CMST& 101 TEST 1
Beliefs
"is or isn't" or "true or false." We come to hold our beliefs based on what we are taught, experience for ourselves, or have faith in.
Tips to select and narrow your topic
1.Brainstorm topics that you are familiar with, interest you, and/or are currently topics of discussion. 2.Choose a topic appropriate for the assignment/occasion. 3.Choose a topic that you can make relevant to your audience. 4.Choose a topic that you have the resources to research (access to information, people to interview, etc.).
Decision Making in Groups- Brainstorming
1.Evaluation of ideas is forbidden. 2.Wild and crazy ideas are encouraged. 3.Quantity of ideas, not quality, is the goal. 4.New combinations of ideas presented are encouraged.
Decision Making in Groups- Discussion
1.Silently and individually list ideas. 2.Create a master list of ideas. 3.Clarify ideas as needed. 4.Take a secret vote to rank group members' acceptance of ideas.
Self-Centered Roles- Joker
A person who consistently uses sarcasm, plays pranks, or tells jokes, which distracts from the overall functioning of the group. In short, the joker is an incompetent tension releaser. Rather than being seen as the witty group member with goodtiming, the joker is seen as the "class clown."
Problem Components
An undesirable situation, A desired situation, Obstacles between undesirable and desirable situation.
Designated leaders
Are officially recognized in their leadership role and may be appointed or elected by people inside or outside the group. Designated leaders can be especially successful when they are sought out by others to fulfill and are then accepted in leadership roles. On the other hand, some people seek out leadership positions not because they possess leadership skills and have been successful leaders in the past but because they have a drive to hold and wield power. Many groups are initially leaderless and must either designate a leader or wait for one to emerge organically.
Self-Centered Roles- Central Negative
Argues against most of the ideas and proposals discussed in the group and often emerges as a result of a leadership challenge during group formation. The failed attempt to lead the group can lead to feelings of resentment toward the leader and/or the purpose of the group, which then manifest in negative behaviors that delay, divert, or block the group's progress toward achieving its goal.
History of Communication- Manuscript Era
Around 3500 BCE, marked the turn from oral to written culture.
Task-Related Roles- Information Seeker
Asks for more information, elaboration, or clarification on items relevant to the group's task. The information sought may include factual information or group member opinions. In general, information seekers ask questions for clarification, but they can also ask questions that help provide an important evaluative function.
Maintenance Roles- Supporter
Characterized by communication behaviors that encourage other group members and provide emotional support as needed. The supporter's work primarily occurs in one-on-one exchanges that are more intimate and in-depth than the exchanges that take place during full group meetings.
Types of Leadership Power- Information power
Comes from a person's ability to access information that comes through informal channels and well-established social and professional networks.
Types of Leadership Power- Expert power
Comes from knowledge, skill, or expertise that a group member possesses and other group members do not.
Types of Leadership Power- Coercive power
Comes from the ability of a group member to provide a negative incentive.
Types of Leadership Power- Reward power
Comes from the ability of a group member to provide a positive incentive as a compliance-gaining strategy.
Types of Leadership Power- Referent power
Comes from the attractiveness, likeability, and charisma of the group member, and also derives from a person's reputation.
Audience Analysis- Situational
Considers the physical surroundings and setting of a speech. It's always a good idea to visit the place you will be speaking ahead of time so you will know what to expect.
Group Problem-Solving Process
Define the Problem, Analyze the Problem, Generate Possible Solutions, Evaluate Solutions, Implement and Assess the Solution
Unproductive Roles- Aggressor
Exhibits negative behaviors such as putting others' ideas down, attacking others personally when they feel confronted or insecure, competing unnecessarily to "win" at the expense of others within the group, and being outspoken to the point of distraction. An aggressor's behaviors can quickly cross the fine line between being abrasive or dominant and being unethical. For example, a person vigorously defending a position that is relevant and valid is different from a person who claims others' ideas are stupid but has nothing to contribute.
Leadership Styles- Democratic leaders
Facilitate group discussion and like to take input from all members before making a decision.
Task-Related Roles- Expediter
Functions to keep the group on track toward completing its task by managing the agenda and setting and assessing goals in order to monitor the group's progress. An expediter doesn't push group members mindlessly along toward the completion of their task; an expediter must have a good sense of when a topic has been sufficiently discussed or when a group's extended focus on one area has led to diminishing returns.
Leadership behaviors that contribute to a group's procedural-related functions
Goal setting, Agenda making, Clarifying, Summarizing, Verbalizing consensus, Generalizing from specific ideas
Task-Related Roles- Task Leader
Has a high group status because of his or her maturity, problem-solving abilities, knowledge, and/or leadership experience and skills and functions primarily to help the group complete its task. tend to talk more during group interactions than other group members and also tend to do more work in the group.
Maintenance Roles- Interpreter
Helps manage the diversity within a group by mediating intercultural conflict, articulating common ground between different people, and generally creating a climate where difference is seen as an opportunity rather than as something to be feared.
Task-Related Roles- Information Provider
Includes behaviors that are more evenly shared than in other roles, as ideally, all group members present new ideas, initiate discussions of new topics, and contribute their own relevant knowledge and experiences.
Unproductive Roles- Blocker
Intentionally or unintentionally keeps things from getting done in the group. Intentionally, a person may suggest that the group look into a matter further or explore another option before making a final decision even though the group has already thoroughly considered the matter. They may cite a procedural rule or suggest that input be sought from additional people in order to delay progress. Behaviors that lead to more information gathering can be good for the group, but when they are unnecessary they are blocking behaviors.
Self-Centered Roles- Monopolizer
Is a group member who makes excessive verbal contributions, preventing equal participation by other group members. In short, monopolizers like to hear the sound of their own voice and do not follow typical norms for conversational turn taking. There are some people who are well informed, charismatic, and competent communicators who can get away with impromptu lectures and long stories, but monopolizers do not possess the magnetic qualities of such people.
Attitudes
Likes and dislikes, and they are easier to influence than beliefs or values because they are often reactionary
Task-Related Roles- Gatekeeper
Manages the flow of conversation in a group in order to achieve an appropriate balance so that all group members get to participate in a meaningful way. He or she may also help correct an imbalance between members who have provided much information already and members who have been quiet.
Maintenance Roles- Social-Emotional Leader
May perform a variety of maintenance roles and is generally someone who is well liked by the other group members and whose role behaviors complement but don't compete with the task leader. Reflective thinker who has good perception skills that he or she uses to analyze the group dynamics and climate and then initiate the appropriate role behaviors to maintain a positive climate.
Unproductive Roles- Withdrawer
Mentally and/or physically removes herself or himself from group activities and only participates when forced to. When groups exceed five members, the likelihood of having a member exhibit withdrawer behaviors increases. For example, a member may attend meetings and seemingly pay attention but not contribute to discussions or not volunteer to take on tasks, instead waiting on other members to volunteer first. Withdrawers are often responsible for the social loafing that makes other group members dread group work.
Maintenance Roles- Harmonizer
Played by group members who help manage the various types of group conflict that emerge during group communication. They keep their eyes and ears open for signs of conflict among group members and ideally intervene before it escalates.
Types of Leadership Power- Legitimate power
Power that flows from the officially recognized position, status, or title of a group member.
Traits of Leaders
Related to physical appearance, communication ability, intelligence, and personality. In terms of physical appearance, designated leaders tend to be taller and more attractive than other group members. This could be because we consciously and/or subconsciously associate a larger size (in terms of height and build, but not body fat) with strength and strength with good leadership. As far as communication abilities, leaders speak more fluently, have a more confident tone, and communicate more often than other group members. Last, leaders are usually more extroverted, assertive, and persistent
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Liking
Seeks compliance by acting friendly and helpful to get the other person into a good mood before asking them to do something.
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Debt
Seeks compliance by calling in past favors and indicating that one person "owes" the other.
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Altruism
Seeks compliance by claiming that one person only wants "what is best" for the other and he or she is looking out for the other person's "best interests."
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Esteem
Seeks compliance by claiming that other people will think more highly of the person if he or she complies or think less of the person if he or she does not comply.
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Using expertise
Seeks compliance by implying that one person "knows better" than the other based on experience, age, education, or intelligence.
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Threatening punishment
Seeks compliance in a negative way, by threatening negative consequences such as loss of privileges, grounding, or legal action.
Common Tactics Used for Compliance Gaining- Offering rewards
Seeks compliance in a positive way, by promising returns, rewards, or generally positive outcomes.
Maintenance Roles- Tension Releaser
Someone who is naturally funny and sensitive to the personalities of the group and the dynamics of any given situation and who uses these qualities to manage the frustration level of the group.
Leadership Styles- Laissez-faire leaders
Take a "hands-off" approach, preferring to give group members freedom to reach and implement their own decisions.
Task-Related Roles- Recorder
Takes notes on the discussion and activities that occur during a group meeting. The recorder is the only role that is essentially limited to one person at a time since in most cases it wouldn't be necessary or beneficial to have more than one person recording.
Problem characteristics
Task difficulty, Number of possible solutions, Group member interest in problem, Group familiarity with problem, Need for solution acceptance
Unproductive Roles- Doormat
The doormat is a person who is chronically submissive to the point that it hurts the group's progress. Doormat behaviors include quickly giving in when challenged, self-criticism, and claims of inadequacy. Some people who exhibit doormat behaviors may have difficulty being self-assured and assertive, may be conflict avoidant, or may even feel that their behaviors will make other group members like them.
Self-Centered Roles- Self-Confessor
Tries to use group meetings as therapy sessions for issues not related to the group's task. Self-confessors tend to make personal self-disclosures that are unnecessarily intimate. While it is reasonable to expect that someone experiencing a personal problem may want to consult with the group, especially if that person has formed close relationships with other group members, a self-confessor consistently comes to meetings with drama or a personal problem.
Self-Centered Roles- Insecure Compliment Seeker
Wants to know that he or she is valued by the group and seeks recognition that is often not task related. For example, they don't want to be told they did a good job compiling a report; they want to know that they're a good person or attractive or smart—even though they might not be any of those things. In short, they try to get validation from their relationships with group members—validation that they may be lacking in relationships outside the group.
Decision Making in Groups- Majority rule
a majority (one-half plus one) must agree before a decision is made.
Specific Purpose
a one-sentence statement that includes the objective you want to accomplish in your speech. You do not speak aloud your specific purpose during your speech; you use it to guide your researching, organizing, and writing. A good specific purpose statement is audience centered, agrees with the general purpose, addresses one main idea, and is realistic.
Decision Making in Groups- Consensus rule
all members of the group must agree on the same decision.
Internal Cognitive Processes-
allows participants to send, receive, and understand message
Environmental noise
any physical noise present in a communication encounter
Audience Analysis- Demographics
broad sociocultural categories, such as age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, education level, religion, ethnicity, and nationality that are used to segment a larger population.
Compliance-gaining communication
communication aimed at getting people to do something or act in a particular way
Main forms of Communication- Group communication
communication among three or more people interacting to achieve a shared goal
Main forms of Communication- Interpersonal communication
communication between people whose lives mutually influence one another. This type of communication builds, maintains, and ends our relationships.We spend more time engaged in interpersonal communication than the other forms of communication.
Main forms of Communication- Intrapersonal communication
communication with oneself using internal vocalization or reflective thinking. Like other forms of communication, intrapersonal communication is triggered by some internal or external stimulus
Audience Analysis- Psychological
considers your audience's psychological dispositions toward the topic, speaker, and occasion and how their attitudes, beliefs, and values inform those dispositions. When considering your audience's disposition toward your topic, you want to assess your audience's knowledge of the subject.
Transmission model
describes communication as a linear, one-way process in which a sender intentionally transmits a message to a receiver
Transaction model of communication
describes communication as a process in which communicators generate social realities within social, relational, and cultural contexts.
Interaction model of communication-
describes communication as a process in which participants alternate positions as sender and receiver and generate meaning by sending messages and receiving.
Decision Making in Groups- Minority rule
designated authority or expert has final say over a decision and may or may not consider the input of other group members.
Communication behaviors that facilitate effective leadership
encompass three main areas of group communication including task, procedural, and relational functions.
History of Communication- Print Era
extended from 1450 to 1850 and was marked by the invention of the printing press and the ability to mass-produce written texts.
Communication apprehension
fear or anxiety experienced by a person due to actual or imagined communication with another person or persons.
Emergent leaders
gain status and respect through engagement with the group and its task and are turned to by others as a resource when leadership is needed. Emergent leaders may play an important role when a designated leader unexpectedly leaves.
First stage of leader emergence
half of the group's members are eliminated from the possibility of being the group's leader. informal and implicit process
Leadership Styles- Directive Leaders
help provide psychological structure for their group members by clearly communicating expectations, keeping a schedule and agenda, providing specific guidance as group members work toward the completion of their task, and taking the lead on setting and communicating group rules and procedures. Although this is most similar to the autocratic leadership style mentioned before, it is more nuanced and flexible. is effective in groups that do not have a history and may require direction to get started on their task. It can also be the most appropriate method during crisis situations in which decisions must be made under time constraints or other extraordinary pressures.
Communication Meets Needs- Instrumental needs
include needs that help us get things done in our day-to-day lives and achieve short-and long-term goals.
Relational needs
include needs that help us maintain social bonds and interpersonal relationships.
Communication Meets Needs- Physical needs
include needs that keep our bodies and minds functioning.
Identity needs
include our need to present ourselves to others and be thought of in particular and desired ways
Interaction model of communication- Feedback
includes messages sent in response to other messages.
Interaction model of communication- Physical context
includes the environmental factors in a communication encounter.
Interaction model of communication- Psychological context
includes the mental and emotional factors in a communication encounter.
Transaction model of communication- Relational context
includes the previous interpersonal history and type of relationship we have with a person.
Transaction model of communication- Cultural context
includes various aspects of identities such as race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, and ability
The problem-solving process
involves thoughts, discussions, actions, and decisions that occur from the first consideration of a problematic situation to the goal.
History of Communication- Audiovisual Era
only lasted 140 years, from 1850 to 1990, and was marked by the invention of radio, telegraph, telephone, and television.
History of Communication- Internet Era
only lasted from 1990 until the present. This period has featured the most rapid dispersion of a new method of communication, as the spread of the Internet and the expansion of digital and personal media signaled the beginning of the digital age.
Leadership behaviors that contribute to a group's task-related functions
providing, seeking, and evaluating information.
Semantic noise
refers to noise that occurs in the encoding and decoding process when participants do not understand a symbol
Rhetoric
refers to speaking well and persuasively
Communication competence
refers to the knowledge of effective and appropriate communication patterns and the ability to use and adapt that knowledge in various contexts.
Transaction model of communication- Social context
refers to the stated rules or unstated norms that guide communication
Main forms of Communication- Public communication
sender-focused form of communication in which one person is typically responsible for conveying information to an audience.
Main forms of Communication- Mass communication
sender-focused form of communication in which one person is typically responsible for conveying information to an audience.Communication in which messages are transmitted to many people through print or electronic media.Public communication becomes mass communication when it is transmitted to many people through print or electronic media.
Internal Cognitive Processes- Channel
sensory route on which a message travels, to the receiver for decoding.
Leadership Styles- Autocratic leaders
set policies and make decisions primarily on their own, taking advantage of the power present in their title or status to set the agenda for the group.
Leadership Styles- Supportive Leaders
show concern for their followers' needs and emotions. They want to support group members' welfare through a positive and friendly group climate. These leaders are good at reducing the stress and frustration of the group, which helps create a positive climate and can help increase group members' positive feelings about the task and other group members. is more likely in groups that are primarily relational rather than task focused.
Leadership Styles- Achievement-Oriented Leaders
strive for excellence and set challenging goals, constantly seeking improvement and exhibiting confidence that group members can meet their high expectations. These leaders often engage in systematic social comparison, keeping tabs on other similar high-performing groups to assess their expectations and the group's progress.
Communication
the process of generating meaning by sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal symbols and signs that are influenced by multiple contexts
Internal Cognitive Processes- Decoding
the process of turning communication into thoughts.
Internal Cognitive Processes- Encoding
the process of turning thoughts into communication.
The second stage of leader emergence
the two leader candidates don't overtly fight with each other or say, "I should be leader, not you!" they both take strong stances in regards to the group's purpose and try to influence the structure, procedures, and trajectory for the group. Group members not involved in this struggle may not know who to listen to, which can lead to low task and social cohesion and may cause a group to fail.
Audience-centered specific purpose
usually contains an explicit reference to the audience—for example, "my audience" or "the audience." Since a speaker may want to see if he or she effectively met his or her specific purpose, the objective should be written in such a way that it could be measured or assessed, and since a speaker actually wants to achieve his or her speech goal, the specific purpose should also be realistic
Values
what we view as right or wrong, good or bad. Our values do change over time but usually as a result of a life transition or life-changing event such as a birth, death, or trauma.
Leadership Styles- Participative Leaders
work to include group members in the decision-making process by soliciting and considering their opinions and suggestions. When group members feel included, their personal goals are more likely to align with the group and organization's goals, which can help productivity. This style of leadership can also aid in group member socialization, as the members feel like they get to help establish group norms and rules,which affects cohesion and climate.
General Purpose
~Inform- we attempt to teach our audience using factual objective evidence. ~Persuade- we try to influence an audience's beliefs, attitudes, values, or behaviors ~Entertain- amuse our audience
