Mutual control of goal attainment: A “new” look at feedback in human communication

Abstract

The writer argues that the concepts of human communication feedback that are prominent in empirical research are inconsistent with the leading theoretical concepts and do not advance our understanding of communication. After briefly describing and comparing empirical and theoretical treatments of feedback, the concept of mutual control of goal attainment is discussed and illustrated as an alternate way of conceiving feedback. If communication is seen as a feedback process, the conceptual barrenness that has accompanied much feedback research could be avoided.