Hum Com Quiz 2/14

Identify factors that influence differences in perception (culture, past experiences, gender, etc)

i. Physiological changes: ii. Past experiences iii. Gender roles iv. Culture: self-enhancement bias (we tend to emphasize our desirable qualities relative to other people) v. Present situation

Define Communication

the process of generating meaning by sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal symbols and signs that are influenced by multiple contexts

Explain the errors to perception (FAE, Stereotyping, etc)

- Fundamental attribution error (FAE): refers to our tendency to explain others' behaviors using internal rather than external attributions page 118 - self-serving bias: a perceptual error through which we attribute the cause of our successes to internal personal factors while attributing our failures to external factors beyond our control page 118 - physical and environmental factors: physical relates to physical characteristics, style of dress and groom; physical and environmental cues such as clothing, grooming, attractiveness, and material objects influence the impressions that we form of people 129 - the halo effect describes a perceptual effect that occurs when initial positive impressions lead us to view later interactions as positive 129 - the horn effect describes a perceptual effect that occurs when initial negative impressions lead us to view later interactions as negative 129 - culture and personality: cultural identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability, nationality, and age all affect the perceptions that we make about basic sensory information such as sounds and smells as well as larger concepts such as marriage and privacy 129 - personality affects perception in many ways. Our personality traits, which are out under lying and enduring motivations for thinking and behaving the way we do, affect how we see others and ourselves. We use observed and implied personality traits to form impressions of others, which then influence how we act toward them 129

Define groupthink

- a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives (google)

List and explain the principles of communication (adapt to others, use effective messages, be aware of self/others, etc)

- com is integrated into all parts of our lives: Acedemic, professional, personal, civic - com meets needs: physical needs, instrumental needs, relational needs, identity needs - com is a process - com is guided by culture and context - com is learned, it is symbolic and varies among people, contexts, and cultures - com has rules and norms - com has ethical implications: deals with the process of negotiating and reflecting on our actions and communication regarding what we believe to be right and wrong Some principles also stated in the book: - we endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent to achieve the informed and responsible decision making fundamental to a civil society - we condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through the expression of intolerance and hatred - we are committed to the courageous expression of personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice - we accept responsibility for the short and long term consequences of our own communication and expect the same for others

List the characteristics to the process of communication (inevitable, there are rules, unrepeatable, etc)

- conflict is inevitable and should be experienced by every group, a group that gets stuck at the storming stage will likely not have much success in completing its task or achieving its purpose - whether verbal or nonverbal, mediated or interpersonal, our communication is guided by rules and norms (ex: phatic communion is an instructive ex of how we communicate under the influence of rules and norms; phatic communion refers to scripted and routine verbal interactions that are intended to establish social bonds rather than actually exchange meaning - communication is unrepeatable and irreversible - communication is guided by culture and context - communication is learned - com has ethical implications

List components that build, maintain, fosters synergy

- crowdsourcing refers more to the idea stage of development where people from various perspectives and positions offer proposals or information to solve a problem or create something new 780 (This type of open access and free collaboration helps encourage participation and improve creativity through the synergy created by bringing together different perspectives and has been referred to as the biggest shift in innovation since the industrial revolution 780

Define attribution

- internal attributions connect the cause of behaviors to personal aspects such as personality traits - external attributions connect the cause of behaviors to situational factors - attributions are important to consider because our reactions to others' behaviors are strongly influenced by the explanations we reach page 117

Define self-esteem and the factors that influence it (gender, social comparisons)

- our self-esteem is based on the evaluations and judgements we make about various characteristics of our self-concept. It is developed through an assessment and evaluation of our various skills and abilities, known as self-efficacy, and through a comparison and evaluation of who we are, who we would like to be, and who we should be (self-discrepancy theory) 146 -

Identify the three activities to the process of perception (selection, organization, interpretation)

- selecting is the first part of the perception process in which we focus our attention on certain incoming sensory information, 105 - organizing is the second part of the perception process in which we sort and categorize information that we perceive based on innate and learned cognitive patterns. We sort things by using proximity, similarity, and difference - if need more info look at page 109 of goodnotes - interpretation is the third part of the perception process in which we assign meaning to our experiences using mental structures known as schemata - page 111

Define groups and teams

- small group communication refers to interactions among three or more people who are connected through a common purpose, mutual influence, and a shared identity 170 - secondary groups: characterized by less frequent face-to-face interactions, less emotional and relational communication, and more task-related communication than primary groups 170 - groups are interdependent in that they have a shared purpose and a shared fate, meaning that each groups member's actions affect every other group member - groups develop a shared identity based on their task or purpose, previous accomplishments, future goals, and an identity that sets their members apart from other groups - teams are task-oriented groups in which members are especially loyal and dedicated to the task and other group members 170

Define synergy

- synergy refers to the potential for gains in performance or heightened quality of interactions when complementary members or member characteristics are added to existing ones 172

List steps to avoid groupthink

1. Recruit a diverse team. In lean organizations, each person is critically important 2. Organize your space 3. Make time for independent evaluation 4. Encourage personal and professional development to avoid groupthink 5. Celebrate diverse perspectives (google)

Understand the two goals to communication (competence and ethics)

Competence: communicate successfully - create understanding (common meaning): Factors can lead to misunderstanding (culture, language, experience, gender, education) - Ethical: behave based on what's right or wrong (Universal principles that guide interactions)

Draw out the process of communication and the components (source, receiver, messages, etc)

See picture in camera roll

Define self-concept and the cultural differences

Self-concept refers to the overall idea of who a person thinks he or she is 131 Self-concept is developed through our interactions with others and through social comparison that allows us to compare our beliefs and behaviors to others 146 Social comparison theory and self-discrepancy theory affect our self-concept and self-esteem because through comparison with others and comparison of our actual, idea, and ought selves we make judgements about who we are and our self-worth. These judgements then affect how we communicate and behave. 146 socializing forces like family, culture, and media affect our self-perception because they give us feedback on who we are. This feedback can be evaluated positively or negatively and can lead to positive or negative patterns that influence our self-perception and then our communication 147 self-presentation refers to the process of strategically concealing and/or revealing personal information in order to influence others' perceptions. Pro social self-presentation is intended to benefit others and self-serving self-presentation is intended to benefit the self at the expense of others. People also engage in self-enhancement, which is a self-presentation strategy by which people intentionally seek out positive evaluations 147

Define perception

The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information The process of becoming aware of self and others (from the senses) sight: people in different cultures read art in different ways sound: atonal music in some Asian cultures is unpleasing touch: in some cultures it would be very offensive for a man to touch a woman who isn't relative Taste: tastes vary around the world smell: we spend a lot more time on our body Oder than other cultures

List the advantages to studying communication

This experiential knowledge provides a useful foundation and a starting point from which you can build the knowledge and practice the skills necessary to become a more competent and ethical communicator