CM 123: Journal Entry 1

The Transactional Model of Communication, as stated in Wood (2017) represents communication as a continually changing process. This model of communication shows how we alter how we interact with others as we begin to encounter new people. Each person in the communication process reacts depending on factors such as their background, prior experiences, attitudes, cultural beliefs, and self-esteem. Another factor in the Transactional Model of Communication is noise. Noise is considered as “anything that causes a loss of information as it flows from the source to the destination” (Wood, page 14). Some examples of noise include accents, background conversation, and visual distractions. As stated in Wood (2017), noise can distort communication.

https://youtu.be/dUwA1XbapOM

For example, in this clip from season five of Grey’s Anatomy (you only need to watch from 1.53 to 2.55), Dr. Miranda Bailey is trying to have a discussion with Chief Webber in his office; however, she notices that his attention is not on her, but rather on the widow of the office. Dr. Miranda Bailey then turns to the window to see what

Chief Webber was focusing on instead of their conversation, only to find Dr. Mark Sloan and Dr. Derek Shepherd fighting each other. The fight between the two doctors was visual distraction and an example of noise.

https://youtu.be/GO7Oy9A80vI

Another example from Grey’s Anatomy is shown in this clip from season one (you only need to watch the video from 0.48 to 1.34) when syphilis is spreading through the hospital staff. During this episode, Patricia is giving a seminar over how to put a condom on a banana. Despite being in the middle of a seminar, Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Christina Yang are having their own conversation. Therefore, while the two more than likely know how to use a condom already, there is still noise occurring because they are more focused on their conversation than the seminar they are meant to be listening to.

Works Cited

Wood, J.T. (2017). ​Communication mosaics: An introduction to the field of communication.

​(8th Ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning .