comm 331 midterm

Communication

The exchange of ideas through the use of symbols (emotion tone context and body language) 

Communication model

FIELD OF EXPERIENCE : the sum of a person's life background, culture, language, beliefs, values, education, and past experiences that shape how they encode and decode messages

Communication Axioms

 1) you cannot not communicate

2) every interaction has content and relational dimensions

3) every interaction is defined by how it is punctuated

4) communication is verbal and nonverbal

5) interactions are either symmetrical or complementary 

 Denotation

literal meaning / definition of the word

 Connotation  

emotional / cultural meaning behind a word 

Linguistic Determinism

the strong form of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. It claims the language you speak determines how you think

 Non Verbal Communication

Messages expressed by non-linguistic terms, 70% of communication is nonverbal 

Characteristics of nonverbal language 

•  Repeating

•  Complementing

•  Substituting

•  Accenting

•  Regulating

•  contradicting 

Types (codes) of Nonverbal comm

• Kinesics: body movement, gesture, posture, facial expression.

• Oculesics: eye behavior.

• Haptics: touch.

• Proxemics: use of space (see Hall's zones below).

• Paralanguage / vocalics: pitch, volume, rate, pauses, and fillers ("um").

• Chronemics: use of time (punctuality, how long you make someone wait).

• Physical appearance and artifacts: clothing, grooming, objects you carry or display.

• Environment: room design, lighting, temperature.

Hall's four distance zones (U.S. norms)

• Intimate: 0 to 18 inches.

• Personal: 18 inches to 4 feet.

• Social: 4 to 12 feet.

• Public: 12 feet and beyond.

Individualism vs. collectivism: Do people prioritize personal goals and independence, or group loyalty and harmony?

• (U.S. is high individualism. Many East Asian and Latin American cultures are more collectivist.)

Power distance: How accepting people are of unequal distribution of power.

• High: hierarchy and deference to authority are expected. Low: authority is questioned and flatter structures are preferred.

Uncertainty avoidance: How uncomfortable a culture is with ambiguity.

• High: rules, structure, and predictability. Low: tolerance for risk and change.

Masculinity vs. femininity:

• Masculine cultures value achievement, competition, and assertiveness. Feminine cultures value relationships, caregiving, and quality of life.

Long-term vs. short-term orientation:

• Long-term cultures value perseverance, thrift, and future rewards. Short-term cultures value tradition and quick results.

Culture

learned, shared values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors passed down among a group.

Ethnocentrism

judging other cultures by your own culture's standards and seeing yours as superior or "normal."

 Defining features of a group

Three or more people

United by a common goal

influenced by one another 

Two key dimensions of a group

Task or productivity and social relational cohesiveness 

Why we join groups

a need to belong

to build community

 attraction to the group activity

 attraction to goals 

establishment of identity 

Fulfillment of unrelated needs 

 Group development

1. Forming: members are polite, uncertain, and learn the purpose and each other.

2. Storming: conflict over roles, leadership, and approach.

3. Norming: roles and rules settle, cohesion grows.

4. Performing: the group works efficiently toward its goal.

5. Adjourning: the group wraps up and disbands, often with mixed feelings.

Task roles

 Initiator

 information Seeker 

opinion Seeker

 information Giver 

clarifier 

coordinator 

Devil's Advocate 

maintenance roles

 Harmonizer

 gatekeeper 

feeling expresser

 disruptive roles

stage hog 

isolate 

Clown

 blocker 

cynic 

controller 

 Group norms

shared, often unspoken rules about how members should behave.

• Explicit norms are stated

• Implicit norms are unspoken but understood

• Norms form through early interactions, precedent, and member backgrounds.

Listening in groups : Types of listening

• Informational: understanding facts and instructions.

• Critical: evaluating the quality of arguments and evidence.

• Empathic (relational): understanding and supporting feelings.

• Appreciative: enjoying what you hear.

Barriers to listening

• Pseudolistening: pretending to listen.

• Selective listening: hearing only what interests you.

• Defensive listening: hearing criticism where none was meant.

• Ambushing: listening only to find something to attack.

• Distractions, information overload, and preoccupation (phones, side thoughts).

Synergy

When we work together we can create something greater than when were alone

Social Loafing

We stopped putting in effort in a group situation because we know others will do it 

Collective Effort

When we're in a group we work less hard

Group Presentations

Define the purpose, audience, and time limit first.

• Divide the content by strength and interest, and make sure each member has a clear role.

• Agree on structure: introduction, body, conclusion, and who covers each part.

Delivery

• Rehearse as a group, including the transitions between speakers.

• Use consistent slide design, terminology, and tone so it feels like one presentation.

• Introduce all members and the roadmap at the start. Summarize at the end.

Transformational Leadership

Leaders inspire followers to exceed expectations through shared values, vision, and personal growth rather than mainly rewards and punishments.

Situational Leadership

No single style is best; leaders adapt their style to followers’ development level and the task.

Adaptive Structuration Theory

using communication to create structure

Symbolic Convergence Theory

Groups build shared identity and reality through shared stories; when members respond to a dramatizing message, their symbolic worlds converge.

Game Theory

The mathematical study of strategic decision-making in which each player’s outcome depends on the choices of others.

Critical Theory

A tradition of social philosophy that critiques and aims to change society by exposing how power, ideology, and economic structures create domination.