Question | Answer |
What is communication? | The process by which individuals use symbols, sign, and behaviors to exchange information. |
What is the "functional perspective"? | How we communicate in relationships. |
What is "interdependence"? | What we do affects others, and vice versa. |
What is "affiliation"? | Feelings we have for others.
*relates to: Affection (emotions/feelings) |
What are the 6 characteristics of communication? | Symbolic. Code is shared. Culturally bound. Intentionality. Channel. Transactional. |
What does "symbolic" communication mean? | Language or behaviors are used.
Ex: vendor greets customer with a nod - or - a look, gesture, joke (affection), a secret handshake. |
What does "code" communication mean? | Symbols joined to create a meaningful message.
*encoding: producing and sending a message.
*decoding: receiving and making sense of a message.
Ex: speaking the same language - or - body movements in sports. |
What does "culture" communication mean? | Shared belief, practices, values.
*Co-Cultures: smaller groups within cultures
Ex: Anna is a navajo, american, married, lawyer...etc. |
What does "intentional" communication mean? | Ex: blushing (involuntary)
*intended/unintended messages.
*may be spontaneous or intentional. |
What does "channeling" communication mean? | Method of communication.
Ex: computers, audio/media channels. |
What does "transactional" communication mean? | Messages cannot be reversed.
Ex: Mel Gibson's Jewish remarks. |
What is "ethics"? | The study of morals. |
Linear Model | a SENDER originates the MESSAGE, which is carried through a CHANNEL. |
Interaction Model | *expands on the "linear model" by adding FEEDBACK. |
Competent Communication Model | A TRANSACTIONAL model incorporating 3 contextual spheres in which individuals communicate.
*Relational. Situational. Cultural. |
What are "cognitions"? | The thoughts that communicators have about themselves. |
Relational Context: | True meaning of words/actions.
*depends on who it's from.
Ex: a kiss from your mom or from your spouse. |
Situational Context: | Situations surrounding social environments, etc.
Ex: Wife shrieks when husband asks what's for dinner. Wife shrieks, and he does not know whether she is mad, stressed, etc. (dinner situation) |
Cultural Context: | How you view yourself as a member of a certain group/culture.
Ex: Hannah comes from a culture where you are respectful to elders & Cole has been accustomed to be rude to all people. |
What are "dyads"? | pairs of individuals. |
What is "perception"? | the COGNITIVE (thoughts communicators have about themselves) process that helps us make sense of the world. |
Communication Processing: | the means by which we GATHER, ORGANIZE, and EVALUATE the information we receive. |
What are "schemas"? | Mental structures we use to connect bits of information together.
*helps us understand how things work, and how to act.
Ex: Adam's comparison of his old girlfriend to the new lady he meets. |
3 Challenges presented by Schemas: MINDLESSNESS | *Mindlessness: a PASSIVE, automatic response.
Ex: you do not have to consciously think about GREETING A FRIEND. |
3 Challenges presented by Schemas: SELECTIVE PERCEPTION | *Selective Perception: allowing BIAS to influence thoughts.
Ex: Person interested in economics will listen to political opinion, and others not interested won't. |
3 Challenges presented by Schemas: UNDUE INFLUENCE | Undue Influence: giving other sources TOO MUCH to say.
Ex: people give UNDUE INFLUENCE to parents, simply because we have so much respect for them. |
What are "attributions"? | Personal characteristics that are used to explain other people's behavior. |
Interaction Appearance Theory: | How people change their perception of someone's appearance as they spend more time together.
Ex: You like someone more b/c you discovered their sense of humor. |
Fundamental Attribution Error: | Our tendency to assume that another person's wrong behavior is due to an internal flaw, while attributing our own failures to external causes.
Ex: Carla failed the midterm b/c she was too lazy to study. |
What is "cultural myopia"? | blinds us to alternative points of view.
Ex: individuals who fail to consider other cultural perspectives. |
What is "stereotyping"? | generalization about people.
Ex: fitting individuals into an existing schema. |
What is "prejudice"? | ill will toward a particular group coupled with a sense of one's own superiority.
Ex: usually based on negative stereotypes and feeling of superiority. |
What is "self-concept"? | Who we think we are. |
Social Comparison Theory: | comparing ourselves to media figures (actors, models, etc.) often in negative ways.
Ex: feeling ugly/fat next to a model. |
What is "self-esteem"? | How one feels about oneself in a particular situation. |
What is "self-efficacy"? | The ability to predict, based on our self-esteem, one's effectiveness in a communication situation. |
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy | a prediction that causes an individual to alter his/her behavior in a way that makes the prediction more likely to occur.
Ex: Josh's insecurity at a party. |
What is "self-actualization"? | the feelings and thoughts you get when you know that you have negotiated a communication situation as well as you possibly could. (HIGH PERFORMANCE)
Ex: Counselors confrontation with the school teacher. |
What is "self-adequacy"? | Feelings of contentment, or desire of self-improvement. (ADEQUATE PERFORMANCE)
Ex: Phil's satisfaction with his speech, although he feels he could do better. |
What is "self-denigration"? | Criticizing or attacking yourself. (POOR PERFORMANCE)
Ex: Hunter feels like he cannot do anything right compared to his sister. |
What is "self-presentation"? | Intentional communication designed to show elements for self-strategic purposes.
Ex: you are trying to impress your journalism co-workers, so you mention names of popular authors you've worked with. |
What is "self-monitoring"? | tendency to watch our environments and others in it for cues as to how to present ourselves in particular situations.
Ex: noticing persona who pays attention and the one who doesn't (different body languages and skills). |
What is "self-disclosure"? | when you reveal yourself to others by sharing information about yourself.
Ex: explaining to someone (deeply) why you became a vegetarian. |