COMM 2100 Midterm Study Guide Spring 2025

A collection of essential vocabulary terms and definitions from the COMM 2100 lecture notes, designed to support exam preparation.

Relational needs, identity needs, informational needs, instrumental needs

The needs that arise from our relationships with others, influencing how we interact.

What are explicit and implicit rules in communication?

Explicit rules are clearly stated guidelines that govern behavior and communication, such as formal protocols during interviews or meetings. In contrast, implicit rules are understood norms that are not formally articulated but are recognized by participants through social interactions, such as unspoken expectations about body language or turn-taking in conversations. Understanding both types of rules is crucial for navigating social situations effectively and for adapting communication styles to fit different contexts.

What are content dimensions and relational dimensions in communication?

Content dimensions focus on the literal message in communication, including facts and details, while relational dimensions reflect underlying emotions and dynamics like power and trust. Both are important, as relying solely on content can lead to misunderstandings.

Metacommunication

The process of communicating about communication. It refers to the messages that people send regarding their own communication, helping clarify or reframe the meaning of interactions.

Communication channels

The means through which information is transmitted between communicators, including verbal, non-verbal, written, and digital methods. Understanding these channels is essential for effective communication, as each channel influences how messages are perceived and interpreted.

Noise (physiological, psychological, physical)

Any interference that distorts or disrupts the clarity of a message in communication. This can include external distractions, psychological biases, or physiological factors affecting the sender or receiver.

Dynamic communication

Refers to the ability to adapt communication styles and strategies to suit changing contexts and audience needs, promoting effective interaction.

Downward, upward, and lateral communication

Refers to the flow of information within an organization, where downward communication moves from higher to lower levels, upward communication moves from lower to higher levels, and lateral communication occurs between peers at the same level.

Formal communication

Formal communication follows established channels and structures, such as official reports, memos, and meetings, ensuring clarity and consistency within an organization.

Building rapport in communication?

Building rapport involves creating a positive relationship and mutual trust between communicators, often through active listening, empathy, and shared experiences to facilitate more effective interactions.

Effective vs. appropriate communication

Effective communication achieves the intended outcome and facilitates understanding, while appropriate communication considers the context, audience, and norms to maintain respect and relevance.

Adaptable communication?

Adaptable communication refers to the ability to modify one's communication style and approach based on the audience, context, and feedback, enhancing relevance and effectiveness.

Cognitive complexity?

Cognitive complexity is the ability to understand nuances in communication, perspectives, and contexts, allowing for more sophisticated and empathetic responses during interactions.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's emotions and those of others, enabling effective interpersonal communication and conflict resolution.

Ethical communication?

Ethical communication involves sharing information honestly, transparently, and respectfully, considering the impact on relationships and society, and upholding moral principles in interactions.

Culture

Culture encompasses the shared beliefs, values, norms, and practices of a group, influencing behaviors and perspectives.

Co-culture

Co-culture refers to smaller cultural groups within a larger cultural framework, often defined by factors such as ethnicity, religion, or interests.

Identity (Nationality/ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status/disability status, sex/sexuality/gender,
religion, age)

Identity can be shaped by various factors including nationality, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, disability status, sex, sexuality, gender, religion, and age.

Individualistic culture/Collectivist Culture

Individualistic culture values personal freedom and self-reliance, while collectivist culture emphasizes group harmony and interdependence. These cultural orientations influence social behaviors and communication styles.

Low-context cultures/High-context cultures

Low-context cultures rely on explicit verbal communication, whereas high-context cultures depend on contextual cues and nonverbal signals to convey meaning.

Power distance

Power distance refers to the degree of inequality in power distribution among members of a culture, influencing communication and decision-making.

Uncertainty avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous situations, often leading to a preference for structure and predictable outcomes.

High-contact culture/Low-contact culture

High-contact cultures prefer close physical proximity and frequent touch during interactions, while low-contact cultures maintain greater personal space and less physical contact.

Spatial zones

Spatial zones refer to the physical distance maintained between individuals during communication, which can vary by culture and context.

Formality

Formality pertains to the degree of adherence to conventions and established protocols in communication, varying widely among different cultures.

Monochronic/Polychronic Cultures

Monochronic cultures prioritize punctuality, schedules, and sequential task completion, while polychronic cultures value relationships and multitasking over strict time management.

Cultural centrism

Cultural centrism is the belief that one's own culture is superior to others, often leading to bias and misunderstandings.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes are oversimplified and generalized beliefs about a group, often leading to misconceptions and unfounded assumptions.

Verbal communication/Language

Verbal communication or language refers to the use of spoken or written words to convey messages, express thoughts, and facilitate interaction between individuals. It plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and cultural identity.

Denotative/connotative meaning

Denotative meaning refers to the literal definition of a word, while connotative meaning encompasses the emotional and associative implications of that word.

Semantic triangle

The semantic triangle illustrates the relationship between a word (symbol), the thought or reference it evokes (thought), and the actual object or concept it represents (referent).

Ambiguous language

Ambiguous language refers to expressions that can be interpreted in multiple ways, leading to potential confusion or misunderstanding.

Clichés, dialects, defamation, and loaded language

Clichés are overused expressions; dialects are variations of language specific to particular regions or social groups; defamation refers to false statements damaging a person's reputation; loaded language contains emotional weight that may bias interpretation.

Libel/slander

Libel is written defamation that damages a person's reputation, while slander is spoken defamation.

Opinion/factual claims

Opinion claims express personal beliefs or interpretations, while factual claims are statements that can be verified and are based on objective reality.

Talking down

Talking down is a communication style that involves using patronizing or condescending language, often undermining the perceived intelligence of the listener.

I-statements and you-statements

I-statements express personal feelings and thoughts, promoting ownership of emotions, while you-statements often assign blame or focus on the other person's actions.

Powerless language

Powerless language includes phrases that undermine confidence, such as qualifiers or hedges, which may lead to perceptions of weakness or uncertainty in communication.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication involves conveying messages without words, using body language, gestures, facial expressions, and other nonverbal cues.

Facial primacy

Facial primacy refers to the tendency for individuals to perceive and interpret facial expressions as the most significant form of nonverbal communication.

Kinesics/gesticulation

Kinesics refers to the study of body movements and gestures in communication, while gesticulation specifically focuses on hand movements that accompany speech.

Vocalics

Vocalics encompasses the vocal elements of communication, such as tone, pitch, volume, and rate of speech, which convey meaning beyond the words spoken.

Halo effect

The halo effect is a cognitive bias where the perception of one positive trait (like attractiveness) influences the perception of other unrelated traits, such as competence or intelligence.

Chronemics

Chronemics is the study of how time affects communication, including how different cultures perceive and value time in interactions.

Artifacts

Artifacts are physical objects or symbols used in communication contexts that represent identity, status, or personality, such as clothing, accessories, or decor.

Listening vs. Hearing

Listening is an active process of receiving and interpreting spoken messages, while hearing is the physiological act of perceiving sound.

People-oriented/action-oriented/content-oriented/time-oriented listening

These types of listening styles characterize how individuals prioritize information: people-oriented focuses on emotional connections, action-oriented emphasizes task completion, content-oriented values detailed analysis, and time-oriented prioritizes efficiency and brevity.

Effective listening

Effective listening involves fully focusing, understanding, responding, and remembering in communication to ensure accurate interpretation of the message.

HURIER model

The HURIER model outlines the stages of effective listening: Hearing, Understanding, Remembering, Interpreting, Evaluating, and Responding.

Analyzing, supporting, empathizing, paraphrasing, backchanneling, stonewalling

These are various listening responses: analyzing refers to evaluating the message, supporting involves offering encouragement, empathizing shows understanding of feelings, paraphrasing restates the message, backchanneling signals attentiveness, and stonewalling is the act of disengaging.

Informational/critical/empathic listening

Informational listening focuses on comprehension, critical listening evaluates the validity of the message, and empathic listening seeks to understand emotions and experiences.

Perspective taking

Perspective taking is the ability to understand a situation from another person's viewpoint, which enhances listening and empathy.

Physical/psychological noise

Physical noise refers to external distractions (like sound or interference) that hinder communication, whereas psychological noise includes internal factors (like preconceived notions or emotions) that affect how we receive messages.

Pseudo-listening

Pseudo-listening is a form of ineffective listening where an individual appears to be attentive but is actually disengaged or distracted.

Selective attention

Selective attention is the process of focusing on specific information while ignoring other stimuli, which can lead to misunderstanding if important details are missed.

Information overload

Information overload occurs when an individual is exposed to too much information at once, leading to difficulty processing and recalling the essential details.

Glazing over

Glazing over is a listening barrier where the listener's mind drifts away from the conversation, resulting in a superficial level of engagement.

Rebuttal tendency

Rebuttal tendency is the inclination to formulate a response or counterargument while the other person is speaking, instead of fully listening.

Informational listening

Informational listening is aimed at understanding and absorbing factual information for future use, making it critical in educational and communicative contexts.

Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms existing beliefs or values, which can distort listening and understanding.

Possibility/probability/certainty

These terms represent different levels of belief regarding a statement's truth: possibility indicates potential, probability suggests likelihood, and certainty denotes

Perception

Perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information from our senses to understand and make sense of our experiences.

Selection, organization, interpretation

These are the three stages of perception: selection involves choosing which stimuli to focus on, organization involves categorizing that information, and interpretation involves assigning meaning to it.

Physical/role/interaction/psychological constructs

These constructs refer to the different ways through which we perceive others: physical constructs focus on appearance, role constructs on social roles, interaction constructs on behavior in interactions, and psychological constructs on internal states and traits.

Stereotyping

Stereotyping involves making broad generalizations about a group of people based on preconceived notions, often leading to biased perceptions and interactions.

Primacy/recency effects

Primacy effect occurs when the first impression takes precedence over later information, while recency effect occurs when the most recent information is given more weight in the perception process.

Perceptual sets

Perceptual sets are mental frameworks or biases that influence how we perceive information based on expectations and prior experiences.

Attribution

Attribution refers to the process of explaining the causes of behavior, which can be internal (personal traits) or external (environmental factors).

Locus/stability/controllability

These are dimensions of attribution: locus refers to whether the cause is internal or external, stability assesses whether the cause is stable or unstable, and controllability evaluates whether the cause can be controlled or not.

Self-serving bias

Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors, protecting self-esteem.

Fundamental attribution error

Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize internal characteristics and underestimate external factors when judging others' behaviors.

Self-concept

Self-concept is the overall perception and understanding one has of oneself, encompassing beliefs, attributes, and self-identity.

Johari Window

The Johari Window is a model that illustrates self-awareness and mutual understanding in communication, consisting of four quadrants: open, blind, hidden, and unknown.

High/low self-monitor

High self-monitors are individuals who are very aware of their behavior in social contexts and adjust accordingly, while low self-monitors focus less on social cues and are more true to their self-perception.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a belief or expectation that influences behavior in such a way that it causes that belief to come true.

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is the subjective evaluation of one's own worth, affecting confidence and how individuals perceive themselves in various situations.

Image management

Image management involves controlling the way we present ourselves to others，通过 behavior, appearance, and communication to influence perceptions.

Face, Facework, Face threats

Face refers to an individual's social value in interactions, facework involves the strategies used to maintain one's own and others' face, and face threats are actions that may damage someone’s social identity.

Fellowship face, autonomy face, competence face

Fellowship face relates to the desire for acceptance; autonomy face relates to the desire for independence, and competence face is related to the desire to

Stages of high-performing teams

High-performing teams typically go through stages of development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning, each representing different phases of team dynamics and collaboration.

Team charters

A team charter is a document that outlines the purpose, goals, roles, and guidelines for team members, serving as a roadmap for project execution and team dynamics.

Introversion/extraversion in teams

Introversion and extraversion represent different personality styles within teams; introverts may prefer solitary work and deep focus, while extraverts thrive in social interactions and collaborative environments.

Leadership styles

Leadership styles vary, including autocratic, democratic, transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire approaches, each impacting team dynamics and productivity differently.

Five styles of conflict

The five styles of conflict management are: avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, and collaborating, each demonstrating different approaches to resolving disagreements within teams.

Groupthink

Groupthink is a phenomenon where the desire for group harmony and conformity leads to poor decision-making, often causing teams to overlook alternative viewpoints and suppress dissent.

Barriers to listening

Barriers to listening can include distractions, preconceived notions, emotional reactions, and environmental factors that hinder effective communication and understanding within teams.

Virtual meetings

Virtual meetings utilize

Effective meetings

Effective meetings are well-structured gatherings that foster productive discussion and decision-making, ensuring that participants are engaged and objectives are met.

Best time of day for meetings

The best time of day for meetings varies by organizational culture but is often in mid-morning or early afternoon when energy levels are typically higher and distractions are fewer.

Coordination/problem solving meetings

Coordination meetings focus on aligning team efforts and communicating roles, while problem-solving meetings aim to address specific challenges and brainstorm solutions.

Meeting agendas

Meeting agendas are structured outlines that detail the topics to be discussed, the time allocated for each topic, and the objectives of the meeting, ensuring a focused and efficient discussion.

Meeting facilitator

A meeting facilitator is responsible for guiding the meeting process, encouraging participation, managing time, and ensuring that objectives are achieved while maintaining group dynamics.

Meeting minutes

Meeting minutes are written records of what transpired during the meeting, capturing key decisions, action items, and discussions to provide a reference for participants and track progress.

Challenges of online meetings

Challenges of online meetings include technical issues, variations in time zones, difficulty in establishing rapport, distractions in participants' environments, and potential for miscommunication due to lack of nonverbal cues.

Conflict/difficult conversations

Conflict or difficult conversations arise when individuals disagree or confront sensitive topics, requiring effective communication strategies to navigate emotional responses and achieve constructive outcomes.

Exaggerating, either/or approaches

Exaggerating involves amplifying issues or concerns beyond their actual significance, while either/or approaches present situations as having only two opposing outcomes, limiting nuanced discussions and solutions.

Selection interviews

Selection interviews are structured conversations where candidates are evaluated based on their qualifications, experience, and fit for a specific role within an organization, often involving behavioral and situational questions.

Job search strategies

Job search strategies refer to the methods and techniques individuals use to seek employment opportunities. These include networking, online job applications, resume optimization, and interview preparation.

STAR approach

The STAR approach is a structured method used in interviews to answer behavioral questions by outlining the Situation, Task, Action, and Result related to specific experiences.

Illegal interview questions

Questions that are prohibited during interviews, typically related to personal information such as age, race, gender, marital status, or religion, which can lead to discrimination.