Chapters 1-4 principles of communication
Five features of communication:
1. Communication is a process that unfolds over time through a series of interconnected actions. 2. people engaged in communication use messages to convey meaning. Our success depends on our interaction with others. Effective communication depends on an agreement among people about rules of linguistics and customs. 3. communication occurs in a seemingly endless variety of contexts- (situations) rational and transitional not individual 4. people communicate through various channels like auditory (sound), visual (sight), and tactile (touch) 5. to transmit information, communicators use a broad range of media (tools for exchanging messages)
why you communicate
1. Meet needs 2. Express our-selves 3. Build relationships
4 Functions of communication
1. Physical needs- not satisfying communication needs can jeopardize life itself like lack of close relationship 2-3 times risk of early death. (terminal cancer strikes those who are socially isolated more often than those with close relationships/ the divorce, widowed, and the separated are 5 times more likely to need hospitalization for mental problems than those married/ socially isolated people are 4 times more likely to catch a common cold than socially active people) 2. Identifying needs- communication is a way we figure out who we are. From the beginning, we use how people react to us to determine who we are. lack of communication can lead to lack of identity 3. Social needs- communication provides a vital link with others social needs we satisfy by communicating pleasure, affection, inclusion, relaxation, and control. Relationships with others are so important some people say communication is the primary goal of human existence. 4. Practical needs- communication is the tool that lets us tell, direct, and inform; important key to effectiveness in everyday life.
three steps to work on improving your self-esteem
1. assess your self-esteem. List the beliefs attitudes and values that make up your self-concept. Review the list and determine whether you view yourself positively or negatively. 2. Analyze your ideal self. Who do you wish you were? if this ideal self is attainable, how could you become this person? 3. analyze your ought self. Wo do others want you to be? What would you have to do to become this person?
factors that cause us to interpret a person's behavior some way
1. degree of involvement 2. relational satisfaction 3. personal experiences 4. assumption about human behaviors 5.expectations 6. knowledge of others
using mediated communication competently
1. know when to use mediated communication verses face-to-face 2. Remember the 3 P's (powerful, public, and permanent) 3. practice creating drafts 4. use clear languages and provide enough detail 5.always use respect for others
3 P's of managing online face
1. powerful- shaped others impressions of you; others may believe this is your true self 2. public- always assume that the self you present via social media will be viewed by a much larger audience than you intended 3. permanent- know that what you and others post about you online may still be available far into the future
The reception process
1. select information to focus your attention on. (selection- you focus your attention on certain sights, sounds, tastes, touches, or smells in your environment) pay attention to more intense stimuli that often attracts to our attention as do contrast and change, internal factors also like emotion and motives 2. organize the information into an understanding pattern such as words, phrases, ideas, or images (organization- once you've selected something to focus your attention on, you structure the information you receive through your senses into a coherent pattern in your mind) 3.Interpret the meaning of the pattern or the info (interpretation- as you organize the information you've selected into a coherent pattern, you engage in the third step of perception or assigning meaning to the information you've selected)
three types of goals in communication
1. self-presenting goals- involve presenting yourself in certain ways so that others will view you as you want them to 2. instrumental goal- practical objectives you want to achieve or tasks you want to accomplish. Also, persuading people to approve the necessary permits and provide money. 3. relationship goal- building, maintaining, or terminating bonds with others
self fulfilling prophesies cycle
1. we develop an expectation 2. we express the exceptions 3. behavior is adjusted to match our verbal and nonverbal messages 4.our expectations become reality 5. this confirmation reinforces our original belief/ expression
perception checking
5 step process for testing your impression of someone and avoiding errors in judgment. provides a way to handle interpretations, a tool to help understand others instead of assuming our first impression is true, the goal is mutual understanding, and minimize defensiveness
Communication
A process through which people use messages to generate meanings within and across contexts, cultures, channels, and media. Thinking of _________ as a process means realizing everything you and others say and od encounters shapes what happened in the moment and in the future.
selfies
Actor James Franco thinks selfies are a meaningful "tools of communication" he states- "i am actually turned off when I look at an account and don't see any selfies, because I want to know whom I'm dealing with. in our age of social networking, the selfie is the new way to look someone right in the eye and say 'hello this is me'". although selfies are an integral part of how we communicate online, the act of taking an d posting selfies influences perceptions others may form of us and our messages.
Careers in Communication
Business- sales, human resources, insurance, real estate, entrepreneur- develop strong verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills. Seek leadership roles in other campus organizations. learn to work well on a team Public Relations and Advertising- Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Creative Directing- Develop excellent writing and public-speaking skills. Serve as public relations officer of an organization. Develop a portfolio of writing samples, as campaigns, and other relevant work Media- writing, editing, copyright, publishing, broadcasting- take courses in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, and advertising. Develop excellent interpertasional, presentation, and research skills. Work for campus or local newspaper, radio stream, or television show Government and Law- community affairs, campaigning, lobbying, social services, prosecution, defense, and nonprofit or public interest- Develop strong research skills and attention to detail. Participate in debate or forensic team to hone communication skills. Take courses in conflict management and develop negotiation skills. Education- Teaching, research, information/library science, administration and student support sevices- Develop strong interpersonal communication and public-speaking skills. Get involved in campus leadership roles in residence halls, student unions/activities, programming boards, orientation, admissions, etc. learn to work well with a variety of people
Two things that are important to keep in mind in all instances and types of communication:
First, the communication choices you make are connected to the outcomes that follow. When you communicate well, you increase the likelihood of desirable outcomes. Ex. successful group projects, compelling presentations , and satisfying and healthy relationships. When you communicate poorly you are more likely to generate negative outcomes. Ex. group dissatisfaction, confused audience members, and relationship turmoil. Second, different types of communication are connected to each other in fundamental ways. Sure, texting a close friend is different from sending an email to a work group or giving a speech in front of a class. However these forms of communication also share similarities: they involve presenting yourself to others, planning your messages, and using language to convey thoughts.
The nature of self
Your "self" isn't just one thing but many: who you think you are as a person, what your values, attitudes, and beliefs are; and how you communicate, the first step to improving your communication is to understand yourself. your self shapes how you communicate
message life span
a basic principle of communication is that there are no "take-backs" or do-overs
effectiveness
ability to use communication to accomplish the three types of goals discussed earlier (self-presentation, instrumental, and relationship)
digital deception
anyone who sends messages that intentionally mislead or create a false belief in recipients
low power distance cultures
belief that one person is as good as another regardless of each person's status
ingroupers
co-cultural beliefs, attitudes, and values, you naturally perceive those who share these with you as _____ people you consider as similar to yourself
restriction of nonverbal information
communicating face-to-face with others provides immediate access to nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and tone of voice, which help you understand others people's thoughts and feelings
Interpersonal communication
communication between two people in which the messages exchanged have a significant impact on the participant's thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationship
history of communication
communication is an academic discipline that goes back thousands of years. as the discipline became further unified after World War II, it attracted even more interest among scholars and students. Topics of interest diversified further. By the end of the 20th century, nonverbal communication, gender and communication, and communication technologies became standard offerings in undergraduate curricula at hundreds of American colleges and universities, and institutions outside the United States began to offer communication classes as well.
high power distance cultures
considered normal and even miserable for people of different social and professional status to have different levels of power; rude to treat people the same
Communication competence
consistently communication in ways that are appropriate (your communication follows accepted norms), effective (your communication helps you achieve your goals), and ethical (your communication treats people fairly)
cultures is lived
culture affects everything about how you live for your life
two of the most influential outside forces are ___ and ____
culture and gender
time
cultures vary in terms of how people view ________
culture
defining it as an established, coherent of beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices shared by a large group of people. Culture includes many types of influences, such as your nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical abilities/ disabilities, age, regional differences, race, and generation
appropriateness
degree to which your communication matches expectations regarding how people "should" communicate. In any setting, norms govern what people should and shouldn't say, and how they should or shouldn't act
culture is communicated
each culture has its own practices regarding how to communicate
social media
enables communicators to directly send and receive messages in real time or across time intervals to manage their personal and professional relationships. ex, text messaging, facebook, instagram, twitter, and etc.; communication flow- two way; purpose- information, self-presenting, relationship building, managing work tasks, and alleviating the boredom; familiarity with the audience-mostly know; content control- senders and receivers; type of feedback- immediate or delayed responses or replies
organizational communication
ex. hospitals, government, and corporations
attributions
explanation for why things are happening. two types of ______ external factors (things outside the person that caused the persons behavior ex. tom just heard his dad is sick so he is thinking about that instead of the meeting) and internal factors (personality character emotions caused the person to act as he or she did ex. tom is a moody jerk and that's why he's not contributing to the group.)
identity management
face and mask; it can be conscious or not conscious
perception checking process
first, review your knowledge about the person. Your impressions of the individual is only as accurate as the information that you have. never presume that you know the "truth" about someone. second, assess attributions you've made about this individual. avoid attributing the person's behavior exclusively to internal causes. remember that all behavior stems from the blend of internal and external factors. third, question your impression. make sure you're not basing it solely on a gestalt of a stereotype. describe the behavior noticed. fourth, share your impressions with the individual. present it as "here's my viewpoint" not as the "right" or "only" perspective. give at least two possible interpretations of the behavior fifth, check your impress with the person: "do you see the same way?" request clarification about how to interpret the behavior
stereotyping
forming an impression by categorizing people into a social group (such as their race, age, or gender) and then evaluated them based on information you have related to this group. ____ is difficult to avoid because it's the most common way we form impressions. social-group categories can be the first thing you notice about others when you meet them. ____ often leads to flawed impressions. ex. woman being stereotyped as the weaker sex
gestalt
general impression of a person that's positive or negative. you identify a few traits about the person and then arrive at a judgement. "snap judgements" form rapidly and require relatively little mental or communicative efforts. a disadvantge of ___ is that they distort how you interpret information you later learn about people
hostile prejudice
happens when people have negative attitudes toward a group of individuals whom they see as unfriendly and incompetent. someone demonstrating ______ might see the group's supposed incompetence as intrinsic to the people: "they're naturally lazy" People exhibiting hostile prejudice often also believe that the group has received many opportunities to improve
reflective appraisal
how we develop an image of ourselves from the way we think others see us
collectivistic culture
in ____ people emphasize the goals, needs, and views of the group matter more than those of individuals and the highest good is cooperation with otheres. A "we" mentality. rewards for contribution to group goals, credit and blame shared. people emphasize group identity
display rules
in all cultures, norms exist regarding how people should and shouldn't express emotion. these norms are called ____________: guidelines for when, where, and how to manage emotion displays appropriately
6 cultural characteristics that shape our communication
individualism versus collectivism high and low context uncertainty avoidance emotion displays power distance views of time
small group communication
involves three or more interdependent persons who share a common identity (such as being on a team) and who communicate to achieve common goals or purposes. This type of communication involves unique challenges, such as the need to coordinate group members' responsiblites, build group unity, clarify expectations. and accommodate members' diverse communication styles. Ex, family, group, or team
mediated communication
is separated by some type of technological device, You use _________ when you make phone calls, tweet, send text messages or emails, use facetime or skype, and post messages online. This type of communication is best used to meet certain type of goals
self-monitoring
judging how appropriate our communication is; the process of observing our own communication and the norms of the situation in order to make appropriate communication choices
self serving bias
judging ourselves more charitably than we judge others; when your actions result in success you tend to take credit for the success by making an internal attribution
culture is layered
many people belong to more than one culture simultaneously
mass media
mediated communication vehicles that involve the sending of messages from content creators to huge, relatively anonymous audiences. the content in such media is created for public consumption mostly one-directional ex. the "media" that is online news and entrainment sites, video games, television channels, movies, radio stations, newspapers, and magazines. New York Times, National Public Radio, whitehous.gov, Fox News Communicationflow- one-way; Purpose- information (news), entertainment, advertising, and public services; Familiarity with the audience- mostly unknown; content control- source provider; type of feedback- viewer ratings and comments page counts
online harrasment
mediated messages perceived by the recipient as disturbing, threatening, or observing
co-cultures
members of a society who don't conform to the dominant culture by ways of language, values, lifestyles, or physical appearance. _____ may be based on age, gender, social classes, ethnicity, race, religion, mental and physical ability, sexual orientation, and other unifying elements depending on the society
individualistic culture
members of these cultures are encouraged to focus on themselves and their immediate family and individual and personal achievement is praised at the highest good. higher value for autonomy, change, youth, equality, and individual securitie.
mass communication
messages transmitted to large widespread audiences ex. newspaper, tv, or radios
The nature of selves impact on communication
messages we send can shape self-concept influencing communication beliefs we hold about ourselves affect our communication the image we present to others varies from situation to situation people don't all perceive the world in the same way and this affects out communication
main principles of ch 4
no culture holds the "ideal" sets of values or customs cultures have similar and dissimilar traits cross-cultural communication isn't easy we should educate ourselves about other cultures that we plan to interact with through generalization may accurate and perhaps helpful, but this doesn't apply to every member of a group or culture
Linear communication model
oldest moded, created more than 60 years ago; it states that communication is an activity in which information flows in one direction, from a starting point to an end point. this model contains several components. In addition to a message and a channel, there is a sender (individuals who generate the information to be communicated, packages it into a message, and chooses one or more channels for sending it. and a receiver (person or people for whom a message is intended) and noise (the transmission of the message is often affected by this. noise may originate outside the communicators such as lagging or pixelation during video chat. Or it can come from the communicators themselves, such as when distracting thoughts cause senders' or receivers' attention to drift.
the maxims of the Egyptian sage
one of the earliest books ever written; offers suggestions for improving your communication. he urges people to practice active listening he said "to not do so is to embrace ignorance"
cyberbullying
online harassment can turn into ___ if the communication patterns become persistent and are used to exert power over you; ___ is intended to cause social embarrassment, inflict emotional pain, or damage a person's reputation
self-concept
overall assessment of who you are (I'm a _____ person). your _______ is based on the beliefs (convictions that certain things are true), attitudes (evaluations) and values (enduring principles that guide your behaviors) you have about yourself. your beliefs, attitudes, and values are often intertwined
some perceptual errors
paying attention to negative impression than positive being influenced by whats most obvious clinging to first impressions assuming that others are similar to you making snpa judgements
low-context culture
people tend not to pressure that others share their beliefs, attitudes, and values. Thus, they strive to be informative, clear, and direct in their communication. don't have to rely on context of whats going on person speakings responsibility to make things clear
high-context cultures
people use relatively vague and ambiguous language and even silence to convey important meanings; often collectivistic; people in such cultures often talk indirectly because they presume that members of their ingroup will know what they're trying to say. Rely highly on context of situations to understand thhings. listeners responsibility to understand
significant others
people whose opinions we value (role models, good friends, parents) they influence our-self-evaluations/ have helped shape how we view ourselves
Aristotle
perhaps the best-known ancient Greek scholar who taught that ethical persuasion required a speaker to demonstrate credibility, provide logical reasoning and appeal the emotions of listeners.His teachings are still very relevant today in understanding how to develop persuasive speech.
influences on perception
physical influences (bodily differences) cultural influences sex and gender roles occupational roles (type of job you have influences how you are seen) relationship roles (relationships we have after how we view the world ex. parents view ttheirkids as perfect)
self-fulfilling prophesies
predictions you make about interactions that cause you to communicate in ways that make those predictions come true. It occurs when a person's expectations and subsequent behavior make the outcome more likely to occur
medicated communication
provides a sense of invisibility; this makes you feel detached from the consequences of your messages
presenting self
public image how we want others to see us
gender socialization
right after birth, you begin a lifelong process of __________, in which societal mental norms define and assign appropriate behavior for each gender. many girls are taught that the most important aspects of self-include compassion and sensitivity to one's own and other's emotions. Many boys are taught that the most important aspects of self are assertiveness, competitiveness, and independence "you scream like a boy" blue is for boys pink is for girls boys don't play with balls
gender
set of social, psychological, and cultural attributes that characterize a person male or female
trolling
some people post flame messages on purrpose to start fights
critical self-reflection
special kind of awareness focused on improving your communication. To engage __________ ask yourself these five question 1.what am I thinking and feeling 2.why am I thinking and feeling this way 3.how am I communicating 4. how are my inner thoughts and feelings affecting my communication?
prejudice
stereotypes reflect rigid attitudes toward groups their members
horn effect
tendency to negatively interpret the behavior of people for whom you've found negative gestalts
self-awareness
the ability to view yourself as a unique person, distinct from your surrounding environment, and to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (asking yourself "who am I")
uncertainty avoidance
the degree to what members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous situations and how to avoid situations
power distance
the degree to which people in a particular culture view the unequal distribution of power as acceptable
self-esteem
the overall value of you assign to yourself
co-cultural communication theory
the people who have more power within a society determine the dominate culture
face
the positive self you want others to see and believe. ____ doesn't just happen; you actively create and present it through your communication. Your _______ can be anything you want it to be: perky and upbeat, cool and levelheaded, or cynical and detached
Public communication
the process of preparing and delivering a message to an audience to achieve a specific purpose (also known as public speaking) You might also need to communicate publically in other siuations, such as giving a talk to a youth group or presenting a project idea to your coworkers by videoconference
Ethics
the set of moral principles that guide your behavior toward others
rhetoric
the theory and practice of persuading others through speech
asynchronous communication
time lapses exist between messages
Transactional Communication Model
views communication as a multidirectional; that is, participants mutually influence one another's communication behavior. According to this model, there aren't senders or receivers, Instead, participants constantly exchange verbal and nonverbal messages and feedback to collaboratively create meanings. This may be communicating by a shared look. It may be an animated and intense conversation between you and a friend, in which the meanings exchanged go way beyond the words that are said.
Interactive Communication Model
views communication as a process involving senders and receivers. communication is influenced by two additional factors: feedback (verbal and nonverbal message coming from recipients in response to messages) and fields of experience (consists of the beliefs, attitudes, values, and experiences that each participant brings to a communication event. People with similar fields of experience are more likely to understand each other than are individuals with dissimilar fields of experiences). like the linear model the ________ presents communication as a process in which there is a clearly designated and active sender and a receiver. But it overlooks the active role that receivers often play in constructing the meaning of communication events, as well as instances in which people jointly create meaning.
empathy deficits
when nonverbal cues are restricted, it can be hard to experience empathy. that's because the same part of your brain that controls empathy also monitors nonverbal feedback. If you can't perceive others' immediate nonverbal feedback, you can't experience empathy and adjust your communication accordingly
flaming
when people say vicious and aggressive things online that they would never say in person
benevolent prejudice
when people think of a particular group as inferior but also friendly and competent. thus, although the group is thought of negatively, it also triggers feelings of sympathy
halo effect
when positive gestalt makes you dismiss the significants of a behavior "he made an innocent mistake"
online disinhibition
when using mediated communication, especially text-only social media, people often feel free to say things- good and bad- that they'd never say to someone face-to-face
mask
when you create different faces for different situations. sometimes your face is a _____ an outward presentation designed to cover private aspects of your self
empathy
when you experience ___ you "feel into" others thoughts and emotions make an attempt to identify with them. empathy consists of three components 1. persepective-taking is the ability to see things from other people's point of view without necessarily experiencing their emotions; set aside your own opinion 2. emotional understanding is experiencing the feelings that others have; knowing their fear, joy, sadness, etc. 3. empathic concern means becoming aware of how other people are feeling and experiencing compassion for them; (carring)
synchronous communication
when you talk to someone face-to-face you're engaged in ___ a back and forth exchange of messages that occur in real time
perceived self
who we think we are. we can figure this out through our own self-examination
social comparison
you assign meaning to others behaviors and then compare their behaviors against your own
culture is learned
you learn your cultural beliefs, attitudes, and values. this process begins at birth
outgroupers
you may view people who you aren't culturally similar to yourself
self-discrepancy theory
your self-esteem is determined by how you compare to two mental standards: your ideal self (all the qualities you want to possess ex. mental, physical, emotional, material, spiritual) and your ought self (the person you think you others want you to be)