Feedback in Communication or Meaning of Feedback

When receiver answers or responds to the sender through a message or information is called feedback. In other words, feedback is the reaction to the sender's message. Without feedback from the receiver, communication process becomes incomplete. This feedback may be verbal or non-verbal depending on the situation.

Feedback in Communication

Some well-known definitions on feedback are given below:

  • Bartol & Mating said 'Feedback is the receiver's basic response to the interpreted message.'

  • According to Boone, Kurtz & Block, 'Feedback consists of messages- verbal and non-verbal that convey a reaction to the communicator's message.'

When a presentation is demonstrated to the audience, there is a lot of questions may be produced from them. These questions are ultimately nothing but feedback to the presenter. The presence of feedback in communication can be shown through the below diagram.

feedback diagram
Feedback on Communication Channel
Therefore, Feedback is the return message of the receiver in response to the sender's message and makes two-way communication effective. If there is no feedback, communication remains incomplete. As a result, objectives of communication may not be successful. That's why to make effective communication feedback is almost mandatory.