Comm250 Exam 1 study guide 11 03 2012 Chapter 1 Defining Communication What are the issues involved in defining communication o o o o o o o 1 Whether or not it needs to be intentional 2 Needs to be correspondence Does the message sent out need to the message received Some believe to have success need to achieve our goals 3 Needs to be successful 4 Needs to be ethical Should we study unethical ideas Ex Lying behavior and then publish data teach people how to lie 5 Include symbolic actions Verbal vs non verbal 6 Include cognition thought of perception talking to yourself is it enough Do we need feedback a sender and receiver 7 Need to be human to human interaction Talking to dogs Definition of communication their environment Why is it important to define communication o A process in which individuals use symbols to establish and interpret meaning in o Communication scholars may approach the interpretation of communication differently because of differences in scholarly values Models of the communication process 3 o 1 Linear sender message target receiver all the communication takes place in a CHANNEL the pathway to communication o 2 Interactional this is a 2 way communication process between communicators from sender receiver and receive sender FEEDBACK the response to a message is essential in this model Lets the communicator know if the message is received and the extent to which meaning is achieved Can be nonverbal or verbal can be intentional or unintentional o 3 Transactional underscores the simultaneous sending and receiving messages in a communication episode the process is cooperative sender and receiver are mutually responsible for the effect and effectiveness of communication Noise o 4 types of noise 1 Semantic noise slang jargon or specialized language 2 Physical external exists outside of the reader 3 Psychological a communicator s prejudices biases and predispositions toward another or a message 4 physiological biological influences on the comm process exists if you or the speaker is ill fatigued or hungry Communication Contexts o 1 Intrapersonal communication with oneself what goes on inside your head even when you are with someone else o 2 Interpersonal face to face communication between people role of cognition decision making attributions about others persuasion attributions about slef relationship development relationship maintenance relationship dissolution power and control attraction o 3 Small group comm among at least 3 individuals they have a common bond high degree of togetherness cohesive cohesive the degree of togetherness between and among communicators leadership problem solving communication networks power norms o 4 Organizational group communication within and among large extended culture power morale worker satisfaction productivity o 5 Public rhetorical communication the dissemination of information from one person environments hierarchy to many others Oprah to audience Aristotle Ethos logos pathos Speech and text criticism Communication apprehension o o 6 Mass Media channels of delivery modes for mass messages new media computer related technology effects on culture 7 Cultural communication between and among individuals whose cultural backgrounds vary co cultures groups of people who are apart of the same larger culture but who can be classified around various identities age race sex gender how culture affects comm between and among cultures o 8 Health interpersonal public health risk messages diffusion networks Chapter 2 Introduction to Theory Definition of theory o Stephen Littlejohn any conceptual representation OR explanation of a communication phenomenon Does not need explanation 2 or more classes of phenomenon o Mary John Smith a set of statements specifying an explanatory relationship between Theory HAS TO include an explanation explanation works like relationship between concepts link Theory vs Taxonomy and Model o Taxonomy a conceptual representation of categories of a phenomenon grouping of things DON T need explanation Littlejohn would consider taxonomy a theory o Model a simplified version of reality Specifies relationships between concepts Temporal order Always has explanation that goes with the model Mary john smith and littlejohn would consider this a model because there is an explanation we follow Littlejohn s definition because it is broad Goals of Theory o 1 Describe to understand it better What Put it in an intelligible frame Ex Taxonomy how and or why o o o 2 Explain 3 Predict 4 Control Social change Change the thinking of the masses Definition of Communication Theory o A way to describe explain predict and or control human communication behavior Meta theory theory about theory o Def body of speculation on the nature of theory and research What are the assumptions that scholars make when thinking about creating Meta theoretical assumptions theory in our field 1 Ontological identifying what comm looks like in the real world branch of philosophy concerned with studying the nature of reality o o 3 questions 1 Do humans make real choices Yes we use comm in real world to achieve goals o Goal oriented behavior o Ex If I want you to like me I will Be nice flatter you do nice things No behavior in response to stimuli o No choice perspective o As long as certain stimuli are present people will act in certain ways and have no choice in acting that way Want to PREDICT human comm behavior o You can t have choice or else can t predict 2 Is human experience basically individual or social Social believe people work together to negotiate meaning or come to a common understanding o People engage in interaction and negotiate meaning need two people to do so Individual no choice perspective people act individually in society o Come in contact with stimuli and then make them act the way they do 3 Is human experience contextualized No if the context is the same throughout then context does Yes communication rules depend on context o You behave differently with close friends vs with not matter strangers 2 Epistemology Branch of philosophy that studies knowledge best research methods to use o o 4 questions 1 Can knowledge exist before experience Yes innate senses that allow to know without investigation any further trying it Just know without experience not liking a food without No survey people watch research observe vicariously or personally must observe others to learn 2 Can knowledge be certain Social Yes once we learn something it will always be
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