ComSt 101 1st Edition Exam #4 Study Guide Lectures: 28 - 36Lecture 28 (April 8)Public CommunicationWhat is public communication? What is the public sphere? What is the importance of public communication? What is rhetorical situation? What is the audience-speaker relationship?Public Communication: message addresses/ reaches a large audience-Can be electronically mediatedThe public sphere: can become spokesperson; grassroots groupsImportance of public communication-Essential to democracy -Distrust among masses: nobody likes flip-floppers-Discovering facts-Must be well informed-Reveal new info-Testing ideas: try out supporting reasons-Persuading others-Selling info-Audience is a consumer-Shaping knowledge: facts become known and integrated into schemasPersonal and professional consequencesContext and rhetorical situation-Rhetorical situation-Exigense: problem that should be fixed-Audience: can change problemAudience-speaker relationship: adapt message to audienceLecture 29 (April 10) What is attitude? Why study attitude? What is the ABC Model of Attitudes? Are attitudes determined by genetic makeup? What are the 4 functions of attitude? What is the theory of planned behavior? Why the empirical focus on propaganda?Attitude-Psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor-Tendency: may change or stay the same-Particular entity:-Attitude object-Can be anything one chooses to evaluate-Concrete or abstract-Attitude changes, personality doesn't-"Some degree": attitudes can be strong or weak-"Favor or disfavor"-Attitudes can be positive or negative-Can also be neutral or ambiguousWhy study attitudes?-People can hold and do hold attitudes about just about anything-Liking for others: attitude about other individuals-Self-esteem: attitudes about ourselves-Prejudice: attitudes toward our own and other groups-Knowing what people's attitudes are gives us a way to predict behavior-Understanding the basis of attitudes gives us ideas on how to change themABC (Tripartite) Model of Attitudes-Affective: emotional reactions and feelings toward an attitude object-Behavioral: behavior or actions toward an attitude object-Cognitive: thoughts and beliefs about an attitude objectImplications of the ABC Model: attitudes can be formed in different waysAttitudes determined by genetic make-up?-Perhaps not all attitudes are formed via experience; some may be "hard-wired"-Strong likes and dislikes toward a variety of things are rooted in our genetic make-up-Identical vs. Fraternal Twins study (Olson)-Identical twins more similar4 Functions of Attitudes-Utilitarian function: maximizes rewards and minimizes punishments-Ego-defensive function: express our individuality-Value-expressive functions: guide lines to simplify decision making; organize our beliefsWhy study attitudes?1. Relation to behavior-Evaluation-moderation of when attitudes --> behavior-Compliance too short-lived and unwieldy, can't be widespread solution2. Government is based on creating changes in behavioral tendencies long before the behavior can be performed-Needs persuasion3. Most health hazards are due to risky behavior4. Attitudes affect perceptions of new events and people-Preferred candidate won debateTheory of planned behavior-To understand behavior, must understand attitudes toward behavior and...-Subjective norms: close other's perception of the behavior-Behavioral control: perceived ease of doing behavior-Subjective norms and behavioral control influence intention (willingness to behave)Empirical focus on propaganda-During and following WWII, propaganda and persuasion were of great interest-Researchers consulted with armed forces on how to develop soldier morale-Emphasis was on how people "learn" persuasive messagesLecture 30 (April 13)What is the message learning approach? What is subliminal perception?Message Learning Approach-Studied "who says what to whom"-Who: the source of communication-What: the nature of the communication-To whom: the nature of the audience-Steps in persuasion: Attention, comprehension, yielding-Assume rewards/incentives make these 4 steps more likely-Many aspects of persuasive communications-Key: one has to remember the content of a message for it to have a lasting impact-Problems:-Memory of message doesn't always matter in attitude change-Incentive based predictions don't always work-Playing to our fearsSubliminal perception-Stimulus can influence behavior even when it is so weak or brief that we do not perceive it consciously-Subliminal: below the sensory threshold-Used to indicate that stimulus was not consciously detected-Subliminal messagesLecture 31 (April 15) Preparing and Presenting Public SpeechesWhat goes into planning a speech? How is the relationship with the audience formed? Planning the speech-Establish relationship with audience-Speech structure-Maintain audience's attentionRelationship with audience-Adapt message to audience-Make relevant and understandable-Build common ground before countering beliefs-Science of comedy-Physical/props-Timing-Improv-"Natural" speakers-Gender and speakingLecture 32 (April 17)What is Godwin's Law? What goes into the relationship with the audience?Godwin's Law-As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approachesRelationship with audience-Obscenity-Taboo topics-"Bombing"-Unruly crowdLecture 33 (April 20)What are the functions of the interaction of audience and media? What is the powerful effects model? What is the CSI effect?Interaction of audience and media-Functions-Surveillance: observe (watchdogs, but can lead to too much irrelevant info)-Correlation: analyze (provide context for events, but makes world seem too simple)-Cultural transmission-Educate: prosocial vs antisocial learning-Entertainment: enjoymentPowerful effects model-Passive recipients-Media creates wants and needs-Media gives us the values to live byCSI effect-More skeptical of scientific evidenceLecture 34 (April 22)What is the limited effects model? How does media influence recipients? What cultivated worldviews? What is the relationship between communication and consumer behavior? What do we do with the message? What is computer mediated communication?Limited effects model-Recipients interpret information based on prior beliefs-Active processors-Can resist media influenceHow media influences