COMM 2100 MIDTERM

burgoon's definition of theory

-a set of systematic, informed hunches about the way things work

-multiple, informed, and systematic

theories as nets/lenses/maps

-nets: "catching" the real meaning of everything communicated to you, quest to make the mesh finer

-lenses: many colored glasses, shape perception of the world, different truths

-maps: options about how to get where you're going, navigating relationships

griffin's definition of communication

-the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response

-no one size fits all agreed upon definition

messages

-a stimulus that a source sends to a receiver
-can be verbal, non verbal
-"text" is a message that can be studied

creating and interpreting messages

-conscious choice involved in choosing phrases, words, medium

-words/symbols are polysemic, can mean different things

relational process

communication occurs between two or more people and changes the connection between those people

eliciting a response

-griffin believes that if a message fails o elicit a response, it is not communication

-sandy hanson believes there is no such thing as a lack of communication

objective approach

-truth is singular, unbiased, and about cause and effect

-goal is to explain and predict, universal laws

-referred to as scientists, objective analysis

interpretive approach

-many interpretations of the truth, no such thing as unbiased observation

-goal is to assign meaning or value to texts, interpret communication texts in context, explore web of meaning

-referred to as scholars, subjective analysis

2013 Clydesdale Commercial

-objective: ads may be more persuasive when they resonate with past experiences and matching feelings
-observations to explain

-interpretive: respond similarly to archetypal pattens of birth-death-rebirth
-multiple informed meanings to understand

epistemology

-how do we know what we know?

-objective: truth is singular, one reality

-interpretive: multiple meanings, no one truth but multiple interpretations

determinism vs. free will

objective: determinism, behavior is caused by outside forces, stimulus elicits response

interpretive: free will, conscious choices by individuals, "in order to"

-more freedom = less predictability

-less freedom = less good choices

objectivity vs. emancipation

objective: want to explain and predict the world objectively, effectiveness, no confusion between what IS and what OUGHT to be

interpretive: knowledge can never be neural, participation, sense-making

universal laws vs. interpretive guides

objective: looking for universal laws of human behavior, one size fits all

interpretive: exploring web of meaning, not trying to prove theory, custom sizing

metatheory

theory about theory that allows people to understand the philosophy driving their decisions about research methods, design, and analysis

objective theories criteria

predict
explain
relative simplicity
testability/falsifiability
practical utility
quantifiable research

predictability

-criteria of objective theory

-what to expect in the future, help make decisions

-directly related to the quality of the theory

explanatory

-criteria of objective theory

-making order from the chaos, helps understand HOW a phenomenon occurs

-the reason something happens is just as important as the fact that it does

relative simplicity

-criteria of objective theory

-parsimony: presents complex or abstract ideas in the simplest manner possible

-occam's razor: simplest explanation is the best

testability and falsifiability

-criteria of objective theory

-need to be stated in a way that they can be disproved or refuted

-ex: social exchange theory, no objective definitions for costs and rewards so the theory could not be disproven

practical utility

-criteria of objective theory

-usefulness, some consider this the most important criterion

quantitative research

-criteria of objective theory

-experiments or surveys, numerical research

criteria for interpretive theories

values clarification
new understanding of people
aesthetic appeal
community of agreement
reform of society
qualitative research

values clarification

-criteria of interpretive theory

-values-conscious scholarship

-brings values out into the open, acknowledging standpoint

new understanding of people

-criteria of interpretive theory

-search for subjective understanding of people

-self-referential imperative: we affect and are affected by our research

aesthetic appeal

-criteria of interpretive theory

-artistry and clarity are important

-not constrained by propositions, hypothesis, operationalizing variables, etc.

community of agreement

-criteria of interpretive theory

-to verify or vilify?

-what does the community think of the theory?

reform of society

-criteria of interpretive theory

-change is good, challenges assumptions, seeks to inspire doubt

qualitative research

-criteria of interpretive theory

-studying things in natural setting, using words to understand

qualities of a good theory

-littlejohn et. al

-introduces new ideas/insights

-change constantly, elaborate, collaborate

-staying power, remain interesting/useful

robert craig traditions

-offer distinct, alternative vocabularies

-describe different conceptualizations

-show common ground and conflicting goals and assumptions

socio psycholgocial tradition

-comm as interaction and influence

-what IS not what OUGHT to be

-what cause-effect patterns help predict behavior?

cybernetic tradition

-comm as a system of information processing

-norbert weiner: comm is THE LINK in any system, network analysis

-how does information flow through a system?

rhetorical tradition

-comm as an artful public address

-uses all available means of persuasion (organization, language, delivery)

-how does language change the minds of others?

semiotic tradition

-comm as sharing meaning through signs

-signs are anything that can stand for something else
-symbols are words with no inherent meaning

-how does the meaning of symbols change and impact people?

sociocultural tradition

-comm as the creation and enactment of social reality

-sapir whorf hypothesis: the structure of language shapes what people think and do (believes that words are not neutral)

-how does our use of communication create our realities?

critical tradition

-comm as reflective challenge to unjust discourse

-karl marx & the frankfurt school, critiquing society

-challenges: using language to perpetuate power imbalances, blindly relying on the scientific method, role of mass media in desensitizing

-how are unjust power imbalances perpetuated by language?

phenomenological tradition

-comm as the experience of self and others through dialogue

-intentional analysis of everyday life from the standpoint of the person who is living it

-how can we develop authentic relationships?

comm as charades

-metaphor for comm as a complex transaction

-overlapping messages simultaneously affecting and being affected by each other and the context

humanistic theories

-carl rogers

-reading interpersonal comm literature that includes empathy, listening, non-verbal warmth, self-disclosure, etc.

social exchange theories

-george homans

-reflections of costs and rewards of a given relationship, economic metaphors

social penetration theory

-altman and taylor

-explain and predict based on costs and rewards, socio-psychological tradition

-self disclosure: the voluntary sharing of personal history, preferences, attitudes, feeling, values, etc. with another person

observations about depth and breadth (SPT)

-outer items get offered sooner and more often
-reciprocity reigns in the early stages
-penetration is rapid at the start but slows down as it gets closer to the center
-de-penetration happens as one or both pull away

-depth: towards the center, breadth: range

johari window model (SPT)

-open self: information about you known to self and others

-blind self: information about you known to others but not to yourself

-hidden self: information about you that you know but others don't

-unknown self: information about you that neither you nor others know

key components of social penetration (SPT)

-if perceived mutual benefits of closeness outweigh costs of greater vulnerability, social penetration will proceed

-weighing costs & rewards, CL, and CL alt

stages per west and turner (SPT)

-orientation: revealing bit by bit, pub level, superficial

-exploratory affective exchange: our personality emerges to others, casual relationships

-affective exchange: commitment and comfort, pet names (idioms), not worried about relationship

-stable exchange: raw honesty and intimacy, predict behavior of other, acting as one, dyadic uniqueness

-de-penetration: pulling away, less disclosure

dialectical model (SPT)

-the desire for both privacy and intimacy in relationships and the tension inherent in these desires

costs & rewards (SPT)

-people try to predict the outcome of an interaction before it takes place

-the perceived rewards and costs of an interpersonal relationship

-what will i gain/lose by disclosing?

comparison level (SPT)

-gauging relational satisfaction

-the threshold above which an interpersonal outcome seems attractive

-largely based on past experiences

comparison level of alternatives (SPT)

-gauging relational stability

-the best outcome available in other relationships

-would the payoffs be better with a different person?

-can explain why some people stay in abusive relationships

uncertainty reduction theory

-charles berger

-explain and predict based on knowledge learned, socio psychological tradition

-when strangers meet, they aim to reduce uncertainty in order to predict behavior of the other

drives to reduce uncertainty (URT)

-likelihood of future interaction (we will see them again)

-incentives (they have something we want)

-unpredictable behavior (they act weird, deviant)

URT phases in initial interaction

-entry: demographic and biographical information obtained through observation and interaction is most important, players adhere to norms

-personal: rule and norm constraints for interaction relax, communicate attitudes/beliefs/values

-exit: decisions about future interaction

axiom 1: verbal communication

-axiom of URT

-as verbal communication goes up, uncertainty goes down (neg)

axiom 2: non verbal warmth

-axiom of URT

-as non verbal warmth goes up, uncertainty goes down (neg)

axiom 3: information seeking

-axiom of URT

-as uncertainty goes up, so does information seeking behavior (pos)

axiom 4: self disclosure

-axiom of URT

-when uncertainty is high, self-disclosure is low (neg)

axiom 5: reciprocity

-axiom of URT

-keep even rates, high uncertainty levels equal high reciprocity levels (pos)

axiom 6: similarity

-axiom of URT

-high similarity levels lower uncertainty levels (neg)

axiom 7: liking

-axiom of URT

-high uncertainty levels means less liking (neg)

axiom 8: shared networks

-axiom of URT

-high shared networks means less uncertainty (neg)

theorums (URT)

-combined axioms to get deductive conclusions
-if A = B and B = C, then A = C

information seeking strategies (URT)

-passive: observations
-active: asking third party
-interactive: face to face
-extractive: internet searches

message plans (URT)

-how we communicate to reduce uncertainty

-seeking information
-choosing plan complexity
-hedging (save face)
-hierarchy hypothesis (quick fix lower levels)

characteristics of long-term, satisfactory relationships

-promote liking, trust, commitment, control mutuality

-maintenance behaviors: positivity, openness, assurances, networking, sharing tasks

communication privacy management

-sandra petronio

-a theory that offers a map of the way people manage private matters that are shared with others

-cybernetic and critical traditions

inherent assumptions of CPM: west and turner

-humans are choice makers: dialectical theory

-humans are rule makers and followers: rules tell us what to reveal/conceal

-human choices and rules are based off consideration of others as well as the self

three components of CPM

-boundary ownership: boundaries between what i know but others don't

-boundary control: we make decisions about whether to share or not, the engine of CPM

-boundary turbulence: what happens when things don't go as expected

core principle 1 (CPM)

-people believe they own and have a right to control their private information

-perception that it belongs to us, creates autonomy, comes with inherent responsibilities

core principle 2 (CPM)

-people control their private information though the use of personal privacy rules

-what impacts the rules/patterns that people use?

-culture, gender, motivation, context, risk/benefit ratio

core principle 3 (CPM)

-when others are told or discover a person's private information, they become co owners

-creates a collective privacy boundary, confidant

-co owners can disagree on management of information

core principle 4 (CPM)

-co owners of private information need to negotiate mutually agreed upon rules about telling others

-3 coordinations: boundary ownership (responsibility), boundary linkage (who else gets to know), boundary permeability (thick or thin)

boundary ownership (CPM)

-the rights and responsibilities that co-owners of private information have to control its spread

-deliberate: seeks info
-reluctant: forced on, less likely to follow rules
-shareholder: follows original owner's desires
-stakeholder: deserves access and control

core principle 5 (CPM)

-when co owners don't effectively negotiate and follow rules, boundary turbulence is the result

-fuzzy boundaries, intentional breaches, and mistakes

media multiplexity theory

-caroline haythornthwaite

-socio-psychological and cybernetic traditions

-strongly tied pairs use more media to sustain their relationship than weak pairs

tie strength (MMT)

-the degree of connection between people, determined by time spend, emotional intensity, willingness to exchange resources

-weak: small investment
-strong: large investment

critiques of strong and weak ties (MMT)

-strong ties can be redundant when it comes to accessing information

-weak ties can be helpful in bridging ties, connecting us to new contacts and opportunities

basic claim of MMT

-tie strength drives the use of multiple media

-more connection, time, intimacy, leads to more types of media being used

claim 1 (MMT)

-communication content differs by tie strength, not by medium

-topics don't change according to medium, people can and will discuss the same topic on multiple channels

-caveat: limiting topics to channels causes dissatisfaction

claim 2 (MMT)

-the hierarchy of media use depends on group norms

-group norms guide which media are used for all ties and which are reserved for strong ties

claim 3 (MMT)

-adding and subtracting media access influences weak ties

-taking away or adding media will probably not change a strong tie

-latent ties: potential connections not yet activated

other variables that influence media use (MMT)

-medium enjoyment: your personal liking for the medium influences the perceived tie strength

-communication competence: are you able to use appropriate comm and adapt to different contexts?

influence theories

-immediacy: direct and instant involvement

-personal involvement: participating, having a connection

-non verbal messages: may have more impact than verbal messages

questions for influence theories

-can persuasion really change inner attitudes/beliefs?

-does behavior change occur because of attitude change or vice versa?

-are people likely to fall back into their own ways or will change last?

social judgement theory

-muzafer sherif

-how context affects assessment, relying on internal anchors for reference points

-socio-psychological tradition

ego involvement (SJT)

-your sense of personal relevance, central, sometimes demonstrated through group memberships

-highly EI if: latitude of non-commitment is small, latitude of rejection is large, and massive anchors

misjudgment errors (SJT)

-contrast: messages that fall in the latitude of rejection are perceived as farther from the anchor than they really are

-assimilation: messages that fall in latitude of acceptance are perceived as closer to the anchor than they really are

latitudes of attitudes (SJT)

-acceptance: acceptable positions on a continuum
-rejection: unacceptable positions
-non commitment: neutral or indifferent

-if i want to change someone's mind, i need to know where the anchor sits and the width of each latitude

creating attitude change (SJT)

-we judge how close or far away the message is from our anchor, then we shift our anchor in response

-the message that has potential to persuade the most will be the farthest away from the anchor but still in the latitude of acceptance

boomerang effect

attitude change in the opposite direction of what the message advocates; listeners driven away from rather than drawn to an idea

elaboration likelihood model

-petty and cacioppo

-humans sometimes evaluate messages in an elaborate manner, and sometimes they do not

-socio-psychological tradition

two routes to persuasion (ELM)

-central route: careful scrutiny, mulling over ideas, message elaboration

-peripheral route: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, scarcity

influences for choosing the central route (ELM)

-motivation: highly ego involved

-ability to elaborate: objective thinking, letting the facts speak for themselves

-strong, weak, and neutral arguments: strong is favorable, weak yields boomerang effect

-effects persist over time, resist counter persuasion, and predict future behavior

influences for choosing the peripheral route (ELM)

-motivation: argument is not central to self

-rewards, source credibility, influence of others

-biased elaboration (top down thinking)

-attitude change can be positive or negative, but lacks persistence, invulnerability, link to behavior

choosing a route to persuasion (ELM)

-if your audience is motivated and able to give undivided attention, you need strong arguments (central)

-if your audience is unwilling or unable, then you need rewards, credibility, and/or supporting context

cognitive dissonance theory

-leon festinger

-distressing mental state caused by inconsistency between a person's two beliefs, or a belief and an action

-socio-psychological tradition

CDT terminology

-attitudes: likes and dislikes
-beliefs: true and false
-values: right and wrong

-textbook uses attitudes and beliefs interchangeably, sandy hanson does not

festinger's dissonance (CDT)

-logical inconsistency

-aversive drive: as basic as safety and hunger

-cult investigation: fringe members let go of the belief, devoted members created new cognitions

selective exposure (CDT)

-tendency to avoid information that would create dissonance because it is incompatible with current beliefs

-like minded people buffer us, helps to avoid dissonance

postdecision dissonance (CDT)

-dissonance after making a decision

-3 conditions: the importance, the time taken, and the difficulty to reverse

-causes us to seek reassurance