Comm 250 Lecture 3 Objectives o What is meta theory o What are Meta theoretical assumptions questions o How do Meta theoretical assumptions drive theory building and testing o What is the difference between a social scientist and a humanist o What are the major theoretical paradigms in the field of communication Paradigms in communication field o Covering laws approach o Rules approach o Systems approach o Rhetoricians Covering Law approach o No choice Believe people communicate the way they do because some prior condition caused them to respond in a certain way Ontological assumption They believe they communicate the way they do because of some prior condition that made them do that o Communication is governed by forces that are predictable and generalizable Forces are called laws o Laws Universal Transcend time and space Example water boils at 100 degrees Celsius Laws based on relationships between phenomenon If x then y o Positivistic laws Deterministic Ex increased source credibility causes increased If x then y persuasion x is source credibility and y is increased persuasion o X stimulus and y effect response Shyness causes conversational incoherence x is shyness y is conversational incoherence Self disclosure by one individual in a conversation is followed by self discloser by the other individual o Probabilistic laws Based on probability Law like If x then probably y under certain conditions z Heavy viewing of T V violence will probably lead to aggression among viewers who already have latent aggressive tendencies Using evidence in an argument will probably lead to more persuasion if the evidence used is credible Laws theorist want to discover o The conditions that will cause people to communicate in some way o Why Explain and predict What are the meta theoretical assumptions of laws theorist o Ontological o Epistemological o Axiological Rules approach o Choice proactive not reactive People make purposeful choices about their actions to achieve We are proactive in what we do plan our actions in order to goals achieve our goals Ex lets say your goal is to get an A what actions do you take to get an A come to class study do your work etc o Goals achieved by following social rules for decisions Rules as goal action linkages o Rules are context specific Depends on where you are and what class your in the rules change o Rules examples If you want to project a favorable self image when interacting with strangers then you should engage in polite social conversation If you want a satisfying romantic relationship you should communicate openly and honestly o Rules theorist want to understand Why people choose to follow or not follow rules The effect f following or not following the rules How people create negotiate rules o What are the Meta theoretical assumptions of the rules theorists As choice increases predictability decreases Ontological choice social endeavor context matters Epistemological empirical slant they observe what s going on knowledge is certain Axiological non bias observers Systems approach o Human behavior part of system Need to understand system o Free will constrained by system in which they operate Law like Rules Systems approach Properties of systems o Wholeness o Interdependence all the different components of the system are interdependent and when there is a change to one component of the system it affects the entire system o Hierarchy systems are composed of sub systems o Boundaries openness we have boundaries for communication o Calibration feedback systems need to be stable when systems are knocked out of whack they need to do something to get back to stability o Equifinality many different ways to achieve the same goals Rhetoricians o Interpretive or hermeneutic approach o Critical approach primary goal of research is social change ex Martin Luther king jr Scientific Humanistic Rhetoricians Laws Interpretive Critical Systems Rules Social Scientist No choice Individual not social Context doesn t matter Knowledge is innate it is already known and exists Knowledge can be certain Knowledge through quantitative research Best conceived in parts Research is value free Inquiry shouldn t be influenced it should be unbiased o Goals of theory Too predict and control in certain circumstances o Methods quantitative empirical research ex surveys Humanist Do make choices Social because people work together to communicate Context matters Communicate is innate Knowledge doesn t have to be certain Knowledge is best convinced in wholes There is practice of inquiry Personal values matter Would want to make a social change o Goals of theory achieve social change by using rhetorical methods o Methods qualitative
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