Communication in Social Context

Questions and Answers

What is Aristotle's definition of rhetoric?

The ability, in each particular case, to identify the available means of persuasion.

What division of rhetoric is involved in a debate over a bill in Congress?

Deliberative

What division of rhetoric is exemplified by a eulogy or an inaugural address?

Epideictic

What division of rhetoric is involved in a courtroom trial argument or a scientific research presentation?

Epideictic Signup and view all the answers

What term did the ancient Greeks use for 'situational time', used to seize a window of opportunity?

Kairos Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following are elements of Bitzer's 'rhetorical situation'?

Occasion Signup and view all the answers

What is a likely exigence of a rhetorical situation?

The need to increase widget sales for the company. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a constraint in a rhetorical situation?

The objective is to boost widget sales by 25% Signup and view all the answers

What artistic proof involves persuasive appeals based on reasoning and evidence?

Logos Signup and view all the answers

Communication involves messages that move back and forth between two or more persons. That means it's a social __________.

exchange Signup and view all the answers

The purpose of communication is ultimately about achieving a sense in which the parties involved have a shared understanding of what is being expressed. That means it's about sharing __________.

meaning Signup and view all the answers

Mizzou students whose major resides in the Department of Communication are Communications majors.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the process of generating meaning by sending and receiving symbols and signs that are influenced by multiple contexts?

communication Signup and view all the answers

What is the use of technology and tactics to disseminate messages to execute a marketing strategy?

communications Signup and view all the answers

What do you call the party involved in communication who sends a message to an audience?

source Signup and view all the answers

What do you call the verbal or nonverbal content being conveyed from sender to receiver?

message Signup and view all the answers

What is the sensory route on which a message travels?

channel Signup and view all the answers

What is a technology used to transmit a message from source to receiver?

medium Signup and view all the answers

What do you call the audience for a given message?

receiver Signup and view all the answers

What are messages sent in response to other messages called?

feedback Signup and view all the answers

What is anything that interferes with a message being sent between participants?

noise Signup and view all the answers

What do you call the various factors that surround and affect a communication event?

context Signup and view all the answers

Identify the eight (8) elements of the transmission model of communication.

<ol> <li>source 2. encoding message 3. message 4. channel 5. receiver 6. decoding message 7. noise 8. context</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

If the channel used by the source involves some kind of technology to get the message to the receiver, we refer to that technology as a __________.

medium Signup and view all the answers

"Noise" does not have to be physical, sensory distraction.

True Signup and view all the answers

What do you call any representation of meaning?

sign Signup and view all the answers

What do you call the object that a sign represents?

referent Signup and view all the answers

What is the collection of thoughts, experiences, etc., that one has when encountering either a representation and/or a represented object?

reference Signup and view all the answers

What do you call a representation of meaning that is arbitrarily determined and meaningful only through social convention?

symbol Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of a word that is direct or 'literal'?

denotation Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of a word that comes from the collection of beliefs, experiences, feelings, and cognitive connections we have with that word?

connotation Signup and view all the answers

What is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting experience to construct meaning?

perception Signup and view all the answers

What do you call a perception of self-concept based on perceiving how others respond to our behaviors?

looking glass self Signup and view all the answers

What is an ideal performance of self based on positive social actions?

face Signup and view all the answers

What is the degree to which something attracts our attention in a particular context?

salience Signup and view all the answers

Identify the three (3) elements of the semantic triangle model of communication.

reference, referent, sign Signup and view all the answers

What does the dotted line on the bottom of the Semantic Triangle Model demonstrate?

the relationship between sign and referent is unstable; the same sign can represent multiple referents Signup and view all the answers

Explaining 'TikTok' in terms of 'my favorite app,' 'humor,' 'music,' 'anti-Trump trolling,' etc., is expressing its:

connotative meaning Signup and view all the answers

What does the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis observe?

a culture's language has important effects on how that culture perceives the world Signup and view all the answers

Identify the three (3) elements of the perception process.

<ol> <li>selection 2. organization 3. interpretation</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Whenever we perceive something new, we interpret what it means by running it through our mind's collected, categorized structures of past perceptions. These structures are called:

schemata Signup and view all the answers

In the organization stage of perception, our minds apply principles of similarity, difference, and proximity. What is the 'proximity' principle?

things that are close together in space and/or time are connected or related to each other Signup and view all the answers

Identify the four (4) elements of the reflected appraisal process.

<ol> <li>self-concept 2. behavior 3. response of significant others 4. perceptions of events</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is Ms. Simple doing when she decides against Janey's application based on her past behavior? (Select all that apply)

Fundamental attribution error Signup and view all the answers

What is Ms. Beauregarde doing when she comments on Ricky Bobby's essay about NASCAR? (Select all that apply)

External attribution Signup and view all the answers

What actions does George perform when he interacts with Lorraine? (Select all that apply)

Presented 'on-stage' behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is Sally doing while preparing for Rush? (Select all that apply)

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Match the following elements of relationship culture:

Routines and rituals = Creating meaning in shared activities Storytelling = Maintaining, sharing history and values Idiom = Constructing unique, exclusive identity through verbal meaning Rules and norms = Providing structure and boundaries in relationships Signup and view all the answers

An individual family, pair of best friends, or romantic partners can constitute a culture all by themselves.

True Signup and view all the answers

What refers to needs and motives we have in relationships defined by tensions between opposing forces?

dialectics Signup and view all the answers

The following are all relational dialectic pairs except:

Past / future Signup and view all the answers

What tension exists when my parents want to spend time together, but I need alone time?

Autonomy / connection Signup and view all the answers

What tension exists when I want to share feelings with my friend but sometimes don't?

Openness / closedness Signup and view all the answers

What tension exists when my partner wants to try new things, but I prefer staying home?

Novelty / predictability Signup and view all the answers

The following are all dialectical management strategies:

Segmenting Signup and view all the answers

What management strategy favors one end of the dialectical continuum and ignores the other?

separating Signup and view all the answers

What management strategy divides life into spheres where different needs are satisfied?

segmenting Signup and view all the answers

What management strategy involves individuals compromising to satisfy neither person's need fully?

neutralizing Signup and view all the answers

According to research, what is the optimal number of group members for good decision-making?

5 Signup and view all the answers

What is the group structure that is better for speed and efficiency?

wheel Signup and view all the answers

What group structure is better for solving complex problems?

circle, wheel Signup and view all the answers

Cohesion is defined as when group members 'identify with and like the group's task and other group members.'

True Signup and view all the answers

What term describes when a team member fails to contribute due to a lack of an other-centered orientation?

social loafing Signup and view all the answers

Conformity should be avoided in a small group.

False Signup and view all the answers

Conformity in a group can increase membership satisfaction and improve task performance.

True Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary problem that groupthink causes?

lack of critical thinking and evaluation Signup and view all the answers

What is careful consideration of a belief based on its grounds and implied further conclusions called?

reflective thinking Signup and view all the answers

In the reflective thinking model, all of the following are key steps of decision-making except:

Rejecting unusable solutions Signup and view all the answers

In the reflective thinking model, before generating possible solutions, a group should: (Select all that apply)

Define the problem Signup and view all the answers

According to the functional perspective on group decision-making, the sequential order of the steps is critical.

False Signup and view all the answers

The goal-setting stage of the functional model is effectively equivalent to which step of the reflective thinking model?

establish criteria for solutions Signup and view all the answers

Which stage in the functional model is implied but not actually represented in the reflective thinking model?

evaluating positive / negative characteristics Signup and view all the answers

Aristotle and his teacher, Plato, disagreed on the value of rhetoric as an art.

True Signup and view all the answers

Classical philosophers like Cicero saw rhetoric as valuable in order to: (Select all that apply)

Providing resources for action in uncertain, probable circumstances Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Communication Basics

Communication is a social exchange involving messages between individuals.
The purpose is to achieve shared understanding and meaning among participants.
Feedback represents messages sent in response to others.

Key Communication Components

Source: The sender of the message.
Message: The content conveyed; can be verbal or nonverbal.
Channel: The sensory route through which the message travels.
Medium: The technology used for transmitting the message.
Receiver: The audience for the message.
Noise: Anything that interferes with the clarity of the message.
Context: Factors surrounding and affecting the communication event.

Semantic Triangle Model

Elements include reference, referent, and sign.
The relationship between sign and referent can vary; one sign can represent multiple referents.
Connotative meaning involves the emotional and cultural associations linked to a term.

Perception Processes

The perception process includes selection, organization, and interpretation of experiences.
Schemata refer to mental structures used to interpret new perceptions based on past experiences.

Relationships and Culture

The concept of "looking glass self" reflects self-perception shaped by how others respond.
Different building blocks of relationship culture include routines, storytelling, idioms, and rules.

Dialectics in Relationships

Dialectical tensions include autonomy/connection, openness/closedness, and novelty/predictability.
Managing these tensions involves strategies like separating, neutralizing, reframing, and segmenting.

Group Dynamics

Group structures affect decision-making efficiency; the wheel structure is best for speed while the circle is better for complex problem-solving.
Cohesion arises when members identify with group tasks and each other, enhancing interdependence and synergy.

Conformity and Group Decision-Making

Conformity can increase satisfaction and improve task performance, though groupthink may lead to critical thinking deficits.
Reflective thinking in groups includes defining problems, analyzing issues, and establishing solution criteria.

Rhetoric and Persuasion

Aristotle defined rhetoric as identifying persuasive means in specific contexts.
Different rhetorical divisions include deliberative (political debate), epideictic (ceremonial speeches), and judicial (courtroom arguments).
Kairos refers to seizing the right moment for persuasion.

Implicit Bias and Identity

Implicit biases can be unlearned and are often culturally derived.
The distinction between in-groups (similar individuals) and out-groups (different individuals) shapes social dynamics.

Interpersonal and Relational Goals

Interpersonal communication focuses on individual connections, with goals encompassing relational, self-presentational, and communal objectives.
Self-presentational goals relate to impression management and adapting communication to desired perceptions.

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Description

Explore the dynamics of communication through this quiz, which focuses on the exchange of messages and shared understanding. Analyze key concepts and test your knowledge on the fundamentals of effective communication. Perfect for students studying communication theories.