Chapter 1 - Key Terms & Quiz
theory
A general statement or principle applicable to various related phenomena.
metamessages
A message that makes reference to another message. For example, remarks such as "Did I make myself clear?" or "That's a lie" are metamessages, because they refer to other messages
transactional perspective
A point of view that sees communication as an ongoing process in which all elements are interdependent and influence one another. people serve simultaneously as speakers and listeners.
source-receiver
Any person or thing that creates messages - Any person or thing that takes in messages
messages
Any signal or combination of signals that serves as a stimulas for a receiver
noise
Anything that interferes with your receiving a messages.
interpersonal communication
Communication between two people or among a small group of persons. Communication between or among connected persons or those involved in a close relationship.
Interpersonal communication involves verbal messages only
False
Interpersonal communication is always symmetrical
False
Interpersonal communication is not ambiguous
False
The nature of interpersonal communication is not inherently relational
False
You can repeat specific interpersonal communication messages
False
content dimension
Literal information that is communicated by a message.
unrepeatability
Principle of communication stating that no communication can ever be re-created in quite the same way, because circumstances are never the same.
mindlessness
State of relative awareness. You are NOT aware of logic and rationality.
mindfullness
State of relative awareness. You are aware of logic and rationality of your behaviors and the logical connections existing among elements.
relationship dimension
The dimension of messages that comments on the relationship between the speakers rather than on matters external to them.
ambiguity
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
context
The physical, psychological, social, and temporal environment in which communication takes place.
Interpersonal communication is a transactional process
True
Interpersonal communication is irreversible
True
Interpersonal communication refers to content and relationship
True
Noise is an element of interpersonal communication
True
There are both intellectual as well as practical benefits in studying interpersonal communication
True
inevitability
a principle of communication holding that communication cannnot be avoided; all behavior in an interactional setting is communication
asynchronous communication
communication that doesn't require a sender and a receiver to have an exchange at the same time, as in online communication
encoding-decoding
emphasizes that the two activities are performed in combination by each participant
Social-psychological dimension of context
includes status relationships among the participants, roles and games that people play, norms of society, friendliness, formality, or gravity of the situation.
cultural dimension of context
includes the cultural beliefs and customs of the people communicating. when you interact with people from different cultures, you may each follow different rules of communication
feedforward
information you provide before sending you primary message. Reveals something about the message to come, such as "don't judge me, but...".
competence
knowledge of the elements and rules of the language. Knowledge of communication and also the ability to engage in communication effectively.
decoder
listeners and readers
choice point
moments when you have to make a choice as to who you communicate with, what you say, what you dont say, how you phrase what you do and so on
ethics
moral principles or values
Temporal dimension of context
not only time of day and moment in history but also with where a particular message fits into the sequence of communication events. Ex: a joke about illness will be received differently than the same joke told in response to a series of similar jokes.
irreversibility
once something has been communicated, it cannot be undone
types of noise
physical, physiological, psychological, semantic
encoder
speakers and writers
feedback
tells the speaker what affect she or he is having on listeners. Can take place in many forms
channel
the means by which a message is communicated. vocal-auditory, gestural-visual, chemical-olfactory, cutaneous-tactile, etc.
captology
the study of the persuasive power of computer communication
physical dimension of context
the tangible or concrete environment in which communication takes place- the room, hallway, or park
punctuation
the tendency to divide communication transactions into sequences of stimuli and responses
complementary relationship
the two individuals engage in different behaviors. The behavior of one serves as the stimulus for the other's complementary behavior. The people occupy different positions-- one superior, other inferior, one passive, other active, etc.
symmetrical relationship
the two individuals mirror each other's behavior
