1. Linear vs. Interactive Models of Communication

In linear models, communication is described as a one-way interaction in which a speaker talks to a passive listener. The model shows communication as a series of actions: the speaker delivers the message, the listener receives the message, and the message is interpreted.
The interactive model differs from the linear in the sense that it depicts the listener responding to the message rather than just receiving the information. This model also introduces the idea that, when communicating, people operate within "fields of experience". When these fields overlap, greater understanding of one another is found, while the lack of fields overlapping generates confusion.
In my own experience I've found that fields of experience can significantly affect interactions. Over the summer I worked at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. as a host and part of my job was to make conversation with the customers. A lot of the time I found that if I talked about broad areas of interest it was easier to interact with them, but when we talked about more specialized or specific topics we had in common the more enjoyable it was to talk to them.