COM EXAM 1

MODULES 1-6

Consensual Validation

an explanation as to why individuals are attracted to people who are similar to them; our own attitudes and behavior are supported and validated when someone else's attitudes and behavior are similar to our own

Sender

bears responsibility for the ultimate success or failure of the communication effort; it is up to this person to phrase the message so that it accurately reflects the thoughts he or she wants to express in language that the listener can understand

Receiver

the person interpreting/decoding the message; the listener

Shared Meaning

when the receiver's interpretation of the message is similar to what the sender is conveying

Message

the idea or feeling that the sender wants to communicate

Channel

the medium through which the message travels from the sender to the receiver; the two primaries through which most of our communication takes place are sound and light; words are carried from person to person by means of sound waves; facial expressions, gestures, and movements are transmitted by light waves

Feedback

the final step of the process that ensures the receiver has received the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the sender; increases the effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender to know the efficacy of their message

External Noise

sights, sounds and other stimuli that draw one's attention away from the intended meaning of the message (i.e., hot weather, police siren, etc.)

Internal/Psychological Noise

thoughts, personal biases, and feelings that interfere with interpreting meaning (i.e., prejudice, stereotypes, and feelings of inferiority)

Semantic Noise

distractions aroused by the speaker's words that interfere with meaning (paralanguage, southern vs. northern dialect)

1. Stop and Think
2. Ask to Talk
3. Say Something Genuine
4. Explain Without Blame
5. Ask to Help
6. End on a Good Note

The Six Steps to Delivering Effective Feedback

Stop and Think

calm down first if you're upset (first step)

Ask to Talk

pick a good time, a private place, and be polite (second step)

Say Something Genuine

say something genuine that the person would probably agree with or appreciate (third step)

Explain Without Blame

explain your concern without blaming the person (fourth step); this is a 3-prong process:
Introduction- simply tells the other person what you want to talk about
Situation- a factual statement of what's going on. Just the facts, though. If you want to express an opinion, be sure to start your statement with "it seems like..."
Effects- tell the other person how the situation is affecting you. It could have effects on your feelings, other loved ones, and your ability to deal with them, etc.

Ask to Help

ask for help understanding or solving the problem (fifth step)

End on a Good Note

end positively, if possible (sixth step)

Attention and Selection

the first stage in the perception process, in which we perceive stimuli and choose which ones to focus our awareness on

Selective Attention

the tendency to pay attention to what interests you the most at a given moment and tune out what doesn't

Organization

the second stage in the perception process, in which selected information is arranged in some meaningful way

Schemas

the "clusters of knowledge" or structured thoughts you have about certain events and experiences

Dual Processing/Interpretation

the third stage in the perception process; as your brain examines patterns, it attempts to interpret what they mean

Automatic Processing

a fast, subconscious approach to perceiving that draws on previous experience to make sense of what we're not perceiving

Conscious Processing

a slow, deliberative approach to perceiving during which we examine and think about the stimuli; you make sense out of something that you may have never experienced

Perceptual Defenses

we develop defense mechanisms to filter and support our perceptions; when we encounter situations that fail to coincide with our actions and attitudes, we develop what is called cognitive dissonance; to relieve this dissonance, we look for agreements that coincide with our actions

Cognitive Dissonance

an unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs

The Uncertainty Reduction Theory

a theory suggesting that people communicate with the objective to reduce their uncertainty by gathering details about individuals, to help them further predict human behavior

1. Physical Appearance
2. Implicit Personality Theory
3. Assumed Similarity

The 3 Types of Impression Formation

Physical Appearance

the first thing we notice about another person is their appearance of hair, clothing, body type, and other physical features

Implicit Personality Theory

the belief that two or more personal traits or characteristics go together; for example, if we see people displaying one trait, we assume that they have the others that we associate with it

Assumed Similarity

thinking that others who share one characteristic with you also share others

Attributions

reasons we give for others' and our own behavior

Situational Attribution

the perception that something happened outside of the individual's control (i.e., you arrive late for work because of traffic)

Dispositional Attribution

the perception that something happened because of the individual's actions (i.e., you arrive late to work because of a night of partying)

Selective Perception

the distortion that arises from paying attention only to what we expect to see or hear and from ignoring what we don't expect

Stereotyping

applying the beliefs you have about the characteristics of a group to an individual whom you identify as a member of that group

Halo Effect

when we misperceive that a person has a whole set of related personality traits when one trait has actually been observed

Forced Consistency

the perceptual bias in which we inaccurately interpret different perceptions of another person that our interpretations of what we see remains consistent, i.e., you don't like or trust Johnny; therefore, when he offers you help, you automatically think that he has hidden motives

Projection

when we incorrectly link someone who is like us in one respect will share other characteristics and attitudes

Fundamental Attribution Error

the tendency to over attribute others' negative behavior to their disposition and over attribute our own negative behavior to the situation

Implicit Bias

biases we have about certain people that we are not aware of, except maybe in a round-about way

Microassaults

conscious and intentional actions or slurs

Microinsults

verbal and nonverbal communications that subtly convey rudeness and insensitivity and demean a person's racial heritage or identity

Microinvalidations

(often unconscious) verbal comments or behaviors that exclude, negate, or nullify the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person of color

Self-Concept

the image you have of yourself; includes your feelings and thoughts about your abilities, limitations, aspirations, and world view

Other Images (Self-Concept)

the image of yourself that others reveal to you
For example: You look up to people who are most significant to you. As a child your parents played a major role and then teachers.

Social Comparisons (Self-Concept)

how you compare yourself to others
For example: After taking an exam, you may want to compare how you did to your peers.

Cultural Teachings (Self-Concept)

this includes your parents, teachers, and the media, your culture instills in you a variety of beliefs, values and attitudes
For example: Your beliefs about success and failure.

Self-Evaluations (Self-Concept)

how you interpret your behavior and evaluate yourself
For example: You think negatively about your abilities and skills. You would have a low opinion of your aptitude which, in turn, could impact your self-worth.

Self-Awareness

the extent to which you know yourself

Johari Window

a visual representation of components of the self that are known or unknown to the self and to others (4 quadrants)

Open Self

information about yourself that you and others know

Blind Self

information about yourself that you don't know but others do know about you

Hidden Self

information about yourself that you know but others don't know

Unknown Self

information about yourself that neither you nor others know

Self-Esteem

a measurement of how valuable you think you are; what you consider your self-worth

Cognitive Self-Esteem

refers to your thinking about your strengths and weaknesses, about who you are versus who you'd like to be

Affective Self-Esteem

refers to your feelings about yourself in light of your analysis of your strengths and weaknesses

Behavioral Self-Esteem

refers to verbal and nonverbal behaviors such as your disclosures, your assertiveness, your conflict strategies, and your gestures (can be positive or negative)

Culture

the shared language, beliefs, interests, values, and customs of an interpersonal system (i.e., family, romantic relationships, work teams, and peer groups) or society (large grouping of individuals who share a common social identity)

Co-Cultures

smaller groups of culture within a larger cultural mass

Cultural Evolution/Social Darwinism

an approach that holds that much as the human species evolved from earlier life forms to Homo sapiens, culture also evolves (some cultures may be considered more advanced)

Cultural Relativism

holds that cultures are different but that no culture is either superior or inferior to any other

Enculturation

a process by which you learn the culture into which you are born and develop ethnic identity

Acculturation

a process where you learn the rules and norms of a culture different from your native culture; your native culture is modified through contact with the host culture

Assimilation

values, ways of behaving, beliefs of host culture become a part of the immigrants' culture

Demographic Changes

Latinos, South Americans, Africans, and Asians shift into the U.S., diversifying the demographic

Sensitivity to Cultural Differences

we have moved from an assimilated attitude to a perspective that values diversity

Economic and Political Interdependence

our economic well-being and security are dependent on other cultures

Advances in Communication Technology

new shows and the internet have made intercultural communication easy

Individualism

a preference for independence or self-reliance; cultures celebrate the individual over the collective

Collectivism

an individual is expected to be loyal to the group; cultures favor the collective over the individual

High-Context Culture

focuses on the people involved; emphasis on nonverbal cues; indirect communication; problems put to the side until necessary to address; people remain flexible in business

Low-Context Culture

more formal; focuses on the subject matter rather than people; explicit communication; problems dealt with immediately; contracts are imperative in business

Masculine Culture

hierarchies are based on competition, competence, and productivity; communication is usually direct and used to solve problems and differences or negotiate a position or point of view; strong individuals are given respect and expected to take the lead; success linked with material achievement

Feminine Culture

the focus is on compromise and cooperation; communication is less direct and more inclusive; society has incentives to act with empathy for others and for sharing resources; decision making is usually a collective process; shared goals and rewards

High Uncertainty Avoidance Culture

society becomes rigidly structured; its institutions are orientated around a high number of laws, rules, and regulations; traditions are a key part of daily lives; people feel uncomfortable in unstructured situations; focus on safety and less risk taking

Low Uncertainty Avoidance Culture

people are much more relaxed in new or unusual situations; they are happier with ambiguity and with unresolved problems; change in society can take place relatively quickly; clear boundaries are not needed

High Power Distance Culture

strong vertical hierarchy is expected; every person has a defined place and role

Low Power Distance Culture

strong expectation of equality in power, decision making, benefits, and other work conditions

Indulgent Culture

people are freer with impulses; have greater need for leisure time; spend money

Restraint Culture

great control in spending money and keeping impulses in check; women dress more modestly; don't show affection in public; sex is not openly spoken about; people do not greet each other in the street

Long Term Orientation Culture

there is more of a sense of a united society working towards common goals; traditions are maintained through popular shared rituals; strong work ethic among individuals rather than a culture of personal gratification; infrastructure built to last; cultural changes happen slowly

Short Term Orientation Culture

people tend to pursue own goals aimed at satisfying their own needs as quickly as possible; traditions become less important and changes can happen quickly; throw-away fashions, fads, and hedonistic behavior are a common feature; costs prioritized over quality

Ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

1. Equality- treats others equally
2. Sensitivity- wants to decrease the distance between self and others
3. Indifference- lacks concern for others, but is not hostile
4. Avoidance- avoids and limits interpersonal interaction with others
5. Disparagement- engages in hostile behavior, belittles others, views their own culture as superior to other cultures, etc.

Communication Distance/Degrees of Ethnocentrism

Dominant Culture

the learned set of values, beliefs, attitudes, and orientations that persons in positions of authority hold

Emotive Language

words used deliberately to create an emotional impact

Reciprocity Appeal

an attempt to persuade someone by implying that it is time to return a favor

Social Validation Appeal

used to convince you to do something because other people you know and like are doing the same thing

Denotation

the dictionary definition of a word

Connotation

the subjective or personal meaning attached to a word

Inclusion Messages

include all people present, acknowledge the relevance of others and are normally considered polite

Exclusion Messages

shut out specific people or entire cultural groups and normally considered impolite (i.e., people of the same nationality speak in native tongue around a dominant group)

Disconfirmation

communication pattern in which you ignore a person's presence as well as communications (include racism, heterosexism, ageism, and sexism)

Rejection

to disagree with the person but indicate a willingness to accept something the person says or does

Confirmation

to acknowledge the presence of the other person and also indicate an acceptance of the person

Onymous Language

some messages are signed; the author is clearly identified; when you communicate face to face

Anonymous Language

disclose without giving identity; the presumption is that anonymity encourages honesty and openness

Blatant Lie

a misleading statement that purposefully contradicts the truth