COMM250 Thinking about Communication Definitions Models and Ethics Communication class definition process in which individuals use symbols to establish and interpret meaning in their environment o We believe it is a social process involves people and interactions Issues in Defining Communication o Is it meant to be intentional Sender must intent to send message in order to communication to take place o Does it have correspondence Does message sent have to equal the message received o Be successful o Be ethical Honest In order for communication to take place we have to achieve goals Should communication scholars study things that aren t ethical honest o Include symbolic actions Communication requires symbols o Include cognition thought perception Are these things that should be studied in communication or should we leave it to psychology sociology o Be human to human Models of communication Can we communicate w animals Comm only studies human human o A Linear Shannon Weaver 1949 Early view of communication process one way model 1 Sender person who has meaning that they want to get cross Encodes the message taking pure ideas thoughts and feelings in mind of sender labeling them w symbols organizing them in same way 2 Channel outlet for how we send and receive messages Send and receive messages through our 5 senses channels ex non verbal hear touch smell taste 3 Receiver person who receives the message Decodes the message process interpret meaning of those symbols Noise anything that interferes w the sending receiving of messages 1 Physical external noise any noise that is external to the participants o Ex construction visual distractions etc 2 Semantic noise noise that is based on word meaning o Ex if someone is using a word you don t understand foreign languages technical terms 3 Psychological noise noise is internal in the mind of the sender receiver o Ex personal bias opinion that affects behavior what you think internally hinders communication to happen 4 Physiological noise noise in the body internally o Ex tired sick hungry hearing disorder hinders message from being sent received o B Interactional Schramm 1954 circular interactive 1 Feedback response from receiver response to message It lets sender know the meaning that the receiver got from message Very start stop oriented Ex texts emails 2 Field of experience everything that you bring to the communication experience Ex age ethnicity culture etc Affects the meaning we intend to send receive Needs to overlap in some field of experience in order for understanding to take place o C Transactional Bamlund 1970 On going process doesn t involve 3rd party Simultaneously sending and receiving Both parties are responsible for the creation of meaning A response to an action reaction response reaction receiver Multiple feedback to reach common understanding Takes place in a context environment Changes rules for communication Doesn t change the process Interpersonal process prominent during the time this theory was created Contexts of Communication Intrapersonal Interpersonal Small groups Role of cognition Relationship development Problem solving Decision making Relationship maintenance Leadership Attributions about others Relationship dissolution Communication networks Attributions about self Power and control Persuasion Attraction Power Norms Organization Comm Culture Power Morale Worker satisfaction Hierarchy Productivity Public rhetorical Aristotle ethos lagos pathos Speech and text criticism Communication apprehension Intercultural Between and among cultures Co cultures How culture affects comm Gender Health Interpersonal Public health Risk messages Diffusion Networks Chapter 2 Defining Theory o Label for things Theory Stephen Littlejohn any conceptual representation or explanation of a phenomenon Theory Mary John Smith a set of statements specifying an explanatory relationship b w two or more classes of phenomenon o A theory must include explanation a relationship b w concepts Theory vs Taxonomy and Model o Taxonomy conceptual representation of categories of a phenomenon o Example Marwell Schmitt s Came up with 16 different strategies Compliance gaining strategies organized them into groups Stephen Littlejohn would consider taxonomy a theory because it is a conceptual representation o Model a simplified representation of reality Specifies relationships b w concepts Temporal order Stephen Littlejohn AND Mary John Smith would think a model is a theory b c obviously it is a conceptual representation but it also explains specifies relationships Theory Class definition any conceptual representation or explanation of a phenomenon Goals of theory o To describe to understand What answer this question Put it in an intelligible frame How Why o To explain o To predict o To control Social change To control communication process Communication theory a way to describe explain predict and or control human communication behavior Meta theoretical Assumptions We have so many different communication theories They all have to do with the different assumptions that scholars in our field make o Nature of communication so many ways to define it o Varied ways of building and testing theory Metatheory is a branch of philosophy o Theory about theory o Metatheory body of speculation on the nature of theory and research What are the assumptions that scholars make and how does this affect the theories o Metatheoretical discussion answer these 3 questions What communication phenomena should be observed What counts as communication How should it be observed What is the best way to learn about communication surveys interviews etc What should be the goals of theory research to explain to describe to predict to control is Three areas of metatheoretical assumptions one or the other better o Ontological Branch of philosophy concerned with studying the nature of reality Theories represent reality but it isn t reality in it of itself These questions attempt to define what reality is How do we know what we witness is communication How do we know we ve engaged in communication These assumptions identify what communication looks like in the real world 3 ontological questions 1 Do humans make real choices o Communication is a matter of choice communication is goal oriented in the real world o Communication is not a matter of choice communication are a result of stimuli if stimuli is present there is no choice in behavior 2 Is human experience basically individual or
View Full Document
Unlocking...