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Introduction to Communication -Study Guide | COM 203, Study notes of Communication

Bryant UniversityCommunication
Prof. Christopher Morse

Material Type: Notes; Professor: Morse; Class: Introduction to Communication; Subject: Communication; University: Bryant University; Term: Spring 2009;

Typology: Study notes

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 12/15/2009

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Communication Study Guide
From Powerpoints
Convention: “…a standard rule that has been accepted by a particular community or society to engage in
some action in a particular way
Semantic Triangle of Meaning
1) Symbol: refers to anything that can stand for something else. In the case of the STM this often
refers to the word that is used.
2) Reference: the thoughts (cognitions ) that are created/attributed to both the symbol and the
referent
3) Referent: the actual object that exists
Communication and Social Reconstruction
1) Communication is central to our way of life
2) Reality is socially created
3) Human interaction depends on multiple meanings
Two factors come into play within all conversations:
1.) Personal Meaning
- people bring their unique perspectives/experiences into the interaction
2.) Interpersonal Meaning
- Individuals’ interactions with each other create an agreed upon meaning of an interaction or
experience
Hierarchy of Meaning
a.) Content: strict interpretation of the message. What does the message say.
b.) Speech Act: action performed by the message (compliment, question, threat, etc.)
c.) Episodes: refers to the priority placed on the current message with regard to past or future
messages. (is this message done, or is it merely a continuation of a previous message? Will the
message continue at a later date?)
d.) Relationship: Refers to the context of the relationship that the message was given in. Are the
actors involved friends, enemies, dating partners, married, etc. (includes all of the rules and
ideas associated with this relationship).
e.) Life Scripts: What are your previous life experiences? What did we experience with this person
before, in similar relationship situations?
f.) Cultural Patterns: Societal influences….what are the values placed on us based upon religion,
sex, race, economic status. What are the values placed on us by our cultures.
Meaning Coordinated
Constitutive Rules: defines behavior into what it means (value)
Regulative Rules: defines a guideline for behavior (what we should do)
Symbolic Interaction Theory
1) Importance of meanings for human behavior (mind)
- Humans act toward others on the basis of themeanings those others have for
them
- Meaning is created in interaction between people
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Download Introduction to Communication -Study Guide | COM 203 and more Study notes Communication in PDF only on Docsity!

Communication Study Guide From Powerpoints Convention: “…a standard rule that has been accepted by a particular community or society to engage in some action in a particular way Semantic Triangle of Meaning

  1. Symbol: refers to anything that can stand for something else. In the case of the STM this often refers to the word that is used.
  2. Reference: the thoughts (cognitions ) that are created/attributed to both the symbol and the referent
  3. Referent: the actual object that exists Communication and Social Reconstruction
  4. Communication is central to our way of life
  5. Reality is socially created
  6. Human interaction depends on multiple meanings Two factors come into play within all conversations: 1.) Personal Meaning
  • people bring their unique perspectives/experiences into the interaction 2.) Interpersonal Meaning
  • Individuals’ interactions with each other create an agreed upon meaning of an interaction or experience Hierarchy of Meaning a.) Content: strict interpretation of the message. What does the message say. b.) Speech Act: action performed by the message (compliment, question, threat, etc.) c.) Episodes: refers to the priority placed on the current message with regard to past or future messages. (is this message done, or is it merely a continuation of a previous message? Will the message continue at a later date?) d.) Relationship: Refers to the context of the relationship that the message was given in. Are the actors involved friends, enemies, dating partners, married, etc. (includes all of the rules and ideas associated with this relationship). e.) Life Scripts: What are your previous life experiences? What did we experience with this person before, in similar relationship situations? f.) Cultural Patterns: Societal influences….what are the values placed on us based upon religion, sex, race, economic status. What are the values placed on us by our cultures. Meaning Coordinated  Constitutive Rules: defines behavior into what it means (value)  Regulative Rules: defines a guideline for behavior (what we should do) Symbolic Interaction Theory
  1. Importance of meanings for human behavior (mind)
  • Humans act toward others on the basis of themeanings those others have for them
  • Meaning is created in interaction between people

-Meaning is modified through an interpretive process

  1. Importance of the self-concept
  • Individuals develop self-concepts through interaction with others
  • Self-concepts provide important motivation for behavior
  1. Relationship between individual and society
  • People and groups are influenced by cultural and social processes
  • Social structure (grouping) is partially worked out through social interaction and language
  1. The self (looking glass self): defined through the combination of meaning, language and thought
  • self is formed via how others see us and is a combination of the “I” and the “me” a) “I” refers to what is novel about the self. It encompasses the impulsive forces within us b) -“me” refers to how we see ourselves based on other peoples reactions toward us. Nonverbal Communication Chronemics: refers to how people perceive, use, and structure time as a means of communication
  • Generally we perceive our actions and reactions as part of a time sequence (Discuss what we are going to do TOMORROW, what we were supposed to do YESTERDAY, how we waste TIME, or how we are never going to finish something ON TIME) Psychological
  • involves examining how individuals personally use and perceive time Biological
  • involves how our bodies, biologically adapt/change according to time Cultural -involves how cultures as a societal group use or incorporate time Haptics: Refers to any action that involves contact of one person’s body to another’s  Factors that influence interpretation of “touch”
  • intensity
  • body location
  • Frequency/duration
  • Culture Proxemics: - Involves how people perceive and utilize personal space
  • Personal space: invisible bubble that surrounds us. It can shrink or expand according to the interaction
  • Common Space distances: researchers argue that we have developed internal measures that dictate the distance that we need from somebody based on the nature of the relationship
  1. Message production, processing and comprehension
  • Change in proxemics can alert us to new situations
  • Research indicates that physical distance can affect how we think and our ability to process information
  1. Structuring/regulating interactions
  • proximity can indicate belonging
  • increasing/decreasing physical distance can control interaction availability
  • One way to evaluate theory is based upon your epistemological perspective Epistemology  Deals with how we “view the world” and our roles in it.  Involves how you perceive knowledge and “how we know what we know”  Very few communication scholars occupy the polar opposites…instead most fall somewhere to the left or right of the middle. Nature of Reality:
  • One Truth vs. Multiple Truths Realities Nature of Free Will
  • Determinism vs. Free Will Role of the Researcher
  • Objective vs. Subjective Purpose of Theory
  • Determines Research vs. Assists Research Objective Approach
  • One Truth/Reality
  • Humans respond to stimuli (Determinism)
  • Researcher must remain objective
  • Theory governs/determines research Interpretive Approach
  • Multiple Truths/Realities
  • Humans make decisions based upon free will
  • Researchers play a role in their research
  • Theory assists in explaining research Objective Approach (Deductive) 1.) Theory 2.) Hypothesis 3.) Research Design 4.) Data Collection 5.) Data Analysis 6.) Interpretation of Results 7.) Adjustment to Theory Criteria for Objective Theories
  1. Explains the data
  2. Predictability
  3. Parsimony
  4. Testability
  5. Utility Explains the Data  Clarification
  • Provides both the “why” as well as the “how”  Logical Consistency
  • Does the theory make sense? Do all the pieces add?  Scope
  • What does the theory entail? What can it explain? Predictability Parsimony  Keep it simple
  • Is the theory stated in the simplest way possible?
  • Are all the parts present in the theory needed? Testability  Replicable
  • Is the theory defined well enough that it can be tested by others?  Falsifiable
  • Does the theory have the ability to be proven wrong? Utility  Is the theory useful?  Does it provide insight into a particular occurrence, event, or condition?  Does it advance scientific knowledge?  What is the theory’s application? Interpretative Approach
  1. Topic or Issue
  2. Observations
  3. Data Collections
  4. Review of Theories
  5. Interpretation
  6. Description Criteria for Interpretative Approach  It is often much harder to define what is a “good” interpretive theory due to the fact that there is no clear cut or universally accepted way to evaluate them.  However, several functions do emerge relatively consistently via researchers concerning the goals of theory Provides Understanding  Perhaps the most important criteria is that the theory provides us with a new way of understanding the subjects involved.  “Good” theory doesn’t merely repeat or reinforce the understanding of previous theories but gives us a new insight Provides Description  The point of theory is to not only provide some new insight into an area of research but also to provide rich description and detail about the event  “Good” theory allows us to understand the meaning of events based on the people, contexts, and events involved Theory Supported  Theories within this approach cannot be measured against some objective criteria since they are subjective in nature (plus many believe that there is no objectivity)  Therefore “good” theory can also be measured by peer support Provides Mechanism for Change Research Designs  Experiments
  • Small group simulations
  • Creating physical distance between each other or reducing contact
  1. Endurance tests
  • Increasing the costs or reducing the rewards
  1. Public presentation tests
  • observing the others reaction to the use of certain relational labels
  1. Indirect suggestion tests
  • Bringing up a topic without taking direct responsibility. Usually involves hinting or joking. Uncertainty Reduction Theory Assumptions:
  1. People experience uncertainty in interpersonal settings
  2. Uncertainty is an undesired state, creating cognitive stress
  3. With our interpersonal interactions, our primary concerns are reducing uncertainty and increasing predictability
  4. Interpersonal communication is the primary means if reducing uncertainty
  5. The quantity and nature of information that people share changes over time
  6. People’s behaviors are predictable in a law-like fashion Initial Relationship  In initial encounters we possess a high level of uncertainty due to the fact that we do not know the other person well.  Berger and Calabrese (the theory’s authors) claim that the main goal in initial encounters is obtaining information about the other person (to reduce uncertainty).  Uncertainty reduction is better easily understood through three key stages 1) People seek information to reduce uncertainty during initial encounters 2.) People can reduce uncertainty using passive, active, or interactive strategies Passive: Relying on non-intrusive observation of individuals Active: Manipulating the social environment then observing how the other person reacts. Interactive: Involve direct contact between the information seeker and the other person. 3.)As uncertainty decreases, attraction usually increases Uncertainty Reduction in Established Relationships  While the theory originally was created to explain uncertainty in initial relationships it has since been extended to include established ones.  The need to reduce uncertainty in established relationships often occurs do to: -Various stages in the relationship -After particular events  These uncertainty producing events can create positive or negative evaluations of our partners.  However regardless of positive or negative evaluations…we still possess a desire for more information  Relational partners may engage in the passive, active, or interactive strategies that are also available during initial interactions  However due to familiarity and relational history, relational partners may also engage in several “secret test” strategies Critique: Is uncertainty always bad? Do we always try to reduce uncertainty? Theory of Motivated Information Management  Uncertainty Discrepancy
  • Actual
  • Desired  Difference between two can lead to anxiety  Anxiety is what motivates us to seek information  How do we decide on information seeking strategy?
  1. Efficacy
  • Self
  • Target
  • Communication efficacy
  1. Outcome expectancies Intimacy and Disclosure Need for Intimacy  Self image
  • creation
  • maintenance  Problem Solving  Utility
  • rewards
  • punishments Intimacy
  • trust
  • disclosure
  • dependency Factors Influencing Relational Intimacy  Rewards  Costs Exchange Theory: According to the theory, our major motivation in our interpersonal relationships is the satisfaction of our self interest and the interest of our interactional partner. We desire to maximize our rewards and minimize our costs. Equations: Reward > Costs=Satisfied Reward < Costs=Unsatisfied Comparison Level (CL): Reward and Cost (outcome) > CL =Satisfied Reward and Cost (outcome) < CL =Unsatisfied Intimacy and Disclosure: cyclical one (think chicken and the egg argument) Social Penetration Theory Onion Metaphor- many layers
  • outer layers being considered more “public” and the inner layers more “private” STP  The major argument of this theory is that throughout life humans enter into relationships.  These relationships are transformed from superficial relationships to more intimate ones through the use of self-disclosure.