Intro to Comm Exam 2 Review

Social Exchange Theory

This theory explains how people weigh the advantages and disadvantages of staying in a relationship by comparing costs and rewards.

Gatekeeper

This group role is filled by a member who ensures that every person in the group has a chance to contribute to the discussion.

Classical Management Approach

This management approach treats the organization like a machine, emphasizing division of labor, hierarchy, and top-down communication.

Mobility

This feature of new media refers to the extent to which a technology allows users to send and receive messages regardless of their physical location.

Ethos

In the rhetorical tradition, this form of proof refers to appeals to a speaker's credibility, moral character, and trustworthiness.

Intensification Stage

In this relationship stage, partners share personal information, use pet names, and verbally express affection for the first time.

Social Loafing

What term describes the tendency to put in less effort on a task when working in a group than you would if working alone?

Organizational Assimilation

What term describes the process by which new employees learn an organization's culture, norms, and values — and begin to understand whether they fit in?

Mean World Syndrome

According to Cultivation Theory, heavy television viewers tend to perceive the world in a particular distorted way. What is this distorted perception called?

Appeal to Tradition

A politician argues: 'We've always required a photo ID to board a plane — so we should require photo ID to vote.' This argument uses which logical fallacy?

Relational Dialectics Theory describes three ongoing tensions in relationships. Name all three opposing pairs.

Autonomy vs. Connection, Openness vs. Closedness, Predictability vs. Novelty

A leader who sets challenging goals, communicates high standards, and expects excellent performance from group members is demonstrating which leadership behavior?

Achievement-Oriented Leadership

The Human Resources approach to management incorporates a well-known psychological framework that ranks human needs from basic survival to self-fulfillment. What is this framework called, and what is at its peak?

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs; Self-Actualization is at the peak

Unlike Technological Determinism, the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) perspective places power somewhere else entirely. Where, and why does it matter for understanding how technologies develop and spread?

SCOT places power with people — inventors, investors, users, and cultural/social forces shape how technologies are developed and adopted, rather than technology acting as an external force that changes society.

Explain the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, and give one example of each.

Inductive: drawing a general conclusion from specific evidence (e.g., 'Every swan I've seen is white, so all swans are white'). Deductive: applying a general principle to a specific case (e.g., 'All humans are mortal; Socrates is human; therefore Socrates is mortal').

Maya and Jordan have been close friends for years, but lately Maya keeps secrets she used to share freely, while Jordan feels smothered. Their opposing needs are pulling the friendship in different directions. What concept best describes what they are experiencing?

Dialectical Tensions (Relational Dialectics) — specifically Openness vs. Closedness and Autonomy vs. Connection

During a group project, Priya keeps shooting down every idea her teammates offer and refuses to move forward without getting her way. Meanwhile, Leo keeps cracking jokes and going off on tangents. What anti-group roles are Priya and Leo each playing?

Priya is a Blocker (uses destructive communication); Leo is a Distractor (goes on irrelevant tangents)

A regional fast-food chain prides itself on delivering the exact same burger, prepared the same way, at every location — from Boston to Los Angeles. Every step is in the operations manual, and any staff member can be trained quickly. Which management approach does this represent, and which three characteristics make it fit that model?

Classical Management Approach — characterized by Specialization (trained for specific tasks), Standardization (documented procedures), and Predictability (consistent output regardless of location)

During an election season, every major news outlet leads every broadcast with immigration stories for six straight weeks. A voter who rarely thought about immigration before now ranks it as the most important issue facing the country. Which media effects theory explains this shift, and what is its core mechanism?

Agenda Setting Theory — extensive media coverage of an issue shapes what topics the public thinks about and considers important, without necessarily telling them what to think.

Slippery Slope — it asserts that one event will inevitably trigger a chain of extreme outcomes without providing any argument or evidence for why those steps are inevitable.

A city council member says: 'If we allow the school board to cut one sports team, next thing you know, they'll cancel all extracurricular activities, then after-school programs, and eventually close the schools entirely.' No evidence is given for any of these steps. Which fallacy is this, and what makes it fallacious?

Hyperpersonal Communication

Alex and Sam met on a dating app. Over weeks of texting, they shared deeply personal stories and felt more emotionally intimate with each other than with people they see daily — even before their first in-person meeting. Their online messages feel more personal and intense than any face-to-face conversation they've had. What is this phenomenon called?

A manager at a tech company never gives direct feedback, delegates all decisions entirely to the team, and rarely steps in — even when the project is clearly off track. The team feels unsupported and aimless. Which leadership style is the manager using?

Laissez-Faire

A hospital administrator responds to nurse burnout by giving nurses more input on scheduling decisions, creating feedback channels, and formally recognizing their clinical expertise. The goal is to make nurses feel valued as contributors, not just workers filling shifts. Which management approach is being applied?

Human Resources Approach

A professor is certain she is too media-literate to be misled by social media misinformation, but worries her students are highly susceptible to it. She sees herself as immune and others as vulnerable. Which media effects concept describes this belief pattern?

Third-Person Effect

A student council is debating whether to extend the library's hours. One member responds: 'We really need to talk about the vending machines — half of them are broken and students can't even get a snack between classes.' The library question is dropped entirely. Which fallacy did this member use?

Red Herring

Uses & Gratification Theory

People actively choose media to satisfy specific needs, like entertainment, information or social interaction:
Information seeking needs
Self-identity needs
Personal relationship needs
Diversion needs

The Third-Person Effect

Tendency to assume that negative media messages and bias have a much greater influence on other people than ourselves or people who think like us.
Others are in greater risk of misinformation
Others are in greater risk of being influenced from violent media images.

Organizational Storytelling

Ensures cultural values are shared.

Work-Life Balance

Success in one’s personal and professional life, avoiding burnout

The Systems Approach

Organization is a system made up of important members who have interdependent relationships.

Legitimate Power

Comes from an individual’s role or title, such with a president,

supervisor, or coach.

Coercive Power

Comes from the person’s ability to threaten or harm others. A

dictator is an example of coercive power.

Reward Powers

Stems from a person’s ability to provide rewards, such as money or

fame, to others.

Expert Power

Comes from specific, relevant knowledge that the leader possesses.

Referent Power

Comes from the respect, admiration, or affection that others have for

a leader.

Unethical Leadership

Bullying: using harsh criticism, name-calling, gossip, slander, personal attacks and threats
Machiavellianism: Using deceit, flattery, and exploitative measures strategically to achieve desired ends

Directive leadership

A task-oriented style where leaders take an active role in setting specific goals, defining roles, and enforcing strict compliance with instructions to achieve swift results

Supportive Leadership

A people-focused style that prioritizes employee well-being, psychological safety, and professional growth over strict task direction

Participate Leadership

A collaborative management style where leaders involve employees in decision-making and problem-solving.

Groupthink

Extreme consensus seeking tendencies in decision-making groups
Faulty decision naming process
Consensus seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive ingroup that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action

Factors leading to Groupthink

High Cohesiveness within the group
Self-censorship
Illusion of invulnerability
Self appointed mind guards- Insulation of the group from outside sources of information
Lack of methodical procedures for information search and appraisal
Illusion of consensus
Directive Leadership - leaders speaking up soon
Homogeneity in member's backgrounds - lack of diversity
A high stress situation with little hope of finding a solution than the one provided by the leader
time pressures + pressure from higher up

What can leaders do to mitigate groupthink?

Plays devil's advocate role
encourage diversity
Monitor group size
Realize that conflict is not always bad
Refrain from stating opinion first

A group

•is a collection of more than two people who

–Share some kind of relationship.

–Communicate in an interdependent fashion.

–Collaborate toward a shared purpose.

Problem solving process

1. Identify the problem

2. Analyze the problem

3. Generate solutions

4. Evaluate and choose solutions

5. Implement the solution

6. Assess the results

Model’s of Group Development

Forming stage: Define groups goals
Storming Stage: Deal with conflicts
Norming Stage: Members establish agreed-on norms governing expectations.
Performing Stage: Members work together to achieve goals and overcome hurdles.
Adjourning Stage: Members reflect on accomplishments and failures.

Information Seeker

Asks for additional input of clarification of ideas or opinions.

Information Giver

Offers facts, beliefs, personal experience or other input during group discussions

Initiator

Moves the group towards its objective by proposing solutions, new ideas, or suggestions.

Harmonizer

Smooths tension in the group

Sensor

Express group feelings and moods to recognize the climate.

Group Climate

Cohesion
The degree to which group members bond and consider themselves one entity
Norms
Determined by the group and imposed by its members

Logos

The line of thought we use to make judgments based on facts and inferences from all around us.

Pathos

Appeals to listeners’ emotions.

Should be combined with logical appeals for lasting effect.

Fallacy

An often plausible argument using false or invalid inference.

A false or mistaken idea.

Invalid or deceptive forms of reasoning.

Bandwagon Fallacy

A claim based on popular opinion alone. (Appeal to Popular Opinion).

Example

Evidence: It seems like all Red Sox fans hate Yankees

Claim: Hating Yankees is a good thing

Reduction to the Absurd Fallacy

Extending the argument to the level of absurdity.

Example

Evidence: You don’t throw yourself off the bridge just because your friends did so.

Claim: You should not dye your hair red.

Personal Attacks Fallacy

A claim that attacks the person rather than the argument. (Ad Hominem)

Example

Evidence: (None)

Claim: That argument is ridiculous; it comes from a liar!

Begging the Question Fallacy

A claim based on circular reasoning; there is no actual evidence or just a subjective opinion.

Example

Evidence: (None)

Claim: You should see Hunger Games because it is awesome

Either-Or Fallacy

Presenting only two alternatives on a subject and failing to acknowledge other alternatives.

Example

Evidence: (None)

Claim: You are either a Red Sox fan or a Yankees fan.

Interactivity

Social interactivity: the ability of a medium to enable social interaction between groups or individuals.

Technical interactivity: a medium’s capability of letting human users manipulate the machine via its interface.

Temporal Structure

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous communication

Synchronous Communication

Allows for very rapid transmission of messages.

Can enhance the sense of placelessness - digital media can encourage and make people feel more together when they are apart.

Can make messages feel more immediate and personal.

Asynchronous Communication

Allows very large groups to sustain interaction.

Gives people time to manage their self-presentations more strategically.

We can place fewer demands on people in terms of response time.

Reduced Social Cues

Rich media provide full range of cues, lean media provide fewer.

Storage & Replicability

Text-based CMC messages can be saved, replicated and redistributed.

Reach

The size of audience they can attain or sustain.

The gatekeeping function of mass media is challenged.

Face to Face Communication