The Interaction Model

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The interaction model shows communication as a two-directional process that incorporates feedback into communication between sender and receiver (see Figure 1.2). Feedback is a message from the receiver to the sender that illustrates responses that occur when two or more people communicate. As with the linear model, noise occurs along the way.

Feedback can be a verbal message (your friend invites you to a party on Friday night, and you reply, “About nine?”), a nonverbal message (your roommate asks if you enjoyed the dinner, and you look up, smile, and nod), or both (you frown while saying, “I don’t think I understand”). Through feedback, communicators in the interaction model take turns sending and receiving messages.