Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is primarily studied in organizational communication?
What is primarily studied in organizational communication?
- Interpersonal skills
- Cultural values in media
- Shared identity and codes of thought (correct)
- Mass communication effects
Intercultural communication only refers to communication between people from entirely different cultures.
Intercultural communication only refers to communication between people from entirely different cultures.
False (B)
What role does media play in shaping our understanding of ourselves and society?
What role does media play in shaping our understanding of ourselves and society?
Media represent and reproduce cultural values, influencing our perspectives.
Communication skills affect _______ success.
Communication skills affect _______ success.
Match the following terms with their definitions:
Match the following terms with their definitions:
Which of the following is a characteristic of mass communication?
Which of the following is a characteristic of mass communication?
A paradigm can determine the questions and observations in research.
A paradigm can determine the questions and observations in research.
How do communication scholars benefit from studying mediated communication?
How do communication scholars benefit from studying mediated communication?
What does macro-level theory seek to explain?
What does macro-level theory seek to explain?
Symbols allow us to share ideas and feelings with others who have experienced those things directly.
Symbols allow us to share ideas and feelings with others who have experienced those things directly.
What is the significance of theory in the research process?
What is the significance of theory in the research process?
Meaning is the ______ that is conferred on experiences and phenomena.
Meaning is the ______ that is conferred on experiences and phenomena.
Match the following levels of theory with their definitions:
Match the following levels of theory with their definitions:
Which of the following statements best describe meso-level theory?
Which of the following statements best describe meso-level theory?
Research problems must be framed within a logically inconsistent conceptual framework.
Research problems must be framed within a logically inconsistent conceptual framework.
What is the role of empirical testing in research?
What is the role of empirical testing in research?
What does the semiotic tradition primarily focus on?
What does the semiotic tradition primarily focus on?
The socio-cultural tradition only focuses on individual psychological traits.
The socio-cultural tradition only focuses on individual psychological traits.
What role does the individual mind play in the psychological perspective of communication?
What role does the individual mind play in the psychological perspective of communication?
Semiotics is the study of __________.
Semiotics is the study of __________.
Match the following traditions with their primary focus:
Match the following traditions with their primary focus:
Which tradition asserts a connection between actions and their possible consequences?
Which tradition asserts a connection between actions and their possible consequences?
The socio-cultural approach views communication as solely an individual activity.
The socio-cultural approach views communication as solely an individual activity.
In the context of communication theory, what does the term 'individualistic approach' refer to?
In the context of communication theory, what does the term 'individualistic approach' refer to?
What characteristic is essential for a good theory?
What characteristic is essential for a good theory?
The parsimony of a theory refers to how many variables it can incorporate.
The parsimony of a theory refers to how many variables it can incorporate.
What is utility in relation to theories?
What is utility in relation to theories?
A theory that aims to enhance understanding should be measured by whether it achieves __________.
A theory that aims to enhance understanding should be measured by whether it achieves __________.
Match the following types of explanations with their descriptions:
Match the following types of explanations with their descriptions:
Which statement about theories is true?
Which statement about theories is true?
All theories must seek to predict future events to be considered valuable.
All theories must seek to predict future events to be considered valuable.
What is a common consequence of uncertainty in communication?
What is a common consequence of uncertainty in communication?
What is the primary goal of critical theories?
What is the primary goal of critical theories?
A causal law implies that two events are correlated without asserting a cause-and-effect relationship.
A causal law implies that two events are correlated without asserting a cause-and-effect relationship.
What does the term 'heurism' refer to in the context of evaluating a theory?
What does the term 'heurism' refer to in the context of evaluating a theory?
A second form of explanation identifies __________ that explain why people communicate in particular circumstances.
A second form of explanation identifies __________ that explain why people communicate in particular circumstances.
Match the types of philosophical assumptions with their descriptions:
Match the types of philosophical assumptions with their descriptions:
Which of the following statements about rules-based explanations is true?
Which of the following statements about rules-based explanations is true?
Phenomenology is a method that avoids the direct experience of phenomena.
Phenomenology is a method that avoids the direct experience of phenomena.
Name one type of communication theory genre mentioned.
Name one type of communication theory genre mentioned.
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Study Notes
Building Connections
- We connect with others by sharing personal information, recalling shared experiences, making future plans, and resolving conflicts.
Professional Impact of Communication Skills
- Effective communication significantly impacts professional success.
- Reaching a large audience without face-to-face interaction is a key aspect of mass communication.
- Mass communication typically involves delayed feedback.
Organizational Communication
- Understanding shared identities, beliefs, and behaviors within an organization is crucial.
Intercultural Communication
- Focuses on communication between individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, including those within a single nation.
- Highlights the importance of understanding different communication goals, styles, and meanings across cultures.
Meaning and Significance
- Meaning is the significance we assign to experiences and phenomena.
- We imbue all aspects of our lives with meaning, shaping our understanding of the world.
Defining Theory
- A theory serves as a model or framework for observation and understanding, influencing our perception and interpretation.
- It provides fundamental concepts, guides our research questions, and helps interpret research findings.
- A good theory offers clear descriptions and explanations, assesses the value of communication representations, and answers "what" and "why" questions.
Types of Explanations in Theory
- Laws-based explanations: Use universal laws to explain consistent relationships between events (e.g., uncertainty fostering increased communication). Can be causal (x causes y) or correlational (x and y are related, but not causally).
- Rules-based explanations: Identify patterns in specific communication situations or relationships, without claiming universal laws.
Evaluating Theories
- Descriptive and explanatory power: How well a theory describes and explains events.
- Utility: The practical value and usefulness of a theory, depending on its goals (prediction/control vs. understanding/social change).
- Heurism: The theory's ability to generate new ideas, insights, and research.
Genres of Communication Theory
- Philosophical assumptions: Basic beliefs underlying the theory.
- Concepts: Building blocks of the theory.
- Explanations: Dynamic connections within the theory.
- Principles: Guidelines for action.
Seven Traditions in Communication
- Semiotic tradition: Focuses on signs and symbols and how they create meaning.
- Phenomenological tradition: Emphasizes the individual subjective experience and understanding of the world. Concentrates on conscious experience.
- Cybernetic tradition: Views communication as a system of information processing and feedback loops.
- Sociopsychological tradition: Examines individual social behavior influenced by psychological variables like personality and perception. Focuses on individual effects.
- Socio-cultural tradition: Explores how meanings, norms, and rules are interactively created and negotiated in communication. Addresses how understandings are worked out.
- Critical tradition: Analyzes power dynamics and societal inequalities in communication; focuses on social change.
- Rhetorical tradition: Studies the art of persuasion and effective communication, particularly in public speaking.
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