Chapter 2: Approaches to Communication Theory and Theoretical Traditions

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering objective vs. interpretative communication approaches, ways of knowing, correlation vs. causation, research biases, theoretical traditions, and scientific method theory evaluation standards.

Objectivism

The belief that the Truth of the world exists and can be observed in an unbiased way, where researchers use quantitative measures in controlled experimental settings to uncover cause and effect relationships.

Interpretivism

The belief that reality is subjective, dynamic, and constructed through communication, where observation is biased by human experiences and understood through qualitative means.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy that studies knowledge itself.

Determinism

The view held by objectivists that behavior is determined by genes and the environment.

Free Will

The view held by interpretivists that behavior is freely chosen by the individual.

Positive correlation

A correlation where two things go up at the same time or go down at the same time.

Negative correlation

A correlation where one variable increases and the other variable decreases.

Spurious correlation

A fake correlation where two variables are connected by data but do not have a true cause and effect relationship.

Directionality

The path or flow of information between a sender and receiver.

Confirmation bias

Seeking out, interpreting, and selecting information as confirming one's hypothesis.

Selection bias

A research bias where the participant sample is skewed and not accurate.

Hawthorne effect

A phenomenon where participants behave differently when they are being studied.

Hindsight bias

The tendency, after an event, to overestimate one's ability to have foreseen the outcome.

Opinion Leaders

Important others who change over time, such as parents, friends, siblings, partners, or children, whom individuals see as authority figures.

Premise

An assertion that is held to be true.

Empiricism

The belief that we can observe the truth through our senses and experiences.

Hypothesis

Coming from the Greek meaning 'to suppose,' an informed guess based on observation and known facts.

Theory (in the Scientific Method)

A set of hypotheses that has held up under experimentation, supported by observations, applicable to multiple contexts, and capable of being generalized.

Set of Laws

A theory form consisting of independent statements that must be confirmed by evidence first, referring to something that is known to be true on the basis of substantial evidence.

Axiomatic

A theory form that includes propositions, which are statements known to be true based on research, or assumed to be true.

Causal Process

A theory form where all statements are of equal value, describing relationships among variables often in graphic forms.

Parsimony

An objective theory standard specifying that a theory is as simple as possible.

Falsifiability

An objective theory standard specifying that a theory's premises can be tested.

Practical utility

An objective theory standard specifying that a theory is useful to use in society.

Clarification of values

An interpretive theory standard where researchers are open about their own values.

Aesthetic appeal

An interpretive theory standard requiring that theories should be elegant and creative.

Community of agreement

An interpretive theory standard requiring that theories should spark discussion.

Reform of society

An interpretive theory standard stating that a good theory generates change.

Fertility

The capacity of both objective and interpretative theories to spawn more research.