Chapter 2 - Perspectives on Human Communication Flashcards
Theory
A set of statements that explains a particular phenomenon.
Paradigm
Belief system that represents a particular world view.
Methods
The specific ways that scholars collect and analyze data which they then use to prove or disprove their theories.
Rhetoricaians
Scholars who study the art of public speaking and the art of persuasion.
Elocutionists
Scholars in the 19th century who promoted the study of the mechanics of public speaking, including proper pronunciation, grammar, and gestures.
What are three contemporary approaches to studying communication?
- The Social Science Approach
- The Interpretive Approach
- The Critical Approach
Why don’t communication scholars agree on the best way to study communication?
The communication discipline is interdisciplinary in nature - it’s paradigms, theories, and methods have been influenced by different disciplines over the years.
Social Science Approach
Contemporary term for the behaviorist approach.
Behaviorism
The focus on the study of behavior as a science.
Naturalistic
Relating to everyday, real-life situations, such as a classroom, cafe, or shopping mall.
Quantitative Methods
Methods that convert data to numerical indicators, and then analyze these numbers using statistics to establish relationships among the concepts.
Demand-Withdrawl
An interaction pattern in which one partner criticizes or tries to change the other partner, who responds by becoming defensive and the disengaging - either psychologically or physically.
Attachment
An emotional tie, such as the closeness young children develop with their caregivers.
What are the underlying assumptions of the social science approach?
- There are universal laws within communication that are universal.
- Predictions are possible because reality is both observable and describable.
Identify at least two social science theories that address interpersonal conflict.
- Demand-Withdrawl
2. Attachment
What is the overall guideline for ethical research, according to the social science scholars?
All participants must be informed about all aspects of the research process.
What are the strengths and limitations of the social science?
Strength: Identifies communication patterns and associations among variables.
Limitation: Does not focus on the influence of power or societal forces.
Interpretive Approach
Contemporary term for humanistic (rhetorical) study.
Rhetoric
Communication that is used to influence the attitudes or behaviors of others; the art of persuasion.
Humanism
A system of thought that celebrates human nature and its potential.
Qualitative Methods
Methods in which researchers study naturally occurring communication rather than assembling data and converting it to numbers.
Content Analysis
Approach to understanding communication that focuses on specific aspects of the content of a text or group of texts.
Ethnographic
Relating to studies in which researchers actively engage with participants.
Rhetorical Analysis
Used by researchers to examine texts or public speeches as they occur in society with the aim of interpreting textual meaning.
What are the underlying assumptions of the interpretive approach?
- Humans construct their own reality.
2. Researchers mist tap into these constructions for a full understanding of human communication.
Identify at least two interpretive research methods.
- Qualitative Methods
- Content Analysis
- Ethnographic Methods
- Rhetorical Analysis
What is the overall guideline for ethical concerns of interpretive researchers?
A researcher’s relationship with participants involves being friendly but at the same time maintaining sufficient scholarly distance and disengaging appropriately from participants after the research is completed.
What are the strengths and limitations of the interpretive approach?
Strength: Emphasizes in-depth study of communication.
Limitations: Limited number of participants; does not focus on power or societal forces.
Critical Approach
An approach used not only to understand human behavior but ultimately change society.
Textual Analysis
Similar to rhetorical analysis; used to analyze cultural “products,” such as media and public speeches.
What are the underlying assumptions of the critical approach?
- By examining power differences and writing about them, people gain the awareness they need to resist societal forces.
- Resistance might be expressed in a number of ways.
- Reality is subjective.
Identify at least two critical methods that address conflict.
- Textual Analysis
2. Field Observation
What are two ethical concerns of critical researchers?
- The way in which researchers and other scholars present the worldview of others.
- Critical researchers have a rather distant relationship to the objects of their study.
What are the strengths and limitations of the critical approach?
Strength: Emphasizes power relations in communication interactions; recognizes societal impacts on communication.
Limitation: Does not focus on face-to-face communication.
Why is it important to draw from all three research approaches in studying communication?
Each approach offers a unique way to view communication, even though they may sometimes contradict each other.
What does each research approach contribute to the synergetic model of communication?
The Social Science Approach seeks snapshots of certain communication phenomena and from them attempts to find universal laws that explain human communication.
The Interpretive Approach uses content analysis, ethnographic field studies, and rhetorical analysis to take a more individualized, specific look at human communication.
The Critical Approach seeks to uncover the element of power that exists in every interaction and to use communication analysis to effect social change.
