Intro to Communication Mid-term Class Review

Communication

the process of creating meaning through symbolic interaction

Symbol

an arbitrary sign used to represent a thing, person, idea, event, or relationship in ways that make communication possible

Communication competence

the ability to maintain a relationship on terms acceptable to all parties

Synchronous communication

communication that occurs in real time

asynchronous communication

communication such as email in which the message and the response do not occur at the same time

sender

the originator of the message in the communication process

receiver

the person who receives the message

channel

the medium through which the message is sent (for listening, it is sound waves)

message

whatever a speaker communicates to someone else

noise

anything that interferes with, distorts, or slows down the transmission of information

feedback

The receiver's response to a message

psychological noise

the thoughts and feelings that distract people from listening to what is said (emotional reaction to the topic, prejudice or ill will towards the speaker, unwillingness to listen)

physiological noise

Message interference that results from bodily discomfort (hunger, fatigue)

external noise

any sound that prevents a person from being heard (background conversation, telephone static)

How does the transactional model differ from the linear model?

The transactional model sees the communication process as back-and-forth interaction, while the linear model sees it as a one-way process from sender to receiver

Why has the communication model evolved from the linear model to the transactional model?

The transactional model redefined the roles of senders and receivers in that we can constantly receive, decode, and respond to other people's behaviors while they are simultaneously receiving and responding to ours.

Intrapersonal communication

communication with oneself

Dyadic/Interpersonal communication

communication between two people, usually informal, unstructured setting

Small Group communication

communication among a small number of people who share a common purpose or goal, who feel connected to each other, and who coordinate their behavior

Organizational communication

process of communication that involves individuals and groups to achieve established goals

Mass communication

communication to a large audience that is transmitted by media

Public communication

communication directed at an audience that is larger than a small group

practical needs

essential in dealing with practical matters. ex: hairstylists, waitresses, doctors

Physical Needs

presence/ absence affects health

Identity Needs

communication helps us decide who we are and who we want to be

Social needs

principal way relationships are created. how we interact with other people. ex: talk relationships into existence

self-concept

the relatively stable set of perceptions that each individuals holds of themselves. (over a long period of time)

Self-esteem

the part of self-concept that evaluates self-worth.

Reflected appraisals

how your opinion of yourself is determined by the ways others see you. (A.K.A. the looking-glass self)

Social Comparisons

evaluating ourselves by how we compare to others

self-fulfilling prophecy

he phenomena of when you expect something to happen, it's more likely it will.

Stereotyping

the perceptual process of applying exaggerated beliefs associated with a categorizing system. (example: charging younger people more for car insurance because they are more reckless)

Symbolic Interactionism

a theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world, and communicate with one another

1. People act toward others based on the meanings they have assigned to them
2. Meaning is created in interaction between people
3. Meaning is modified through an interpretive process

Selection

attending to some stimuli while ignoring others

Organization

arranging stimuli into patterns

Interpretation

attaching meaning to the stimuli that we selected and organized

Perspective Checking

1. A description of the behavioryou noticed
2. At least two possibleinterpretations of thebehavior
3. A request for clarification onhow to interpret the behavior

Erving Goffman

Communication is a performance, put on by 'actors' for other people

Duffy and Poole

Perception and Communication: Celebrities and Mediated Self Presentation

• Celebrity can be considered a medium of communication
• The types of people who become celebrities changes over time and corresponds to economic determination:
• Businessmen/politician (idols of production)
• Movie actors/athletes (idols of consumption)
• Internet influencers (idols of promotion)

Culture

the language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs people share and learn

Coculture

the perception of membership in a group that is part of an encompassing culture

Salience

how much weight we attach to a particular person or phenomenon

Primary identities

those that have the most consistent and enduring impact on our live

Secondary identities

more fluid and often dependent on situation (major, relationship status)

Individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications (United States)

Collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly

High Context

relies heavily on subtle, often nonverbal cues to maintain social harmony

Low Context

reliance on written/spoken words (United States)

High Power Distance

accepts wide differences in power; great deal of respect for those in authority

Low Power Distance

a society that views an unequal distribution of power as relatively unacceptable (United States)

High Uncertainty Avoidance

societies are more rigid and expect high conformity in their citizens' beliefs and norms of behavior

Low Uncertainty Avoidance

cultures are easygoing, value diversity, and tolerate differences in personal beliefs and actions

Language

a collection of symbols governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals

Linguistic relativism

the notion that language influences the way we experience the world (also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis)

Reappropriation

the process by which members of a marginalized group reframe the meaning of a term that has historically been used in a derogatory way

Jargon

specialized vocabulary used as a kind of shorthand by people with common backgrounds and experience

Relative words

words that gain their meaning by comparison

euphemism

a mild/indirect term substituted for one more direct but less pleasant (passed away instead of dead)

Equivocation

a deliberately vague statement that can be interpreted in more (not a definite response)

Phonology

the study of sounds that compose individual languages and how those sounds communicate meaning

Syntax

the system of rules that govern word order (grammar)

Pragmatics

the field of study that emphasizes how language is used in specific situations to accomplish goal

Semantics

the study of the meaning of specific words

(denotative - dictionary definition vs. connotative - meaning in a social setting, green is a color but represents the environment)

abstract

theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational (information, publications)

concrete

specific (the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, someones' copy of that book)

Semiotics

the study of how meaning is created through signs and signification.

Sign

the inseparable combination of signifier and signified

Signifier

the physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our sense

Signified

the meaning we associate with the sign

First order signification

denotation (very literal, reading the word flower on a page)

Second order signification

connotation (someone gives you flowers, you feel loved)

Stage 1: Hearing

detecting sound waves

Stage 2: Understanding

interpret the message associated with the sound, verbal and nonverbal

Stage 3: Evaluating

prioritizing based on importance, urgency

Stage 4: Responding

simple or elaborate, depending on understanding and evaluation

Stage 5: Remembering

recalling previously introduced information in short-term and long-term formats

Task-oriented listening style

trying to get information for a task

Relational listening style

prioritize information from person speaking to you based on your relationship with them

Analytical listening style

listening for content and understanding what is being said

Critical listening style

listening being done to respond and respond in depth

Advising

giving advice

Judging

offering judgement or critic

Analyzing

trying to better understand what is happening

Questioning

asking questions to get information

Comforting

providing emotional support (a hug)

Prompting

expressing affirmation to continue the information being given

Reflecting

continuing the same style that has been used during the conversation

Pseudolistening

using feedback behaviors to give the false impression that one is listening (nodding, smiling, but not actually listening)

Selective Listening

listening to only information that interests you

Defensive Listening

a response style in which the receiver perceives a speaker's comments as an attack

Insulated listening

receiver ignores undesirable information

Insensitive Listening

only listening to verbal information but not considering emotions

Self-Centered Listening

only listening to turn the conversation to themselves

Nonverbal communication

includes all messages expressedby other than linguistic means

Affect displays

the collection of facial expressions, body movements, and vocal traits that reveal emotional state

Emblems

nonverbal behaviors with precise meanings, known to virtually all members of a cultural group

Paralanguage

all nonlinguistic means of vocal expression

Proxemics

the study of physical space, the "invisiblebubble" or comfort zone we place around our bodies

Intimate 0 - 18in

very close friends, intimate partners

Personal 18in - 4ft

friends and acquaintances