Communications Chapter 2
direct evidence
comes in the form of compliments, insults, support, or negative remarks
social comparison theory
explains that we are driven to gain an accurate sense of self by examining our qualities and abilities in comparison to others
self-presentation
intentional communications designed to show elements of the self for strategic purposes; you let others know about yourself
schemas
mental structures that put together related bits of information
indirect evidence
might be revealed through innuendo, gossip, subtle nonverbal cues, or a lack of communication
self-efficacy
the ability to predict actual success from self-concept and self-esteem
stereotyping
the act of assuming that individuals, because they belong to certain groups, have a set of attitudes, behaviors, skills, morals, or habits
self-adequacy
the feelings one experiences when one assesses one's own communication competence as sufficient or acceptable; less positive than self-actualization
self-serving bias
the idea that we usually attribute our own success to internal factors while explaining our failures by attributing them to situational or external effects
attributions
the judgements that we make to explain behavior
self-denigration
the most negative assessment you can make about a communication experience; criticizing or attacking yourself
self-actualization
the most positive evaluation you can make about your competence level; the feelings and thought you get when you know that you have negotiated a communication situation as well as you possibly could
1. be thoughtful when you seek explanations 2. look beyond first impressions 3. question your assumptions
3 ways to improve your perceptions
1. mindlessness 2. selective perception 3. distorted perception 4. undue influence
4 challenges with schemas and perceptions
internal attributions
when we attribute behavior to someone's personality, or something within the person's control
external attributions
when we attribute behavior to the situation, or something outside of the person's control
self-disclosure
when you reveal yourself to others by sharing information about yourself
sift, important, remember
Because we are constantly bombarded with information we must ___ through it to determine what is ___ and what to ___
mindfulness, respect for others, accurate perceptions of situations
Successful intercultural communication requires ___, ___ __ ___, and ___ ___ __ ___
schemas
Your ___ help you understand how things work or should work
fundamental attribution error
a bias we have that causes us to overemphasize internal causes and underestimate external causes of behaviors we observe in others
perception
a cognitive process through which we interpret our experiences and form our own unique understandings
prejudice
a deep-seated feeling of unkindness and ill will toward particular groups, often accompanied by feelings of superiority over those groups
cultural myopia
a form of nearsightedness grounded in the belief that one's own culture is appropriate and relevant in all situations and to all people
mindlessness
a passive response to information
self-fulfilling prophecy
a prediction that causes you to change your behavior in a way that makes the prediction more likely to occur
selective perception
active, critical thought resulting in a communicator succumbing to the biased nature of perception
diversity
differences in perceptions due to different cultural contexts
undue influence
giving greater credibility or importance to something shown or said than should be the case
interaction appearance theory
helps explain how people change their perceptions of someone, particularly their physical attractiveness, the more they interact
communication processing
how we gather, organize, and evaluate the information we receive
low-self-monitoring
not nearly so sensitive to situational cues that prescribe communication behavior
mindfulness
paying attention to your schemas; remedy for mindlessness
high-self-monitoring
portray themselves as "the right person in the right place at the right time"
self-esteem
refers to how you feel about yourself, including your worth; your value as a person
cognition
self-concept + self-esteem + self-efficacy
typecasting
stereotyping that happens when an audience's perception of a performer becomes deeply embedded in the popular psyche and it's easy for actors to get pigeonholed into particular roles
low need for cognition
you enjoy completing less taxing, daily tasks that don't require a lot of reflection
high need for cognition
you enjoy the thinking process and are self-motivated to apply your thinking skills to a variety of situations
medium need for cognition
you find some satisfaction in expending mental effort but also find comfort in tasks that are established and predictable
self-monitoring
your ability to watch your environment and others in it for cues about how to present yourself in a particular situation
self-concept
your awareness and understanding of who you are, as interpreted and influenced by your thoughts, actions, abilities, values, goals, and ideals
