Chapter 2 Definitions, Models, and Perspectives COMM 1025
Two types of definitions of communications
1) Broad Communication is a process of acting on information 2) Narrow Nonverbal interaction is the unspoken, often unintentional behavior that accompanies verbal communication and helps us fully interpret the meaning.
Drawbacks of models
1) models are necessarily incomplete 2) there are many ways to model a single process 3) models make assumptions about processes
Which of the following elements are part of Hymes ethnographic model?
A Act, interact, payoff, pattern. B Symbolic codes, cognitive customs, cultural traditions. C Sender/receiver, message, channel, encoding/decoding. D Ends, keys, instrumentalities, norms. Correct: D
Which of the following research questions takes a rules approach?
A How do successful couples organize or structure their behavior and how do they evolve or adapt themselves to change? B Is there a cause and effect relationship between credibility and persuasion? C What implicit norms do first year students follow as they acclimate to college? D All of the above. Correct: C
Which of the following is a criticism of the social constructionist perspective?
A It implies that senders can transfer messages. B It places too much emphasis on the social self and not enough on the individual self. C It holds that both personality and culture are irrelevant. D It is too political. Correct: B
Which of the perspectives would be most likely to generate the following research question: In what ways do the situation comedies of the Golden Age of Television support the subservience of women?
A Psychological perspective. B Social constructivist perspective. C Pragmatic perspective. D Cultural studies perspective. Correct: D
People who take a cultural studies perspective to communication ___
A are interested in exploring the individual psychology of communicators. B focus on the cultural background of communicators. C are interested in interaction rather than personality. D are interested in uncovering the hidden power relations that often exist in mediated texts. Correct: D
According to a laws approach to research ___.
A humans choose to follow the lines of action given by their cultures; research should describe the norms and roles they follow. B human behavior is governed by invariant cause and effect relationships; research should discover these relationships. C research should describe patterns of behavior rather than looking for either social norms or causal relationships. D All of the above. Correct: B
The three functions of models are ___.
A primary, secondary, tertiary. B explanation, prediction, control. C psychological, sociological, philosophical. D encoding, decoding, transmitting. Correct: B
The perspective that places the most emphasis on behavioral patterns is ___.
A psychological perspective. B social constructionist perspective. C pragmatic perspective. D semiotic perspective. Correct: C
According to the pragmatic perspective we can improve communication by ___.
A recognizing that because we create reality by talking about it, we should take responsibility for our talk. B learning to see things from the receivers' point of view. C encoding messages as clearly as possible. D describing and understanding destructive patterns. Correct: D
According to the social constructionist perspective we can improve communication by ___.
A recognizing that we create reality by talking about it and taking responsibility for our talk. B learning to see things from the receivers' point of view. C encoding messages as clearly as possible. D describing and understanding destructive patterns. Correct: A
The psychological perspective ___.
A sees communication as a shared cultural product. B focuses on individual communicators as they transmit and receive messages. C sees communication as a system of interlocking moves. D says that accurate communication is impossible. Correct: B
Perspective
A coherent set of assumptions about the way a process operates.
When people who study communication focus their attention on spoken symbolic interaction, their primary interest is in which of the following?
A) The unintentional behaviors that accompany speaking. B) The way people use words to create common meaning. C) The unspoken body language that people use. D) All of the ways organisms (including non-human organisms) create meaning. Correct: B
People who see definitions as constructions rather than discoveries believe ___.
A) several different definitions may be equally valid. B) the test of a good definition is its absolute truth. C) a good definition accurately records and describes something that already exists. D) there is only one valid definition for each phenomenon. Correct: A
Model
An abstract representation of a process, a description of its structure or function
Laws approach in communications
Associated with physiological perspective Communication scientists who take this approach describe cause-and-effect laws that connect communication variables
Systems approach in communications
Associated with pragmatic perspective Systems researchers are concerned with describing inter depended patterns of behavior rather than individual behavior
Rules approach in communications
Associated with social constructionist perspective Rules researchers believe that human behavior isn't so much caused as chose: to accomplish their goals, people choose certain lines of action and follow certain rules laid down by their cultures.
Pragmatic perspective
Communication consists of a system of interlocking, interdependent "moves," which become patterned over time.
Psychological Perspective
Focuses on what happens "inside the heads" of communicators as they transmit and receive messages Two (or more) individuals exchange meanings through the transmission and reception of communication stimuli.
What to look for when observing communication
S- situations (setting and scene of interaction) P- participants (who speaks, who is addressed) E- ends (goals and outcomes of interaction) A- act sequences (content, means of expression) K- keys (tone or spirit of interaction) I- instrumentalities (channels, or media of interaction) N- norms (rules regulating interaction) G- genres (type of communication enacted)
Social constructionist perspective
Sees communication as a process whereby people, using the tools provided by their culture, create collective representations of reality. Emphasizes the relationship between communication and culture
receiver-based communication
The idea that communication takes place, not when the sender delivers a message, but when the receiver assigns meaning to a message.
breadth
The issue in communications of determine the definition of communications.
Non-verbal communication
The unspoken, often unintentional behavior that accompanies verbal communication and helps us fully interpret its meaning.
Predictive function (of a model)
The way a model allows us to answer questions about what is likely to occur in the future.
Explanatory function (of a model)
The way a model describes and explains the nature and characteristics of a process.
Control function (of a model)
The way a model shows us how to control a process.
Cultural studies perspective
Uncovering hidden power relations embedded in everyday interactions
Symbols in communication
We can convey meaning nonverbally through facial expressions, body movements, and physical appearance.
When is communication most successful?
When individuals are "of the same mind"-- when the meanings they assign to messages are similar or identical
sender-based communication
ex: John comes across Brianne, who is unaware she is being watched. Brianne frowns and looks annoyed. John draws a conclusion about her mood. Brianne is the one who is the source of info through her behavior
mediated interaction
social interaction in which technological devices come between the participants, unlike in face-to-face interaction
spoken symbolic interaction
the way people use symbols (primarily words) to create common meaning and to share that meaning with one another.
