Coms 201: Chapter 7

Front 1

Constructivism

Back 1

Humans create meanings by relying on four basic cognitive schemata.

Front 2

Cognitive Complexity

Back 2

(Constructivist Theory)

The degree to which a person's interpretive processes are differentiated, abstract, and organized.

Front 3

Abstraction

Back 3

1/3 measures of cognitive complexity:

The extent to which a person interprets others in terms of internal motives and character as opposed to physical appearance and actions.

Front 4

Organization

Back 4

1/3 measures of cognitive complexity:

The extent to which a person notices and is able to make sense of contradictory behaviours.

Front 5

Differentiation

Back 5

1/3 measures of cognitive complexity:

The number of distinct interpretations a person uses to perceive and describe others.

Front 6

Person-Centeredness

Back 6

The ability to tailor communication to particular individuals with whom we interact.

Front 7

Hierarchy of Meanings

Back 7

(CMM Theory)

Multiple levels of meaning, each contextualized by higher levels. We rely on this hierarchy to interpret meanings.

Front 8

Cultural Pattern

Back 8

6/6 levels in the hierarchy of meaning:

Understandings of speech acts, episodes, relationships and autobiographies shared by groups and societies.

Ex: A norm in this group is to engage in playful insults.

Front 9

Autobiography

Back 9

5/6 levels in the hierarchy of meaning:

A person's view of him/herself that shapes communication and is shaped by communication.

Ex: I'm a friendly person who enjoys fun.

Front 10

Relationship

Back 10

4/6 levels in hierarchy of meaning:

A scripted form of interaction that we engage in with a particular other.

Ex: This is a long-standing friendship.

Front 11

Episode

Back 11

3/6 levels in the hierarchy of meaning:

A recurring routine of interaction that is structured by rules and has boundaries.

Ex: This is our normal banter.

Front 12

Speech Act

Back 12

2/6 levels of hierarchy of meaning:

An action that is performed by speaking.

Ex: pleading, joking, etc.

Front 13

Content

Back 13

1/6 levels in the hierarchy of meaning:

The literal meanings of words in communication.

Ex: "You're a jerk."

Front 14

Cognitive Schema

Back 14

A structure on which people rely to interpret experience and construct meaning.

Four types of cognitive schemata: prototypes, personal constructs, stereotypes, and scripts.

Front 15

Personal Construct

Back 15

1/4 cognitive schemata:

Used to interpret experiences, a bipolar scale of description.

Ex: happy - unhappy

Front 16

Prototype

Back 16

1/4 cognitive schemata:

An ideal or optimal example of a category of person, situation, object, etc.

Ex: our idea of a good teacher.

Front 17

Constitutive Rule

Back 17

(CMM Theory)

A rule that defines what counts as what in communication.

Ex: What counts as support, a joke, praise?

Front 18

Logical Force

Back 18

(CMM Theory)

The degree to which a person feels he or she must act or cannot act in a situation.

Front 19

Regulative Rule

Back 19

(CMM Theory)

A rule that tells us when it's appropriate to do a certain thing and what we should do next in the situation.

Front 20

Rule

Back 20

Regularity in behaviour that is consistent within a particular situation but is not assumed to be universal. A guide for behaviour; not determinant.

Front 21

Rules Theory

Back 21

The point of view that socially constructed and learned rules guide communication. Also called CMM theory.

Front 22

Script

Back 22

1/4 cognitive schema:

A routine that reflects our understanding of how a particular interaction is supposed to proceed.

Front 23

Stereotype

Back 23

1/4 cognitive schemata:

A predictive generalization about a person's behaviour based on general knowledge about the group they belong to.

Ex: asians like rice and can't drive.

Front 24

Strange Loop

Back 24

(CMM Theory)

An internal conversation in which an individual becomes trapped in a destructive pattern of thinking.

Ex: alcoholism.