Effective Communication and Speech Contexts

Vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts of speech contexts, speech styles, communicative strategies, communication noise and conflict resolution, group dynamics, social roles, and intercultural communication.

Intrapersonal Communication

Communication with oneself using internal vocalization or reflective thinking.

Self-Talk

The inner voice in your mind that says things that you do not necessarily say out loud.

Voices in Our Head

An unconscious, automatic voice that reacts to things that happen, serving as a running commentary in the back of our minds.

The Inner Critic

An aspect of self-talk that condemns and judges you as inadequate.

The Inner Defender

An aspect of self-talk that points a finger at others, finding fault with anything and everything.

The Inner Guide

An aspect of self-talk that injects you with confidence.

Interpersonal Communication

Communication between two people whose lives mutually influence one another, which builds, maintains, and ends relationships.

Public Communication

Communication involving a large group that listens to a one-way monologue, generating little feedback and requiring greater planning and preparation.

Mass Communication

Communication involving one message transmitted to many people through print or electronic media, intended for a specific target market without an immediate verbal and nonverbal feedback loop.

Speech Style

The perceived attitude and level of formality associated with a kind of language used, which depends on the audience, topic, purpose, and location.

Frozen Style

Also known as Static Style; language that is static in form, does not change, is often learned by rote, and may include old grammar and vocabulary.

Formal Style

Also known as Academic Style; impersonal language that avoids slang and uses complete sentences for technical presentations, scholarly lectures, and proclamations.

Consultative Style

Professional language used for standard two-way conversation with a more knowledgeable person, such as between a doctor and a patient.

Casual Style

Informal, conversational language used among friends and peers that incorporates slang, vulgarities, and colloquialisms.

Intimate Style

Very informal language used among family, very close friends, and loved ones that includes private vocabulary and nonverbal cues exclusive to the group.

Topic Nomination

A communicative strategy used to start or open conversations with people either formally or informally.

Topic Control

A communicative strategy used to maintain the focus of a conversation on a specific subject, preventing digressions or unnecessary interruptions.

Topic Shifting

A strategy used to introduce a new topic using lexical phrases without breaking the conversation abruptly when the current topic no longer holds interest.

Turn Taking

A strategy that keeps conversation organized, engaging, and not one-sided by following principles such as allowing only one person to talk at a time.

Restriction

Knowing the unwritten limits or constraints imposed on conversation participants to prevent putting others in an awkward situation.

Repair

Efforts utilizing linguistic checkers and paralinguistic features to ensure that intended messages in a conversation have been understood.

Termination

A communicative strategy that helps end a conversation graciously using linguistic signals, paralanguage, or non-verbal cues.

Process Noise

Elements at any stage of the communication process (sender, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback) that block or hinder successful communication.

Physical Noise

External distractions in the environment, such as heavy traffic or loud music, that divert attention from receiving the message.

Psychological Noise

Communication barriers centered on an individual's field of experience, filtering habits, and psychological distance toward the other person.

Field of Experience

The background, perceptions, values, and biases of individuals that shape how they interpret communication.

Filtering

Tuning in only to what one wants to hear, guided by personal interests and desires.

Psychological Distance

Behavior between people where hostility or ill will toward a message causes the receiver to block out what the sender says.

Physiological Noise

Physical conditions or bodily states of the sender or receiver, such as illness or exhaustion, that interfere with communication.

Semantic Noise

Communication hindrances caused by vagueness, jargon, or words that are not mutually understood by the sender and receiver.

Clarifying Questions

Questions asked during conflict resolution to ensure a clear understanding of the other person's perspective.

Reflective Questions

Questions used to express empathy and validate how the other person feels.

Probing Questions

Questions used to probe deeper into the underlying reasons behind a conflict.

Primary Groups

Groups focused on deep emotional ties, personal connection, and intimacy, utilizing expressive and informal communication styles.

Secondary Groups

Task-oriented, goal-driven groups that utilize professional and structured communication styles.

Dyad

A group of two people characterized by high emotional intimacy and direct interaction, which ceases to exist if one person leaves.

Triad

A group of three people that remains intact if one member leaves and often relies on majority rule for decision-making.

Social Status

An individual's position or rank within a social hierarchy or institution.

Social Role

The expected behaviors, duties, and communication styles tied to a specific social status.

Formal Norms

Written rules, laws, and official regulations such as student handbooks.

Informal Norms

Unwritten habits and behaviors learned through observation within a culture.

Material Culture

Physical objects produced and used by a cultural group, such as attire, food, and tools.

Non-Material Culture

Intangible aspects of a culture, including beliefs, values, language, and etiquette.

Intercultural Communication

Communication that involves interaction between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior to others, leading to the evaluation of other cultures based on one's own cultural standards.

Xenocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is inferior to others and that a foreign culture is superior.

Stereotyping

The mental categorization or general, often inaccurate, representation of a group of people based on limited observations or experiences.

Prejudice

A positive or negative feeling held towards individuals belonging to a particular race, social class, religion, or sexual identity.

Discrimination

Negative behaviors caused by prejudice or stereotyping, ranging from personal avoidance to physical violence.