COMM101 Final Exam Review

Brian Householder COMM101 Final Review Guide

Explain the differences between and relationship between concreteness of language and

connotative/denotative meaning.

Language is constantly changing but words can be concrete if we can experience it with one of our senses.

Abstract language is more connotative

Concrete language is more denotative

Detail the language barriers to communication

Language barriers are linguistic limitations (including different native languages) accents, dialects, or specialized jargon that cause miscomprehension or prevent effective communication.

Report on the perspective of critical theorists and their theories related to language and power.

Critical theorists argue that those who have control of language have the power in society and will use that control to keep the power.

Identify connotative meaning

Words linked to the memories and emotions of a person and their involvement with that words (memories and feelings based)

Identify denotative meaning

Words linked to the language system and is sterile (dictionary definition of the word)

Explain Symbolic Interactionism

a theory stating that people are bound together as a society through our common symbols

Explain the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Describes the process by which we name things to give them a sense of reality and to describe someone's lived condition (language is living and evolves as we develop the need to name and desire new things)

Report on the different goals people bring to encounters.

Instrumental

Relational

Identity

Instrumental Goals

task related (speaking to a baker for the purpose of getting cookies)

Relational Goals

Relational development and maintenance (going to a professors office hours to form relationships)

Identity Goals

To be true to oneself (calling my dad because I believe I am a good daughter)

Assess the importance of role taking and cognitive complexity on goals.

Role taking is the ability to predict the thoughts and objections others might have to your goals.

The more cognitively complex, the better one is at role taking. Ones ability to create multiple responses and use many different persuasive techniques improves goal competence.

Explain sequential request strategies

sequential requests strategies: Foot-in-the-door and Door-in-the-face

Food in the door: A small request is made that one knows will be accepted and followed by the second or goal request to increase the likelihood of the second request also being accepted.

Door in the Face: A large request is made that one knows will be rejected and the rejection s followed by the goal request, to make the goal request now appear more acceptable.

Explain how and why sequential request strategies work

Reciprocal concessions (you do someone a favor and they do something for you)

Perceptual contrast (the second request being smaller changes a persons perception)

Self perception (how you appear and come across to others makes a difference)

pro-socialness of request (prosocial means for a good cause and the effiacy of the request diminishes as the prosocial factor decreases)

Guilt based (saying no to the prosocial request can make us feel guilt and have a negative affective so saying yes avoids that guilt)

Distinguish the various compliance gaining strategies (How to get your friends to _____!) and understand the difference between persuasion and compliance gaining.

Threaten: “if you don’t ____ I will beat you up” (fear response)

Pre-giving: “I lent you my car so now I expect you to ___” (guilt response)

positive self feeling: “you will feel proud of yourself if you ___” (pleasure response)

Negative self esteem: “your family will be disappointed if you don’t ___ (guilt response)

Aversive stimulation: “I won’t let you play with ___ until you ___” (upset response)

Describe the matching hypothesis

The idea that people wish to hang out with and form connections with those similar in attractiveness

Describe peoples reactions to mismatching from the matching hypothesis

People apply attributions and assumptions to those who do not match the matching hypothesis, believing that someone in the relationship must be compensating in another quality besides their looks.

Social Exchange Theory

The theory that looks at relationships through a cost and benefit analysis (relational return on investment)

Understand the different levels of Attraction filtering

sociological or incidental cues

pre-interaction cues

Interaction cues

Cognitive cues

sociological or incidental cues

The ability to observe, interaction, and expect future encounters because we rarely form relationships with those who we don’t see future encounters with

pre-interaction cues

Physical cues (height, weight, artifacts, beauty) that serve as a basis for attraction and perception of similarity and difference

Interaction cues

The topics of conversation, conversation management, eye contact, and interaction distance

Cognitive cues

formed impressions of attitudes, beliefs, and personality

Detail Baxter and Wilmot's relationship tests.

Tests that people do to see if the person they are interested in wants to elevate the relationship

Types of Baxter and Wilmot's relationship tests.

indirect suggestions

separation tests

endurance tests

triangle tests

Indirect suggestions

not directly suggesting to someone a relationship, but hinting that they’re engaging in relationship-like behavior

Seperation tests

Intentional separation to see if the other person will reach out via test, call, in person, etc. and to communicate worry, concern, and longing

Endurance tests

Making your partner go through an unpleasant activity to see if they are willing to endure the activity

triangle tests

inserting a potential relational rival to see how your partner reacts

Discuss the relational dialectic tensions

Expressive-protective

autonomy-togetherness

Novelty-Predictability

expressive-protective dialect

the tensions between how much your sharing information and how much you’ll be withholding

Autonomy-togetherness dialect

The tension between how much time and space you and your partner are sharing. too much time apart can weaken the relationship but too much time together can suffocate the other person

Novelty-predictability

The tensions between the relationship following the same routine and becoming boring or being too spontaneous and makes the relationship unstable.

describe the ways we deal with dialectic tension.

reframing

topical segmentation

selection

Cyclical alternation

Disqualification

reframing in dialectic tension

redefining the meaning of the extreme

Topical segmentation in dialectic tension

choosing one extreme for some activities and the other extreme for others

selection in dialectic tension

choosing one extreme and always having that extreme be present

cyclical alternations in dialectic tension

mixed messaging when extremes alter frequently, leading to unpredictability

disqualification in dialectic tension

not discussing the issue causing the tension within the relationship

Discuss the role of religion on extra-dyadic involvement (EDI) and reasons for EDI.

there is no correlation/ relationships between religiosity and extra dyadic relationships (cheating). People who are religious are not more likely to cheat, but if they do it takes them longer to cheat as they battle with morality of cheating ties to religion. Additionally, people who seek support in their place of worship, increasing the chance the may chjear with someone within the same environment.

Identify the different elements that make up culture and co-cultures

Cultural Distinctions:

• Geography: Where you live in terms of country, climate, and region

• Gender: Man, woman, and the spectrum of gender

• Race/ethnicity: where you are from ethnically and your race

• Religious/spiritual beliefs:

• Sexual Orientation: Straight to LGTBQ+

• Physical Abilities: The abled and the disabled

• Class: Socioeconomic status

• Age: young, midlife, old

• Miscellaneous: fishing culture, magazine culture, gaming culture, niche cultures as they are unique and have different norms within each culture

Different culture distinctions have different sets of communication norms which is important to recognize when stepping into unfamiliar cultures

Explain the difference between cultures regarding verbal and nonverbal cues.

Understand the acculturation dimensions.

Integrated

Assimilated

Separated

Marginal

Integrated Acculturation

feeling a strong connection with both the cultures you are associated with in terms of dominance and ethnicity

Assimilated Acculturation

Feeling a strong connection with the dominant culture but weaker connection with the ethnic connection

Separated Acculturation

Feeling a weak connection with the dominant culture but a strong connection with the ethnic connection

Marginal Acculturation

feeling a weak connection with both dominant and ethnic cultures. Can have a negative impact on self esteem.

Clarify some of the different high and low context cultures.

High context is more focused on the contextual factors regarding a communicative interaction (where, how, when) but less focus on the literal message being communicated. Low context is more focused on the literal words of the message, not the context surrounding it.

Assess the different myths about conflict.

conflicts are a sign of poor interpersonal relationships

conflicts can be avoided

conflicts occur because of misunderstanding

conflicts can always be resolved

conflicts are always bad

Talk about the different conflict styles.

Aggressive/ competition

Avoidance/ Withdrawing

Accommodating

Compromising

Problem solving/ collaboration

Aggression/ competition conflict style

the idea of approaching a conflict trying to only get your goals met and compete against the other person because the only way to win is for the other person to lose and walk away with nothing.

Avoidance/ Withdrawing conflict style

The idea of approaching conflict by withdrawing from the other person/ party even when the other person needs you yet you need that other person. So by withdrawing, no one gets what they want as if one person pulls away and both people need each other, the conflict will never get resolved.

Accommodating conflict style

The idea of approaching conflict by having a low concern for self but a high concern for others, resulting in other person being accommodated towards regardless of the other person needs for the betterment of the relationship

Compromising conflict style

the idea of approaching conflict where both parties have moderate concern for what the other party wants, resulting in neither parties getting what they want.

Problem solving/ collaboration conflict style

The idea of approaching conflict by both parties working towards getting what both parties wants

Explain how to best manage a problem and the steps to being assertive.

Problem Solving Steps (the best ways to resolve a problem)

• Define the problem

• Analyze the problem

• Establish a criteria for solutions (what would meet everyone's satisfactions)

• Evaluate the solutions and select the best solution

• Monitor effectiveness of the solutions (solution is implemented but be willing to shift the plan if necessary)

Distinguish the various types of organizational communication networks and under what conditions

Internal communication

• Centralized networks: perform better on simple tasks, the central member is seen as the leader and has high levels of satisfaction

• Decentralized networks: perform better on complex tasks, all members have high levels of satisfaction but leadership is sometimes unclear

Enmeshed Vs. Disengaged

• Enmeshed: the degree at which individuals in a group or family are cohesive and highly connected (Similar views, values, beliefs)

• groupthink can occur when everyone's opinions are the same

• Limited commitment can be a problem as well. If people feel disposable then they are more likely to leave the group.

• Disengages: the degree to which individuals in a group or family are non-cohesive and disconnected from each other.

• Can be useful when an issue arises as different opinions and perspectives can give different solutions to a given problem.

External Communication

• Open: welcoming, hospitable, and allows free access for others outside of the family/ group

• Closed: guarded, unwelcoming, and unable to walk into that group and allowed the same resources as those a part of the group.

• Random: Sways between open and closed communication styles

Describe the internal and external communication of groups (family and work, networks and flows).