Review for Final Exam Comm 250 Introduction to Communication Theory Fall 2011 General Comments and Guidelines New material covers Chapters 14 17 18 19 26 and 29 in your text West Turner And class notes of course The exam will require you to know more than just class terms and definitions although you must know these You will be asked 1 to identify examples of the theories acting in real life situations and 2 to apply your un derstanding of the topics learned for the first exam i e metatheoretical assumptions theory building and testing to the theories we discussed up until this point Groupthink Janis 1972 II III IV V VI VII Goal purpose is to understand the nature of decision making in small groups I A Groupthink Concepts Related to Groupthink the inability of a group to realistically appraise alternative courses of action due to 1 Group Cohesiveness is the degree to which the group gets along and wants to work together in a pos itive environment High Cohesiveness is when a group is banded together as one unit 2 Affiliative Constraints 3 Homogeneity no decision making procedures if a group is disorganized then the odds are against them Groups work better if the procedures are stated at the outset the group protects itself from outside influences 4 Group Insulation Assumptions Problem Solving Groups VS Task Oriented Groups According to your text pg 252 how does a vigilant decision maker make a decision How is this decision Information from groupthink video e g conditions that promote groupthink symptoms of groupthink Be making process altered in a groupthink situation able to provide examples from the video Conditions that May Promote Groupthink A High Cohesiveness B Group Insulation C No Impartial Leadership leaders are biased D Homogeneity of Group Members E No Decision Making Procedures if disorganized then odds are against the group F High Stress Symptoms Illusion of Invulnerability a groups belief that they are special enough to overcome any obstacles set backs A B Belief in the Inherent Morality of the Group belief that the group memebers are thoughtful and good therefore their decisions will be good C Out Group Stereotyping stereotyped perceptions of group enemies or competitors D Collective Rationalization situation in which group members ignore warnings about their decisions E Self Censorship group members minimize personal doubts and counterarguments F G Self Appointed Mind Guards Individuals who protect the group from adverse information H Pressures on Dissenters direct influences on group members who provide thoughts contrary to the Illusion of Unanimity belief that silence agreement groups 1 VIII Preventing Groupthink A Require oversight and control decision making B Embrace whistle blowing people who point out the bad things within the group C Allow for Objections conscientious objectors D Balance Consensus and Majority Rule IX Evaluation A PROS Heuristic Narrow Scope applies only to groups under extreme stress B CONS Underdeveloped poorly conceptualized some people don t believe its a theory Janis is a SS but the X XI theory is descriptive lacks empirical backing How does the theory define communication Relate to issues involved in defining communication What are the theory s metatheoretical assumptions Ontological Epistemological Axiological Organizational Information Theory Weick 1969 Goal purpose of OIT How general systems theory and Darwin s theory of evolution relate to OIT Assumptions of OIT Where does communication fit into the theory Concepts of OIT e g information environment equivocality rules cycles etc How do rules function in OIT What types of rules are there Be able to identify examples What is a cycle How do they function in OIT What is the act response adjustment cycle How does it function What are the three principles that organizations use when dealing with equivocality How do organizations reduce equivocality What are the three stages of reducing equivocality e g enactment selec tion retention Evaluation of the theory Positives Negatives How does the theory define communication Relate to issues involved in defining communication What are the theory s metatheoretical assumptions Ontological Epistemological Axiological Traditional Rhetorical Theory Aristotle Rhetoric defined How does rhetoric fit into the context of public communication Assumptions of rhetoric Origins of rhetoric Aristotle s role in traditional rhetorical theory How did Aristotle define rhetoric Assumptions of Aristotle s rhetoric What are rhetoric s concepts What are proofs What are artistic proofs What are inartistic proofs What is are the difference s between artistic and inartistic proofs Be able to provide examples of each What are ethos logos and pathos How do they relate to artistic proofs What are logical artistic proofs e g enthymemes and examples What is the difference between an enthymeme and a rhetorical syllogism Be able to provide examples What kinds of speech are there e g deliberative epideictic forensic What is each type of speech s purpose What Aristotle s canons of rhetoric discussed in class as the functional activities of speaking e g invention arrange ment style delivery How does memory fit in According to traditional rhetorical theory How do we use communication to persuade people Evaluation of traditional rhetorical theory Positives Negatives How does traditional rhetorical theory define communication Relate to issues involved in defining communication What are traditional rhetorical theory s metatheoretical assumptions Ontological Epistemological Axiological Contemporary Rhetorical Theory Dramatsim Burke Differences between traditional and contemporary rhetoric 1 Assumptions of contemporary rhetorical theory Types of contemporary rhetorical theories e g The narrative paradigm dramatism critical cultural studies Dramatism Kenneth Burke 1930s 1980s Assumptions of Dramatism Key concepts terms of dramatism e g motive identification consubstantiality etc The dramatistic pentad act agent agency scene purpose What are these How do they relate How does the speaker use these to persuade How does Mark Kretschmar apply the pentad to Reagan s address to the nation after the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster video clips shown in class Be able to apply these to a speech Be able to provide examples from Ted Kennedy s speech discussed in your discus sion sections What is the analysis of motives What is a root term What is are ratios between terms How does this relate
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