Communication Theory Exam Review: Cognitive Dissonance, Expectancy Violations, Uncertainty Reduction, and Social Penetration

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key theorists, definitions, spatial distances, axioms, and structural stages of Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Expectancy Violations Theory, Uncertainty Reduction Theory, and Social Penetration Theory.

Leon Festinger

The researcher who introduced Cognitive Dissonance Theory in the 1950s as part of a group of consistency theories studying attitudes.

Cognitive Dissonance

An uncomfortable psychological state or feeling of imbalance that arises when an individual's behaviors, thoughts, or speech do not fit with their established beliefs.

Consonant Relationship

A cognitive relationship where an individual's attitude and behavior are consistent and fit together, such as believing hard work produces good grades and studying consistently.

Dissonant Relationship

A cognitive relationship where an individual's actions and established beliefs clash or do not fit, causing discomfort and motivating rationalization.

Irrelevant Relationship

A cognitive relationship in which two thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors have no logical connection or bearing on each other.

Magnitude of Dissonance

The strength or intensity of dissonance, determined by the importance of the issue, the dissonance ratio, and the reasoning available to justify the discrepancy.

Dissonance Ratio

The calculated proportion of dissonant elements relative to consonant elements: $\frac{\text{dissonant elements}}{\text{consonant elements}}$.

Selective Exposure

The tendency to avoid information, channels, or media that produce dissonance or contradict established beliefs.

Selective Attention

The tendency to pay attention solely to details and arguments that confirm and buttress existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory points.

Selective Retention

The tendency to learn and remember consonant information more easily than dissonant information in order to maintain internal balance.

Principle of Minimal Justification

The finding that offering a minimal incentive ($1\text{ dollar}$) provides insufficient external justification for an action, compelling individuals to shift their internal attitudes to resolve dissonance, whereas a large reward ($20\text{ dollars}$) provides complete external justification.

Buyer's Remorse

A post-decision form of dissonance that occurs after making a purchase, prompting the buyer to generate consonant justifications to validate the expenditure.

Decision Confidence

The psychological phenomenon where an individual becomes increasingly confident that their chosen alternative or bet will succeed immediately after committing to the choice.

Judy Burgoon

The communication scholar who developed Expectancy Violations Theory in the 1970s, originally termed Nonverbal Expectancy Violations.

Proxemics

The study of space relations, physical distance, and the invisible personal boundaries individuals maintain around themselves.

Intimate Distance

The proxemic spatial zone defined by Edward Hall ranging from $0$ to $18\text{ inches}$.

Personal Distance

The proxemic spatial zone defined by Edward Hall ranging from $18\text{ inches}$ to $4\text{ feet}$.

Social Distance

The proxemic spatial zone defined by Edward Hall ranging from $4$ to $12\text{ feet}$.

Public Distance

The proxemic spatial zone defined by Edward Hall extending from $12\text{ feet}$ and beyond.

Primary Territory

An exclusive physical domain owned or claimed solely by an individual, such as a personal vehicle or an apartment bedroom.

Secondary Territory

A shared or semi-public physical space associated with an individual through recurring use, such as a designated classroom seat.

Public Territory

An open physical space accessible to anyone without personal ownership or exclusive claims, such as a state facility or public beach.

Threat Threshold

The spatial distance boundary at which an individual begins to experience physiological or psychological discomfort when entered by another person.

Violation Valence

The positive or negative evaluation assigned to an unexpected communicative behavior or breach of personal expectancies.

Communicator Reward Valence

The perceived positive or negative value and potential reward capability that an individual attributes to a communicator, categorizing them as high-reward or low-reward sources.

Charles Berger and Richard Calabrese

The communication scholars who developed Uncertainty Reduction Theory to examine how individuals manage unpredictability in interpersonal interactions.

Cognitive Uncertainty

The degree of doubt or ambiguity concerning beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes held by oneself or an interaction partner.

Behavioral Uncertainty

The degree of ambiguity concerning appropriate actions and norms within a specific interpersonal encounter.

Passive Strategy

An uncertainty reduction tactic where an individual gathers information through unobtrusive observation of another person without direct engagement.

Active Strategy

An uncertainty reduction tactic involving indirect efforts to obtain information, such as asking mutual acquaintances or conducting research online.

Interactive Strategy

An uncertainty reduction tactic involving direct, face-to-face communication, interrogation, and mutual disclosure between individuals.

Parsimony

A criterion of theoretical quality describing a theory that is simply stated, concise, and easy to follow.

Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor

The social scientists who formulated Social Penetration Theory in the 1960s and 1970s to trace relational development and bonding.

Social Penetration Theory

A framework commonly referred to as the 'onion theory' that conceptualizes relationship closeness as progressing through personality layers from superficial interactions to intimate exchanges.

Breadth

The variety and number of diverse topics discussed within a developing relationship.

Depth

The level of intimacy, vulnerability, and personal detail revealed within the discussion of a given topic.

Depenetration

The gradual pulling back, relational dissolution, and decrease in self-disclosure resulting from sustained transgressions or excessive interpersonal costs.

Orientation Stage

The first phase of social penetration characterized by public, superficial, cautious, and normative interactions.

Exploratory Affective Stage

The second phase of social penetration where private aspects of personality begin to surface and communication becomes more spontaneous and relaxed.

Affective Exchange Stage

The third phase of social penetration marked by casual interaction, idiosyncratic gestures, private jokes, and the ability to tolerate minor criticisms.

Stable Exchange Stage

The final phase of social penetration characterized by complete openness, dyadic uniqueness, and the ability to anticipate a partner's behaviors and thoughts.