COMM 104Exam # 1 Public CommunicationVerbal and nonverbal messages are used in public communication to convey meaning to others. This requires steps and cannot be looked at as a linear process. The main parts to the communication process are the source, encoding, the message, the channel, the receiver, decoding, the frame of reference, feedback, and noise. The purpose of public communication is to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. Public communication also entails research, preparation, intentional messages, and one-way feedback, where general communication does not. Traits and StatesA trait is something that can be distinguished by an individual in a very stable and long lasting way. This caries over through time and does not change when circumstances change. A state is more temporary and may change depending on the set of circumstances surrounding the person who has to communicate.Communication Apprehension occurs when anxiety is felt by someone who has to be involved with either real or anticipated communication. This happens on a broad scale and can vary widely in degree. Comm App can be trait-based, context-based, situation-based, or audience-based. Trait –based is something that is natural and cannot be grown out of. Context-based happens when a certain specific context is involved. Situation-based is the most specific because it occurs when the context, receiver, and time all factor into the anxiety. Audience-based occurs due to discomfort caused by the receiver(s) of the message. Verbal AggressionThere are three types of aggression in public communication. The first two, assertivenessand argumentativeness are both constructive. The destructive form of aggression is verbal aggression. This occurs when a speaker attacks another person verbally, and not just their position or opinion on a matter. Most of the time, this occurs when the speaker is afraid of losing the argument or does not have a very clear message. Listening/MemoryIt is important to note that there are differences between hearing and listening. Hearing is simply the body’s response to sound waves and impulses. Listening is a mental process thatrequires focus and practice. Most people are poor listeners and need to improve their skills. Listening can be improved by reducing distractions, reducing listener apprehension, and by exercises to improve your way of handling anxiety. It’s also important to keep a good attitude while listening to increase focus. The HURIER Model can be used to remember the appropriate way to be an effective listener. Hearing, Understanding, Remembering, Interpreting, Evaluating, Responding.Another way to be a good listener is to ask questions. Perception checking makes sure that you are on the same page as the speaker. Closed questions can be simple yes or no response questions to solidify facts. Open questions help to gain longer explanations. Leading questions start with your own opinion and help to see if this will sway the speaker’s response. Probing questions are used to gain elaboration.The three types of memory systems that are used when storing information are the immediate memory, short term memory, and long term memory. The immediate memory decides whether the information should be passed along to the short term memory, or should simply be discarded. The short term memory holds on to this information for around 30 seconds, to decide whether to pass it along to the long term memory. This memory is often called the “working memory”, whereas the immediate memory is the “filtering device”. The longterm memory holds the most information, but can be slow in retrieval. This is called the “data bank”. Critical ThinkingIt is important to critically think about information whether you are the speaker or the receiver in communication. Critical thinking involves taking the information that you hear, and processing it in a way that it makes the most sense to you. The skills involved with critical thinking include interpretation, analysis, evaluation, self-regulation, inference, and explanation.Deductive reasoning is a type of critical thinking that takes a large situation and dissects it to figure out if all the individual pieces are true. This is considered the “top down approach”. The “bottom up approach”, inductive reasoning, takes specific information and uses them to arrive at a larger conclusion. A good example of this is Dr. House. Problem SolvingA critical part of communication is problem solving. Problems occur often in everyday life, and therefore must be handled in many different ways. The IDEAS Model illustrates a proper problem solving method. Identify, Deepen, Enumerate, Assess,