COMM250 Study Guide 1 10 10 2011 08 21 00 General Comments and Guidelines The exam will require you to know more than terms and definitions You will be asked 1 to think about the broad implications of each of the topic areas we covered i e How do each of the topic areas relate to one another and to communication theory 2 to identify examples of class concepts acting in real life situations and 3 to apply your understanding of the concepts to theory building and testing Defining Communication What are the issues involved in defining communication Communication can have many definitions o Be intentional Watzlawick Beavin Jackson o Have Correspondence o Be Successful o Be Ethical Honest Include Symbolic Actions o o o Be Human to Human Include Cognition Thought Perception Define communication A process in which individuals use symbols to establish and interpret meaning in their environment Why is it important to define communication Because there are many ways to define communication as a result of the complexity and richness of the communication discipline Models of the communication process Linear One way view of communication that assumes a message is sent by a source to a receiver through a channel Ex advertisements public speakers on TV leaving a voicemail Interactional source and receiver view of communication as the sharing of meaning with feedback that links o example managers parents professors use this to ensure the employees children and students understand the message Transactional View Example while communicating a nod or I know shows understanding o Types of noise Semantic Noise linguistic influences on reception of message o Slang jargon or specialized language used by groups of individuals o Ex doctors use scientific phrases that patients may not understand Physical Noise bodily influences on reception of message o External Psychological Noise cognitive influences on reception of message o Internal self talk Physiological noise biological influences on reception of message o The biological influences on the communication process o If a speaker is ill fatigued or hungry Communication contexts know what they are and topics of study within them these topics can be found in your text Intrapersonal communication with one s self in your head o Role of Cognition o Decision Making o Attributions about others o Attributions about self o Persuasion communication between people o Relationship Development o Relationship Maintenance Example daydreaming thinking solving problems in your head Interpersonal communication with one other person face to face Example parent child teacher student supervisor employee Small Group communicating with three or more people Roles task leader recorder passive observer etc Example peer groups group projects support groups Organizational communicating within a hierarchy boss director manager o Relationship Dissolution o Power and Control o Attraction o Problem Solving o Leadership o Communication Networks o Power o Norms coordinator o Culture o Power o Morale o Worker Satisfaction o Hierarchy o Productivity Example Interpersonal encounters supervisor subordinate conversations public speaking opportunities presentations by company executives small group situations a task group preparing a report and mediated experiences internal memos email and teleconferencing Essentially groups of groups Public Rhetorical communicating to the public a speech news article persuasive o Aristotle Ethos ethics speaking credibility Competence Charisma and Character Logos logical evidence Proposition of Facts desired outcome stand or action absence of false facts partial information and biased stands thing The patriots will win the superbowl Proposition of Value evaluation of a person place or Ohio is a wonderful place to live Value terms good bad right wrong Proposition of Policy stating something that should or should not be done The US should disengage in Iraq Pathos emotional appeals o Speech and Text Criticism o Communication Apprehension sense of fear of speaking before an audience Mass Mediated communicating to a large audience via multiple channels radio Cultura l communication between and among individuals whose cultural internet television o Effects on Culture advertising backgrounds vary o Between and among cultures o Co cultures groups of individuals who are part of the same larger culture but who can be classified around various identities race sex age o How culture affects communication o Gender Health o Interpersonal o Public Health o Risk Messages o Diffusion o Networks Introduction to Theory What is Theory i e theory defined Any conceptual representation or explanation of a phenomenon Stephen Littlejohn A set of statements specifying an explanatory relationship between two or more classes of phenomenon Mary John Smith o A way to describe explain predict and or control human communication behavior Definition of Theory o An abstract system of concepts and their relationships that help us to understand a phenomenon Level of Generality how widely the theory can be applied o Grand universal theories that attempt to explain all of communication behaviors in a manner that is universally true Most agree that no grand theory of communication exists o Mid range moderately general a theory that attempts to explain a specified aspect of a phenomenon Ex how people agree on decisions in groups how people from different cultures engage in conflict Based on time context type of comm behavior o Narrow very specific attempts to explain a very limited aspect of a phenomenon concerns only certain people in certain situations Standing in an elevator Components o Concepts labels for the most important elements in a theory has a specific definition that is unique to its use in a theory Nominal not observable democracy or love Real observable personal rituals or spatial distance o Relationships the ways in which the concepts of a theory relate to one another Goals o Can include Explanation Why Anton behaved so badly in his relationship with Rolanda Understanding Rolanda s distrust for men Prediction How Rolanda will respond to other men she meets Social Change or Empowerment Altering the institution of marriage so that it more completely empowers both partners Taxonomy a conceptual representation of categories of a phenomenon I Rewarding Activities o Promise Liking Pre giving II Punishing Activities o Threat Aversive Stimulation III Expertise o Expertise positive and
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