Midterm Study - Fundamentals of Communication and Media

every term in the notes defined by me

How do we know things?

we know things  through experience, authority, research, science, and traditions

Intuition

unconscious observation of a pattern we can’t identity

ontology

study of what exists, the nature of being and reality.

epistemology

the study of knowledge, what does it mean to know something and sources for justification

axiology

the study of values and ethics (questions good and bad), including moral principles and aesthetic judgments. “we should do”

values

the beliefs or principles that guide behavior and decision-making.

attitudes

how we feel and emotional reactions

beliefs

conviction that something exists or is true

rhetoric

art/study of persuasion and the language we use to persuade

quantitative (methodology)

measurable and numerical data analysis techniques used in research.

qualitative (methodology)

descriptive and observable data analysis techniques used in research.

induction (methodology)

reasoning from specific observations to general conclusions. it is is often used in qualitative research to formulate theories based on collected data.

deduction (methodology)

reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions. it is commonly used in quantitative research to test hypotheses derived from theories.

research paradigm

basic beliefs that shapes how we see the world, what we think exists, how we can gain knowledge, what is considered ethical, and how they should go about studying a problem.

positivism

A research paradigm that emphasizes observable phenomena and relies on empirical evidence gathered through systematic observation and experimentation, often associated with quantitative research methods.

interpretivism

a research approach emphasizing understanding of social phenomena through subjective interpretation and contextual analysis, often associated with qualitative research methods

theory

A set of principles or ideas used to explain a specific phenomenon, allowing for predictions and insights about how things work within a particular framework of understanding.

rules

or principles that explain phenomena and facilitate predictions in research.

laws

formal principles that govern behavior in communication and media contexts, establishing predictable patterns or outcomes.

Native Theories (little t)

Culturally specific frameworks that explain phenomena in communication, emphasizing the importance of local context and values. “I have a theory”

Scholarly Theories (big t)

General frameworks that explain communication phenomena, often derived from systematic research and empirical evidence, providing insights that can be applied across various contexts. “named theories like Cognitive Theory”

Constructs

theoretical concepts used to understand, measure, and analyze communication phenomena, often serving as building blocks for developing theories.

operationalization

the process of defining and measuring constructs through specific variables. (example: love is measured by time spent, texts sent, money spent, and what is being sacrificed.

research

close reading of documents, to collect data/info, to make and answer questions

purposes of research

to describe phenomena, prove evidence, challenge what we know, and seek answers

4 Parts of Research Report

introduction, methods, results, and conclusion

Semiotic Tradition

studies signs, symbols, and their meanings, focusing on how we create and interpret messages in communication.

Phenomenological Tradition

study of experiences, how do people interpret the experience of something (yelp reviews, testimonials)

Cybernetic Tradition

study of interactions between any organizations/networks (example: “how does the introduction of DVD players influence family communication patterns?”)

Sociopsychological Tradition

explores how personality, cognition, and culture shape interactions. (example: personality traits)

Sociocultural Tradition

focuses on how social contexts and cultural norms influence communication and social interaction. (examples: symbols, history, accents/dialect, traditions)

Critical Tradition

examines power dynamics and social justice issues in communication. This tradition encourages critique of media and social practices to promote change.

Rhetorical Tradition

studies persuasion, looks at social artifacts, letters, debates, speeches and the strategies used to influence audiences through language and symbols.

biophysiology

traits theories

focus on identifying and measuring individual personality traits that influence behavior.

Cardinal Traits (trait theories)

labels we can’t escape and develop later in life (hoe, player, narcissist)

Central Traits (trait theories)

core consistent traits of who we are

Secondary Traits

situational and less consistent than cardinal or central traits

Big Five

a model in psychology that identifies five key dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. *does not go over trait theories (how traits change over time)

Sensation Seeking

the tendency to pursue thrilling and risky experiences, often associated with higher levels of impulsivity and excitement. (changes as you get older, high sensation seekers tend to be younger and male and it takes more to persuade them)

Cognitive Processing

making sense of given information attributionto understanding, organizing, and interpreting information in order to form judgments and decisions.

Attributional Errors

making internal attributions about external characteristics (example: halo effect, assuming a person is a criminal based on skin color)

just-world hypothesis

the belief that people generally get what they deserve, leading to biased judgments about others' circumstances. (karma)

correspondent inference

the tendency to attribute someone's actions to their personality or character rather than to situational factors. (example: i like them automatically because they wear green)

external attributions (attribution theory)

assigning the causes of behavior to situational factors instead of personal traits. (example: If you like someone and they fail, you might say it's unfair and blame it on something they couldn't control. But if you don't like someone and they succeed, you might say they just got lucky or had help)

internal attributions (attribution theory)

the process of assigning the cause of a person's behavior to their internal characteristics, such as personality, beliefs, or motives. (example: You might call someone a cheater just because you don't like them, even if they passed a test. But if someone you like fails, you might make excuses for them, like saying they have problems at home.)

Boring Task Study (Leon Festinger)

A psychological experiment demonstrating cognitive dissonance, where participants engaged in a boring task and were paid either $1 or $20 to lie about their enjoyment. Those paid $1 experienced greater dissonance and changed their attitudes towards the task.

Cognitive Dissonance

occurs when we become aware that out behavior doesn’t match our beliefs (contradicting values) and it evokes discomfort. example: someone goes to the gym (into health), but they smoke (not good for health)

Remedies for dissonance

changing our belief, change our behavior, change importance of belief, add a new belief or seek support from others to validate our feelings.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

when we meet someone new, we want to reduce the awkwardness by getting to know them. We gather info to predict their behavior and feel more comfortable. Less uncertainty = better connection.

self-concept

beliefs of ourselves that change over time  (example: “i’m awesome”, “I suck”)

self-esteem

how we feel about how we see ourselves

mattering

how important we are depends on which self image is dominant at that time, the more we feel we matter the better our self-esteem is.

self-perception theory

we learn about ourselves through observing our own behavior

looking glass self

the concept that our perception of ourselves is influenced by how we believe others see us. We form an identity based on perceived judgments from others, leading to feelings of pride or shame. *does not tell us what people are actually thinking.

self-presentation (impression management)

how we present ourselves in different situations to influence how others perceive us.

self presenation strategies

self-promotion, modesty/humility, ingratiation (getting people to like you by making them feel good about themselves), intimidation, supplication (damasel in distress).

dramaturgy

we preform a role in every different relationship we have

facework

how we act to be perceived the way we want, if we’re successful we have face, if we fail we lose face

Face-threatening acts

actions that challenge a person's desired self-image or social identity, potentially leading to loss of face.

face saving acts

actions taken to avoid embarrassment or maintain dignity, especially in interactions where one's face may be threatened.

face giving acts

actions that enhance or support another person's desired self-image or social identity, helping them maintain face in social interactions. (example: vouching for someone’s competence, setting up your friend with a baddie)

positive face (politeness theory)

desire to be liked (example: holding door open because it makes you look like a good person)

negative face (politeness theory)

desire to do what we want to do when we want to do it (example: the frustration of having a slow walker in front of you when you’re trying to be quick)

fellowship face (politeness theory)

desire to feel included (example: wanting an invite even if you don’t want to go, FOMO = lack of ?)

autonomy face (politeness theory)

confidence of asserting your independence and personal choices (example: wanting to make decisions without interference from others).

competence face (politeness theory)

desire to be seen as competent

self-image

how we see ourselves and how we want others to perceive us.

semiotics

the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. It explores how meaning is created and communicated through various forms of representation.

Icon (semiotics)

a sign or symbol that resembles or imitates the object it represents, conveying meaning through its physical likeness. example: a photograph or portrait.

index (semiotics)

represents something we cant see (example: smoke as an index of fire.)

symbol (semiotics)

a sign that refers to an object or idea through convention or agreement, rather than similarity or direct connection. culturally different (example:the word "tree" representing a tree.)

semantics

word choice (example: we talk differently at a job interview versus speaking to your friend. Regional variations include sub vs hoagie, chips vs fries)

syntax

grammar, how we organize our words to have meaning

pragmatics (speech act theory)

the study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning in communication, including speaker intention and inferred meanings.

Locutionary 

actual words

Illocutionary

the intended meaning behind a statement

Perlocutionary

the effect that a statement has on the listener's thoughts, feelings, or actions.

3 Elements of a Speech Act

Locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary.

categorization of speech acts (5)

assertives, directives, commisisves, expressives, declarations

assertives

statements that convey information or beliefs, aiming to describe reality or convey truth. (example: "It is raining outside." )

directives

speech acts that aim to get the listener to do something. (example: “get that for me”)

commissives

promises or commitments that bind the speaker to a future action or course of conduct. (example: “promising”)

expressives

indicates a psychological state (example: “i’m sorry”)

declarations

speech acts that bring about a change in the external world simply by being uttered (example: "I hereby declare you husband and wife").

sapir-whorf hypothesis / linguistic relativity

we think differently based on the language we use, influencing our perception of reality.

code-switch

adjusting your behavior to an environment or social context (example: customer service voice)

Muted group theory

certain groups are marginalized in their ability to express themselves effectively in a dominant society, often due to language and cultural differences. (example: men - in control, women - muted group)

the medium and production

changes the way we perceive things, the way we consume influence, and the way we talk about media (example: TV changed family dynamic)

cultivation theory

theory that suggests long-term exposure to media, particularly television, shapes viewers' perceptions of reality and influences their beliefs and behaviors.

agenda setting

tells us what to think about not what to think in media coverage, influencing public perception and discussions on issues. Someone is in control of the agendaand decides which topics are highlighted, thus shaping the public's focus. (example: charlie kirks death)

media framing theory 

the way a story is structured influences how we view it and how we talk about it

Priming (Iyengar & Kinder)

the process by which media content influences the standards by which audiences evaluate political figures or events. (dad got a BMW no I see it everywhere because I’ve been primed)

framing

the presentation of information that shapes audience interpretation and perception. (example: the way news reports highlight certain aspects of a story while downplaying others.)

transportation theory

we become immersed in a narrative world, allows us escape, we want to be in that world (it can explain why people engage in escapism through media)

spiral of silence

people stay silent because they think they’re in the minority opinion and that feels threatening. People conform to group because they don’t want to stand out (elizabeth noel-neuman was a nazi and her study explained why people complied to the governenment)

uses and gratification

we choose media because it fulfills a need. (example: clicking sounds, candy crush)

anthropomorphism (humans & nature)

giving nature human characteristics

anthropocentric (humans & nature)

viewing humans as the most significant entity in the universe, often leading to the interpretation of the world in terms of human values.

Affordances

using an object in a way it wasn’t intended for (example: using a phone as a watch)