may be mistakenly reduced to a trivial concern. On the other hand, if the scope of study is too broadly defined the risk is rather one of extending communication theory to a province that is too nebulous for meaningful study. Clearly, then, there is no universally acceptable way of delimiting the scope of human inter action. Nonetheless, we are reminded by Hymes that the many difficulties entailed in delimiting the scope of human communication do not justify ignoring them. Therefore, what the framework of this guide provides are selected theoretical dimensions of study, all independently defined yet closely interrelated, and existing within a larger-based theoretical framework. The dimensions and scope of communication theory will be examined in the three essays included in this section.

In the introductory essay, "On Defining Communication," Thomas R. Nilsen considers some of the obstacles to formulating a useful definition of human communication. After examining several representative definitions from the standpoint of the concept of intent, Nilsen provides one working solution by proposing a definition of communication based upon the principle of discriminative response.

Using the notion of rhetoric as a touchstone, Wayne E. Brockriede in "Dimensions of the Concept of Rhetoric" formulates a multidimensional framework for studying human communication. Each communicative act, as Brockriede insists, is infinitely complex, the unique result of an interplay of what he terms the interpersonal, situational, and attitudinal dimensions of human interaction.

By showing how these constant, on-going dimensions or forces influence one another, Brockriede underscores human communication as an exceedingly intricate activity that involves virtually an infinite number of behavioral processes.

Whereas Brockriede considers the situational and interpersonal dimensions of communication from within a rhetorical perspective, Franklin Fearing in "Toward a Psychological Theory of Human Communication" examines the same variables from a decidedly psychological vantage point. Fearing, like Brockriede, conceives of communication as an act occurring in a matrix of social and individual forces. In Fearing's conception, however, the emphasis shifts from a descriptive perspective to an explanative theory which considers communication as an event occurring in a situational field. The theory posits that the individual's tensional states lead to the production of communication (signs and symbols) aimed at achieving a more stable form of social organization.

Also in Part 1:

• On Defining Communication--Thomas R. Nilsen
• Dimensions of the Concept of Rhetoric--Wayne E. Brockriede
• Toward a Psychological Theory of Human Communication-- Franklin Fearing

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