Chapter 1

Question 1

channel

Answer 1

The medium through which a
message passes from sender to receiver.

ex: face-to-face media, phones, other screens

Question 2

cognitive complexity

Answer 2

The ability to understand issues from a variety of perspectives.

Question 3

communication

Answer 3

The process of creating meaning through symbolic interaction.

Question 4

communication competence

Answer 4

The ability to achieve one’s goals through
communication and, ideally, maintain
healthy relationships.

Question 5

decode

Answer 5

To attach meaning to a message.

Question 6

dyadic communication

Answer 6

Two-person
communication.

Question 7

encode

Answer 7

To put thoughts into symbols, most commonly words

Question 8

feedback

Answer 8

A receiver’s response to a
sender’s message.

Question 8

enviornment

Answer 8

Both the physical setting in which communication occurs and the personal perspectives of the parties involved.

Question 9

intrapersonal communication

Answer 9

Communication that occurs within a
single person.

(ex: talking to yourself)

Question 10

linear communication model

Answer 10

A characterization of communication as a
one-way event in which a message “fows
from sender to receiver

Question 11

mass communication

Answer 11

The transmission of messages to large, usually
widespread audiences via TV, Internet,
movies, magazines, and other forms of
mass media.

Question 12

media

Answer 12

Communication mechanisms such as phones and computers used to convey messages between people.

Question 13

message

Answer 13

A sender’s planned and unplanned words and nonverbal behaviors

Question 14

organizational communication

Answer 14

Interaction among members of a relatively large, permanent structure (such
as a non-profit agency or business) in
order to pursue shared goals.

Question 15

noise

Answer 15

External, physiological, and
psychological distractions that interfere
with the accurate transmission and reception of a message

Question 16

public communication

Answer 16

Communication that occurs when a group is too large for everyone to contribute. It is
characterized by an unequal amount
of speaking and by limited verbal
feedback
(ex: giving a presentation)

Question 17

self-monitoring

Answer 17

Paying close attention to one’s own behavior and using these observations to make
effective choices.

Question 18

sender

Answer 18

The originator of a message.

Question 19

small-group communication

Answer 19

Communication within a group of a size
such that every member can participate
actively with the other members

Question 20

symbol

Answer 20

An arbitrary sign used to represent a thing, person, idea, or event in ways that make communication possible.

Question 21

transactional communication model

Answer 21

A characterization of communication as the simultaneous sending and receiving of messages in an ongoing process that involves feedback and includes unintentional (often ambiguous) messages.