Communications

theory

a series of set and systematic, informed hunches about the way things work

communication

a reflection of a process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response

interpretation

deciding what a message means

Polysemic

a word, phrase, or sign capable of having several connected or related meanings

Epistemology

the study of the origin, nature, method and limits of knowledge. It is discovered but also created

Rhetoric

the study of the available means of persuasion

Ethnography

Going into the middle of a culture and observing in great detail what they do and why

cybernetic tradition

communication as a system of information processing (Objective)

rhetorical tradition

communication as artful address

Semiotic tradition

communication as the process of sharing meaning through signs and symbols

Socio-cultural tradition

communication as the creation and enactment of society (Interpretive)

Socio-psychological tradition

communication as interpersonal interaction and influence (Objective)

Critical tradition

 communication as a reflective challenge of justice discourse (Interpretive)

Phenomenological tradition

Communication as the experience of self and others through dialogue (Interpretive)

Symbolic interactionism

a frame of reference for understanding how humans, in concert with one another, create symbolic worlds, and how those worlds, in turn, shape human behavior

Minding

Inner voice that tests alternatives, rehearse actions and anticipate reactions

sign

something that “causes something else to come into the mind as a consequence of itself”

idols of the tribe

fallacies in thinking due to human nature

idols of the cave

individual prejudices we bring with us because of our own backgrounds and personalities

idols of the marketplace

social in nature and centers on imprecise use of language

idols of the theatre

fallacies that occur when we accept fashionable ideas uncritically

determinism

the assumption that behavior is caused by heredity and/or the environment

attitude-action-gap

people will have favorable attitudes toward something but it doesn’t translate towards them acting to make a change

symbols

arbitrary labels; representations of phenomena

interaction

reciprocal action, effect, or influence

Social penetration theory

you can become close with someone if you proceed in a gradual and orderly fashion from superficial to intimate levels of exchange as a function of both immediate and forecast outcomes

comparison level

the threshold for which an interpersonal outcome seems attractive, a standard for relational satisfaction

comparison level alt

the best outcome available in other relationships

objective communication theories

assume we live in a world where we can understand truth through unbiased observations

interpretive communication theories

assume we live in a world where truth is subjective, depending on a person’s lived experiences

free will

every human act is entirely voluntary

occam’s razor

shave off any assumptions, variables, or concepts that are not necessary to explain what is going on

rule of parsimony

given two plausible explanations for the same event, we should accept the less complex version

falsifiability

the ability of a theory to be proven wrong

comparison of difference

this group compared to that group, this treatment vs. that treatment, these results vs. those results, etc.

self-referential imperative

include yourself as a constituent of your own construction

relational dialectics theory

people giving voice to competing discourses about their relationships

discourse

streams of talk that cohere around a given object of meaning

constitutive approach

belief that communication creates, sustains, and alters relationships and the social world; social construction

monologue

dominant talk that silences competing voices

dialogue

multiple voices that communicate and compete

dominant discourse

talk that is central and prominent, with power to define meaning

marginalized discourse

talk that is peripheral, lacking power to define meaning

minimax principle

People try to maximize their winnings and minimize losses in a given social situation

attachment theory

a theory used to explain how interactions between children and their caregivers can impact brain development and subsequently impact the ways in which humans relate to close others throughout life

classical conditioning

demonstrates how the positive emotions generated during the experience of an ad can transfer over to the product itself and lead towards behavior changes with the product

enthymeme

an argument with an unstated premise; it asks the audience to fill in what is missing

schema theory

focuses on mental constructs that we use to make sense of a particular topic or individual

ethical imperative

grant others that occur in your construction the same autonomy you practice constructing them

metatheory

theory about theory; the stated or inherent assumptions made when creating a theory

research

the process of asking questions and finding answers

text

any message that can be studied, regardless of the medium

content level

the level of communication that addresses the topic of conversation

relationship level

the level of communication that addresses how people think and feel about each other

critical theorists

scholars who use theory to reveal unjust communication practices that create or perpetuate an imbalance of power

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity

the claim that the structure of a language shapes what people think and do; the social construction of reality

culture industries

entertainment businesses that reproduce the dominant ideology of a culture and distract people from recognizing unjust distribution of power within society

pragmatism

an applied approach to knowledge; the philosophy that true understanding of an idea or situation has practical implications for action

social constructionist

one who believes that our thoughts, self-concept, and society are created through communication

looking-glass self

the mental self-image that results from taking the role of the other; the objective self; me

taking the role of the other

the process of mentally imagining that you are someone else who is viewing you

The “I”

the subjective self; the spontaneous, driving force that fosters all that is novel, unpredictable, and unorganized in the self

the “me”

the objective self; the image of self seen when one takes the role of the other

generalized other

the composite mental image a person has of themself based on societal expectations and responses

participant observation

a method of adopting the stance of an ignorant yet interested visitor who carefully notes what people say and do in order to discover how they interpret their world

self-fulfilling prophecy

the tendency for our expectations to evoke responses that confirm what we originally anticipated

responsive “I”

the self created by the way we respond to others

ethical echo

the reminder that we are responsible for taking care of each other

face of the “other”

a human signpost that points to our ethical obligation to care for the Other before we care for the self

personality structure

onion-like layers of beliefs and feelings about self, others, and the world; deeper layers are more vulnerable, protected, and central to self-image

self-disclosure

the voluntary sharing of personal history, preferences, attitudes, feelings, values, secrets, etc. with another person; transparency

depth of penetration

the degree of disclosure in a specific area of an individual’s life

law of reciprocity

a paced and orderly process in which openness in one person leads to openness in the other

breadth of penetration

the range of areas in an individual’s life over which disclosure takes place

social exchange

relationship behavior and status regulated by both parties’ evaluations of perceived rewards and costs of interaction with each other

outcome

the perceived rewards minus the costs of interpersonal interaction

ethical egoism

the belief that individuals should live their lives so as to maximize their own pleasure and minimize their own pain

dialectical model

the assumption that people want both privacy and intimacy in their social relationships; they experience a tension between disclosure and withdrawal

territoriality

the tendency to claim a physical location or object as our own

attribution theory

a systematic explanation of how people draw inferences about the character of others based on observed behavior

uncertainty reduction theory

increased knowledge of what kind of person another is, which provides an improved forecast of how a future interaction will turn out

axiom

a self-evident truth that requires no additional proof

theorem

a proposition that logically and necessarily follows two axioms

relational anxiety

the feeling pf being uneasy, tense, worries, or apprehensive about what might happen in a relationship

relational uncertainty

doubts about our own thoughts, the thoughts of the other person, or the future of the relationship

partner interference

occurs when a relational partner hinders goals, plans, and activities

relational turbulence

negative emotions arising from perceived problems in a close relationship

efficacy

perception that one has the ability to produce a desired result

passive strategy

impression formation by observing a person interacting with others

active strategy

impression formation by asking a third party about a person

interactive strategy

impression formation through direct discussion with a person

extractive strategy

impression formation by searching the internet about a person

predicted outcome value

a forecast of future benefits and costs of interaction based on limited experience with the other

interpersonal impression

knowing how another person responds to you as a unique individual

cues filtered out

interpretation of online communication that regards lack of nonverbal cues as a fatal flaw for relationship development

inconsistent messages

messages in which the verbal and nonverbal content don’t match

anticipated future interaction

a way of extending psychological time; the likelihood of future interaction motivates online communicators to develop a relationship

chronemics

the study of people’s systematic handling of time in their interaction with others

hyperpersonal model

the claim that online relationships are ofter more intimate than those developed when partners are physically together

selective self-presentation

an online positive portrayal without fear of contradiction, which enables people to create an overwhelmingly favorable impression