Interpersonal Communications – Study Guide (Test One-Ch. 1-6) – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Chapter 1
answer
...
question
What is communication?
answer
The transactional process involving participants who occupy different but overlapping environments and create relationships through the exchange of messages, many of which are affected by external, physiological, and psychological noise.
question
Why do we communicate?
answer
We communicate because we need to fulfill and meet a range of human needs.
question
What are the four basic needs communication covers?
answer
Physical Needs, Identity Needs, Social Needs, and Practical Goals
question
How does communication affect people physically?
answer
It's presence or absence affects physical health. Socially isolated people are: -Four times more likely to catch the common cold. -More likely to die prematurely -Cancer risk is greater for those who are divorced when compared to their married counterparts
question
A life that includes positive relationships created through communication leads to better health.
answer
True
question
How does communication affect one's identity needs?
answer
Communication is the only way we learn who we are. -Our sense of identity comes from interaction with others -Acting human is something we learn -Messages impact and shape our self concept
question
The messages we receive in early childhood are the strongest, but the influence of others continues throughout life.
answer
True
question
How does communication affect one's social needs?
answer
Communication provides a vital link with others. -Communication helps us satisfy our basic social needs -Research suggests strong link between effective communication and happiness -In a study of more than 200 college students, the happiest 10 percent described themselves as having a rich social life.
question
How does communication affect one's practical goals?
answer
Communication is the most widely used approach to satisfying what communication scholars call instrumental goals: getting others to behave in ways we want. -Communication is the tool that lets you tell the hair stylist to take just a little off the sides, lets you negotiate household duties, and lets you convince the plumber that the broken pipe needs attention now.
question
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
answer
Physical, safety, social, esteem, and actualization needs: 1) Physiological needs: food, water, physical well-being 2) Safety needs- shelter, protection, stability 3) Social needs- love, affection, belongingness 4) Esteem needs- respect, prestige, mastery 5) Self-actualization needs- self-fulfillment, growth
question
Linear Model (pg. 9)
answer
Depicts communication as something a sender "does to" a receiver. Represents methodology of television and radio Individuals do not take turns sending messages, they're sent simultaneously. Model ------------------> A sender (the person creating the message) encodes (puts thoughts into symbols, usually words) a message (the information being transmitted), sending it through a channel (the medium through which the message passes) to a receiver (the person attending to the message who decodes (makes sense of the message), while dealing with noise (distractions that disrupt the transmission).
question
Transactional Model (pg. 10)
answer
This model updates and expands the linear model to better capture communication as a uniquely human process. Transactional view focuses on relational communcation (i.e., don't talk "to" someone, talk "with" someone) Messages are sent back and forth between communicators Sender/Receiver becomes communicator Communicators occupy different Environments (environment - fields of experience that affect how they understand others' behavior) Channels retain a significant role -Phone, email, letters, etc. Messages are taken differently depending on the relationship and shared environment between the two communicators
question
What are the three types of noise?
answer
External, Psychological, and Physiological noise
question
External noise
answer
Sounds or factors outside the brain that interfere with the communication process (hot room, noisy fan, chomping of gum)
question
Psychological noise
answer
Mental interference (closed-mindedness, wandering thoughts, depression)
question
Physiological noise
answer
Created by barriers within the sender (visual impairments, hearing loss, tiredness, sickness, hungry)
question
Quantitative communication
answer
any interaction between two people, usually face to face. (dyad - dyadic)
question
Qualitative communication
answer
Interaction in which people treat one another as unique individuals reguardless of the context in which the interaction occurs or the number of people involved
question
What makes an effective communicator?
answer
-Learn different behaviors -Choose appropriate behavior for situation -Have empathy in the current situation -Self monitoring -Commitment to become a better communicator
question
Chapter 2
answer
...
question
Self-concept
answer
the relativity stable set of perceptions you hold of yourself
question
Changing your self-concept
answer
Have a realistic perception of yourself: -Stay away from the extremes, good and bad -Recognize inaccurate feedback Have realistic expectations: -Judge yourself against your own growth and not against the behaviors of others Have the will to change: -stop using "can't" Have the skill to change: -Seek advice from reference material -observe models who have skills you'd like to master
question
Private self
answer
a reflection of the self-concept
question
Presenting self
answer
how we want others to see us as; our public image
question
self esteem
answer
evaluates your self-worth (people who dislike themselves are likely to believe that others won't like them either)
question
Personality
answer
characteristic ways that you think and behave across a variety of situations -we come programmed to communicate in characteristic ways -everyone's personality fits at some point on a spectrum for each trait -"experiences can silence genes or activate them. Even shyness is likes Silly Putty once life gets hold of it"
question
self-fulling prophecy
answer
occurs when a person's expectations of an event, and his or her subsequent behavior based on those expectations, make the even more likely to occur than would others have been true. Four stages: 1. Holding an expectation (for yourself or others) 2. Behaving in accordance with that expectation 3. The expectation coming to pass 4. Reinforcing the original expectation
question
self-imposed prophecies
answer
occur when your own expectations influence your behavior.
question
Chapter 3
answer
...
question
What influences our perceptions?
answer
1. Physiological influences 2. Cultural differences 3. Social Rules 4. Self-concept
question
Ethnocentrism
answer
belief of one culture is superior to another
question
Perception Process
answer
1. Selection 2. Organization 3. Interpretation 4. Negotiation
question
Selection
answer
-we attend to certain stimuli and ignore other cues (is what catches our attention) -if you really like something you may ignore its flaws
question
Organization
answer
-after selecting your info, you will organize it in some meaningful way (perceptual schema) -appearance, social roles, interaction style, psychologic traits, membership -organizing is not stereotyping
question
Interpretation
answer
-after you select and organize your perception you'll interpret what it means to you -degree of involvement, personal experience, assumption about human behavior, attitudes, expectations, knowledge, self concept, relational satisfaction
question
Negotiation
answer
-after forming your opinion, interpersonal communication requires you to share it (your personal story)
question
Perception checking
answer
is a tool for helping you understand others accurately instead of assuming that your first interpretation is correct
question
Elements of Perception Checking
answer
1. A description of the behavior you noticed 2. At least two possible interpretations of the behavior 3. A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior
question
Halo Effect
answer
the tendency to form an overall positive impression of a person on the basis on one positive characteristic
question
Empathy
answer
the ability to re-create another persons perspective (from personal experience) to experience the world from another's point of view
question
Sympathy
answer
viewing the other person's situation from your point of view (sympathy is used more often)
question
Pillow Method
answer
A method for understanding an issue from several perspectives rather than with an egocentric "I'm right you're wrong" attitude 1. Im right, your wrong 2. You're right, I'm wrong 3. Both right, both wrong 4. The issue isn't important 5. There's truth in all perspectives
question
Fallacy within perceptions
answer
The fallacy of perfection The fallacy of approval The fallacy of shoulds The fallacy of overgeneralization The fallacy of causation The fallacy of helplessness The fallacy of catastrophic expectations (expect the worse)
question
Chapter 4
answer
...
question
Communication shapes our feelings, and feelings shape our communcation
answer
True
question
Communication Channels
answer
email, instant messaging, cell phones, social media sites, PDAs, blogging, and face to face
question
Debilitative emotion
answer
emotions of high intensity and long duration that prevent a person from functioning effectively
question
Facilitative emotions
answer
emotions that contribute to effective functioning (you should be a little nervous before an interview)
question
Responsibility of emotions
answer
Recognize your feelings -Identify what emotions you're feeling Accept responsibility for your feelings -No one 'makes' you feel a certain way Consider when and where to express your feelings Be mindful of the communication channel
question
Chapter 5
answer
...
question
Meanings are in people, not in words
answer
True
question
The meanings people associate with words have a far more significance than do their dictionary definitions
answer
True
question
Language is symbolic
answer
True
question
Symbols enable more effective communication, not all languages use the same symbols
answer
True
question
Messages mean different things to different people
answer
"Take a little of the top," means one thing to you and another to the barber
question
Semantic rule
answer
The way users of a language assign meaning to a word (bikes are for riding and books are for reading)
question
Abstract language
answer
language that is vague in nature (Example: You need to have a better attitude)
question
Behavioral language
answer
Specific things people say or do (Example: You need to complain less about working overtime on weekends)
question
"I" language is a way of accepting responsibility for a message. In contrast, "you" language expresses a judgement of the other person.
answer
True
question
"I" statements
answer
clearly identifies the speaker as the source of a message. "It" vs. "I" statements: "It bothers me when you're late" "I'm worried when you're late" "It's nice to see you." "I'm glad to see you"
question
"But" statements
answer
the word "but" cancels the thought before it -"You're a really great person, but I think we should see other people"
question
Research suggests that names are more than just means of identifications
answer
True
question
Names can shape and reinforce a child's identity
answer
True
question
Gender and Language
answer
Content Reasons for communicating Conversational style Male: music, current events, sports, business, other men Female: personal subjects, relationships, family, health, reproductive matters
question
The goals of almost all ordinary conservations contain..
answer
-Being friendly -Showing interest -Talking about topics that interest the other person
question
Women ask more questions in mixed-sex conversations
answer
...
question
Men tend to interrupt more in mixed-sex conversations
answer
...
question
Women use conversation to pursue social needs
answer
...
question
Paralanguage
answer
nonverbal, vocal messages. The way a message is spoken can give the same word or words many meanings.
question
Relational dimensions
answer
signals about the relationship in which a message is being communicated
question
Chapter 6
answer
...
question
Proxemics
answer
is the study of the way people and animals use space. (Physical space) There are at least two dimensions of proxemics: distance and territoriality -Intimate distance skin contact to 18 inches -Personal distance 18 inches to 4 feet -Social distance 4 feet to 12 feet -Public distance 12 feet and outward Territory remains stationary: Any geographical area such as a work area, room, house, or other physical space to which we assume is "ours" is our territory.
question
nonverbal communication
answer
messages expressed by nonlinguistic means
question
Voice in nonverbal communications
answer
tone, rate, pitch, volume, even through pauses.
question
Use of touch
answer
Haptics: the study of touching Touch can communicate many messages and signal a variety of relationships such as the following: -Function/professional (dental exam, haircut) -Social/Polite (handshake) -Friendship/warmth (pat on the back) -Sexual arousal (kisses) -Aggression (shoves, slaps)
question
Nonverbal behavior - compared to men, women:
answer
-Smile more -Use more facial expressions -Use more head, hand, and arm gestures (but less expansive gestures) -Touch others more -Stand closer to others -Are more vocally expressive -Make more eye contact
question
In general, females are usually more nonverbally expressive, and they are better at recognizing others' nonverbal behavior
answer
...
