Term | Definition |
Paradigm | Belief system tab represents a particular worldview |
Theory | A set of statements that explains a particular phenomenon. |
Methods | The specific ways that scholars collect and analyze data which they then use to prove or disprove their theories. |
Rhetoricians | Scholars who study the art of public speaking and the art of persuasion. |
Elocutionists | Scholars in the 19th century who promoted the study of the mechanics of public speaking , including proper pronunciation, grammar, and gestures. |
Social Science Approach | Contemporary term for behaviorist approach |
Behaviorism | The focus on the study of behavior as a science |
Naturalistic | Relating to everyday, real-life situations, such as classroom, cafe, or shopping mall. |
Quantitative Methods | Methods that convert data to numerical indicators, and then analyze these numbers using statistics to establish relationships among the concepts. |
Demand-Withdrawl | An interaction pattern in which one partner criticizes or tries to change the other partner, who responds by becoming defensive and then disengaging-either psychologically or physically. |
Attachment | An emotional tie, such as the closeness young children develop with their caregivers. |
Interpretive Approach | Contemporary term for humanistic (rhetorical) study. |
Rhetoric | Communication that is used to influence the attitudes or behaviors of others; the art of persuasion. |
Humanism | A system of thought that celebrates human nature and its potential. |
Qualitative Methods | Methods in which researchers study naturally occurring communication rather than assembling data and converting it to numbers. |
Content Analysis | Approach to understanding communication that focuses on specific aspects of the content of a text of group of texts. |
Ethnographic | Relating to studies in which researchers actively engage with participants. |
Rhetorical Analysis | Used y researchers to examine texts or public speeches as they occur in society with the aim of interpreting textual meaning. |
Critical Approach | An approach used not only to understand human behavior but ultimately to change society. |
Textual Analysis | Similar to rhetorical analysis; used to analyze cultural "products," such as media and public speeches. |