Lasswell's model of communication

Lasswell's model of communication is one of the first and most influential models of communication.

Version

v1 · 2026-09-28 · History

Domain-specific #

10322

Domain group

Social Sciences

Origin domain

Communication & Media Studies

Subdomains

Communication Models, Mass Communication → Communication & Media Studies

Core Idea

Lasswell's model of communication is treated here as the recurring socialscienceshumanitiesarts identity summarized by this source-grounded definition: Lasswell's model of communication is one of the first and most influential models of communication. Lasswell's model of communication is one of the first and most influential models of communication. It was initially published by Harold Lasswell in 1948 and analyzes communication in terms of five basic questions: "Who?", "Says What?", "In What Channel?", "To Whom?", and "With What Effect?".

Scope of Application

• Concept and usage. It was first published by Harold Lasswell in his 1948 essay The Structure and Function of Communication in Society.

• Concept and usage. It has been described as "a linear and Uni-directional process", "a one-way process", an "action model", a media theory "classic", a "widely used segmentation of the communication process", and "a simple.

• Alternative conceptions. In the early reception, the term "Lasswell's formula" was commonly used instead by scholars interested in describing and classifying acts of communication.

• Alternative conceptions. However, many subsequent theorists rejected this terminology since the term "formula" seems to miss part of the significance and applications.

• Alternative conceptions. For this reason, they propose the term "Lasswell's construct" to emphasize that it is not one particular model but "an umbrella term which allows for multiple conceptions".

Clarity

A clear use of Lasswell's model of communication names the carrier, the operative relation, and the conditions under which the source treats the identity as present. The minimal definition is Lasswell's model of communication is one of the first and most influential models of communication.

Manages Complexity

Lasswell's model of communication compresses multiple socialscienceshumanitiesarts details into a stable diagnostic relation. The source shows both the central mechanism—it was first published by Harold Lasswell in his 1948 essay The Structure and Function of Communication in Society.—and the practical consequence—in the early reception, the term "Lasswell's formula" was commonly used instead by scholars interested in describing and classifying acts of communication.

Abstract Reasoning

1. Type the carrier. Identify the socialscienceshumanitiesarts entities to which the claim applies.
2. State the relation. Use the source-grounded identity: Lasswell's model of communication is one of the first and most influential models of communication.
3. Check operation and conditions. Its aim is to organize the "scientific study of the process of communication".
4. Demand recognition evidence. It has been described as "a linear and Uni-directional process", "a one-way process", an "action model", a media theory "classic", a "widely used segmentation of the communication process", and "a.

Knowledge Transfer

Within the home domain. Knowledge about Lasswell's model of communication transfers literally when a new case preserves the same carrier type, relation, and recognition test. It was first published by Harold Lasswell in his 1948 essay The Structure and Function of Communication in Society. It has been described as "a linear and Uni-directional process", "a one-way process", an "action model", a media theory "classic", a "widely used segmentation of the communication process", and "a simple, linear, and potentially hypodermic conceptualization of communication.". Beyond the home domain. No canonical parent is asserted for Lasswell's model of communication.

Neighborhood in Abstraction Space

Lasswell's model of communication sits in a moderately populated region (49^th percentile for distinctiveness): it has near-neighbors but no dense thicket of look-alikes.

Family — Sociological Theories & Concepts (21 abstractions)

Nearest neighbors

• Social networks — 0.88
• Social objects — 0.86
• Exploratory thought — 0.86
• Interacting Particle System — 0.86
• Declarative knowledge — 0.86

Computed from structural-signature embeddings · 2026-10-08