Cmst Test 2

Front 1

language

Back 1

A system comprised of vocabulary and rules of grammar that allows us to engage in verbal communication

Front 2

verbal symbols

Back 2

Words, or the vocabulary that make up a language

Front 3

grammar

Back 3

The rules that dictate the structure of a language

Front 4

encoding

Back 4

The process of putting thoughts and feelings into verbal symbols, nonverbal messages, or both

Front 5

decoding

Back 5

The process of developing a thought based on hearing verbal symbols, observing nonverbal messages, or both

Front 6

denotative meaning

Back 6

The literal, conventional meaning of a verbal symbol that most people in a culture have agreed is the meaning of that symbol

Front 7

connotative meaning

Back 7

The meaning of a verbal symbol that is derived from our personal and subjective experience with that symbol

Front 8

referent

Back 8

The thing a verbal symbol represents

Front 9

framing theory

Back 9

A theory that argues that when we compare two unlike things in a figure of speech, we are unconsciously influenced by this decision

Front 10

process of abstraction

Back 10

The ability to move up and down the ladder of abstraction from specific to general and vice versa

Front 11

strategic ambiguity

Back 11

Leaving out cues in a message on purpose to encourage multiple interpretations by others. (sly)

Front 12

equivocation

Back 12

A type of ambiguity that involves choosing our words carefully to give a listener a false impression withoug actually lying

Front 13

euphemism

Back 13

A milder or less direct word substituted for another word that is more blunt or negative

Front 14

idiom

Back 14

A word or phrase that has an understood meaning within a culture but whose meaning is not derived by exact translation

Front 15

phatic communication

Back 15

Communication consisting of words and phrases that are used for interpersonal contact only and are not meant to be translated verbatim

Front 16

code-switching

Back 16

Shifting back and forth between languages in the same conversation

Front 17

speech community

Back 17

A group of people who share norms about how to speak, what words to use, and when, where, and why to speak

Front 18

symbolic interactionism theory

Back 18

The theory that our understanding of ourselves and of the world is shaped by our interactions with those around us

Front 19

linguistic determinism

Back 19

A theory that argues that our language determines our ability to perceive and think aobut things. If we don't have a word for something in our language, this theory predicts we won't think about it or notice it

Front 20

linguistic relativity

Back 20

A theory that states that language influences our thinking but doesn't determine it. Thus, if we don't have a word for something in our language, this theory predicts it will be difficult, but not impossible, to think about it or notice it

Front 21

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Back 21

A theory that points to connections among culture, language, and thought. In its strong form, this theory is known as linguistic determinism, and in its weak form, it is known as linguistic relativity

Front 22

codability

Back 22

The ease with which a language can express a thought

Front 23

two-culture theory

Back 23

A theory that asserts that sex operates in the same way as culture in establishing different rules, norms, and language patterns for men and women

Front 24

static evaluation

Back 24

The tendency to speak and respond to someone today the same way we did in the past, not recognizing that people and relationships change over time

Front 25

polarization

Back 25

The tendency to use "either-or" language and speak of the world in extremes

Front 26

reification

Back 26

The tendency to respond to words or labels for things as though they were the things themselves

Front 27

lexical gaps

Back 27

Experiences that are not named

Front 28

muted group theory

Back 28

Theory that explains what happens to people whose experiences are not well represented in verbal symbols and who have trouble articulating their thoughts and feelings verbally because their language doesn't give them an adequate vocabulary

Front 29

sexist language

Back 29

Language that is demeaning to one sex

Front 30

generic he

Back 30

The use of the masculine pronoun he to functino generically when the subject of the sentence is of unknown gender or includes both men and women

Front 31

man-linked words

Back 31

Words that include the word man but that are supposed to operate generically to include women as well, such as mankind

Front 32

confirmation

Back 32

A response that acknowledges and supports another

Front 33

disconfirmation

Back 33

A response that fails to acknowledge and support another, leaving the person feeling ignored and disregarded

Front 34

perspective-taking

Back 34

Acknowledging the viewpoints of those with whom we interact

Front 35

indexing

Back 35

Avoiding generalizations by acknowledging the time frame in which we judge others and ourselves