Communications (Chapter 1-4)

Interpretive scholars can build a community of agreement by having their work debated in the broad marketplace of ideas. True False

True

Karl Popper believed that falsifiability was the defining feature of scientific theory. True False

True

Many interpretive scholars believe truth is socially constructed through communication. True False

True

Messages are the core of communication study. True False

True

Objective and interpretive scholars almost always understand and value their colleagues' work. True False

True

Objective scholars want theory to be a mirror that reflects reality. True False

True

One measure of a good interpretive theory is the extent to which it reforms society. True False

True

One of the main differences between objective and interpretive scholars is that interpretive scholars believe they can discover the one reality that exists. True False

True

Scholars who call themselves "humanists" believe that theories need to be tested using empirical evidence. True False

True

Sometimes, people communicate in seemingly mindless ways. True False

True

The aim of textual analysis is to describe and interpret the characteristics of a message. True False

True

The critical tradition is concerned with the way that language can be used to perpetuate power imbalances. True False

True

The cybernetic tradition is interested in communication networks. True False

True

The phenomenological tradition attempts to understand everyday life from the standpoint of the person who is living it. True False

True

The value question that separates interpretive and objective scholars is, "Does effectiveness or participation have higher priority?" True False

True

bjective scholars don't want to confuse the way the world is with the way they think it ought to be. True False

True

In the self-referential imperative, Krippendorff encourages scholars to remove as much bias from research as they possibly can. True False

True, The self-referential imperative calls researchers to embrace subjectivity.

What is a record of a message that can be analyzed by others; for example a book, film, photograph, or any transcript or recording of a speech or broadcast

A text

What is a set of systematic, informed hunches about the way things work?

A theory

Of the traditions listed below, which is the most objective? A. Cybernetic. B. Rhetorical. C. Phenomenological. D. Socio-cultural.

A. Cybernetic.

Why might an objective scholar choose to perform an experiment rather than administering a survey? A. Experiments are better at demonstrating cause-effect relationships. B. Experiments often save time. C. Experiments yield more useful results. D. Experiments better fulfill the self-referential imperative.

A. Experiments are better at demonstrating cause-effect relationships.

The authors warn that one danger of studying theory is that it can make life more confusing. True False

False

Theories about media and culture, organizational communication, and public rhetoric tend to be objective in orientation. True False

False

To avoid inadvertently copying the work of others, theorists should avoid reading what other people have written about the phenomena they're investigating. True False

False

David Hume believed texts were worthless unless they furthered the cause of social justice. True False

False , To the contrary, he was a philosopher who was enamored with mathematical/scientific reasoning rather than metaphysical reasoning.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that reality shapes our language. True False

False, It claims that language shapes our view of reality.

Which of the following traditions is most ancient, dating back to Greco-Roman scholars such as Aristotle and Cicero? A. Rhetorical. B. Critical. C. Socio-cultural. D. Socio-psychological.

Rhetorical

What is a scholar who studies the ways in which symbolic forms can be used to identify with people, or the persuade them towards a certain point of view?

Rhetorician

Schwartz' theory of resonance is a good example of a metatheory. True False

False

What is a scholar who applies the scientific method to describe, predict, and explain recurring forms of human behavior?

A behavioral scientist

If communication theory is like fashion design, then interpretive scholars are most likely to create: A. A one-of-a-kind custom suit. B. A one-size-fits-all suit for many different occasions. C. Light clothing useful in the summertime. D. Heavy clothing suitable for harsh winter storms.

A. A one-of-a-kind custom suit.

When comparing objective and interpretive theories, the counterpart to the objective standard of simplicity is the interpretive standard of: A. Aesthetic appeal. B. Understanding of people. C. Practical utility. D. Reforming society.

A. Aesthetic appeal.

Carlos brings his study participants to his lab. There, they watch one of three advertisements for soap. Carlos has carefully prepared the advertisements, manipulating the credibility of each ad across conditions. He then measures the extent to which the participant is interested in buying the soap. What kind of data collection is Carlos conducting? A. An experiment. B. A textual analysis. C. A survey. D. An ethnography.

A. An experiment.

If an interpretive theorist's article meets the standard of aesthetic appeal, what are you most likely to find in the article? A. Artful metaphors. B. Esoteric jargon. C. Clear hypotheses. D. Clarification of values.

A. Artful metaphors.

In the chapter, the authors propose a new tradition. What does Craig say they would have to do in order to define it fully? A. Explain how it compares to every other tradition. B. Conduct an experiment that provides empirical evidence identifying the tradition. C. Interview people to understand their subjective experiences with the tradition. D. Use the tradition to solve practical problems in society.

A. Explain how it compares to every other tradition.

The requirement that a scientific theory must be stated in a way that it can be tested using empirical data is: A. Falsifiability. B. Parsimony. C. Utility. D. Epistemology.

A. Falsifiability.

Which of the following concepts is most important to a scholar in the cybernetic tradition? A. Feedback. B. Power. C. Culture. D. Metaphor.

A. Feedback.

Which question best fits epistemology? A. How do we know what we know, if we know it at all? B. What is the nature of reality? C. What does it mean to be human? D. How do we decide questions of ethics and value?

A. How do we know what we know, if we know it at all?

Why is it important to understand the differences between interpretive and objective approaches? A. It helps prevent the theories from blurring together in your mind. B. It is impossible to understand anything about communication theory without first understanding this distinction. C. Students do not have a preference for certain types of theory until they understand this difference. D. It will help you choose which communication courses to take in future semesters.

A. It helps prevent the theories from blurring together in your mind.

When some scholars refer to communication as a "crossroads discipline," they mean: A. It incorporates interests from fields such as psychology, sociology, and philosophy. B. Professors who study communication also tend to teach and publish in other fields. C. Students tend to double-major in something in addition to communication. D. The study of communication touches all aspects of human life.

A. It incorporates interests from fields such as psychology, sociology, and philosophy.

The twin objectives of scientific research are: A. Predicts some future outcome and explains the reasons for that outcome. B. Develops a simple explanation and improves society. C. Explains patterns of behavior and recommends changes to those patterns. D. Creates testable hypotheses and evaluates them using experiments.

A. Predicts some future outcome and explains the reasons for that outcome.

Craig added the pragmatist tradition. Which tradition did one of his students add? A. Spiritual. B. Biological. C. Organizational. D. Intercultural.

A. Spiritual.

When we say communication is a process, we mean: A. The flow of communication is always in flux. B. Communication proceeds according to social rules. C. Communication skill can be improved. D. Communication elicits a response from the other person.

A. The flow of communication is always in flux.

How are theories like lenses? A. They shape our perception by focusing our attention on some details while ignoring others. B. They break easily if they are mishandled. C. They must be polished and cleaned regularly or else you can't use them effectively. D. They allow us to get a clear view of an objective reality.

A. They shape our perception by focusing our attention on some details while ignoring others.

According to the textbook, communication is the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response. True False

A. True

Which of the following is most clearly an example of Schwartz' resonance principle in action? A. When Tony watches a crime show, it stirs the fear he felt when he was the victim of a robbery last summer. B. When Tonya watches an ad for a local fast food restaurant, she doesn't want to buy their food because she cares about eating healthily. C. When Timothy watches the presidential debate, there's one candidate he definitely agrees with and one he definitely doesn't. D. When Tabitha listens to a Mozart symphony, she gets totally lost in the beauty of the experience.

A. When Tony watches a crime show, it stirs the fear he felt when he was the victim of a robbery last summer.

The __________ states that researchers should grant others that occur in their construction the same autonomy they practice constructing them. A. ethical imperative B. self-referential imperative C. critical imperative D. inclusive imperative

A. ethical imperative

The ____________________ tradition might analyze the way a politician uses metaphors to win support for his or her policy during a speech. A. rhetorical B. socio-cultural C. socio-psychological D. cybernetic

A. rhetorical

Metatheory is theory about __________________. A. theory B. ideas C. values D. people

A. theory

Which of the following statements is not a standard for a good interpretive theory? A. "A good theory has aesthetic appeal." B. "A good theory has practical application." C. "A good theory reforms society." D. "A good theory creates a community of agreement."

B. "A good theory has practical application."

The chapter talks about how baseball great Stan Musial interacted with his African American teammates. His behavior was similar to that of a(n): A. Rhetorician B. Ethnographer C. Critical scholar D. Experimentalist

B. Ethnographer

Which of the following statements accurately describes how people create messages? A. Message creation is always planned carefully in advance. B. Much message creation is habitual in nature. C. It is more difficult to create messages online than it is when face-to-face. D. Communication majors are only better at interpreting messages, not constructing them.

B. Much message creation is habitual in nature.

Why might an objective scholar choose to administer a survey rather than performing an experiment? A. Surveys are better at demonstrating cause-effect relationships. B. Surveys often save time and cost less money. C. Surveys yield more useful results. D. Surveys provide the researcher with more control over the independent and dependent variables.

B. Surveys often save time and cost less money.

According to Glenn Sparks' objective analysis of the Budweiser ad, what might we do to validate his explanation? A. Examine whether beer sales increased after the Super Bowl. B. Test audience response against an ad without warm emotional memories. C. Interview advertising executives to discover their thoughts about the ad. D. None of the above; Glenn admits his explanation cannot be validated

B. Test audience response against an ad without warm emotional memories.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis claims that: A. Words don't mean things; people mean things. B. The structure of a language shapes what people think and do. C. Rhetoric is the study of all available means of persuasion. D. Life is best understood from the standpoint of the person living it.

B. The structure of a language shapes what people think and do.

When we say a theorist's ideas (or hunches) are "informed," we mean: A. The theorist has earned a Ph.D. B. The theorist is familiar with alternative explanations for the topic of interest. C. The theorist has answers for all possible objections to the theory. D. The theorist has thought very carefully about his or her ideas.

B. The theorist is familiar with alternative explanations for the topic of interest.

How are theories like nets? A. The theorist has to spend a lot of time 'untangling' them. B. They enable us to 'catch' part of the world. C. They make 'break' when they try to hold too many ideas. D. They need some kind of 'structure' to support and hold them up, or else they aren't useful.

B. They enable us to 'catch' part of the world.

How are theories like maps? A. They are perfect representations of the 'territory' they represent. B. They enable us to 'navigate' part of the social world. C. They have a 'scale' that represents the scope of the theory. D. They become outdated when the social 'roads' between people change over time.

B. They enable us to 'navigate' part of the social world.

Critical scholars value research that seeks to ___________ people from __________________. A. raise; ignorance B. liberate; oppression C. rescue; danger D. heal; disease

B. liberate; oppression

The __________ states that researchers should include themselves as a constituent of their own construction. A. ethical imperative B. self-referential imperative C. critical imperative D. inclusive imperative

B. self-referential imperative

Fill-in-the-blank: Objective approaches attempt to find ___________ that explain human behavior in a variety of situations. A. interpretive guides B. universal laws C. informed hunches D. emancipatory statements

B. universal laws

Bill Rawlins interviewed two women about their friendship. Because he worked from within the phenomenological tradition, what did he do to verify the accuracy of his report of the interview? A. Conducted a controlled experiment to test his hypotheses. B. Compared the women's claims against previously published research. C. Asked the women to read his report and provide feedback to him. D. Nothing; as a phenomenologist, Rawlins' own perspective is just as valid as the women he studied.

C. Asked the women to read his report and provide feedback to him.

nterpretive standard of understanding of people is the objective standard of: A. Testable hypotheses. B. Prediction of the future. C. Explanation of the data. D. Reform of society.

C. Explanation of the data.

The objective and interpretive approaches to theory differ because: A. Objective approaches focus on questions of value. B. Objective approaches are concerned with expanding human choice. C. Interpretive approaches assume that there is more than one reality in the world. D. Interpretive approaches seek simple explanations.

C. Interpretive approaches assume that there is more than one reality in the world.

Griffin, Ledbetter, and Sparks compare the interpretive and objective approaches to two elements of the Myers-Briggs personality assessment. Which of the following correctly matches the theoretical tradition to the personality type? A. Interpretive: Perceiving; Objective: Judging B. Interpretive: Sensing; Objective: Judging C. Interpretive: Intuition; Objective: Sensing D. Interpretive: Judging; Objective: Intuition

C. Interpretive: Intuition; Objective: Sensing

Interpretive scholars differ from objective scholars in that they believe that truth A. Can be discovered through careful research. B. Is best understood from a religious point of view. C. Is mainly subjective, meaning multiple meanings or truths are possible. D. Is impossible to find.

C. Is mainly subjective, meaning multiple meanings or truths are possible.

Objective scholars have studied communication apprehension. What weakness exists in this body of research? A. It doesn't clearly define what communication apprehension is. B. It cannot identify the signs of being a nervous public speaker. C. It doesn't explain why some people become nervous and others don't. D. It has small scope because it only explains apprehension in public speaking contexts.

C. It doesn't explain why some people become nervous and others don't.

Which basic continuum distinguishes the seven traditions? A. Experimental/ethnographic. B. Critical/rhetorical. C. Objective/interpretive. D. Interpersonal/organizational.

C. Objective/interpretive.

A(n) __________ would take a pluralistic view, where all perspectives on truth could be legitimate in different ways. A. Objective approach. B. Ethical tradition. C. Pragmatist tradition. D. Symbolic approach.

C. Pragmatist tradition.

Which of the following would most likely be said by a determinist? A. She gave a good speech because she sought such good training. B. She gave a good speech because she found a sympathetic audience. C. She gave a good speech because she is genetically predisposed to be a good communicator. D. She gave a good speech because she chose a good topic and clear examples.

C. She gave a good speech because she is genetically predisposed to be a good communicator.

Which of the following statements correctly identifies the relationship between the objective/interpretive approaches and the theories covered in the book? A. Most of the theories in the book are both interpretive and objective. B. Theories always clearly belong to one approach and not the other. C. Some areas of study in communication may have an objective or interpretive bias. D. Theories that are purely objective or purely interpretive are very rare.

C. Some areas of study in communication may have an objective or interpretive bias.

The rule of parsimony states that: A. Good theories should reform society. B. All hypotheses need to be tested. C. The simpler of two plausible explanations for an event should be accepted. D. Good theories provide a new understanding of people.

C. The simpler of two plausible explanations for an event should be accepted.

A determinist assumes that human behavior is caused by ____________ and _______________. A. heredity; culture B. culture; environment C. environment; heredity D. heredity; technology

C. environment; heredity

Deetz says that every general communication theory has two priorities: effectiveness and ______________. A. predictiveness B. emancipation C. participation D. observation

C. participation

The __________ tradition of communication research epitomizes the objective perspective. A. rhetorical B. semoiotic C. socio-psychological D. critical

C. socio-psychological

A systematic hunch: A. is written down in an orderly, easy-to-understand fashion. B. explains how the idea might change social systems. C. specifies the relationship among the theorist's ideas. D. builds on the shoulders of theory developed in the past.

C. specifies the relationship among the theorist's ideas.

What is the relational process of creating and interpretting messeges that elicit a response?

Communication

Which of the following traditions is the most interpretive? A. Socio-psychological. B. Rhetorical. C. Semiotic. D. Critical.

Critical

Which tradition built on the ideas of Karl Marx and the Frankfurt School? A. Phenomenological. B. Critical. C. Socio-psychological tradition. D. Rhetorical tradition.

Critical

Which tradition would be most interested in the connection between the mass media and power? A. Rhetorical. B. Critical. C. Socio-psychological. D. Socio-cultural.

Critical

Scholars who use theory to reveal unjust communication practices that perpetuate a imbalance power?

Critical theorist

Entertainment businesses that reproduce the ideology of culture and distract people from recognizing unjust distribution of power in society

Culture Industries

The study of information procesing, feedback, and control in communications?

Cybernetics

According to Bateson, the two great contraries of the mind are rigor and _________________: A. science B. rhetoric C. emotion D. imagination

D. imagination

Which of the following statements is not a standard for a good objective theory? A. "A good theory should explain some type of behavior." B. "A good theory should be relatively simple." C. "A good theory should be useful." D. "A good theory creates a community of agreement."

D. "A good theory creates a community of agreement."

Which of the following is an interpretive theorist most likely to investigate? A. General communication patterns common to all people. B. Cause-effect relationships between independent and dependent variables. C. Practical solutions to practical questions. D. A one-of-a-kind speech community with a specific language style.

D. A one-of-a-kind speech community with a specific language style.

Laura travels to a foreign country on study abroad for a semester. While there, she takes every opportunity to immerse herself in the local culture. She takes many notes on her observations about the country, and then turns her notes into a term paper. Laura's activity is most similar to: A. An experiment. B. A survey. C. A textual analysis. D. An ethnography.

D. An ethnography.

Why is theory building a "risky business"? A. Because scholars who produce incorrect theories may lose their jobs. B. Because scholars are always embarrassed if their ideas turn out to be wrong. C. Because most theories are rejected by the academic community. D. Because theory building moves beyond accepted wisdom.

D. Because theory building moves beyond accepted wisdom.

Archetypal myths: A. Are always based on tales of Greek heroes such as Ulysses. B. Differ greatly between cultures. C. Are more persuasive than other types of myth. D. Draw upon universal human experiences.

D. Draw upon universal human experiences.

According to the textbook, for a message to be considered communication, it must: A. Be delivered. B. Be understandable. C. Be heard. D. Elicit a response.

D. Elicit a response.

All of the following are names for humanistic scholars except: A. Hermeneuticists. B. Social action theorists. C. Phenomenologists. D. Empiricists.

D. Empiricists.

Griffin, Ledbetter, and Sparks suggest adding which of the following as an additional tradition? A. Pragmatic. B. Spiritual. C. Sociological. D. Ethical.

D. Ethical.

According to the textbook authors, the behavioral scientist usually describes human conduct as occurring because: A. Humans have free will. B. Humans have conscious intent. C. Humans are random. D. Humans react to forces that are often outside the individual's awareness.

D. Humans react to forces that are often outside the individual's awareness.

According to the textbook authors, what is the main problem with Bormann's description of theory as "an umbrella term for all careful, systematic, and self-conscious discussion and analysis of communication phenomena"? A. It isn't accurate. B. It's too complex. C. It's hard for students to understand. D. It's too broad.

D. It's too broad.

The textbook suggests that one limitation of the "lens" metaphor is that it: A. Does not accurately describe all communication theory. B. Leads to observations that are too narrow in scope. C. Has not achieved much recognition by communication scholars. D. May encourage us to abandon any search for truth.

D. May encourage us to abandon any search for truth.

A scientist seeks to gather information about the world chiefly through: A. Language and thought. B. Logic, reason, and philosophy. C. Values, ethics, and tradition. D. Sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

D. Sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

Scientific scholars assume that truth is: A. Clear. B. Mysterious. C. Plural. D. Singular

D. Singular.

Which tradition is most focused on addressing how communication creates social realities? A. Rhetorical. B. Cybernetic. C. Socio-psychological. D. Socio-cultural.

D. Socio-cultural.

Using Popper's metaphor of the net, what does he mean when he talks about making the mesh of the net "finer and finer"? A. The theorist continually tries to express the theory more clearly. B. The theorist continually uses the theory to improve the world. C. The theorist continually makes the theory's scope larger. D. The theorist continually tries to capture more and more of what humans think and say.

D. The theorist continually tries to capture more and more of what humans think and say.

According to Celeste Condit, the communication process is more about ________________ than it is about ___________________. A. information; persuasion B. persuasion; information C. content; relationships D. relationships; content

D. relationships; content

What is the assumption that behavior is caused by heredity and enviroment?

Determinism

Which of the following companies is most clearly a member of the "culture industries" critiqued by critical scholars? A. American Airlines. B. Disney. C. Wal-Mart. D. Ford.

Disney

What is the liberation from any form of opression?

Emancipation

What is data collected through direct observation?

Empirical evidence

What is the study of the origin, nature, method, and limits of knowledge?

Epistemology

What is to grant others that occur in your construction the same autonomy you practice constructing them?

Ethical imperative

A method of participant observtion designed to help a researcher experience a cultures complex web of meaning?

Ethnography

What is a research method that manipulates a variable in a tightly controlled situation?

Experiment

A Taylor Swift song is not a text. True False

False

Aristotle said very little about friendship, but later scholars applied Aristotelian ideas to understand it. True False

False

Communication scholars are waiting for a future bright theorist to nail down the definition of communication once and for all. True False

False

Griffin, Ledbetter, and Sparks suggest that communication students should grow to the point where they think about theory every time they communicate with someone. True False

False

Interpretive scholars believe that texts can interpret themselves. True False

False

Occam's razor is another name for the objective standard of practical utility. True False

False

One limitation of the "lens" metaphor is that it leaves little room for human free will. True False

False

The cybernetic tradition focuses chiefly on communication across the Internet. True False

False, The cybernetic tradition focuses on information processing, feedback, and control in communication systems. The Internet is one such system, but definitely not the only one.

Symbols are words, not nonverbal signs. True False

False, When the connection between the nonverbal behavior and what it represents is arbitrary, it's a symbol. Some hand gestures work this way, which is why they can have different meanings across cultures.

Empiricists maintain that as long as a theory can accurately predict future behavior, knowing the reason why it did is relatively unimportant. True False

False, predict and explain

What is the requirment that a scientific theory be stated in such a way that it can be tested and disproved if it is indeed wrong?

Falsifiability

What is the study of what it is like to be another person in a specific time and place?

Humanistic scholarship

Which of the following is most likely to bother a critical theorist? A. Mathematical error. B. Biased results. C. Injustice. D. Lack of aesthetic appeal.

Injustice

What is the linguistic work of assigning meaning or value to communicative texts?

Interpretive Approach

To explain the meaning of the Budweiser ad, Medhurst compares it to one person. Who is it? A. Moses. B. Jesus. C. Julius Caesar. D. William Shakespeare.

Jesus

The textbook mentions three metaphors for communication theory. Two of them are the "lens" and the "net." What is the third metaphor? A. Computer. B. Map. C. Music. D. Photograph.

Map

With which of the following metaphors for theory covered in Chapter 1 would Craig probably find most useful? A. Net. B. Lens. C. Map. D. Tapestry.

Map

What is the assumption that truth is singular and is accesible through unsensory biased observation?

Objective approach

How many different definitions of "communication" have communication scholars developed? A. Two. B. Five. C. Thirty. D. Over one hundred.

Over one hundred

Communication is a ________ process because it takes place between two or more people. A. complex B. variable C. relational D. cognitive

Relational

Intentional analysis of everyday experience from the standpoint of the person who is living it

Phenomenology

Words and other symbols are open to multiple interpretations, making them: A. Confusing. B. Ambiguous. C. Polysemic. D. Rhetorical.

Polysemic

An applied approach to knowledge; the philosophy that true understanding of an idea or situation has practical implications for action

Pragmatism

What is given two plausible explainations for some event, we should accept the simpler version?

Rule of parismony

The claim that the structure of a language shapes what people think and do

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity

What is to include yourself as a constituent of your own construction?

Self-referential imperative

estion 17 of 30 Your score: 6 correct Deanna researches how the meaning of the word "freedom" has changed over time. With which tradition is Deanna probably most familiar? A. Cybernetic. B. Phenomenological. C. Critical. D. Semiotic.

Semiotic

The study of verbal and nonverbal signs that can stand for something else, and how their interpretaion impacts society

Semiotics

How many distinct traditions of communication theory did Craig originally identify? A. Two. B. Four. C. Seven. D. Nine.

Seven

Socio-psychological scholarship is chiefly concerned with the way things ought to be. True False

Socio-psychological scholars try to focus on the way the world is rather than how they think it ought to be. Often, that's not easy to do.

A research method that uses questionaires... to collect self reported data that reflects what respondents think/feel?

Survey

Most scholars reserve the term theory for an integrated _______ of concepts. A. group B. system C. collection D. None of the above.

System

A record of a message that can be analyzed by others is a(n): A. Text. B. Specimen. C. Artifact. D. Object.

Text

A research method that describes and interprets the characteristics of any text?

Textual evidence

A sign is anything that can stand for something else. True False

True

All rhetorical critics do interpretive analysis, so all interpretive scholars are rhetoricians. True False

True

Another term for "relative simplicity" is "parsimony." True False

True

Craig believes communication is a practical discipline. True False

True

The art of using all available means of persuasion, focusing on lines of argument, organization of ideas, language use, and delivery in public speaking

rhetoric

Arbitrary words and nonverbal signs that bear no natural connection with the things they describe

symbols

ccording to Burgoon, a theory is basically an informed "hunch." True False

true