Understand Michael Argyle's Communication Cycle

We communicate every day, but have you ever thought about why sometimes our communications don't get understood? Whether in lectures, group projects, or our conversations with peers, communication is important. For UK university students, knowing how communication works can help you with your studies and collegial relationships. Argyle's Communication Cycle can help you understand the structured process of communication, a useful theory for understanding communication contexts. 

Have you ever felt annoyed when people did not understand your ideas in a seminar or when you were trying to email your tutor? If yes, then this Locus Assignment blog will detail Argyle's theory of communication briefly and comprehensively and help you connect with your peers, teachers, and experts better.

Many students come across Argyle’s Communication Cycle while working on assignments, and having guidance from an assignment helper can make it easier to understand the theory and explain ideas clearly.

What is Argyle’s Communication Cycle?

Argyle's Communication Cycle is a theory used to describe how individuals send and receive messages. It reveals that communication is more than just speech, as it involves thinking, expressing oneself, making an interpretation of what has been said and giving a reply. It was developed by Michael Argyle, a psychologist who examined how interpersonal communication happens in everyday life settings.

The theory states that communication flows in both directions. What you say isn't as important as how the other individual receives and returns it. Students use this during personal discussions, discussions with the class, and in employment. If you've ever been curious about how someone didn't understand the text message you sent or why the message didn't end up like your conversation, Argyle's theory of communication will help explain things to you.

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The Stages of Argyle’s Communication Cycle

Before we get too far into the details, keep in mind that there are repeating steps in this cycle; that’s why it is a cycle and not a one-time process. Let’s break this down step by step.

Ideation – Forming the Idea: The communication process begins in the mind of the sender. At this stage, you develop the idea or message you want to share. For instance, a student may decide to ask their lecturer a question about an assignment brief. This stage focuses on clearly identifying what you want to communicate. It is a crucial step because if the idea is vague or incomplete, the entire communication process may become ineffective.

Encoding – Converting the Idea into Words or Symbols: Once the idea is clear, the sender encodes it into a message. Encoding involves selecting appropriate words, symbols, gestures, or digital formats such as emails, presentations, or messages. For students, encoding happens regularly while writing essays, preparing PowerPoint slides, or drafting emails to lecturers. Effective encoding is important because unclear language or poor structure can confuse the receiver and distort the intended meaning.

Transmission – Sending the Message: Transmission is the stage where the message is delivered to the receiver. This can happen through various channels, such as spoken communication, written text, emails, online platforms, or classroom discussions. Choosing the right medium is essential, as different situations require different levels of formality. For example, an academic email must be more formal than a message sent in a group chat.

Decoding – Interpreting the Message: At this stage, the receiver interprets the message they have received. This could involve a lecturer reading and understanding an essay or a peer interpreting spoken instructions. Miscommunication may occur if the message was poorly encoded or if distractions, assumptions, or lack of clarity affect the decoding process.

Feedback – Response from the Receiver: Communication does not stop after decoding. The receiver usually provides feedback, which can be verbal, non-verbal, or written. For example, feedback may come in the form of assignment comments, verbal responses, or clarification questions. Feedback helps the sender understand whether the message was interpreted correctly or if further explanation is required.

Noise or Barriers – Disruptions in Communication: Barriers can interfere with communication at any stage of the cycle. These may include physical noise, technical issues such as poor internet connectivity, emotional stress, or lack of focus. For students, common barriers include distractions while writing assignments or misunderstandings due to unclear instructions. Recognising these barriers helps improve communication by allowing steps to be taken to reduce their impact.

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Importance of Argyle’s Communication Cycle

So why should students pay attention to Argyle’s communication cycle? The answer is easy: it helps avoid confusion and makes your conversations clearer and more effective.

Teams create clarity for team members about expectations of their roles.  

With presentations, it keeps your audience engaged by creating clarity and helping your audience better interpret your points.  

Classroom discussions support your ability to be confident in stating your ideas and knowing that you understand others.  

The skills are of great benefit at work and at university. If an individual is familiar with Argyle's theory of communication, they feel they have a better understanding and therefore excel within university and find it easier to socialise with others. When you find it difficult, when wanting to apply the theory, to simply express it while writing essays or reports, this is the time to purchase an essay, and an assignment writer will help you have a clearer understanding of the concepts.

Advantages and Limitations 

Like any theory, Argyle’s Communication Cycle has its strengths and its limits. Understanding both sides is crucial to creating quality university assignments.

Advantages

1. It fosters two-way communication, while feedback is assured to be part of the process.

2. It helps to locate miscommunication, making mistakes easier to correct.

3. It reflects real-life interpersonal interaction and thus is practical and relatable to learners.

4. It promotes clarity in academic writing, presentations, and group discussions.

Limitations

1. The model presumes active participation by the sender and the receiver, which may not always be the case.

2. It cannot fully account for the cultural differences that shape communication. 

3. It is less suitable for mass communication or fast-paced digital environments where feedback might be delayed or absent. 

Comparison With Other Communication Models

Argyle's communication model is often discussed along with the Shannon and Weaver model in university assignments. The Shannon and Weaver Model describes a linear process where the message travels from sender to receiver, possibly being disrupted by noise. It focuses on technical transmission instead of mutual understanding. In contrast, Argyle’s model places great importance on feedback and shared meaning, which shows that communication cannot be complete without a response. It makes Argyle’s theory seem more realistic for everyday interactions. While the Shannon and Weaver model works very well for mass and technical communications, Argyle’s Communication Cycle proves better for interpersonal contexts, like the classroom, group work, presentations, and professional discussions, which help students develop their critical evaluation for an assignment.

Common Barriers in Communication

Although the cycle is easy to understand, it is often the case that obstacles to communication exist. Some examples of common obstacles are:

Language Difference: Occasionally, the words or expressions will be too difficult to understand or can be misunderstood. Confusion may cause the communication to proceed slowly or completely halt. Pupils should use clear and concise language at all times and particularly when they are group-working.

Misinterpretation of Tone or Meaning: A sentence from an email may come out as impolite, while that wasn't intended. Cautious use of tone and context can aid much in preventing that.

External Distractions: Physical noise, multitasking, or digital notifications can all interfere with whether the message is heard or understood. To effectively communicate, distractions must be turned off while studying.

Conclusion

In short, Argyle’s communication cycle is not just a theory; it is a helpful guide for improving communication skills. By knowing each step, from thinking of ideas to getting feedback, students can have better conversations, whether in class, on assignments, or in their personal lives. There will always be barriers, but if we are aware of them, we can reduce them a lot.

The next time you compose an email, get into a study group, or submit an assignment, consider Argyle's theory of communication and how it ensures everything goes smoothly. In case you are stuck with assignments involving communication models, you can get online assignment help from Locus Assignments and achieve higher grades with well-structured, clear, and plagiarism-free solutions tailored to your university requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the Argyle Cycle?  

The Communication Cycle, also known as the Argyle Cycle, is a six-step model that describes the way people communicate. These steps include generating an idea, encoding the idea into words or gestures, transmitting the message, decoding the message, receiving feedback, and overcoming obstacles like noise. The model demonstrates that communication is not one-way only, but it is continuous and interactive.

Q2. When was Argyle’s theory created?

This theory was developed by British social psychologist Michael Argyle in the 1960s when he was researching everyday interpersonal communication.

Q3. How is Argyle’s theory relevant to communication?

The theory of Argyle focuses on the significance of feedback, understanding, and clarity. It assists students, teachers, professionals, and team members to enhance conversations, presentations, and written communication. This is aimed at making sure that messages are understood in the right way.

About Author

Dr Emily Carter is an academic researcher and mentor with over six years of experience at UK universities. She specialises in guiding students with writing assignments, essays, and dissertations. At Locus Assignments, she provides clear, plagiarism-free academic content. She helps students structure their work, develop arguments, and meet university standards. Her support ensures students can confidently complete assignments and achieve higher grades