Communication Theory Study Guide One Fall 2011

Front 1

communication

Back 1

a social process in which individuals employ SYMBOLS to send and interpret meaning in their environment

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so 6 parts to communication.. they are

Back 2

environment, social, meaning, process and symbols

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communication does not ____ ____

Back 3

transmit meanings

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social means:

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the belief that people and interactions are part of the comm process

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oral means

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by mouth

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verbal means

Back 6

words (writing)

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process means

Back 7

the ongoing dynamic unending occurrence

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communication process as a _____

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helix pg 6

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symbol is

Back 9

an arbitrary (based on personal choice) label given to a phenomenon (stop sign)

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concrete symbol

Back 10

symbol representing an object

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abstract symbol

Back 11

symbol representing an idea - example?

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meaning

Back 12

what people extract from a message. language carries similar meanings so that we can kind of be on the same page

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environment

Back 13

situation or context in which communication occurs

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models

Back 14

simplified representations of the communication process

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linear model of communication

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one way view of communication that assumes a message is sent by a source to a receiver through a channel. (no comm does not happen like this)

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source

Back 16

originator of message (Start)

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message

Back 17

words, sounds or gestures in an interaction

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reciever

Back 18

recipient of a message. makes sense of the message

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channel

Back 19

pathway to communication: visual, feeling, olfactory.

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linear model example

Back 20

radio

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noise

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distortion in the channel not intended by the source.. cell phone going off

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semantic noise

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linguistic influences on reception of message (slang/ specialized jargon used by individuals in a group.. CRAY.. BUEN)

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physical external noise

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noise from outside of the reciever

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psychological noise

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cognitive influence on the reception of the message BIAS

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PHYSIOLOGICAL noise

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biological influences on the reception of the message (illness)

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interactional model of communication

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view of communication as the sharing of meaning with feedback that links source and receiver. two way communication. from sender to reciever and reciever to sender.

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IMof COMM suggests that communication is

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ongoing

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feedback

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communication given to the source by the receiver to indicate understanding

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field of experience

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overlap of senders and reciever's culture experiences and heredity in communication.

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Communication as a Transaction: the transactional model

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view of communication as the simultaneous sending and receiving of messages. Sender and receiver are mutually responsible for the effectiveness of the conversation

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Ethics

Back 31

perceived rightness or wrongness of an action or behavior.

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ethical communication involves

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choice: how do you choose to communicate with others
and responsibility: for the way you choose to communicate with others. "don't take it personally"... so. lame.

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areas of examples of ethical issues

Back 33

business, religion, medicine, entertainment, higher education, politics, technology

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dialogue ethics

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1.person to person vs. person to object
2. being vs. seeming (open, unstrategic - false, manipulative)
3. unfolding vs. imposing (no effort to change people, propaganda)

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ethical strategies

Back 35

-be open to being persuaded
-try new ideas
-accept there are multiple perspectives
-test held knowledge
-have a high tolerance for knowing you dont always get everything or know what will happen
-evaluate knowledge against personal experience, research

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seven traditions in the communication field

Back 36

rhetorical
semiotic
phenomenological
cybernetic
socio-psychological
socio-cultural
critical

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rhetorical

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talk as a practical art. cultivate public speaking effectiveness

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semiotic

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study of signs. rethinking what is natural or rethinking our own cultural norms with regards to sings and considering that different cultures see things differently. too much space in middle east is rude, too little space in asia is rude.

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phenomenology

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personal interpretation of everyday life and activities : individual goal to not have your beliefs impact the conversation taking place

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cybernetic tradition

Back 40

communication involved noise but this study realizes that some people come into conversations with a different ability to communicate

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socio psychological

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causal linking. someones behavior is influenced by something else. "a variable"

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socio cultural

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our interaction depend heavily of preexisting, shared cultural patterns and social structures. theres no you/me - us/them just a cocreated reality

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critical tradition

Back 43

those who are concerned with injustice, oppression, power and linguistic dominance. critiquing social order

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contexts

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environments in which communication takes place

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situational contexts

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environments that are limited by such factors as the number of people present, the feedback, the space between communicators, among others.

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intrapersonal

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communication with oneself

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interpersonal

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face to face

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small group

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communication with a group of people at least three people.

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organizational

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communication within and among large and extended environments

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public/rhetorical

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communication to a large group of listeners

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mass/media

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communication to a very large audience through mediated forms

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cultural

Back 52

communication between and among members of different cultures

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cohesiveness

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the degree of togetherness between and among communication. amongst a group

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synergy

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intersection of multiple perspectives in a small group. effective.

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networks

Back 55

communication patterns through which information flows . who speaks to whom and in what order.

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roles

Back 56

positions of group members and their relationship to the group

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organizational comm hawthorne experiments

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paying attention to workers/ human relations was what made the difference

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communication apprehension

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a general sense of fear of speaking before an audience

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new media

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computer related technology

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mass media

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CHANNELS or delivery modes for mass messages

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mass communication

Back 61

communication to a large audience via various channels (radio, internet)

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culture

Back 62

a community of meaning and a shared body of knowledge

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cultural communication

Back 63

communication between and among individuals whose backgrounds vary.

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co culture

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groups of individuals who are part of the same larger culture, but who can be classified around various identities (race, sex, age)

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some researchers begin with _____ than ______ others vice versa

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theory than research

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theory

Back 66

abstract system of concepts and their relationship that helps us to understand a phenomenon

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level of generality

Back 67

how widely a theory can be applied

Front 68

grand theories

Back 68

theories that attempt to explain all of a phenomenon such as communication - Marxism. has the ability to unify all knowledge one has about comm. but most would agree that NO GRAND THEORY EXISTS because it differs too much from group to group

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mid range theory

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a theory that attempts to explain a specified aspect of a phenomenon such as communication - how a specific group of people act versus all people.

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narrow theory

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a theory that attempts to explain a very limited aspect of a phenomenon such as communication - concerns people only in certain situations. instead of focusing on a whole theory they may focus on a small part like the messages.

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concepts

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labels for the most important elements in a theory - cohesiveness (groupthink). Dissonance (cognitive dissonance theory. cultivation (not your garden but media creates social reality)

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nominal concepts

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concepts that are not directly observable (democracy/love)

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real concepts

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concepts that are directly observable (personal rituals, spatial distance)

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relationships

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the ways in which the concepts in a theory relate to one another

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goals of a theory can include

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explanation, understanding, prediction, social change. we are able to explain something (mechanically) and understand something deeper

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predicting because of

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patterns so they can predict future communication

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experience and theory are______ even though experience is _____ and theory is ______

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related. concrete / abstract

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how research think/talk about the world and their work. Three approaches

Back 78

positive/ empirical. interpretive, critical

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positivistic/ empirical

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approach assuming the existence of objective reality and value- neutral research. assumes that objective truths can be uncovered. the goal to construct general laws. strives to be objective and works for CONTROL. doesn't necessarily mean its quantitative. could be qualitative.

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control

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direction over the important concepts in the theory. when the researcher moves to observe he carefully structures the situation so that only one element varies.

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interpretive approach

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looking for unique, different insights. an approach viewing truth as subjective and stressing the participation of the researcher in the research process. you still have to enter data so not completely subjective. there is no true interpretation.. just interpretations with or without more support.

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the critical approach

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is power being abused. looking to liberate people that may be getting oppressed. an approach stressing the researchers responsibility to change the inequities in the status quo.

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ontology

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branch of knowledge focused on the nature of reality. how we BE in the world. do people have free will or is it governed by human law.

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epistemology

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how we know things. what counts as knowledge. what kind of knowledge is required to know if someone is being accommodating communicatively?

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axiology

Back 85

what is worth knowing? not about whether values should permeate theory but HOW they should.

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ontology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 86

empirical : no free choice
interpretive: free choice
critical :choice restrained by power

Front 87

epistemology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 87

empirical : theory first. controlled
interpretive. research first. cocreate study
critical: critique power. seek change

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axiology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 88

empirical: reduce roles of values
interpretive: acknowledge values
critical: celebrate values

Front 89

covering law approach

Back 89

subsuming what is to be explained under a general law
- a guideline for creating theory suggesting that theories conform to a general law that is universal .
-fixed relationships by two of more events/ objects
-hypothesis, testable predictions
METATHEORY

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rules approach. three rules within.

Back 90

-a guideline for creating theory that builds human choice into explanations
-human behavior, result of free choice
-people pick the social rules that govern their actions
1. habitual rules
2. parametric rules
3. tactical rules

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habitual rules

Back 91

authority non negotiable

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parametric rules

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authoritative, negotiable

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tactical rules

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unstated rules to achieve a personal goals

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systems approach

Back 94

-a guideline for creating theory that acknowledges human choice and the constraints of the systems involved.
-human behavior is the result of many factors that influence one another
-wholeness, interdependence

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cause

Back 95

an antecedent condition that determines an effect

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effect

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a condition that follows a causative condition

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axiology

Back 97

what is worth knowing? not about whether values should permeate theory but HOW they should.

Front 98

ontology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 98

empirical : no free choice
interpretive: free choice
critical :choice restrained by power

Front 99

epistemology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 99

empirical : theory first. controlled
interpretive. research first. cocreate study
critical: critique power. seek change

Front 100

axiology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 100

empirical: reduce roles of values
interpretive: acknowledge values
critical: celebrate values

Front 101

covering law approach

Back 101

-fixed relationships between two or more events or objects (if then statements)
-subsuming what is to be explained under a general law
- a guideline for creating theory suggesting that theories conform to a general law that is universal .
-fixed relationships by two of more events/ objects
-hypothesis, testable predictions
METATHEORY

Front 102

rules approach. three rules within.

Back 102

-behavior is a result of free choice
-a guideline for creating theory that builds human choice into explanations
-human behavior, result of free choice
-people pick the social rules that govern their actions
1. habitual rules
2. parametric rules
3. tactical rules

Front 103

habitual rules

Back 103

authority non negotiable

Front 104

parametric rules

Back 104

authoritative, negotiable

Front 105

tactical rules

Back 105

unstated rules to achieve a personal goals

Front 106

systems approach

Back 106

-a guideline for creating theory that acknowledges human choice and the constraints of the systems involved.
-human behavior is the result of many factors that influence one another
-wholeness, interdependence

Front 107

axiology

Back 107

what is worth knowing? not about whether values should permeate theory but HOW they should.

Front 108

ontology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 108

empirical : no free choice
interpretive: free choice
critical :choice restrained by power

Front 109

epistemology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 109

empirical : theory first. controlled
interpretive. research first. cocreate study
critical: critique power. seek change

Front 110

axiology-
empirical
interpretive
critical

Back 110

empirical: reduce roles of values
interpretive: acknowledge values
critical: celebrate values

Front 111

covering law approach

Back 111

-fixed relationships between two or more events or objects (if then statements)
-subsuming what is to be explained under a general law
- a guideline for creating theory suggesting that theories conform to a general law that is universal .
-fixed relationships by two of more events/ objects
-hypothesis, testable predictions
METATHEORY

Front 112

rules approach. three rules within.

Back 112

-behavior is a result of free choice
-a guideline for creating theory that builds human choice into explanations
-human behavior, result of free choice
-people pick the social rules that govern their actions
1. habitual rules
2. parametric rules
3. tactical rules

Front 113

habitual rules

Back 113

authority non negotiable

Front 114

parametric rules

Back 114

authoritative, negotiable

Front 115

tactical rules

Back 115

unstated rules to achieve a personal goals

Front 116

systems approach

Back 116

human behavior is part of a system
-a guideline for creating theory that acknowledges human choice and the constraints of the systems involved.
-human behavior is the result of many factors that influence one another
-wholeness, interdependence

Front 117

hypothesis

Back 117

testable predictions of relationships between concepts that follow the general predictions made by a theory

Front 118

movements vs actions

Back 118

activities based on stimulus response
vs.
activities based on intentional choice responses

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1. wholeness

Back 119

re. systems theory. systems are more than the sum of their individual parts

Front 120

2. interdependence

Back 120

a property of systems theory stating that the elements of a system affect one another

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3. hierarchy
-subsystems
- suprasystems

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property of system that consists of multiple LEVELS
- smaller systems in larger ones
- larger systems with smaller ones within them.

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4. boundaries
- openness

Back 122

says that systems construct structures specifying their outer limits
- acknowledgment that within all human systems the boundaries are permeable

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5. calibration/feedback

Back 123

property of systems theory stating that systems periodically check the scale of allowable behaviors and reset the system
- feedback. subprocess of calibration; information allowing for change in the system

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morphogenic

Back 124

term for when a system recalibrates (or changes)

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homeostatic

Back 125

a term for a stable system that isn't changing

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equifinality

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a property of systems theory stating that systems can achieve the same goals through different meanings

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equifinality ex.

Back 127

a single group can achieve goals through different means

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the research process
1. scientific method

Back 128

traditional method for doing research involving controlled observations and analysis to test the principles of a theory

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2. deductive logic

Back 129

moving from the general (the theory) to the specific (observations)

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3. inductive logic

Back 130

moving from the specific (observations) to the general (theory)

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4. operationalize

Back 131

making an abstract idea measurable and observable

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5. observations

Back 132

focused examination within a context of interest; may be guided by hypotheses or research questions

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6. data

Back 133

the raw materials collected by the researcher to answer the questions posed in the research or to test a hypothesis

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7. code

Back 134

converting raw data to a category system

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8. grounded theory

Back 135

theory induced from data and analysis.

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pure research
vs. applied

Back 136

research to generate knowledge
vs. research wish to solve specific problems with the knowledge they or other researchers have generated.

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reliability

Back 137

the stability and predictability of an observation

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validity

Back 138

the truth value of an observation. the observation method actually captures what its supposed to.

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scope

Back 139

a criterion for evaluating theories; refers to the BREADTH of communication behaviors in the theory. (boundaries are the limits)

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logical consistency

Back 140

refers to the internal logic in the theoretical statements. internal logic needs to be clear and not contradictory.

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parsimony

Back 141

the simplicity of the explanation provided but the theory. only a number of concepts

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utility

Back 142

theory's usefulness or practical value. tells us a great deal about human comm.

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testability

Back 143

ability to test the accuracy of the claims

Front 144

heurism

Back 144

amount of stimulation and new thinking brought about by the theory

Front 145

test of time

Back 145

theories durability over time