Communication Vocabulary

From Communications Textbook

accommodation

maintaining harmony with others by giving in to their wishes

acquiring

the physical process receiver-senders use to take in the sender’s message

action group

a group appointed to plan and implement a specific course of action

active listening

participating fully in the communication process

advocacy group

a group set up specifically to support, protect, and defend, or lobby for a cause or group

agitator

someone who injects negative energy into the group process

ambiguous

open to interpretation; confusing

amplification device

information that extends and/or clarifies an idea for an audience

antithesis

a rhetorical device that involves pairing opposing words or ideas

appointed leader

someone who is given his or her leadership position by a person in authority

appreciative listening

listening to enjoy a speaker’s message or a performance on an artist level

appropriateness

what is suitable for a specific situation

articulation

clearly and distinctly uttering the consonant sounds of a word

artifacts

articles of adornment used to decorate self or surroundings

attending

the act of choosing, consciously or subconsciously, to focus your attention on verbal or nonverbal stimuli

attention device

a tool used by speakers to grab the interest of an audience

audience orientation

providing audience members with information they likely do not already have but will need in order to understand a presentation

authoritarian leader

a leader who uses power to force followers to do what he or she wants them to do

avoidance

keeping away from or withdrawing from something

balanced leader

a leader who strives for an equal focus on both tasks and relationships

barrier

any obstacle that blocks communication

body language

the way people nonverbally express their feelings

brainstorming

the process of quickly listing all ideas that come to mind regarding a specific topic

channel

the space in which a message is transmitted

chronological order

arrangement according to the time in which events occur

closed questions

a question that requires a very specific answer, often just one word

coercion

trying to force others to go along with your wishes

coercive power

the ability to force others to do something by punishing them if they do not comply

collaboration

working together to achieve a result

colloquialism

a term associated with a specific regional culture

committee

a group with a specialized task which is a part of the basic structure of an organization

communication

the process of creating and exchanging meaning through symbolic interaction

communication apprehension

fear or nervousness associated with making a presentation

competent communicator

someone who incorporates knowledge, attitude, and skills into his or her communication to communicate effectively and appropriately

compromise

settling differences by having each party give up something

conflict

a struggle between two or more parties who sense interference in achieving goals

conflict over facts

a disagreement over something that can be proven to be true or false

conflict over policies

a disagreement that deals with differences over how to best complete a task

conflict over values

a disagreement over priorities

connotation

emotions or feelings associated with a word

conscientious style

a style of communication that tends to be slow-paced and task-oriented

constructive criticism

a negative evaluation that brings about positive change

context

the situation in which communication occurs

counseling interview

an interview during which the interviewer helps the interviewee decide on a course of action

criteria

the standards or conditions that any solution must meet in order to be acceptable

critic

someone who, through training and experience, is qualified to analyze and making judgements about something

critical listening

listening to comprehend ideas and information in order to achieve a specific purpose or goal

critical perspective

the standard by which a speech is judged to be successful or unsuccessful

culture

the set pf life patterns passed down from one generation to the next in a group of people

culture shock

confusion or anxiety that sometimes results when people come into contact with a culture different from their own

data

things that catch a communicator’s attention, such as objects, people, sounds, thoughts, memories, and the messages sent by others

decision making

examining a set of alternatives and using reason and logic to select the best one

decoding

the mental process receiver-senders to use to create meaning from language

deliberative listening

listening to understand, analyze, and evaluate messages to accept or reject a point of view, make a decision, or take action

delivery

the way a presenter uses his or her body and voice to communicate a message to an audience

demeanor

outward behavior

democratic leader

a leader who invited followers to participate in decision making in an effort to get the majority to agree with and commit to decisions

demographics

information about a group’s age, gender, education, group affiliations, ethnicity, and sociocultural background

denotation

a word’s objective description or meaning

descriptive communication

talk that paints a picture of the facts of a situation

descriptive gesture

a gesture used to create a mental image to help an image to help an audience visualize a message

dialect

a unique combination of speech sounds that identifies speech with a particular group of people

diction

the degree of clarity and distinctness in a person’s speech

direct question

a question that is straightforward; asks exactly what the interviewers wants to know and leaves no room for ambiguity

discriminate

to treat differently based on reasons other than individual merit, or quality

dominant style

a style of communication that is fast-spaced and more task-oriented than people-oriented

emergent goal

a goal set by the group itself

emergent leader

someone who is chosen by peers or members of a group because of his or her personality, power in the group, or the special circumstances of the group task

emergent norm

any group norm that develops from the group interaction and the mix of the group member’s personalities

empathetic listening

listening to understand, participate in, and enhance a relationship

empathetic gesture

a gesture used to stress or place special attention on what a presenter is saying

employment interview

a process for judging whether a job candidate is qualified and well-suited for a position

encoding

the mental process of assigning meaning and language to data

enunciation

clearly and distinctly uttering the vowel sounds of a word

ethical proof

the supporting information that builds a speaker’s credibility on a topic

ethos

the image a presenter displays to an audience

etiquette

an established code of behavior or courtesy

evaluative communication

talk that tells how you interpret a behavior and how you feel about a situation

exit interview

an interview used to determine why a person has decided to leave an organization

expert power

the power held by the person who knows the most about the work that must be done

extemporaneous presentation

a presentation thoroughly prepared and rehearsed in advance and presented with the use of notes

facilitator

a group member who adds positive task energy to the group by helping group members follow through on tasks

factual question

a question that seeks information that can be proven

feed-forward

to offer an explanation that you want to make or a reason or explanation for a question, request, or offer

feedback

one person’s observable response to another’s message

filler

a word or phrase used to cover up a hesitancy in speech

formal language

language that conforms to a highly structured set of rules

formal presentation

a presentation schedules in advance and usually involving induvial or team research and audiovisual support

formal social group

a group whose members are chosen by an organization to participate in community activities

functional approach

the idea that leaders should both recognize and actively perform needed tasks

grammar

the basic understandings and rules that regulate the use of language

group

a small number of people who identify and interact with one another because of common interest, bond, or goal

group discussion

three or more people exchanging ideas on specific topic for a specific purpose

group dynamics

the energy created as group members communicate and interact with each other in committees, teams, and other groups

group goal

the specific tasks and expected outcomes of a group

group norms

informal, often unstated rules about what behavior is appropriate in a group

groupthink

poor decision-making in a group caused by members having a stronger desire to agree with one another than to solve the problem

hearing

the physical process of receiving sound

highly closed question

a question that not only seeks a specific answer but may even provide answers from which to choose

hypothetic question

a question that asks how a respondent might react in a given situation