The Newcomb’s ABX Model -: A Purposive theory to decode the role of communication in society.

The Newcomb’s ABX Model -: A Purposive theory to decode the role of communication in society.

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The Newcomb’s model/ ABX model of communication introduce by Theodore. M. Newcomb in 1953 at UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. He was known as a great pioneer in the field of social psychology. Newcomb gives a different approach of communication process.

As we say that Newcomb’s essence of life was his ABX model. He, who just focused on the communication cycle instead of discussing the message, channel, receiver like other. The main purpose of the theory is to introduce the role of communication in social relationship /society and most vital to maintain social equilibrium within the social system. He does not include the message as a separate purpose of communication showing all communication as a means of sustaining relationship between people.

Basically communication means transferring message from one to another but there are various factors which involves in communication like feedback, channel, noise, gatekeeper etc. any type of communication have- sender & receiver is always constant.

This triangle Model as whole represent our social circle within which we exist & communicate each other more over the tendency of human being is the main thought that this model is going to explain. 

Here this model in triangular format represent as A-B-X System.

A-SENDER

B-RECEIVER  

X- MATTER OF CONCERN

 And we see that –

A -Attitude towards X

A -Attraction towards B

B -Attitude towards X

B-Attraction towards A

Now the model explains that the relationship between A and B is like

> Student and teacher,

> Or government and public,

> Or newspaper and readers.

Factor “X” may affect the flow of communication between A & B, even if Sender and Receiver may work in an exact same flow, thus affect the flow of relationship.  So we can say that the “X” may be like a third persons, issue, topic or policy.

We may try to understand with this example: (A-Instructor B-Participants X- policy)

If an instructor intend to introduce a new policy with an objective to improve  the ability of participants by increasing practice timing four hour to eight hours. And both participants and instructor mutually satisfied and agree to the new policy then the whole communication process maintain its equilibrium status between them. 

Else the flow of communication become troublesome between A and B in the social system and can’t maintain the symmetry or equilibrium status.

So basically the instructor A convince their participants B as possible they can, otherwise adjustment into the policy x and then policy convince them toward it.

So at last the conclusion is that ABX model of communication is the learned response , here communication between the two people that agree to the same issue will be easy and thus in many cases communication may seems not to be available or existing but in cases where the both parties having different views about the issue, every party need to convincing the other party that one party is talking about is the best idea and thus communication will be effective and will take place for quite long period of time.

Practice Questions for UGC NET Jan 2017

1. Which one of the following proposed the “ABX” theory of dyadic attraction ? 
a. Header 
b. Jones 
c. Newcomb 
d. Lombardo 

2. |Government introduce a new policy to increase the working timing of its employee from 8 hours to 10 hours| Using Newcomb model of communication chose the correct option 
a. A – Government     B – Employee    X – Time  
b. A – Government     B – Employee    X – Policy  
c. A – Employee     B – Government    X – Policy  
d. A – Government     B – Employee    X – Introduction 

3. New Comb’s model of communication, which of the following NOT included as separate entity in the model diagram? 
a. Message 
b. Matter of Concern 
c. Receiver 
d. Sender 

4. The model that first attempt to model the mass communication is ............?
a. Gerbner.
b. Westley and MacLean.
c. Berlo.
d. None of the above

5. An abstract understanding of the communication process is ...........?
a. Theories
b. Models
c. Theorist
d. Description

Work Cited:

Berkowitz, L. (Ed.). (n.d.). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 3). Academic Press New York. Retrieved 2016.

Converse, P. E. (1994). Theodore M Newcomb :A Biographical Memoir by Philip E. Converse. WASHINGTON D.C.: National Academy of Science.

Fiske, J. (1990). Introduction to Communication Studies (Second Edition ed.). New York: Routledge.

Newcomb, T. M. (1953). An approach to the study of communicative acts. Psychological Review, Vol 60(6).

Sloan, W. D. (1990). Makers of the Media Mind: Journalism Educators and Their Ideas. (W. D. Sloan, Ed.) New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associate, Publishers.

Theodore Newcomb (2016). . In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Newcomb