Small Group COMM Exam 1

What are the 3 components of behavioral needs in Schutz's Theory?

1) Inclusion Need 2) Control Need 3) Affection Need

What are the 5 components of interpersonal needs are in Maslow's theory?

1) Physiological Needs 2) Safety Needs 3) Belongingness Need 4) Esteem Need 5) Self-Actualization Need

What are the 6 ways to develop a discussion plan?

1) get acquainted 2) clarify goals 3) gather information 4) develop agenda 5) share information 6) present information

What are the disadvantages of being in a small group?

1) group members may pressure others to conform to the majority opinion in order to avoid contact 2) an individual group or team member may dominate the discussion 3) some group members may rely too much on others to get the job done 4) working with others in a group or team takes longer than working alone

What are the 3 ways of organizing or structuring an argument through syllogism?

1) major premise 2) minor premise 3) conclusion

What are the 8 properties a system theory inhabits?

1) opens to environment 2) interdependence 3) input variables 4) process variables 5) output variables 6) synergy 7) entropy 8) equifinality

What are the 3 criteria a policy question should adhere to?

1) should imply that a specific problem exists and must be solved 2) should be limited in scope 3) should be controversial

What are the advantages of being in a small group?

1) your group has more information than you do 2) groups stimulate creativity 3) you remember what you discuss 4) you are more likely to be satisfied with a decision you help make 5) you gain a better understanding of yourself

this person asserted that all humans have basic needs that can be arranged in a hierarchy, this theory is called?

Abraham Maslow; Maslow's Theory

a fallacy that is also known as, ad hominem, Latin for "to the man", involves attacking irrelevant personal characteristics about someone rather than examining the idea or proposal he or she advances

Attacking the Person

a fallacy that tries to convince you that an idea is good simply because "everybody" else thinks it's good

Bandwagon Fallacy

a fallacy that is the inappropriate assumption that one event is the cause of another when there is little evidence to connect the two events

Casual Fallacy

a fallacy that occurs when someone argues that there are only two approaches or solutions to a problem; oversimplifies the options by suggesting we mist do either X or Y

Either/Or Fallacy

T/F: groups are usually NOT creative

False: Groups ARE often more creative

T/F: group members don't usually pressure others to conform

False: group members may pressure others to conform to ideas

T/F: group work does NOT improve learning

False: group work DOES improve learning

T/F: groups never become dominated by one person

False: groups could be dominated by one person

a theory that communication in groups functions to promote sound reasoning, prevent errors, and build productive relationships among members

Functional theory

a fallacy that a person reaching a conclusion on the basis of too little evidence that doesn't exist

Hasty Generalization

a fallacy that occurs when someone undermines an idea by using irrelevant facts or arguments as distractions

Red Herring

T/F: group members are more satisfied if they participate in the process

True

T/F: group members learn about themselves

True

T/F: group members may rely too much on others and not do their part

True

T/F: group work takes more time than working individually

True

T/F: groups have more information

True

this person suggested that three basic needs influence individuals as they form and interact in groups through the theory called?

William Schutz; Schutz's Theory

a committee that disbands when its special task has been completed

ad hoc committee

a message that is NOT read, heard, or seen at the same time you send the message; there is a delay between when you send and receive a message

asynchronous message

the means by which the message is expressed to the receiver

channel

a group of people who are elected or appointed for a specific task

committee

a person who is able to interact appropriately and effectively with others in small groups and teams

competent group communicator

an influence in interpersonal attraction that you tend to be attracted to people who possess qualities that you admire but do not yourself possess; the degree to which two people are compatibly different from each other

complementary

a type of virtual group and team theory that suggests that emotional expression is severely restricted when we communicate using only text messages; the nonverbal cues such as facial expression, gestures, and tone of voice are filtered out

cues-filtered-out theory

the task of a _______ is to make a choice from among several alternatives

decision-making group

the process of... drawing a specific conclusion from a general statement or principle

deductive reasoning

a small group communication competence that help the group stay focused on the task and manage the interaction

discussion-management competencies

false reasoning that occurs when someone attempts to arrive at a conclusion without adequate evidence or with arguments that are irrelevant or inappropriate

fallacies

T/F: the question, "What should be done about UFOs?" is an appropriate policy question?

false: It does not provide enough direction to a specific problem

T/F: a question of policy is a question that asks whether something is likely to occur

false: a question of policy considers whether a change in procedure should be made

T/F: a question of prediction is a question that considers whether a change in procedure should be made

false: a question of prediction asks whether something is likely to occur

T/F: if group members disagree about how to solve a problem they should just select a different issue because It applies to a question of policy?

false: conflict, controversy, and disagreement shouldn't always be viewed negatively but rather the group should entertain the topic because if they agreed on everything at the beginning, there would never be anything to discuss

technical meaning that is the creative and imaginative shared interpretation of events that fulfills a group's need to make sense of its experience and to anticipate its future

fantasy

the fantasy of one group member leads to a ________. a string of connected stories that revolve around a common theme

fantasy chain

consists of the common or related content of the stories the group tells

fantasy theme

a small group of people who are asked to focus on a particular topic or issue so that others can better understand the group's responses to the topic or issue presented

focus group

Why does a small group consist of 3-12 members and not more?

having more than 12 people in a group significantly decreases individual members' interaction. The larger the group, the less influence each individual has on the group and the more likely It is that subgroups will develop

a culture in which people are more comfortable being touched or being physically close to others

high-contact culture

a culture in which more emphasis is placed on nonverbal communication; physical environment is important in helping communicators interpret the message

high-context culture

a method of arriving at a general, or "bottom-line", conclusion through the use of specific examples, facts, statistics, and opinions

inductive reasoning

a type of communication competence essence that is the information you need to do competently what needs to be done

knowledge

a culture in which individuals tend to prefer more personal space, typically make less eye contact with others, and are much more uncomfortable with being touched and approached by others

low-contact culture

a culture in which more emphasis is placed on verbal expression

low-context culture

a type of virtual group and team theory that suggests that the richness of a communication channel is based upon 1) the amount of feedback that we communicate can receive, 2) the number of cues that the channel can convey and that can be interpreted by a receiver, 3) the variety of language that communicators use, and 4) the potential for expressing emotions and feelings

media richness theory

a setting in which the channel of communication is a phone line, fiber-optic cable, wireless signal, the Internet, or other means of sending messages to others through the communication that's NOT face-to-face

mediated setting

the information being communicated

message

a type of communication competence essence that is an integral drive to achieve a goal

motivation

an influence in interpersonal attraction that seems especially important in the early stages of a relationship, though It becomes less important after you get to know someone; beauty or handsomeness

physical attractiveness

a group whose main purpose is to give people a way to fulfill their need to associate with others

primary group

a small group communication competence that focuses on defining and analyzing a problem

problem-oriented competencies

exists to overcome some unsatisfactory situation or obstacles to achieving a goal

problem-solving group

an influence in interpersonal attraction of interacting with others reveals their similar and complementary traits and, thus, enhances their attractiveness to you; the actual physical availability to other people

proximity, contact, and interaction

a question that is phrased such that the answer to the question is either yes or no, if something either did or did not occur

questions of fact

a question that help groups determine what course of action change would enable them to solve a problem, usually most problem-solving discussions revolve around this

questions of policy

a question that asks whether something is likely to occur or may occur under a certain set of circumstances

questions of prediction

a question that generally produces a lively discussion because It often concerns attitudes, beliefs, and values about what is good or bad or right or wrong

questions of value

the person or persons who interpret the message

receiver

a small group communication competence that is concerned with managing conflict and maintaining a positive group climate

relational competencies

exist to accomplish a task or achieve a goal

secondary groups

an influence in interpersonal attraction that you tend to like people who resemble you in their thinking and experiences and they are more likely than most other people to understand you; the degree to which two people are alike

similarity

a type of communication competence essence that is an effective behavior that can be repeated when appropriate

skill

no more than 12 people but less than 3 people

small group

is communication among a group of people who share a common purpose, who feel a sense of belonging to the group, and who exert influence on one another

small group communication

a theory that is simple but powerful attempt to explain human behavior in terms that sound like a blend of behavioral psychology and economic theory

social exchange theory

a type of virtual group and team theory suggests that we can communicate relational and emotional messages via the Internet, but It just may take longer to express messages that are typically communicated using facial expressions and tone of voice

social information-processing theory

the tendency for people to hold back from contributing in a group because they assume someone else will do the work?

social loafing

the feeling we have when we act and think as of we're involved in an unmediated, face-to-face conversation

social presence

a small group communication competence that concern identifying solution criteria, generating solutions, and evaluating solutions

solution-oriented competencies

the originator of the ideas and feelings expressed

source

a committee that remains active for an extended time period

standing committee

a theory that provides a general framework that explains how people structure their groups by making active use of rules and resources

structuration theory

main goal of group is to gather information and learn new ideas. as students we are very familiar with this type of group

study groups

Deductive reasoning can be presented in a form of?

syllogism

something that represents a thought, concept, object, or experience

symbol

a theory that explains how certain types of communication shape a group's identity and culture, which in turn influence other dynamics such as norms, roles, and decision making

symbolic convergence theory

messages are those that occur instantly and simultaneously; there is no time delay between when you send a message and the other person receives It

synchronous messages

a theory that is flexible enough to encompass the vast array of variables that influence group and team interaction

systems theory

also called an encounter group, support group, or T-group, helps group members work on personal problems or provides encouragement and support to help manage stress

therapy group

live, in-person, human communication that means when we communicate, we send and receive messages simultaneously

transactional

T/F: a question of fact is a question that asks whether something is true or false

true

T/F: a question of value is a question that considers something's worth or desirability

true

T/F: the question, "What should be done to improve access to affordable prescription drugs for the elderly in our community?" an appropriate question of policy?

true: It consists of main focus discussion question

Also called electronically mediated communication, consists of three or more people who collaborate from different physical locations, perform interdependent tasks, have shared responsibility for the outcome of the work, and rely on some form of technology to communicate with one another

virtual small group communication

When in a small group, does everyone in the group have an influence on the group regardless of what they choose to do within the group?

yes (example: a model of small group communication)