COMM402 Exam 2 Study Guide Models vs Theory Model an object or process system or structure that is a simplified representation Represents a piece of reality either as an object or process system or structure Graphic representation of an object or process A structure of symbols and operating rules which is supposed to match a set of relevant points in an existing structure or process Purpose is to describe and imagine illustrate show A simplified or scaled down representation Organize data some similarities and connections among its parts Make predictions by suggesting implying relationships Illustrate or teach heuristic tool allows students to find out things for themselves Help make measurements by suggesting how to design tests Theory a set of systematically related generalizations suggesting new observations for empirical testing Used to understand how an object or process works what is Purpose of theory is to explain predict Models Physical vs Conceptual o Physical just shows without any relationships may be smaller or larger in size simple description o Conceptual points out concepts as it attempts to represent physical psychological and logical processes Structural vs Functional o Structural describe the structure of a phenomenon o Functional describe systems of energy forces and their direction the relations between parts and the influence on one part on another Action Interaction Transaction o Action communication is something that one person does to another Ex the injection model the hypodermic needle model o Interaction adds the possibility of feedback loops communication is an alternating exchange of messages o Transaction considers sending encoding and receiving decoding to be simultaneous process includes overlapping fields of experience Metatheory and Paradigms What is a strong theory o Explains why o Draws connections between social phenomena o Delves into underlying processes so as to understand the systemic reasons for a particular occurence or nonoccurence o Can have implications we have not seen with our naked eye o Can have implications that run counter to common sense Goals of a theory o Describe understand o Explain how and or why o Predict o Control change social change and putting them into categories Metatheory theory about theory Typology Just a description categorizing things by type describing things o Used to indicate a concept which is an abstraction from another concept used to complete or add to the ladder o More comprehensive transcending usually used with the name of a discipline to designate a new but related discourse designed to deal critically with the original Paradigm a worldview underlying the theories and methodology about a particular scientific subject o Philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school discipline within theories laws and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulate Ontology study of the nature of being o Concerned with the nature and relations of being o Theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence o Assumptions about what exists and the nature of being Epistemology study of knowledge and its sources o Study theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge with reference to limits validity o How we go about knowing and what counts as knowledge Axiology study of value o Value in terms of aesthetics ethics o Position of value in science research Original position that research should be value free Limited as much as possible unavoidable desirable Epistemological Axiological Paradigms o Empiricism Positivism Ontological Paradigms o Covering Laws Assumes the existence of an objective reality Goal of research is to uncover reality through evidence closely associated with covering laws perspective In purest form research is explicitly value free and objective control Usually quantitative o Hermeneutics o Critical Theory Views truth as subjective research is not uncovering an objective truth but interpreting communication and experience Does not necessarily strive to be objective but may take a middle ground subtle realism Believes knowledge truth and power to be linked Science cannot exist without ideology Scholars believe it is a researcher s responsibility to work to change society Classic model logical positivist model Assumes an ontology where social world is governed by laws Purpose of the researcher is to uncover the laws that underlie if X then Y human behavior Ultimate goal is to use laws to predict behavior Scholars use experimental and quasi experimental techniques Strengths useful to generate predictions about human behavior findings from empirical studies have been useful for generating new theory Weaknesses Positivist tradition does not account enough for human agency and differing interpretations of stimuli not useful fro predicting with certainty what a person will do oversimplification o Rules Human Action Scholars identify rules rather than laws Closely associated with hermeneutic tradition Reality is subjective Understanding reality relies on understanding participants interpretation of stimuli Human choice is favored Strengths emphasis on choice interpretation allows for deep examination of communication phenomena Weaknesses inability to predict future behavior difficult to o Systems set of interdependent units that work together to adapt to test empirically a changing environment Views communication behavior as a system rather than aggregation of actors behaviors Not associated with a particular ontology epistemology axiology Properties of a system wholeness interdependence of components hierarchy boundaries openness calibration feedback equifinality idea that we can achieve the same goal through different means Strengths doesn t impose constraints or biases in subject matter ways of knowing allows for studying at multiple levels of analysis simultaneously makes generalizations that are situation specific Weaknesses can be too broad general for applied contexts does not always explain systemic behavior Counter arguments to those criticisms o Straw man o Not one positivism with all characteristics Scientism science is a motor for positive change Empiricism the only kind of knowledge that is worth while is the kind of knowledge rounded in observation Naturalism eventually all science will be able to be united under a single umbrella Holism properties of society can not be reduced to the property of individuals cant explain people