Download or read book The Behavior of Communicating written by W. John Smith and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1977 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: W. John Smith enlarges ethology's perspective on communication and takes it in new directions. Traditionally, ethnological analysis has focused on the motivational states of displaying animals. The Behavior of Communicating emphasizes messages. After developing the concept of messages and discussing their forms, Smith turns to the evolution of display behavior. He then revises the traditional ethnological concept of displays and in a final chapter develops the further concept of formalized interactions.