Essential Communication Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover major concepts, theories, and terminology from the Essential Communication lecture notes, helping you prepare for exams by testing your recall of key ideas in communication studies.

What are the four spheres in which communication is integrated into our lives?

Academic, professional, personal, and civic spheres.

According to research, which communication skill did employers rate most desirable in college graduates?

Good interpersonal communication skills, especially listening and concise expression.

Name the four primary human communication needs identified in Chapter 1.

Physical, instrumental, relational, and identity needs.

What key principle about words makes communication symbolic?

Words are arbitrary symbols; they stand for but don’t directly correspond to reality.

Which model of communication first introduced feedback?

The Interaction Model of communication.

In the Transaction Model, communicators are described as ___ and ___.

Simultaneous senders and receivers.

Define environmental noise.

Physical noise present in a communication encounter that can block message transmission.

What are the three dimensions of communication competence?

Knowledge, motivation, and skills.

List any three of the ten NCA speaking and listening competencies.

Examples: State ideas clearly; communicate ethically; identify communication goals; demonstrate credibility; listen attentively (any three).

Which stage of competence involves knowing you are communicating well in the moment?

Conscious competence.

What is systematic desensitization used to treat?

Public speaking anxiety (a form of communication apprehension).

Howard Rheingold’s five social-media literacies include attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, and ____.

Critical consumption.

Differentiate hearing and listening.

Hearing is the involuntary physiological response to sound; listening is the active, purposeful process of making meaning from sound.

What are the five stages in Joseph DeVito’s listening process?

Receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating, responding.

Name the four primary listening styles.

People-oriented, action-oriented, content-oriented, and time-oriented listening.

Which type of listening focuses on evaluating a message’s logic and credibility?

Critical listening.

Give two common poor listening habits identified by the International Listening Association.

Interrupting the speaker and faking attention (pseudo-listening).

Define semantic noise.

Interference that occurs when participants do not understand the symbols being used, even if they speak the same language.

What are the six functions of nonverbal communication?

Complementing, contradicting, accenting, repeating, regulating, and substituting.

Haptics is the study of what?

Communication through touch.

What does proxemics examine?

How space and distance communicate meaning.

According to Mehrabian, what percentage of meaning may be conveyed non-verbally in certain contexts?

Up to 93% (55% body, 38% vocalics, 7% words).

What are confirming messages?

Messages that recognize, acknowledge, or endorse another person, conveying value and worth.

Define self-disclosure.

Revealing personal information about yourself that others would not know unless you told them.

What does the Johari Window’s ‘blind area’ represent?

Information others perceive about you that you are unaware of yourself.

Explain the fundamental attribution error.

The tendency to attribute others’ negative behavior to internal factors while overlooking possible external causes.

What is the halo effect?

When a positive first impression leads us to view later behaviors by the person more positively.

List the three components of self-concept discussed in the text.

Self-image, self-esteem, and self-efficacy.

What are the three primary types of attraction?

Physical, social, and task attraction.

According to social exchange theory, relationships are evaluated based on __ and __.

Perceived rewards and costs (plus comparison levels).

Identify the five conflict-management styles in Rahim’s model.

Competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating.

Which conflict style shows high concern for both self and other?

Collaborating (win-win).

Define confirming climate.

An interaction environment where messages convey value, recognition, and acceptance.

What are the three kinds of confirming messages?

Recognition, acknowledgment, and endorsement messages.

List Knapp and Vangelisti’s five ‘coming-together’ stages.

Initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, bonding.

What stage precedes termination in Knapp’s ‘coming-apart’ phases?

Avoiding (preceded by differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating).

Name three routine relationship-maintenance behaviors identified by Canary & Stafford.

Positivity, openness, assurances, (also networking, sharing tasks).

What are Ayers’ three strategy types for relationship maintenance?

Avoidance, balance, and direct strategies.

Define selective perception.

Attending to certain stimuli while ignoring others based on expectations, motives, or emotions.

What are the three stages of the perception process?

Attending (selection), organizing, and interpreting.

Explain the similarity thesis.

We are inclined to form relationships with others who are similar to us in important ways.

What is a ‘comparison level of alternatives’ in social exchange theory?

An assessment of available alternatives outside the current relationship and their potential rewards.

What is dysfluency in vocalics?

Non-lexical fillers like “uh” or “um” that interrupt fluent speech.

Give two characteristics of an ethical communicator.

Egalitarian, respectful, trustworthy, does not plagiarize (any two).

What does ‘media multitasking’ refer to?

Using multiple forms of media at the same time.

Identify one negative academic outcome linked to laptop use during lectures.

Lower overall classroom achievement/final course grades due to reduced attention and recall.

What is ‘communication competence’ as defined in the text?

Knowledge of effective and appropriate communication patterns and the ability to use and adapt that knowledge in various contexts.

What is unconscious incompetence?

Communicating poorly without being aware of it.

Define ‘mindful communicator.’

Someone who actively processes information, adapts to contexts, and remains sensitive to multiple perspectives while communicating.

What are the five social-media etiquette rules listed in Chapter 1.5?

Examples: avoid ALL CAPS, don’t ridicule others, apologize for misinterpretations, use IMHO for strong opinions, choose respectful wording.

What is ‘semantic rule’ in language use?

Rules that govern the meaning of words—i.e., dictionary definitions used within context.

Differentiate denotative and connotative meaning.

Denotative = dictionary definition; connotative = personal or cultural emotional associations with a word.

What is biased language?

Language that shows prejudice or preference toward a viewpoint or group, often unnecessary or discriminatory.

Give an example of turning a sexist job title into a gender-neutral one.

‘Policeman’ becomes ‘police officer’ (others possible).

What is code-switching?

Shifting language or dialect use depending on context or audience to achieve appropriate communication.

Explain ‘euphemism.’

A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt (e.g., ‘passed away’ for ‘died’).

Name one of Rheingold’s suggestions for mindful participation online.

Develop social-media literacy by practicing attention management, critical consumption, etc.

What does ‘CMC’ stand for, and give an example.

Computer-mediated communication; e.g., text messaging.

Describe the ‘people-oriented’ listening style.

Listening to connect with the speaker, focusing on their thoughts and feelings rather than the message’s content.

Why is self-disclosure reciprocity important?

Balanced sharing builds trust and prevents vulnerability imbalances in relationships.

What is the self-serving bias?

Attributing our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors.

Which nonverbal channel can override spoken words when contradictory?

Facial expressions/eye behavior often dominate message interpretation.