Communications Exam 1 Study Guide

Communication

The process by which messages are formulated, exchanged, and interpreted in an attempt to gain shared meaning.

Shared Meaning

When the sender and receiver understand the message in essentially the same way.

Communication Model

The model explaining how communication moves from a sender to a receiver and includes situation, encoding, message, channel, decoding, feedback, and noise.

Situation

The setting or context where communication takes place.

Sender

The person who creates and sends the message.

Encoding

The process of putting an idea into words, symbols, or another form that can be communicated.

Message

The information or idea the sender communicates to the receiver.

Channel

The method or pathway through which a message travels.

Receiver

The person who receives the message.

Decoding

The process of interpreting and understanding a message.

Feedback

The receiver's response to the message.

Noise

Anything that interrupts communication or prevents shared meaning.

Semantic Noise

Noise caused by the receiver not understanding the meaning of the message.

Mechanical Noise

Noise caused by a problem with the communication channel or technology.

Environmental Noise

Outside sounds or distractions that interfere with communication.

Internal Noise

Thoughts, feelings, or mental distractions inside the receiver's mind that interfere with communication.

Intrapersonal Communication

Communication that happens within yourself, such as thinking or talking to yourself.

Interpersonal Communication

Communication between two people.

Small Group Communication

Communication among a small group, typically about 3-12 people, working toward a specific goal or solving a problem.

Large Group Communication

Communication in which one person or a small number of people communicate with a larger audience, such as a BYU devotional.

Mass Communication

The process in which mass-produced messages are transmitted to large, anonymous, and heterogeneous audiences.

Mass Produced

Messages created to be distributed to many people.

Large

Refers to the large size of a mass communication audience.

Anonymous

When the communicator does not personally know the individual members of the audience.

Heterogeneous

Audience members who are diverse or different from one another.

Characteristics of Mass Communication

Requires a mass medium, has limited sensory channels, is highly impersonal, has delayed feedback, and includes gatekeepers.

Gatekeepers

People or organizations that decide what information reaches the public and how it is presented.

Functions of Gatekeepers

They can limit, expand, reorganize, and interpret the information people receive.

Delayed Feedback

Feedback that does not happen immediately after a message is received.

Agricultural Society

Early society centered around farming, with little education and print media as the predominant form of mass communication.

Industrial Society

Society characterized by a wide range of mass media and the importance of energy and industry; considered the era of mass communication.

Information Society

Modern society centered on the creation, exchange, and dissemination of information using computers, electronics, and digital technology.

Characteristics of an Information Society

Exchange of information, a large information workforce, interconnectedness, increasing scientific knowledge, and many messages and communication channels.

Pervasiveness of Media

The idea that media are present throughout our lives and influence what we know, think about, and discuss.

Binding Influence of Media

The way media bring people together through shared experiences, common knowledge, and a sense of connection.

Examples of Shared Media Experiences

Movies, television shows, concerts, major events, elections, pandemics, wars, and sporting events.

Mass Communication Theory

Theories that seek to explain how media influence individuals, groups, and society.

Magic Bullet Theory

The theory that media messages are directly injected into passive audiences and can produce immediate and powerful effects.

Magic Bullet Theory Associated With

Walter Lippmann; also developed in connection with Harold Lasswell.

Magic Bullet Theory Time Period

1920s-1930s.

Magic Bullet Theory Example

Audience members receive a media message and all respond to it in essentially the same way.

Why Magic Bullet Theory Developed

Concerns about mass newspapers, World War I propaganda, propaganda films and posters, and the growth of radio.

Two-Step Flow Theory

The theory that media influence flows first to opinion leaders and then from opinion leaders to other people.

Two-Step Flow Theory Associated With

Paul Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz.

Two-Step Flow Theory Time Period

1940s.

Opinion Leaders

Trusted people who interpret media messages and pass information or opinions on to others.

Two-Step Flow Example

You hear about a news story from your parents, teacher, influencer, or another trusted person rather than directly from the news organization.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

The theory that people actively choose media to satisfy specific needs.

Uses and Gratifications Theory Associated With

Elihu Katz.

Uses and Gratifications Main Question

"What do people do with the media?"

Four Major Uses and Gratifications Needs

Information, personal identity, integration/social interaction, and entertainment.

Information as a Media Need

Using media to learn or gain information.

Personal Identity as a Media Need

Using media to understand yourself, your values, or your identity.

Integration and Social Interaction as a Media Need

Using media to connect with other people and feel socially connected.

Entertainment as a Media Need

Using media for enjoyment, relaxation, or fun.

Agenda-Setting Theory

The theory that media may not tell people what to think, but they strongly influence what people think about.

Agenda-Setting Theory Associated With

Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw.

Agenda-Setting Theory Year

1972.

Agenda Setting and Gatekeeping

Media organizations select which topics receive attention, influencing which issues audiences see as important.

Agenda-Setting Example

If news organizations repeatedly cover inflation, people may begin to see inflation as one of the country's most important issues.

Cultivation Theory

The theory that long-term exposure to media can shape people's perceptions of reality.

Cultivation Theory Associated With

George Gerbner.

Cultivation Theory Time Period

1960s-1970s.

Cultivation Theory Example

Someone who constantly watches crime shows may overestimate how common crime actually is.

Cultivation Theory Key Idea

Cumulative, long-term media exposure can influence how people perceive the real world.

Social Learning Theory

The theory that people learn behaviors by observing and imitating others.

Social Learning Theory Associated With

Albert Bandura.

Social Learning Theory Example

Children may imitate behaviors they see in television shows, movies, or social media.

Bobo Doll Experiment

A famous study associated with Albert Bandura that demonstrated learning through observation and imitation.

Spiral of Silence

The theory that people are less likely to express an opinion when they believe their opinion is in the minority.

Spiral of Silence Associated With

Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann.

Spiral of Silence Year

1974.

Reason for Spiral of Silence

People may remain silent because they fear social isolation or rejection.

Spiral of Silence Example

A student does not share their opinion in class because they think everyone else disagrees.

Desensitization Theory

The theory that repeated exposure to violence, tragedy, or disturbing media can reduce emotional responses to those events.

Desensitization Theory Associated With

Dolf Zillmann.

Effects of Desensitization

Reduced empathy, less emotional response, and seeing aggressive behavior as more normal.

Desensitization Example

Constantly seeing videos of accidents, violence, or disasters may make someone less emotionally responsive to them.

Diffusion of Innovations

The theory explaining how innovations spread through society and why some people adopt new technologies faster than others.

Diffusion of Innovations Associated With

Everett Rogers.

Diffusion of Innovations Year

1962.

Diffusion of Innovations Main Question

How quickly and in what way do people adopt a new innovation?

Diffusion of Innovations Example

TikTok, Instagram, smartphones, or ChatGPT being adopted by different groups at different times.

Opinion Leaders and Diffusion

Opinion leaders can influence others and help innovations spread.

Five Stages of Diffusion of Innovations

Innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

Innovators

The first people to adopt a new technology or innovation because they enjoy trying something new.

Early Adopters

Opinion leaders who quickly evaluate an innovation and determine its potential.

Early Majority

People who adopt an innovation after seeing that early adopters have successfully used it.

Late Majority

Skeptical people who adopt an innovation because of necessity, economic reasons, or peer pressure.

Laggards

People who strongly resist change and adopt an innovation only when alternatives are no longer available.

Media Literacy

The ability to understand what media are, how media operate, what messages they deliver, their role in society, and how audiences respond to them.

Four Dimensions of Media Literacy

Cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, and moral.

Cognitive Dimension of Media Literacy

The ability to intellectually process and understand information from media.

Emotional Dimension of Media Literacy

The feelings and emotions created by media content.

Aesthetic Dimension of Media Literacy

The artistic and creative qualities of media and how the content is presented.

Moral Dimension of Media Literacy

The values and moral messages communicated through media.

Critical Thinking Skills

The ability to develop independent judgments about media content rather than simply accepting messages.

Understanding the Media Process

Understanding how media industries operate and how different parts of mass communication work together.

Media and Culture

Media content can provide insight into a culture's people, values, concerns, and beliefs.

Media Appreciation

Being media literate does not mean disliking everything; it means being able to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media while thinking critically about it.