Intro to Communications Exam 1

Concepts and Topics used within the Intro to Communications Exam Study Guide Prompt

Communication Model: Linear

Sender → message → channel → receiver; one-way; noise can disrupt.

Communication Model: Interactional

Turn-taking with feedback; fields of experience matter.

Communication Model: Transactional

Simultaneous sending/receiving; co-creation of meaning in context.

Communication Competence

Communication that is appropriate + effective; built on knowledge, skills, motivation.

Major Purposes of Communication

Inform, persuade, relate, express, entertain.

Social-Scientific Perspective

Studies communication to measure/predict patterns using data.

Interpretive Perspective

Understands meaning from participants’ viewpoints in context.

Critical Perspective

Examines power, ideology, and cultural structures in communication.

Expectancy Violations Theory

We hold expectations; violations judged by valence & communicator reward value.

Interpersonal Deception Theory

Deception is interactive; cues leak; accuracy varies with suspicion & familiarity.

Self-Concept

Overall picture of who you are; formed by reflected appraisals, comparison, culture.

Self-Esteem

Evaluation of self; shaped by environment (family, peers, media, culture, context).

Social Penetration Theory

Self-disclosure develops relationships via breadth and depth over time.

Rules for Self-Disclosure

Appropriate timing/person; reciprocal; truthful; benefit > risk; protect others’ privacy.

Communication Apprehension Types

Trait, context-based, audience-based, situational.

Coping with Apprehension

Reappraisal, practice, skills training, cognitive restructuring, desensitization.

Kenneth Burke: Dramatism

Communication as symbolic action; identification; Pentad (act, scene, agent, agency, purpose).

Ellen Langer: Mindfulness

Be present; notice novelty; avoid rigid categories; reduce mindlessness.

Erving Goffman: Dramaturgy

Front stage/back stage behavior; facework to manage impressions.

Impression Formation

Select → organize → interpret information about others.

Attribution

Assign cause: internal (disposition) vs external (situation).

Fundamental Attribution Error

Over-attribute others’ behavior to traits; underplay situation.

Self-Serving Bias

Succeed = internal causes; fail = external causes.

Perception-Checking

Describe behavior, offer two interpretations, ask for clarification.

Nonverbal Communication Functions

Repeat, complement, accent, regulate, substitute, contradict.

Nonverbal & Culture

Cultural norms shape gestures, space, eye contact, touch, time.

Kinesics

Body movement & facial expressions.

Oculesics

Eye behavior (contact, gaze, pupil dilation).

Haptics

Touch (type, frequency, appropriateness).

Proxemics

Use of space: intimate, personal, social, public distances.

Chronemics

Time orientation; punctuality; monochronic vs polychronic.

Vocalics/Paralanguage

How we say it: tone, pitch, rate, volume, pauses.

Artifacts

Objects/clothing that send social/identity cues.

Personal vs Scholarly Theories

Lay = intuitive, untested; scholarly = systematic, testable, public.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills.

Johari Window

Open, Blind, Hidden, Unknown; grows via feedback & disclosure.

Looking-Glass Self

Self shaped by how we think others see/judge us.

Social Comparison Theory

Upward (aspire/deflate) vs downward (comfort/stagnate) comparisons.

Mindfulness Traits

Present focus, openness, novelty seeking/producing, flexible thinking.

Listening: 5 Elements

Receiving, Attending, Understanding, Responding, Remembering.

Selective Exposure vs Attention

Exposure = what you choose to encounter; Attention = what you focus on.

Serial Transmission Problems

Leveling, sharpening, assimilation distort messages over chains.

Better Listening Habits

Active listening, paraphrase, questions, reduce noise, take notes, empathize.

Listening Barriers

Noise, overload, rapid thought, bias, preoccupation, poor habits.