Communication Competence Quiz

Communication Models

• Linear Model: Sender encodes a message, transmits it through a channel, and receiver decodes it. Noise can disrupt the process. This model is straightforward, but doesn't account for feedback.

• Interaction Model: Similar to the linear model, but acknowledges feedback. Sender and receiver exchange messages, and noise can still occur. It highlights the interactive nature of communication.

• Transaction Model: This model emphasizes the dynamic and simultaneous exchange of messages in communication. Senders and receivers are both senders and receivers at the same time, creating a shared meaning within a context. This model examines the roles of both psychological and relational contexts.

Competent Communication

• Process-oriented: Communication is a continuous process, not a specific event.
• Learned: Effective communication skills are developed over time.
• Ethically challenging: Communication choices have ethical implications.
• Appropriate and effective: Communication should be suitable for the context and achieve the desired outcome.
• Behavioral flexibility: Being able to adjust communication style as needed.
• Context matters: Communication should be adapted to the specific situation.
• Goal achievement: Effective communication helps achieve desired results.

Perception

• Cognitive process: Interpreting experiences through our own understanding.
• Unique understandings: Individual perspectives influence how we perceive situations.
• Selecting, Organizing, Interpreting: How we filter and make sense of perceptions through:
  • Selecting: Choosing certain stimuli to focus on.
  • Organizing: Grouping stimuli into meaningful patterns.
  • Interpreting: Assigning meaning to stimuli.
• Schemata mental filing system: Pre-existing mental frameworks that influence how we understand others' behaviors.
• Explanations for others' behaviors: Developing interpretations for actions using these mental frameworks.

Interpreting

• Schemata: Mental frameworks that categorize people and events.
• Explaining behavior: Using existing mental frameworks to predict behavior and understand reasons behind it. (i.e. kindergarten teacher, bubbly, creative)

Attribution

• Internal attributions: Attributing someone's behavior to personal qualities.
• External attributions: Attributing someone's behavior to situational factors.
• Fundamental attribution error: Overemphasizing internal factors and underestimating external factors.
• Self-serving bias: Attributing successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Impression Formation

• Primacy effect: First impressions have a strong influence on overall perceptions.
• Recency effect: Most recent information can significantly impact shaping the overall.
• Halo effect: A positive impression in one area influences our overall perception.
• Horn effect: A negative impression in one area negatively affects our overall perception.

Self-Concept

• Self-perception: How individuals view themselves.
• Influences: Social comparison, social/family, culture, and media.
• Self-presentation: How individuals present themselves to others.
• Social comparison theory: Evaluating ourselves by comparing ourselves to others.

Self-Esteem

• Attitudes toward self: How individuals perceive their worth and capabilities.

Self-Efficacy

• Judgement of ability: People's beliefs about their ability to perform a task.
• Predicting success: Self-efficacy influences how successful someone believes they will be.
• Coping with failures: Self-efficacy helps individuals cope with challenges and setbacks.
• Self-fulfilling prophecies: Beliefs about oneself can affect behavior and outcomes.

Self-Discrepancy Theory

• Actual self: How you see yourself.
• Ideal self: Who you want to be.
• Ought self: Who you think you should be.
• Discrepancies: Differences between actual, ideal and ought selves.

Language

• Phonological rules: Rules related to sounds and pronunciation.
• Syntactic rules: Rules governing sentence structure and word order.
• Credibility: How reliable or believable one is considered by another person.
• Control: Controlling the conversation through directives and influence.
• High and low language: Formal vs. informal communication.
• Abstraction and meaning: Levels of abstract thought and interpretation.
• Euphemism: Using milder terms instead of direct ones.
• Slang/jargon: Specialized vocabulary within a group.
• Use of words ethically: Avoiding language that is biased or harmful.
• Civility: Polite and respectful communication.
• Polarizing language: Language that divides people into opposing groups.
• Swearing and accountability: How these terms are used and their implications.

Nonverbal Communication

• Kinesics: Body language and movements affecting communication.
• Oculesics: Study of eye behavior and how it communicates.
• Chronemics: How time is perceived and used to communicate.
• Proxemics: How space is used to communicate.
• Paralanguage: The nonverbal aspects of spoken communication.