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