Intro to Comm

Assignment due Wednesday 7/20 HAND IN PERSON AND ONLINE

Exam 1
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Katz and Lazarfeld video

Essay (2-page max)

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APA format
o Last name, First (year). Title, Location
Ruben, B (2015). Comm 6th Edition. New York: Pearson
What is the definition of communication given by Ruben and Steward and
what features make it distinctive?
Explain three core problems
What makes communication complex?
Why is it important and worthwhile to study communication?

Lecture 7/11 Review

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Chp.
o
o
o
o

1 What is communication
Communication is a social phenomenon
Very essential
Complex process; multifaceted
Can occur on multiple levels
Mass communication, public
o How to define communication
4 different perspectives for the definition
Textbook definition:
3 key problems:
- Not objective, embedded in context
- Social action
- We use language to define communication
But using communication to define
communication, circular reasoning
Communication (our course) vs Communications
- S is more about technology and professionalism
Personal vs Scholarly Theories
o Personal
Everyday experiences
Taken for granted
Private
Stable, does not change
o Scholarly
Systematic observation and tasking
Questions and studies
Public
Subject to change, modification

Chp 3. Communication Model

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Pros and Cons

o Professionals developed the model to understand complex things
Mapping out parts of the process
o RISK: Oversimplified
Inevitably direct our attention toward particular features
Constructing the model
o Paradigm: a broad framework that guides the work of scholars over a
long period of time as they conduct research and develop specific
theories
Foundation of the worldview
Under the worldview, theories are developed
How scholars conduct research and develop theories
o How paradigms influence the communication model?
What do we study (topic)
How studies are conducted (methodology)
Theories come after the paradigm
o Paradigm Shift
This can change based on mistakes
If something is wrong, researchers change it
Newton vs. Einstein
NP space and time does not change
EP space and time do change relatively
Two major paradigms
o Transmission Paradigm or SMR=E
S = source
M = message
R = receiver
E = effect
Information is transmitted
One-way transfer of information
o

Paradigms are not always correct

SMR=E
Message sent does not mean message received
MS MR; Paradigm anomaly
Communication models deal with an anomaly in a different way

Constitutive View
Communication constructs the situation
Communication is a building process
Outside/cultural is part of the communication process
Communication is a process of meaning creation or social
construction
What to know for models
Directional flow in communication

One-way
Two-way / interactive
Object of study (speeches, news, reports, phone conversations)
Research discipline (journalism, politics)

What influences models of communication

o Communication paradigms
Transmission SMR=E
Constitutive
o Anomalies
MS MR
o Directional Flow Paradigms
One-way
Two-way
o Object of study
o Research context/discipline

Models of previous generation scholars

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4 features
o Object of study
o Research discipline/context
o Directional flow
o Main points

1. Aristotle Model of Communication One-way

- Speaker > Speech > Audience > Effect
- Expert of public speaking
o How to speak well in front of people
o Developed model towards public speech
o If speaker can speak well, audience can understand
o Similar to SMR=E

2. Laswell Model 1948 One-way

- Communication > Message > Medium > Receiver > Effect
- Who > says what > which channel > to who > with what effect
o Political propaganda
o Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect
o Introduction of medium (mass media)
o Does not consider communication anomaly
o Assumed MS = MR

3. Shannon and Weaver 1949 One-way

Sender > Encoder > Channel > Decoder > Receiver

^----Feedback
<---------|
Source > Transmitter > -------- > Reception > Destination
o Depersonalization: engineering problem of signal transmission
o Noise source is introduced to explain the anomaly
Considerate about noise

4. Schramm (venn diagram) Two-way

- Source > encoder > signal < decoder < destination
- Field of experience: factor to affect how we interpret the message
o Could be language, background, culture, etc
- Mass communication

5.
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6.
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Katz and Lazarsfeld One-way

Mass Media > Opinion Leader
Opinion leader > individuals
Two-step
Mass media with interpersonal communication
Individuals in social contact with an opinion leader
o Opinion leader > someone who could affect you
Main Idea
o Figure out effect of mass media and interpersonal communication on
choice
Limited effect of mass media

Westley and Maclean

X1
X2
X3
X4
ACBX5
o X news source
o Research context journalism
o Signals are potential messages
o Circular model through feedback and one-way
o Communication begins with receiving messages

7. Dance
- Helical model
- Communication is a dynamic and evolutionary process
o ALWAYS IN MOTION
- Adds TIME to the model
o As time flows, communication evolves
o Avoids the anomaly

Directional flow is helical, one-way

8.
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Watzlawcik, Beavin and Jackson

Clinical therapy
People occupy both sender and receiver
Meaning of message and actions is shaped in collaboration between send and
receiver
One cannot not communicate
Two-way
Person A

Model address anomaly

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Person B
Aristotle | No
Lasswell | No
Shannon and Weaver | Yes Noise
Schramm | Yes experience
Katz and Lazarsfeld | Yes
opinion leader/ two step flow
Westley and MacLean | Yes start with receiver
Watzlawick, Beavin, Jackson | Focus on joint meaning creation
Dance | Yes time

Evolution in understand communication

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Source > message > centered >

o Receiver and meaning centered
One-way model >
o Circular (feedback), two-way and interactive models
Emphasis on message transmission >
o Interpretation, relationships, process
Public speaking >
o Contexts: individual, relationships, families, groups, organizations,
societies, mass communications

7/18/16
7/11/16 Review
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Paradigm
Communication Paradigm
o Transmission view
Transmission of information
Background affects transmission
o Constitutive view
Outside factors
o Communication anomaly
Something the paradigm cannot explain
Message sent =/= message received

o
o

Communication model
8 models
1. Aristotle
2. Laswell
3. Shannon + Weaver
4. Schramm
5. Katz + Lazarsfeld
6. Westley + Maclean
7. Dance
8. Watzlawcik + Beavin + Jackson
Social grooming
Grooming to build relationships
Evolution complexity of communication
Fart
Silent, not noticed
Loud, senpai noticed
Language
Human learning, abstract concepts
Primate instinct, emotional
Dogs decoded, dog and owner
Dogs reading faces like humans, left to right
Similar to mother and child

Chp. 5 Complexities of Communication: Iceberg

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Communication is like an iceberg representing complications

o Visible and invisible aspect
Invisible
Communication breakdown
o Based on personal experience
Arguments?
Misunderstanding intentions and communication
Message sent =/= message received
Why does it occur?
Influenced by our native theories
It explains feature of communication, which is invisible
Visible aspects of the communication process
o Interactants (people)
o Symbols
Something that strands for or represents something besides
itself
Symbolic value arbitrary relationship between symbol &
thing it represents
Symbols are very powerful, and seem real
o Media and technology
Permanence instant messaging, facebook and text messages
Portability carry media/tech anywhere

Invisible aspects of the communication process: Things that we are unaware

of
o Meaning what is behind a symbol
Symbols and referents are arbitrarily paired
Meanings are negotiated
Humans create meanings
o Learning
Bees and food location (instinctively)
First-order information processing event
Learning from
Second-order information processing event
Learning through socialization
Learning value of money
Cultural norms and conventions
Subjectivity
Individual/unique understandings of things
Experiences related to x thing
Shared/common ground -> intersubjectivity
- Schramm Model venn diagram
o Negotiations
How is meaning arrived at?
Attempt to understand each other
o Culture
Meanings get intersubjectified (SHARED / STANDARDIZED)
through communication with others
Shared meanings, views of reality = culture
o Interacting contexts and levels
1. Individuals
2. Relationships
3. Groups
4. Organizations
5. Societies
Different levels influence one another
o Self-reference
All communication is biographical reflects own self
Presentation of self
o Self-reflexivity
Reflecting on our past experiences/interactions
Relationship with environment
o Inevitability
You cannot NOT communicate; UNAVOIDABLE
Communication breakdown part of a native theory
Invisible aspects of communication explain why peoples interpretations of a
communicative event may be different

How do the communication process and our perception of reality mutually

influence one another

Part I:
Part II: Building blocks of the communication process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Message reception
Nonverbal cues
Language + verbal cues
Culture
Self + identity

Chp. 6 Perception and Attraction

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The Eye of the Storm 1970

o What is it about
Racism/discrimination
o What does it suggest about reality?
How do we perceive our reality?
o Selection
Selective attention
o Interpretation
How do we explain radical differences
The same scene can look different, depending upon who is
doing the INTERPRETING
o Retention + memory
Recall active, deliberate retrieval of information from memory
Short-term
- slow retrieval
- not automatic
- conscious
- controlled
- indirect
- voluntary
Long-term
- fast retrieval
- automatic
- unconscious
- uncontrolled
- direct
- involuntary
Semantic memory
General knowledge about people, places, things
Episodic memory
Autobiographical
Specific memory of particular things

The Eye of the Storm, teacher gave children EPISODIC

memory of prejudice
What factors influence perception
o Receiver
Needs
Physiological
Safety
Social belonging
Identity being perceived positively by others
Maslows hierarchy of Needs
5 needs
1. Hunger/thirst
2. Safety
3. Belonging
4. Self-esteem
5. Self-actualization
Attitudes, beliefs and values
Predispositions receiver may have
Goals
May cause you to attend selectively to or ignore
information
Capability
Expertise affects how you perceive things
Use
More likely to attend if youll use the message again
Communication style
How we prefer to communicate
Experience + habit
Habits of communication

o Message
Origin
Where message comes from
Mode
- Visual
- Tactile
- Auditory
- Gustatory/olfactory
Different modes available in different situations
Physical character
Organization how the message is constructed
Novelty new messages stand out more
Language of choice

Group 1
o How fast were the cars going when they HIT each other?

 34 mph
Did you see A broken headlight?
60% yes
Group 2
o How fast were the cars going when they SMASH into each other?
40 mph
o Did you see THE broken headlight?
72% yes
o

Source
Proximity
Within range of source
Source is significant to you
Physical + social attractiveness
Handsome vs ugly
Similarity
Attracted to similar peoples
Credibility + authoritativeness
Motivation + intent
What does sender get out of it
Delivery
Status and authority

Technology and environmental

Technology
Channel
Environment
Context classroom
- Affects perception
Repetition
- Pay more attention to things that occur less
frequently
Consistency and competition

7/25/16
Nonverbal Communication
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Some common myths about nonverbal communication

o There are crystal clear rules that govern nonverbal communication
Yes and no we dont usually notice until; there is a violation
Violations of the rules often convey their own messages
o You can read a person like a book

When were confused about how we feel about the other

persons message, or impressions rest on:
7% verbal messages
38% vocal impact
55% facial impact
Nonverbal signals convey the same meaning in different situations
Our interpretations depend on context and verbal messages
Nonverbal communication does not vary across cultures
Facial expressions have the same meaning, smiles

o
o
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General definition
o Nonverbal communication designates all those human responses which
are NOT described as overtly manifested in words, either written or
spoken Mark Knapp
What does nonverbal communication include?
o Facial expressions
o Body movements
Hand, feet, face, voice, tone
o Fashion, hair
o Use of time
o Anything that can send you a message
o What does nonverbal NOT include
Words themselves
Proxemis
o The use of space
o Communication environment
o What do physical spaces communicate?
Regulate interaction
Power, status
o Territoriality
Ownership about space
o Personal space
Portable
Intimate 0-18 inches
Casual 1.5-4 ft
Informal/business 4-12 ft
Public 12+ ft
How close is too close
Gender
Attractiveness
Age
Culture (E.T. Hall)
- High contact vs low contact
Situational variability
o Haptics
Use of touch
What message does touch convey

o
o

Power and solidarity

- Power: status, dominance
- Solidarity: love, caring
- Tie signs (Goffman)

Kinesics
Various body movements
Eyes, hands, head, body, feet, etc
Body orientation
What does body orientation convey?
- Power, status
- solidarity liking, intimacy
Eye gaze
What do we use eye gaze for?
- Attention
- Express emotions
- Regulate conversations
Gestures
Emblems translatable into language
Illustrations pictorial representations; tied to words
Baton signals emphasize words
Tie-signs (Goffman) indicate relationships
Adaptors idiosyncratic movements, primarily noncommunicative
Facial expressions
Does not vary across cultures
Body appearance (physique)
Endomorph
- Fat af
Mesomorph
- Muscle, stud
Ectomorph
- Skinny af
Dress and appearance
What does it communicate?
- Job
Chronemics
Timing
Micro-conversational level
- Fight during conversation
Macro-conversational level
- Huge fight friend, deciding when to talk to friend
after
Timeliness
Being on time, punctual
Impression given by being late
Time has different value in different cultures
Paralanguage

Vocal behaviors
The relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication
Repeat
Contradict
Substitute for
Complement modify or elaborate
Accent emphasize

7/27/16
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7/25/16 Review
o Common myths about nonverbal communication
You can read a person like a book (Lie to Me series)
Convey same meanings in different context
o General definition of nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication designates all those human
responses which are not described as overtly manifested in
words
o Proxemics use of space
Territoriality possession of space
Personal space portable territory
Haptics touch
Kinesics body movements
Body orientation
Eye gaze
Gestures
- Emblems
- Illustrators
- Baton signals emphasis
- Tie signs gestures indicate relationship between
two people
- Adaptors unique gestures for identity
Facial expressions
Body appearance
Paralanguage
Tones and intonation
Relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication
Repeats
Contradicts
Substitutes for
Complement

How is the self continually made and remade through the communication process?
Who are you? Who am I?

Psychological traits (personality)

o Big 5
Openness to experience
Curiosity or cautious
Extroversion
Shy or outgoing
Conscientiousness
Organized or disorganized
Neuroticism
Emotional stability
Agreeableness
Sympathy/empathy towards others
Social traits
o Master social identities
For everyone
Always visible
Cam always be made relevant regardless of context
Situated social identities
o Applicable to certain people only
o Not always visible
o Only relevant in certain situations
Interactional
Two views of the self
o Self as personality
Reality is fixed
Transmission paradigm
o Self as constructed through communication
Constitutive paradigm
Reality is constructed
o A psychological view of self
Finding personality
The communication assessment
Big five
How social scientists measure traits
Standard questionnaires
Communication-related traits
o Cognitive complexity IQ
o Loquaciousness
Talkative or not
o Communication apprehension
Fear of interaction with others
Public speaking
o Machiavellianism
Manipulation
Personality
Transmission paradigm
o Affinity seeking

 Finding people who are like you

Self-monitoring
High/low
o Self-reflexiveness
- Stable, enduring traits
- Fixed personality?
- Or changing, situated states
The Johari Window
o

Known to others

Known to self
Open self

Unknown to others

Hidden self

Unknown to self
Blind self, Elaines
dancing
Unknown self,
subconscious

Communicative view of the self

o The self as constructed through the communication process
o We are not the sole authors of our selves
o Your self is defined by others as much as by yourself

Origin: Erving Goffman

Impressions GIVEN
Instrumental, intentional
Impressions GIVEN OFF
Accidental, unintentional
Impression management
Practices on self-presentation
Are all aspects constructed through communication?
Situated social identities?
Psychological traits? (states)
Master social identities?
Gender
- Perception about own gender
- Gender identity
Innermost feelings of who we are regarding
our gender
- Gender expression
How we choose to communicate our identity
- Individuals who identify as transgender
An umbrella term used to describe people
whose way of understanding and expressing
their own gender, is different from what
society expects
Communication: people who identify in this
way may use different pronouns at certain

times in their lives, change their name, or

change the way they dress
The development of self-concept
o How people perceive themselves
The looking glass self (Cooley, 1902)
o Imagine how we appear to others
o Imagine their judgment of our appearance
o Feel hurt or pride based on these imaginations
Develop self-concept
o Self-fulfilling prophecy
A prediction or expectation that comes true simple because one
acts as if it were true
Prediction: I am bad at math and will fail this class
Action: not putting much effort
Communication and culture
Who decides what culture is all about and how does that get communicated
within particular communities?
Two different views on culture
o Transmission paradigm
An external source
Culture is fixed
It is enacted in communication process
Experience (Shramms model)
o Constitutive paradigm
Culture is produced through communication process
How we build something
Basic concept
o Aspects of our daily lives that link and give common significance to
particular group of people at a particular time
Construct/reconstruct
o We are suspended in webs of significance that ourselves have spun
Clifford Geertz
Ethnography study of culture
o Ethno people
o Graph writing
o Thin description: simple description of social behavior
o Thick description: interpretation of behavior
Wink
Thin: rapidly raising and lowering right eyelid
Thick: a deliberate act to attract attention or
communicate with someone
Key features
o Language
o Custom
o Religion
o Food
o Economic/political system

o Norm of politeness
Nature of culture
o Cultures are
Complex and multifaceted
Invisible
Subjective
Change over time
How do people get to know about a culture?
1. Violation
Change and disrupt interpersonal interaction
Generate confusion, frustration, anger, irritation
Disrupt inter-subjectivity and mutual understand dependent on
ethics
Breaching experiment
2. Cross-cultural contact (intercultural communication)
Someone from another culture will bring unique symbols,
meaning, preference and patterns
Borat
3. Scholarly research
How people adapt to other cultures
Stages of cultural adaptation
Honeymoon excitement of novelty
Frustration sick of unfamiliar things
Readjustment
Resolution
Characteristics of culture
o High vs low context
High: most information is in people rather than explicitly in
message
Low: most information is in explicit communication
Joy luck club
- Asian food oh nooooo
o Individual vs collective
Individual cultures: individuals goals > everything else
Collectivist cultures: family and work > individuals
o Monochronic vs polychronic
Monochromic: one thing at a time
Polychromic: multiple things at a time
My big fat Greek wedding
o High power vs low power distance
High power: centralization of power and an importance placed
on rank and status (hierarchy)
Low power: minimization of power difference
o Masculinity vs femininity
Masculine: distinct roles for men and women
Feminine: fewer rigid role for men and women
A word of caution

Characteristics of culture can be seen as cultural stereotyping

These are not dichotomies but rather matters of degree
media and culture
Mass media as a carrier of cultural message
Influence on cultural perception
Strong vs weak influences
Sometime it oversimplifies cultural difference
o Stereotypes: gender and ethnicity
o
o
Mass
o
o

8/1/2016
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7/27/2016 review
o Communicative view of the self
Erving Goffman
Self impression
Gender
o The development of self concept
o The looking glass self
Self-fulfilling prophecy
How you see yourself
Known to others
Unknown to
others

Known to you
open
Hidden self

Communication and culture

o Two views on culture
o Basic concept: aspects of our daily lives that link and give common
significance to particular group of people at a particular time
Ethnography
Thin vs thick
Wink
Thick meaning behind some behavior
Cross cultural contact
Scholarly theory
o Stages of cultural adaptation
Honeymoon
o Characteristics of culture
High vs low context
Individualistic vs collectivistic
How to emphasize the goal of the individual or the
collective
Monochromic vs polychromic
High power vs low power
Masculinity vs femininity
A word of caution

Unknown
Blind self
Unknown

Mass media and culture

Part III An exploration of key areas of contexts in the communication field

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4 levels
o Interpersonal (8/1/2016)
o Groups
o Organizational
o Public/mass communication

Two views of relationships

Have vs do
o Relationships as things that we HAVE
o Relationships as things that we DO (constituted view)
o Developing relationships through communication
How do romantic relationships start
What are some ingredients in a new relationship
o Physical attractions
What makes a person attractive
Beauty bias
Matching norms
Social interaction: interaction appearance theory
o Chance
o Common ground
Once attracted, then what?
o Pick up lines
Do you have a Band-Aid? Cause I just scraped knee falling for
you

Stages of relationship development

Initiation
o starting social interactions
Exploration
o exploring the potential of the relationship
Intensification
o couple becomes official
o good knowledge about each other
o Nicknames for each other
Formalization
o Engagement, marriage ceremony
Redefinition
o Making new rules for the relationship
Deterioration
Bitches, break ups, bitches and break ups, be crazy

Miller and Steinberg Theory (1975)

o Individual's make predictions based on the knowledge about others
(sociological/cultural knowledge)

Social penetration theory (Altman and Taylor 1973)

o Relationship development is like an onion
Peeling off one layer of information, there is another layer of
information
o Self-disclosure
A process of communication by which one person reveals
information about himself or herself to another
Breadth of self-disclosure: more topics are discovered
Depth of self-disclosure: about those topics

Richness
(narrow broad)
Efficiency
(difficult efficient)
Uniqueness
(conventional unique)
Substitutability
(rigid flexible)
Pacing/synchrony (awkward smooth)
Openness
(public personal)
Spontaneity
(controlled spontaneous)
Evaluation
(suspended expressed)

Uncertainty reduction theory (Berger)

o Lack of knowledge prompts us to seek information about the other
About the other
About the relationship
Passive strategies
Observing others behaviors
Active strategies
Ask y person about x person
Interactive strategies

Stable relationships
o Personal idioms
o Private languages
o What purpose do they serve?
Integration
Makes couple and exclusive unit

Communication climate
o Does a relationship create communication climate? OR (Do view)
o Does communication climate create a relationship? (have view)
Both can be true
o Defensive
Evaluation
Control other's behavior
Strategy hiding agenda from others
Neutrality
Superiority
Certainty
o Supportive
Description
Problem orientation focused more on solving the problem
Spontaneity
Empathy being more understanding of others
Equality
Provisionalism
o Are communication climates static of dynamic?
o Dependencies and counter-dependencies
Dependency
Counter-dependency
Climate is in disagreement
o Progressive and regressive spirals
Progressive
X is nice to me, I'll be nice to X
Regressive
More destructive
Disharmony and dissatisfaction
o Predicting relational success
Pattern of gaze
Looking when speaking vs looking when listening
Absence of hostility cues
Angry voice unpleasant facial expressions, yelling

Predicting failure: interaction in conflict situations (Gottman)

Destructive conflict behaviors

Criticism
Contempt
Defensiveness
Stonewalling withdrawing from conflict
Behavior is conflict situations predicts marital outcome

Coded 3 minutes of 15 in interaction of 15 interaction

outcome several years ahead (80% accuracy)
Destructive conflict behaviors early years. Divorce
Lack of supportive communication

Break ups
When might a relationship end?
Reasons for relationship ending
Dissatisfaction with partner
Dissatisfaction with relation
Dissatisfaction with other
Problems with circumstances

How relationships end

Passing away over time
New intimate enters the scene
Expanding interaction distance
Individual physical/psychological development
Sudden death
Death of a partner
External and internal factors
Unilateral action after broken promise
Mismatched goals for relationship
Unforeseen event
Violations of rules of relationship

Relationships in the new millennium Kenneth Gergen

How have new technologies
Fast transportation / New media technologies
-> social saturation increased number and variety of
relationships
Relationships are multiplying
Few geographic or historic boundaries
Fast pace
New kinds of relationships
Imaginary others long distance
Microwave relationships
o High emotional intensity in each stage

Conclusion about relationships

Relationships are social constructed through communication
Different communication patterns create different types of
relationships

Nonverbal communication is important in construction and

maintenance of relationships

Family and communication

o Interpersonal and group communication
o Families as
Things that we HAVE
Social structure shapes family relationships
Things that we DO
Communication shapes family relationships
o The Changing American Family (sakai)
What types of families do you have?
Is there a typical American family anymore?
How does communication patterns within the family change?
o Basic concept
A group consisting of PARENTS and CHILDREN LIVING TOGETHER
in a household

o
o

o
o

Changing American family: marriage and divorce

Types of families
Nuclear family: two heterosexual parents and one or more
children
Binuclear family: the children and subsequent spouses of a
divorce
Single parent household: one parent, who may or may not have
been married, with one or more children
Stepfamily: families with children from a previous marriage
Adoptive family: families that have one or more adopted children
Extended family: family members other than a nuclear family,
often living together under the same roof (ex. Grandparents)
Cohabitating family: a romantic partnership without a formal
legal marriage, with or without children
Pedi-focal definitions of family: includes all those involved in the
nurturance and support children
Residential household vs webs of kinship
Fictive kin as sources of support in other types of families
Godfather / godmother
What is a family
Based on relatedness
Biological ties
Legal ties/responsibility
Sociological ties (self-definition)
Based on functions: nurture and control
Functions of family

Nurture
Support (emotional, financial, etc)
Developmental (physical, socio-emotional, intellectual,
etc)
Control
Family relationships are involuntary
Discipline, guidance, influence, conflict, etc
Roles theory
Roles are positions we hold in relation to others
Each role has expectations attached
Each role has their own behaviors and performances
Performances of different roles have different "front
stages"
These roles become "back stage" in other
contexts/settings
Nurturing roles
Providers supplies resources required for optimal growth
and development
Nurturer general caring, support, household tasks
Developer ensures growth and development physically,
socially, emotionally, intellectually
o Modeling appropriate behavior, control, etc.
Health care provider maintains family health and
wellness
Controlling roles
Behavioral control limits, disciplines
o Often gendered difference between carrying out
and enforcing rules
Decision-making position of power; may be task specific
Boundary maintenance roles redefined or taken away
o Family feuds, divorce, etc
o You're not my mother
Financial/organizational - who controls money/resources
Real life
Inter-role conflict
o When performing one role conflicts with ability to
perform another one
Role interference
o Time
o Energy
o Psychological
Role strain
o Getting used to new roles or discomfort with what
is expected from you
Family systems theory
Synergy

Rules

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts

Interdependence
Interrelationships of family members
Rely on one another
Homeostasis
Balance
Achieved throughout seeking to meet family GOALS
How ay balance be regained?
o Self-regulation
theory
Rules guide our behavior
Also guide communication
Rules:
A follow able prescription that indicates what behavior is
obligated, preferred and prohibited
Rule types
Verbal
o Explicit openly discussed and agreed on
o Implicit subtle and understood in unstated ways
Family cycle

8/3/2016
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8/1/2016 review
o Communication and relationships (interpersonal communication

Have vs do
Ingredients in new relationship
Stages of relationship development
Initiation
Exploration
Intensification
Formalization
Redefinition
Deterioration
Miller and Steinbergs theory
Non-interpersonal knowledge vs interpersonal knowledge
Social penetration theory
Onion
Self-disclosure
Depth
Breadth
Uncertainty reduction theory
Passive strategies
Active strategies
Interactive strategies
Communication climate
Defensive vs supportive
Dependency vs counter-dependency
Disagreement
Progressive vs regressive spirals
Predictions on success of marriage
Nonverbal signals
Destructive conflict behaviors
Gottmans experiment
80% successful at predicting marriage
Relationship ends
Passing-away
Sudden death
Communication technology and relationship
Few geographical or time boundaries
Fast pace
New kinds of relationship: microwave relationship
Family and communication
Have vs do
The changing American family
Types of family
Definition
Residential household vs wen of kindship
Based on relatedness
- Biological
- Legal ties
- Sociological ties

o
o

o
o

Functions
- Nurture and control
Role theory
Supporting role
- Provider
- Nurturer
- Developer
- Health care provider
Controlling role
- Behavioral decision making
- Boundary maintenance
- Financial organizational control
Inter-role conflict
Family system theory
Family is a complex system
Synergy
Interdependence
Homeostasis
Rule theory explicit
Family life cycle
Single young adult leaving home
New couple
Couple with children
Couple with adolescences
Launching children
Family later if it

A collection of individuals who have great regular and reqioen, mutual

influence and a common

Organization
o A social unit of people that is structured
o Types of groups
Family

Why join a group?

o Benefits
Additional members working on activities, working on making,
more resources for problem solving
o Costs
Effort to develop census and goals to keep members informed,
to counteract
Social lead.
Pursue social need

Meet gorals based on

- Attractiveness group member
- Attractiveness new Activities and goals
- Attractiveness of being a member
Dimensions of success
- Task and social dimensions: productivity and
morale

Productivity
Duplicated activity group (finish earth
Assembly line group
Judgmental problem-solving and decision making
Identify problems, and look to solve the problem
Morale
Assist in members achieving personal goals
Enhance productivity

Regardless of the type, groups should balance both personal and

task goals
Most groups serve combination of tasks, personal and social
goals

Contrived and emergent groups

o Emergent
Occurring naturally
Can shift to contrived
o Contrived
Can shift to emergent

Group culture
o Symbols
o Rules
o Codes
o Values
Beliefs of a group
Form heart of a culture
Establish standards of achievement
Members who support values are more likely to succeed

Heroes
o People who personify groups values
o Originators or those who overcome group difficulties
o Role models

Rites
o
o
o

and rituals
Routine of a group
Tradition
Changes over time

Decision making
o Consensus
o Compromise
o Majority vote
o Decision by leader
o Arbitrary

Roles and responsibilities

o Task-oriented roles
Information-seeker
Coordinator
o Group-building and support roles
Encourager
Standard setter
o Individualistic roles
Dominator

Leadership
o Group maintenance functions
Regulating interaction
Promoting participation
Demonstrating appropriate behavior
o Group achievement functions
Informing
Planning
Coordinating
Stimulating
o Approaches to leadership
Good leaders are born (trait for being a leader)
One best style
Contextual
Achieved through social learning
o Leadership is enacted through communication
o Leaders must adapt
o Leaders must coordinate diverse groups

Conflicts within groups

o Inevitable (conflict will always arise)
Understanding/managing the conflict is better than eliminating
o Allows for better quality and growth (both individually and group wise)
o Assertiveness vs cooperativeness
5 conflict styles
Competitive
Accommodative
Avoiding
Collaborative
Compromising
collarboative

Competitive

Assertiveness

compromissin
g
accommodating

avoiding

Cooperativeness

How are organizational structures made

o Have vs do
Have: organizations are shaped by organization structure
Do: organization structure emerges through interaction

Functions of communication
o Coordination: defining goals. Structuring roles and responsibilities
managing operations
o Socialization: the development of communication climate and
organizational culture

Scholarly theory on organization

o Scientific measurement theory
Frederic Taylor: one best way in organization
Tenets of scientific management
Humans are motivated by material rewards (BITCH
BETTER HAVE MY MONEY)
Organization image = machine
Function of communication
- To pass information downward +clarify tasks and
rewards
- Structure: top-down flow, hierarchy
o Human relations theory

Hawthorne Plant studies (1920)

Focused on working conditions
- Manipulated temperature, lighting, work hours
- Observed effect on workers productivity
Main findings
- No one best way
Any change had positive effects
- Importance of interpersonal relationship rather than
physical conditions and material rewards
- Humans are living things not like machines
Tenets of human relations
Humans are motivated by social rewards such as
attention, recognition and participation
Organization image = family
Function of communication
- Facilitate supportive interpersonal relationships
Systems theory
Like family communication
Organization is a living system
It emerges, evolves and vanishes
It is dynamic
Central concept of systems theory
Interdependence of components
Adaptation to the environment
Open vs close system
Open: continuously interacts with the environment
Closed: isolated from the environment
Tenets of systems theory
Employees are interdependent components of a large
entity (systems)
Organization image = complex system
Function of communication
- To coordinate the interdependent relations between
individuals, groups and their surroundings
- To create responsiveness inside and outside the
organization
Total quality management theory
Combines scientific management, human relations and systems
theories
Emphasize improvement of organizational quality through
control
Involves employees in the creation of organizational quality
Responds to mark conditions and organizational stakeholders
Tenet of total quality management theory
Organization image = team with players and coaches
Function of communication
- To create, manage and improve organization quality

Organizational climate
o The atmosphere or tone member of the organization experience as
they go about their daily routines
o Positive or negative climate can be determined based on
Supervisor supportiveness
Perceived openness of relationships
Peer group support
Quality of downward communication
Opportunity for upward communication

Social networks and communication

o Basic concept
The patterns of contact between communication partners that
are created by transmitting and exchanging messages through
time and space (Monge and Contractor, 2001)
o terminology
Social networks: a network of individuals (friends,
acquaintances, coworkers) connected by interpersonal
relationships
Social networking site: web-based services that allow individuals
to have online connections (facebook, twitter, Instagram)

Why do we need social network analysis/perspective?

o We are linked together through our communication networks
o Relations, groups and organizations can be described as
communication networks
o Analyzing interconnection between members
Each members role
Communication flow
o Social network analysis
Mapping out the patterns of contact
Specific entities
A picture of how individuals, groups, and organizations are
connected to each other
o Network property
Patterns of relations
Unidirectional
Reciprocal
Inflows receiving relations
Outflows sending relations
Roles of particular nodes
Isolate (so alone)
Broker someone who bridges relationships

- Controls communication flow

- Leader
Indegree centrality
The number of relations that are directed into a node
Outdegree centrality
The number of relations that a person sends or reports
Structures of network
Circle

E
D

Wheel

No leader
A personal interact with adjacent members themselves
but no further
Information flow is slow

E
D

Chain

Centralized leader
- A is the broker
Little connection between member
Communication flow is fast/rapid
High error rate

ABC

A (leader) decides what/how messages should be passed

on
Vertical hierarchal structure
Information flow is slow
Y-pattern

Multiple layer hierarchy (vertical and horizontal)

All-channel

All group members are connected to each other

No leader, decentralized
Information flow is fast
- Overloaded

Extra point 3 points LITTTTT

o How has the use of new communication technologies affected how
people communicate at work
o Choose and individual who has been in the working world for at least
10 years and schedule an interview with him/her
o Plan your questions carefully to get at his/her perceptions of how the
use of new communication technologies has affect how people
communicate at work both in general and his/her own working life in
particular
o Write an essay in which you apply information you get from the
textbook

8/8/2016
-

8/3 review
o Organization communication
Have vs do
Function of communication: coordination vs socialization
Scholarly theory on organization
Scientific management theory
Human relations theory
Systems theory
Total quality management theory
Climate
Atmosphere or tone that members experience
Social networks and communication
Social networks vs social network sites
The patterns of contact between communication partners
that are created by transmitting and exchanging
messages through time and space
Social network analysis
A picture of how individual groups, groups and
organizations are connected to each other
Network property
Node
- Roles:
Isolate
broker
Relations or ties
Patterns of relations
- Unidirectional
- Reciprocal
Direction of relations
- Inflows
- Outflows

Network influences on individuals life

o Personal networks: set of personal relationships
o A group of caring, dedicated people who are committed to maintain a
relationship with a person
o Provides social support: advice, companionship and tangible aid
o Deliver valuable information: new jobs, health information, etc
o Mobilize collective action: working to solve a local problem or large
scale protest

Structure of social networks matters for individuals well-being

Widowhood effect (hidden side)

Not explicit between couples

Not explicit within one connection
Death and obesity?
Induction
Homophile people of the same size

Mediated communication part 1: communication and technology

How does media and technology afford new possibilities for interaction and
collaboration
-

What is mediated communication

o Communication which occurs when communication technology
intervenes or mediates between message sources and receivers
o Occurs across all levels
What is communication technology
o Technological devices (and/or application) that extend our natural
ability to communicate

Types of communication technology

-

Intrapersonal media: tools used to extend intrapersonal communication

capabilities
o Diaries/journals
o Tape recorders
o Letters/cards/telephone
Group / organizational
o Computer
o Conference calls
o internet
mass media: transmit information to large audiences
o television
o books?
Communication technologies as transmission tools (transmission paradigm)
o Other functions: information - e
Reproduction
Amplification
Display
Storage and retrieval

Two views on technology

-

Communication technologies as constitutive tools (constitutive paradigm)

o The way we use these media/tools provides new methods for shaping
or creating social circumstances

In other words, communication technologies afford us new

opportunities for human interaction, identity management and
relational work

Communication technology characteristics

-

Interactivity
o The extent to which message content and timing are controlled by the
user
o Level of engagement of receiver
High and low dimension
Telephone/computers high interactivity
Tv/radio low interactivity
Synchronicity
o Time or space gap between message production and consumption
Share same time and space
Asynchronous (neither same time nor place
email
Synchronous
Face to face
Phone call
Social presence
o Cues mimic face to face interaction
o The extent to which communication technology provide cues that
mimic face to face interaction
Is social presence always efficient

Evolution of communication technology

-

About
o
o
About
o

20000 BC
Carved symbols on the walls of caves
Drums and smoke to signal one another
1000 BC - 750 AD
Characters, papers and printing works were invented
Using books and letters
o Interactivity? Synchronicity? Social presence?
1500 - 1700s: Advancements in printing media
o Johannes Gutenberg: printing press
o Newspapers appeared
o Information rate was increase: mass media
1800 - 1950s: Advancements in electronic media
o Telegraph, radio, telephones were invented
o Synchronicity was increased
o Long distance communication became available
50 - 1960s: Advancements in mass media
o Television was adopted: visual and audio signals
o Social presence

80 - 2000s: Advancements in online media

o Internet
ARPANET, initially served as a backbone for interconnection or
regional academic and military networks in the 80s
Since 1995, roughly 30 million people used the internet
Technological convergence
Distance is exponentially increased
Information rate is exponentially increased
2000 - present: Advancements in wireless media
o Personalized technology
o Mobile technology
Always on
Boundary of online and offline become blurred

Online interaction vs Face-to-face interaction

-

High interactivity: more control for both parties

o Senders can revise message before sending
o Audience actively responds to senders
Low social presence
o Text based communication
o Anonymity
Synchronicity
o Asynchronous
o Decreased sense of time and place

Media richness theory (Daft and Lengle)

-

Each communication medium has fixed and inherent properties that shape its
richness
Matching medium to the task is key
o Rich media for ambiguous/complex tasks
o Lean media for unambiguous/simple tasks
Only mixed/limited support in empirical testing

Social information processing model (Walther)

-

Challenges media richness theory and related theories

o Stating Face-to-face is not always better
Absence of nonverbal cues via mediated communication doesnt mean a loss
of sociability
Personal connection occurs through lean media
It takes longer to develop though

Overview of communication technology landscape: we have diverse software

-

Social media is different from social networks

Boundaries becomes blurred

Interpersonal communication
Mass communication
One on one
One to many
Letter, telegram, telephone
Books, films, radio, television
Facebook, twitter, Instagram, snapchat, youtube

What happened to us?

The flight from conversation
-

Sherry Turkle
o Professor at MIT
o Studies effects of communication technology on social relationships
She expresses concern about people dependence on communication
technology
o Making us socially isolated
o The quality of online communication is lower than face-to-face
communication

Unique properties of todays mediated interaction

-

Independent from space and time

o We can communicate with those who live in distance places whenever
we want
o Being connected with one another also elsewhere, connected to
wherever we want
Text based communication
o Editable
We can edit and if we wish to, we can delete or retouch
o Short and shallow
Our little sips of online connection
o One-to-one and one-to-many
We can send messages to one individual or many individuals

What problems does this cause?

-

Alone together?
o We are making private bubbles in public places
We pay less attention on our actual social life
Board meetings

During class
Family dinner
Less self-reflection?
o We present the self we want to be
o We edit out self-image
o Less change to disclose the true self
o Lack of self-reflection conversation
Narcissism
o We always want attention about the self
o Technology provide fantasies
We will always be heard
We never have to be alone
Is it always bad?
o Strengthen intimate relationship
We can easily keep in touch with family and close friends who
line in different places
About 40% of college students are in touch with parents
by phone, email, text or visit at least once a day
o Maintains old relationships
Communication technology leads us to be connecting with old
friends
Otherwise, they would be abandoned
o Organize collective action
Occupy wall street protest
Egypt protest
Useful frameworks for understand technology use
o Technology determinism
New technology dramatically transforms markets, media and
culture
Black and white view
Does not care about context and few will

o Social construction of technology

Technology provides the social condition to affect action, but
people are the one who (re)shape the use of meaning of
technology
Constructing meaning
Social context
Conclusions about communication technology
o We cannot simple say technology is good or bad
o Scholars go beyond a black and white view
o We must consider diverse contexts in which we use it
o It is us who use communication technology. Our society is often
afraid of technology change. This change can lead us to broader
understand of our social world.
Paradox of online interaction

Each little update- each individual bit of social information is

insignificant on itw own, even supremely mundane. But take together,
over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated
portrait of your friends and family members lives, like thousands of
dots making a pointillist painting (Tompson 08)

Assignment 2
-

Personal (native) theory

o Personal statement which explain, describe, predict and control the
events and objects in our individual world
The best first impression one can make is by smiling
o Clear description of personal theories regarding communication
o Well-supported analysis that incorporates insights from your personal
theories demonstrate how it was developed and how it works
o Solid explanation and application of at least four core concepts from
our lectures and textbook
o Double spaced 2-3 pages

8/10/16
-

8/8 review
o Personal networks influence on individuals life
Provide social support
Deliver valuable information
Mobilize collection actions
o The hidden influence of social networks
Obesity/emotion spread through social networks
o Characteristics of communication technology
Interactivity (high vs low)
Synchronous vs asynchronous
Texting is asynchronous
Social presence (high vs low)
Face-to-face cues
o Evolution of communication technology
o Online interaction vs face-to-face interaction
High interactivity
Low social presence
Asynchronous
o Media richness theory
o Social information processing model
o Communication technology and social isolation
Social media vs social networks

Boundaries between interpersonal and mass communication

become blurred

Sherry Turkle: the flight from conversation

Quality of online communication is lower than face-to-face

- Independent from space and time
- Editable and short/shallow
- One-to-one and one to many
Alone together: we make private bubble in public place
and pay less attention to outside environment
Technology determinism
Social construction of technology

8/10/16
Public communication
-

Public vs mass communication

o Similarities
Audience
Large number of people involved
- Sometimes audience is invisible
Impersonality
- Lack of personality: deliver to the entire audience,
not a particular person or group
Planned, predictable and formal
- Proper and formal language because of the public
- Prepare and rehearse
Source control
Inequality between speaker and audience
Limited interactivity
Majority of audience provide limited feedback
With new technology, limitation decreases but still
present
Centralized source
Source is where the message comes from
Source is the center of communication
When is it considered public speaking and when is it considered mass
communication?
o Collective opinion
o Mass media is focused on delivering the message to the audience
o Focused more on persuasion
o

Mass communication typically involves mass media

Part 1: writing the speech

Prepare the speech
Discover an idea and evidence
- Brainstorming
Gather and organize information
Reach conclusion
Drafting the speech
Revising
Editing
o Part 2: presentation
Completing the speech
Rehearsal
Plan ahead for flexibility
Attire and other cues
o Nonverbal communication in public speaking
o high involvement behaviors
Positive perceptions competence, friendliness, trustworthiness
Eye contact
Open body orientation
Expressive gestures
Facial expressiveness (smiling)
Vocal variety (tone, speed)
Persuasion typically stems from
o Looks/attractiveness is 50%
o Sound is 40%
o Speaking is 10%
Claptrap: techniques for getting claps
o Contrasts
Good vs bad
Past vs present
o Lists of 3
Factors/arguments in your points
o Set them up, known them down
Present counter argument, then explain why you roasting
o What do claptrap techniques and nonverbal strategies show us about
public speaking?
Interactivity: public speaking situations are interactively
constituted
We are ACTIVE AGENTS in constructing the context
o Other considerations
o

Radio, tv, films, newspapers/magazines, books

Newer media
Internet
Emails
Listserves

Audience analysis and adaptation

Demographic characteristics: age, gender, education,
income
Developing a purpose
Persuasion, informative and entertainment
Making an argument
Focusing on dominate idea
Using proper evidence
Visual aids
Pros and cons
is communication apprehension?
Feeling anxiety during presentation
Four types of communication apprehension/anxiety
Pre-preparation
Preparation
Pre-performance
Performance
Techniques for dealing with communication apprehension
Attitude
Experience
Preparation
Gestures
Blinking and vocal tone
You are your own worst critic
Personalize it
Smile

What
o
o

Mass communication
-

Production, distribution, and consumption

o Information products and services
Audience
Functions
Surveillance
Correlation
Socialization
Broader function of mass communication
o Packaging and distribution of culture
o Popularizing and validating function
News and information
Entertainment and advertising
Sports: heroes and villains
Video and computer games: control and consequences
Commercializing function
Social contact and sense of community
Effects of mass communication

Communicator/producer perspective
Audience/consumers perspective
Active agent
o Use and gratification perspective
o Integrating perspective: considering effect and interaction between
audience
General trend in mass communication effect
o Power media effects phase
1920-1940
Development of mass media technologies such as radio
and films
- Nazi propaganda
- The war of the worlds
Hypodermic needle model (magic bullet theory)
A direct, immediate, and powerful effect on the audience
The audience is unable to avoid or resist
Based on assumption of human nature and it was not
based on any empirical findings
o Limited media effect phase
1930-1950
Communication scholars conducted empirical research
Hovland experimental study
Lazarsfeld field study
Two-step flow models
Discusses the indirect effects of media
Opinion leader: interpersonal communication
Klappers selective exposure theory
Audiences are not passive targets of any communication
contents
Audiences selectively choose content that is aligned with
previously held convictions
o Recovered powerful effect
1960-1990
Television was widely adopted
Previous theories focus only short-term and immediate
effects
New evidence supporting that mass media messages
could indeed lead to measurable social effects
Agenda setting theory
- People can get sense of the important issues of
society
Cultivation theory
- Role of television in society
- Affects the perception of world view
- The more people spend time on tv, they are more
likely to perceive their world by the description of
television
o
o

New media environment phase

Advanced in internet
Computer-mediated environment
Theory
Media richness theory
Social information processing theory
- If people have enough, they can develop social
relationships