Defining Communication What are the issues involved in defining communication There is no one definition many ways to interpret and define Define communication A process in which individuals use symbols to establish and interpret meaning in their environment Why is it important to define communication You need a definition in order to have a credible field Models of the communication process know their components and how they differ conceptually Linear one way o Sender encodes channel receiver decodes Interactional share meaning with feedback o Sender and receiver are linked through feedback emails Transactional simultaneously o A conversation Types of noise 4 Noise anything that interferes with communication o Physical external construction o Psychological biases prejudices prejudgment o Physiological biological problems being sick o Semantic linguistic differences Communication contexts know what they are and topics of study within them these topics can be found in your text Intrapersonal individual o Impression formation and decision making symbols and meaning observations and attributions ego involvement and persuasion Interpersonal comm Geared toward relationships o Relationship maintenance strategies relational intimacy relationship control interpersonal attraction Small group comm process within small group o Gender and group leadership group vulnerability groups and stories group decision making task difficulty Organizational comm That takes place within organizations o hierarchy and power culture and life employee morale opinions and worker satisfaction Public rhetoric comm in front of an audience public speeches o Communication apprehension delivery effectiveness speech and text criticism ethical speechmaking pop culture analysis Ethos cred pathos emotions logos logic Rhetoric speaking or writing is effectively persuasive Mass has to do with mass media o Use of media affiliation and television programming television and values media and need fulfillment effects of social networking sites Intercultural comm Differs from culture to culture o Culture and rule setting culture and anxiety hegemony ethnocentrism Health comm study of comm In field of health public service announcements Introduction to Theory What is Theory i e theory defined Any conceptual representation or explanation of a phenomenon Stephen Littlejohn Difference between a theory a model and a taxonomy Theory Any conceptual representation or explanation of a phenomenon SIT CMM etc Model a simplified representation of reality specifies relationship between concepts MODELS Taxonomy a conceptual representation of categories of a phenomenon o categorizing scheme for different communication behaviors o Rewarding activities Promise liking pre giving o Punishing activities Threat aversive stimulation o Expertise Expertise pos neg o Activation of impersonal commitments Moral appeal self feeling pos neg altercasting pos neg esteem pos neg o Activation of personal commitments Altruism and debt What are the Goals of Theory To describe understand explain how and or why predict or control effect social change Metatheoretical Assumptions Ontological concerned with studying the nature of reality o Do humans make real choices Scientist no humanist yes o Is human experience comm basically individual or social Sci individual human social o Is human experience comm contextualized Sci no human yes Epistemological concerned with studying knowledge how do we know what we know o Can knowledge exist before experience Sci yes Human no created through interaction o Can knowledge be certain Sci yes search for universal laws Human no o By what process does knowledge arise Sci its discovered Human gained through mentalism constructivism and or social constructivism o Is knowledge best conceived in parts or wholes Sci parts Human whole Axiological concerned with studying values o Is research value free Sci yes Human no o Does the practice of inquiry influence that which is studied Sci no influence Human does influence o Should research attempt to achieve social change Sci should not Human should Covering Laws Rules Systems Approaches to Theory Covering laws approach there are fixed relationships between two or more events or objects ex whenever Linda speaks Bob interrupts her o No choice o Believe people communicate bc prior condition o Comm Is governed by predictable generalizable forces o Forces are called laws Rules approach much of human behavior is a result of free choice people pick the social rules that govern their interactions o Choice is proactive not reactive o People make purposeful choices to achieve goals o Choices are made following social rules to meet goals o Rules are context specific Systems approach human behavior is part of a system ex family is a system of family relationships rather than individual members o Human behavior is part of a system needs to be understood o Free will is constrained by system is law like and has rules Types of laws positivistic vs probabilistic laws Positivistic laws deterministic laws If X then Y o ex Increased source credibility causes increased persuasion Probabilistic laws based on probability If X then probably Y under certain conditions Z o ex Using evidence in an argument probably will lead to more persuasion if the evidence used is credible Who are rhetoricians What two general approaches do they take to theory building Hard core humanists look for meaning and interpretations o Interpretive share humanist assumption but main goal is to do descriptive work o Critical approach share assumption as humanists but primary goal is for social change Scientist vs humanist GOALS EXPLANATIONS TEST METHODS Empirical Scientist Socialist critical o Try to predict or explain sometimes control no social change o Explain by causal necessity positivistic and probabilistic o Look for universal laws knowledge is certain o Stimuli will cause a response quantitative research methods Humanist interpretive o Describe explain control social change o Try to understand change behavior o Believe in rules based approach o Multiple interpretations theories to explain a phenomenon rhetoricians qualitative research methods Difference between the Empirical Scientist World View I and the Humanist World View II Social scientist critical o knowledge based on observation o phenomenon are waiting to be discovered o structured steps to discovery o reality is distinct from the scientist and the scientist discovers
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