COMM theory Exam 1

Who uses Comm theory?

Everyday people -Policy makers - Communication practitioners anything of the sort

What is a theory?

Statement(s) about the relationship(s) between two or more phenomena...that is verifiable ...and forms a integrated system of concepts

Uncertainty reduction is a _______ Theory, focused on ______ and relational development

objctive; dyads

Our drive to reduce uncertainty comes from

- anticipation of future events

- incentive value

- deviance

What is the opposite of uncertainty?

predictability

What are the two types of uncertainty?

behavioral and cognitive

What is a behavioral question for uncertainty? What is it reduced by?

How am I supposed to behave in situation X? Reduced by following protocol/norms.

What is a cognitive question for uncertainty? What is it reduced by?

Who is this person X I'm talking to, and how do I relate to them? Reduced through information seeking

What are the three central premises of symbolic interactionism?

meaning, language, thought work together to socialize us over time

We act toward ____ and things in accordance with the meanings we assign to them

people

____ arises from the social interactions that people have with each other

meaning

One's self concept comes about from taking the role of _____

the other

The difference between "I" and "me"

-"I" (subject) -Sponaneous, novel, unpredictable -unsocialized

-"me" (object)- Reflecting upon yourself as an object - Looking at your self through the "eyes" of others - What we see in the looking-glass of other's people's reactions

What are the 8 axioms

- Verbal Comm

- nonverbal warmth

- info seeking

- self-disclosure

- reciprocity

- liking

- similarity

- shared networks

____ levels of uncertainty cause ______ in self-disclosure

higher; decreases

Why did Berger propose the axioms?

Berger proposed a series of axioms to explain the connection between his central concept of uncertainty and eight key variables of relationship development.

What does the social penetration process explain?

how relational closeness is developed

Social penetration theory is described as what vegetable?

Onion

What is the main route to deep social penetration?

self-disclosure

What is Breadth vs Depth?

- breadth: the range of things you talk about

- depth: regard to the topics how deep do you go

What is social exchange theory?

- People try to predict outcomes of interaction as they make behavioral choices

- We gauge risks and benefits seeking rewards and avoiding risks

- Rewarding interaction evolves the relationship.

Hearing vs. Listening

Hearing is the physical process of receiving sound; listening is the active process of interpreting, understanding, and responding to a message.

Active Listening

Consciously paying attention to a speaker, processing the message, and showing that you understand what they are saying.

Paraphrasing

Restating another person's message in your own words to confirm understanding.

Perception Checking

A communication technique that checks whether your interpretation of another person's behavior or message is accurate.

Listening for Content

Focusing on the literal information or facts being communicated.

Listening for Intent

Focusing on what the speaker is trying to accomplish or communicate beneath the literal words.

Listening for Tone

Focusing on how something is said, including emotion, attitude, emphasis, and vocal cues.

Determinism

The idea that human behavior is caused or determined by forces outside an individual's complete control.

Free Will

The idea that people have the ability to make choices and intentionally control their behavior.

Epistemology

The study of how we know what we know and what counts as knowledge.

Singular Truth

The belief that there is one objective reality or truth that can be discovered.

Plural Truth

The belief that multiple valid realities or truths can exist depending on people's perspectives and experiences.

Objectivism

The approach that assumes reality exists independently of people and can be observed and measured objectively.

Interpretivism

The approach that assumes reality is socially constructed and understood through people's interpretations and experiences.

Explanation

Identifying why something happens by describing relationships among variables or concepts.

Prediction

Using knowledge about relationships or patterns to anticipate what is likely to happen.

Control

Using knowledge to influence or manage outcomes or behavior.

Purpose of Objective/Scientific Theory

To explain, predict, and potentially control communication behavior through systematic observation and testing.

Purpose of Interpretive Theory

To understand and describe how people create meaning and experience communication in particular contexts.

Social Relevance

The degree to which a theory addresses meaningful issues or problems in people's lives and society.

Critical Theory

An approach focused on identifying and challenging power structures, inequality, oppression, and systems that limit human freedom.

Goal of Critical Theory

To expose power imbalances and encourage social change and greater freedom or equality.

Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT)

A theory explaining how people develop shared meanings and group identities through communication, especially through shared stories or fantasies.

SCT's Theoretical Roots

Symbolic Convergence Theory is rooted primarily in the interpretive approach and has connections to rhetorical/critical perspectives.

Fantasy Theme

A dramatized message or story that interprets an event, person, or situation and creates shared meaning among group members.

Fantasy Chain

The process by which one person's fantasy theme triggers related fantasies from others, creating a shared group story.

Rhetorical Vision

A shared worldview or group consciousness created through the convergence of fantasy themes and fantasy chains.

Language in Symbolic Interactionism

The system of shared symbols that allows people to communicate meanings and develop a sense of self.

Me

The part of the self that represents internalized social expectations, rules, and attitudes of others.

I

The spontaneous, unpredictable, and creative part of the self that responds to the socialized "Me."

Minding

The process of using significant symbols to interpret situations, consider possible responses, and communicate meaning.

Looking-Glass Self

The idea that people develop their self-concept by imagining how others perceive and evaluate them.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief or expectation that influences behavior in a way that causes the expected outcome to occur.

Symbolic Interactionism

A theory arguing that people create meaning and develop their identities through social interaction and the use of symbols.

Expectancy Violation Theory (EVT)

A theory explaining how people respond when others behave differently from what they expect, especially regarding communication and personal space.

Expectancy

What a person predicts or anticipates another person will do based on social norms, culture, relationships, or previous experience.

Personal Distance

The physical space people typically maintain between themselves and others during interaction.

Violation Valence

Whether a violation of an expectation is perceived as positive, negative, or neutral.

Communicator Reward Valence

The degree to which a communicator is perceived as rewarding, valuable, attractive, powerful, or beneficial to the receiver.

EVT Basic Idea

A violation of expectations does not automatically have a negative effect; its meaning depends partly on who commits the violation and how the violation is evaluated.

EVT Change Over Time

EVT began primarily focused on violations of personal space and nonverbal behavior but expanded to explain expectancy violations across many types of communication.

Social Penetration Theory (SPT)

A theory explaining how relationships develop through gradual increases in self-disclosure, moving from superficial to more intimate information.

Dyadic Withdrawal

A reduction or stopping of communication between two people, often signaling relationship deterioration.

Self-Disclosure

The voluntary sharing of personal information with another person.

Reciprocity in SPT

The tendency for self-disclosure to be returned with comparable disclosure, especially during relationship development.

Reward Level

The perceived rewards and costs associated with a relationship that influence whether people want to continue it.

Comparison Level (CL)

The standard people use to evaluate whether a relationship is satisfying based on their expectations and previous experiences.

Comparison Level for Alternatives (CLalt)

A person's evaluation of the alternatives available outside the current relationship, influencing whether they remain in it.

Breadth of Self-Disclosure

The number or range of different topics a person discusses.

Depth of Self-Disclosure

How personal, intimate, or private the information being disclosed is.

Social Information Processing Theory (SIPT)

A theory explaining how people develop relationships through computer-mediated communication despite the absence of many face-to-face cues.

SIPT and Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Both explain how people gather information and communicate to reduce uncertainty while developing relationships.

Extended Time

The idea that relationships developed through computer-mediated communication may require more time because fewer social cues are available.

Hyperpersonal Perspective

The idea that computer-mediated relationships can sometimes become more intimate or intense than face-to-face relationships.

Overattribution of Similarity

The tendency to assume that another person is more similar to oneself than may actually be true, especially when limited information is available.

Selective Self-Presentation

The ability to carefully manage what information about oneself is presented to others, especially online.

Warranting Value

The degree to which information about a person is perceived as credible because it comes from sources outside that person's own control.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT)

A theory explaining how people communicate to reduce uncertainty when interacting with others, particularly when meeting strangers.

URT Assumption About Uncertainty

Uncertainty is generally viewed as undesirable or uncomfortable, so people are motivated to reduce it.

URT vs. Relational Dialectics

URT generally treats uncertainty as something people seek to reduce, while Relational Dialectics views uncertainty and other contradictions as ongoing tensions that are normal in relationships.

Biggest Concern When Strangers Meet

People are primarily concerned with reducing uncertainty about the other person and predicting how that person will behave.

Types of Uncertainty in URT

URT primarily addresses cognitive uncertainty (what to think about someone) and behavioral uncertainty (how someone will behave).

Cognitive Uncertainty

Uncertainty about another person's beliefs, attitudes, personality, or likely thoughts.

Behavioral Uncertainty

Uncertainty about how another person is likely to behave in a given situation.

Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT)

A theory that explains relationships as ongoing tensions between competing and contradictory needs or desires.

Internal Dialectics

Contradictions that occur within a relationship between the two people.

External Dialectics

Contradictions between a relationship and the larger social environment or outside relationships.

Integration vs. Separation

The internal dialectic involving the desire for connection and togetherness versus independence and privacy.

Stability vs. Change

The internal dialectic involving the desire for predictability versus novelty and change.

Expression vs. Privacy

The internal dialectic involving the desire to openly express information versus keeping information private.

Connection vs. Autonomy

The internal dialectic involving the desire to be connected to others versus maintaining independence.

Inclusion vs. Seclusion

The external dialectic involving the desire to participate in the social world versus maintaining separation from outsiders.

Conventionality vs. Uniqueness

The external dialectic involving the desire to follow social norms versus maintaining a unique relationship identity.

Revelation vs. Concealment

The external dialectic involving the desire to disclose information versus keeping information private from outsiders.

Dialectical Tension

The ongoing push and pull between two competing or contradictory desires or needs.

Unit of Analysis in RDT

The relationship or dyad, rather than an isolated individual.

Criticism of Relational Dialectics Theory

A criticism is that dialectical tensions can be difficult to measure objectively and may make the theory difficult to test or predict specific outcomes.

Interactional View

The perspective that relationships are systems in which communication patterns among people create and maintain the relationship.

Systems Theory

The idea that a system is made up of interconnected parts, so a change in one part can affect the entire system.