Untitled Flashcard Set

Communication as a Learned Competence

Communication is not automatic; it requires intentional study, practice, and reflection.

Scholarly Theories

Systematic, evidence-based, testable theories that help predict and explain communication behavior.

Linear Models of Communication

Models that depict communication as a simple sequence of steps, often criticized for being too simplistic.

Cognitive Schemas

Mental frameworks that guide interpretation, including person schemas, role schemas, event schemas, and self-schemas.

Nonverbal Communication

Communication that is continuous, contextual, often ambiguous, and more emotionally expressive than verbal communication.

Feedback in Communication

The process that allows adjustment of messages in real time and is essential for correcting misunderstandings.

Attribution

The process by which people explain behavior, distinguishing between internal and external causes.

Major Nonverbal Codes

Includes paralanguage, facial expressions, body movement (kinesics), touch (haptics), and time (chronemics).

Biases in Perception

Includes stereotyping, halo effect, selective perception, confirmation bias, and first impressions.

Redundancy in Communication

The repetition of information that helps overcome noise and improves understanding.

Communication Iceberg

The concept that most communication occurs below the surface, with visible aspects being just the tip.

Physical Noise

External sounds and distractions that interfere with communication.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize internal causes for others' behavior while underemphasizing situational factors.

Types of Noise

Includes physical noise, psychological noise, semantic noise, and technical noise.

Meaning Construction

The process by which the meaning of messages is created, which is subjective and influenced by various factors.

Functions of Nonverbal Communication

To regulate interaction, substitute for words, reinforce verbal messages, contradict verbal messages, express identity, and convey emotion.

Transactional Model of Communication

A framework viewing communication as a simultaneous, dynamic process where participants act as both senders and receivers at the same time.

Encoding

The cognitive process of converting thoughts, ideas, and emotions into symbolic messages suitable for transmission.

Decoding

The mental process through which a receiver interprets and assigns meaning to received symbolic messages.

Semantic Noise

Interference caused by confusing word choices, specialized jargon, or ambiguous language that obscures intended meaning.

Psychological Noise

Internal mental states, emotional barriers, biases, or wandering thoughts that impede the ability to send or receive messages.

Proxemics

The branch of nonverbal communication that studies how personal space and physical distance influence interaction.

Self-Serving Bias

The cognitive tendency to attribute one's personal successes to internal traits while blaming failures on external situations.

Communication Channel

The specific physical medium or sensory pathway through which a message travels between participants.

Intrapersonal Communication

Communication that takes place entirely within an individual's own mind, involving internal dialogue and self-reflection.

Halo Effect

A cognitive bias where an initial positive impression in one domain leads to favorable assumptions across other unrelated areas.

Interpersonal Communication

The dynamic exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages between two or more interdependent individuals who influence each other.

Interactional Model of Communication

A two-way communication framework where participants alternate roles as sender and receiver, integrating feedback into the exchange.

Kinesics

The study of body movement, posture, gestures, and facial expressions as components of nonverbal interaction.

Haptics

The study of touch and how physical contact conveys emotional and relational meaning.

Chronemics

The study of how time perception, pacing, waiting, and punctuality structure and influence human interaction.

Vocalics (Paralanguage)

The vocal qualities and cues—such as pitch, volume, rate of speech, and vocal tone—that accompany spoken language.

Physiological Noise

Internal bodily barriers, such as fatigue, hunger, headache, or illness, that interfere with sending or receiving messages.

Active Listening

A deliberate, focused practice that involves concentrating fully, understanding, evaluating, and responding thoughtfully to a speaker.

High-Context Communication

A communication style where meaning is embedded primarily within relationships, physical settings, and subtle nonverbal cues rather than explicit words.

Low-Context Communication

A communication style that relies heavily on direct, explicit, and precise language to convey information clearly.

Oculesics

The study of eye behavior, eye contact, pupil dilation, and gaze patterns in nonverbal interaction.

Olfactics

The study of smell and scents as a medium for conveying interpersonal messages and associations.

Artifacts

Physical objects, accessories, and clothing items displayed to signal personal identity, affiliation, and social status.

Denotative Meaning

The explicit, literal, and standardized dictionary definition of a particular word or phrase.

Connotative Meaning

The subjective, emotional, and culturally conditioned associations evoked by a specific word or phrase.

Communication Climate

The prevailing emotional tone, social atmosphere, and relational quality experienced within an interaction or group.

Groupthink

A dysfunctional decision-making pattern where the pressure for unanimity discourages critical evaluation and dissenting opinions.

Selective Exposure

The behavioral tendency to favor information aligning with preexisting views while deliberately avoiding contradictory evidence.

Metacommunication

Verbal or nonverbal messages that comment explicitly on the ongoing exchange itself, essentially messaging about messaging.

Social Penetration Theory

A framework proposing that interpersonal relationships develop depth gradually from superficial layers to intimate self-disclosure.

Relational Dialectics Theory

A framework stating that close personal connections are defined by ongoing, competing tensions between opposing interpersonal desires.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

A framework positing that strangers engage in information-seeking behaviors to minimize unpredictability during initial interactions.

Small Group Communication

The structured exchange occurring among three to fifteen interdependent individuals collaborating toward a shared objective.

Mass Communication

The transmission of mediated messages to large, diverse, and geographically dispersed audiences via broadcast or digital platforms.

Public Communication

A transactional setting in which a single speaker delivers a prepared address to a present audience with limited direct exchange.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to judge external cultural practices through the narrow standards and assumptions of one's own heritage.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of interpreting and evaluating behaviors, customs, and norms strictly within their specific societal background.

Expectancy Violations Theory

A framework analyzing how individuals perceive and emotionally respond when nonverbal or verbal behavior departs from anticipated norms.

Cognitive Dissonance

A state of internal psychological discomfort triggered when an individual holds contradictory beliefs, values, or actions at once.

Johari Window

A four-quadrant cognitive model used to map interpersonal awareness based on what is known or unknown to self and others.

Communication Apprehension

The fear or anxiety experienced when anticipating or engaging in verbal or social interaction with others.

Agenda-Setting Theory

A mass media concept proposing that news outlets influence the perceived importance of public issues through topic selection and prominence.

Framing

The strategic presentation and contextualization of information to influence how receivers interpret an issue.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

An approach explaining that audience members actively seek out specific media channels to satisfy psychological and social needs.

Spiral of Silence

A phenomenon where individuals withhold their opinions when perceiving that their perspective differs from the dominant societal majority.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A psychological process where an initial expectation about an interaction leads to behaviors that cause the belief to come true.

Symbolic Interactionism

A theoretical perspective emphasizing that individuals construct shared meanings, social realities, and identities through ongoing interaction.

Media Richness Theory

A framework ranking different channels by their capacity to transmit immediate feedback, nonverbal cues, and personalized language.

Cultivation Theory

A model asserting that persistent, long-term exposure to television and media gradually shapes viewers perceptions of social reality.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

A dual-route persuasion theory explaining whether attitude change occurs through systematic cognitive processing or superficial cues.

Gatekeeping

The institutional process through which editors, media producers, or algorithms filter and decide which information reaches the public.

Face-Negotiation Theory

A framework explaining how individuals from different cultural backgrounds manage conflict to maintain or defend their public self-image.

Shannon-Weaver Model

An early mathematical model of communication that introduced concepts like sender, transmitter, channel, receiver, and noise source in a unidirectional flow.

Berlo's Model

A communication framework that categorizes the transmission process into source, message, channel, and receiver factors.

Empathetic Listening

An attentive listening practice aimed at understanding and emotionally experiencing a speaker's feelings from their perspective.

Critical Listening

An evaluative mode focused on analyzing the logic, evidence, and credibility of spoken arguments.

Pseudo-listening

An imitation of genuine attentiveness where an individual appears to listen through nods and eye contact while their mind is disengaged.

Defensive Listening

The habit of perceiving personal attacks, criticism, or hostility in innocent or neutral remarks.

Stage-Hogging

A conversational behavior where a speaker repeatedly redirects the dialogue back to personal interests or anecdotes.

Co-Cultural Theory

A framework exploring how members of marginalized or underrepresented groups navigate interactions with dominant societal structures.

Communication Accommodation Theory

A framework explaining how individuals adjust, converge, or diverge their speech patterns and nonverbal cues to manage social distance.

Social Exchange Theory

A perspective positing that individuals evaluate relationships by weighing psychological and tangible costs against perceived rewards.

Coordinated Management of Meaning

A communication theory asserting that social reality is co-constructed through shared interpretive rules during interaction.

Politeness Theory

A framework examining how individuals employ positive and negative linguistic strategies to protect mutual public self-worth.

Dramaturgical Perspective

A sociological approach viewing social interactions as theatrical performances involving distinct front-stage and back-stage behaviors.

Looking-Glass Self

A psychological concept asserting that self-identity is shaped by imagining how one is perceived and evaluated by others.

Social Information Processing Theory

A framework explaining how individuals develop deep interpersonal relationships through computer-mediated text over extended time.

Hyperpersonal Model

A framework proposing that online communication can surpass face-to-face exchanges in perceived intimacy and idealization.

Asynchronous Communication

A mode of message exchange where transmission and reception occur with a noticeable time delay rather than in real time.

Synchronous Communication

A mode of message exchange where participants interact instantaneously in real time.

Emblems

Nonverbal gestures that hold direct, culturally standardized verbal equivalents, such as waving or an okay hand sign.

Illustrators

Nonverbal body movements that directly accompany, emphasize, or visualize spoken language.

Regulators

Nonverbal cues, such as head nods or gaze shifts, that manage conversational turn-taking and interaction tempo.

Adaptors

Involuntary or habitual physical behaviors, such as fidgeting or pen clicking, used to relieve internal tension or stress.

Affect Displays

Nonverbal cues, primarily facial expressions and body posture, that directly manifest internal emotional states.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The linguistic principle proposing that the structure and lexicon of a language shape its speakers' cognitive perceptions.

Euphemism

A mild, indirect, or sanitized phrase substituted for an expression perceived as overly harsh, taboo, or blunt.

Jargon

Specialized vocabulary and technical phrases utilized by a specific professional community that outsiders find obscure.

Equivocal Language

Words or expressions possessing two or more plausible interpretations, generating intentional or accidental ambiguity.

Phatic Communication

Verbal interaction performed primarily for social bonding and ritualistic courtesy rather than substantive informative content.

Primacy Effect

A perceptual tendency to assign disproportionate weight and enduring significance to early observations during an interaction.

Recency Effect

A cognitive bias where the most recently presented details exert a stronger influence on ultimate evaluation than earlier data.