Signs, Signals and Symbols in communication.pptx

Useful to students

1. Signs, Signals and Symbols

2. Signs, signals and symbols, three related components of communication processes found in all known cultures. Semiotics, or semiology , is the study of signs, symbols, and signification. Signs, signals and symbols are important as safety communication tools.  They help people understand that world. They provide clues to understanding experiences by conveying recognizable meanings that are shared by societies.

3. Signs, signals and symbols are: To warn against dangerous and prohibited actions in a certain area. To highlight safeguards and procedures that must be followed, or equipment that must be worn. To draw attention to a nearby hazard or potentially dangerous situation. To direct people towards essential safety gear.

4. Signs: A sign is a generic label for a unit of nonverbal communication that conveys information. All known cultures utilize signs to convey relatively simple messages swiftly and conveniently. A sign represents something—an idea, an experience, a feeling, an object, etc. Words as ordinarily used are signs in this sense. A sign has literal meaning; that is, its meaning is simple and straightforward, a matter of conventional agreement among people who use that particular sign.

5. A sign represents in two forms 1. As a signifier , i.e. it will have a form that a person can see, touch, smell and / or hear 2. As signified , i.e. it will represent an idea or mental construct of a thing rather than itself. It is the theory of the production and interpretation of meaning. Denotation refers to the obvious, straightforward meaning of a sign. The meaning of signs may depend on their form, setting, colour , or location. In the United States, traffic signs, uniforms, badges, and barber poles are frequently encountered signs. 

6. Signals: A signal is a type of sign used to inform another as to what may happen next, a kind of hint or a warning.  A signal is a function or a data set representing a physical quantity or variable. Usually, the signal encapsulates information about the behavior of a physical phenomenon, for example, electrical current flowing through a resistor, sonar sound waves propagating under water, or earthquakes. Signals play an important role in life. They are used in communication, speech processing, medical science, etc.

7. Signals serve a crucial purpose in communication systems by acting as carriers of information. They play a fundamental role in facilitating the transmission of data, messages, or instructions from a sender to a receiver. Signals can take various forms, including electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic, or optical waves, and they carry encoded information that is essential for effective communication.

8. Uses of signals: Signals can be audio, video, sensor data, images, and many other types of data. Signal processing techniques are used in a wide range of applications, including telecommunications, audio and video processing, image processing, speech recognition and control systems

9. Difference between a sign and a signal: The main difference between a sign and a signal is that a sign (like a policeman’s badge) contains meanings of an intrinsic nature; a signal (like a scream for help) is merely a device by which one is able to formulate extrinsic meanings. 

10. Symbols: The symbol has been defined as any device with which an abstraction can be made. A Symbol has complex meaning; it has not only "Literal" meaning, but also additional meaning (s) beyond the literal. A symbol may have more than one meaning. In fact, the most significant symbols do convey an indefinite range of meanings. It is something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible; "The Eagle is a symbol of the United States" The Shape shows the Eiffel Tower. Usually, though, this symbol represents Paris or France, not the tower itself.

11. A symbol is a  something that is accepted by certain group of people or general population.  It can be interpreted differently by people from different backgrounds. Symbols are easily identifiable and are used to direct and organize, record, and communicate. People use symbols to provide concrete representations of qualities, ideas, or concepts. Symbols are best understood as signs that have deeper and more complex meaning. Symbols can help you attract attention from your audience, inform and educate them, persuade them to take action or make a decision, and delight them with positive experiences.

12. Differences Between a Sign and Symbol Sign Symbol A sign is a form of language that is descriptive in nature. ex. Road signs ( DO NOT ENTER) A symbol represents something that are accepted by certain subjective areas. Example of a symbol could be a letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in  musical  notation. Symbol for a religious cults or groups. A sign could stand for something and it may be mandatory to be followed. May only  target  certain group of people. May be interpreted differently by different people.