COM110 Lesson 1 Key Terms

Question 1

Source/encoder

Answer 1

Any person or thing that creates messages; for example, an individual speaking, writing, or gesturing, or a computer solving a problem.

Question 2

Receiver/decoder

Answer 2

Any person or thing that takes in messages. Receivers may be individuals listening to or reading a message, a group of persons hearing a speech, a scattered television audience, or machines that store information.

Question 3

Feedback

Answer 3

Information that is given back to the source. Feedback may come from the source’s own message (as when you hear what you’re saying) or from the receiver(s) – in forms such as applause, yawning, puzzled looks, questions, letters to the editor of a newspaper or increased or decreased subscription to a magazine.

Question 4

Feedforward

Answer 4

Information that is sent before a regular message, telling the listener something about what is to follow; messages that are prefatory to more central messages.

Question 5

Message

Answer 5

Any signal or combination of signals that serves as a signal for the receiver.

Question 6

Channel

Answer 6

The vehicle or medium through which signals are sent; for example, the vocal-auditory channel.

Question 7

Context

Answer 7

The physical, psychological, social, and temporal environment in which communication takes place.

Question 8

Noise

Answer 8

Anything that interferes with your receiving the message as the source intended the message to be received. Noise is present in communication to the extent that the message sent is not the message received.

Question 9

Interpersonal communication

Answer 9

Communication between two persons or among a small group of persons and distinguished from public or mass communication; communication of a personal nature and distinguished from impersonal communication; communication between or among connected persons or those involved in a close relationship.

Question 10

Critical thinking

Answer 10

The process of logically evaluation reasons and evidence and reaching a judgement on the basis of an analysis.

Question 11

Cultural context

Answer 11

Consists of the rules, norms, beliefs, and attitudes of the people communicating that are passed from one generation to another.

Question 12

Cultural assimilation

Answer 12

The process by which people leave behind their culture of origin, and take on the values and beliefs of another culture; as when, for example, immigrants give up their native culture to become members of their new adopted culture.

Question 13

Transactional view

Answer 13

A view of communication as an ongoing process in which all elements are interdependent and influence one another.

Question 14

Decide (acronym)

Answer 14

A communication decision-making model with six steps: 1) define goal. 2) Evaluate receiver/situation. 3) Create message. 4) Identify communication method. 5) Deliver message. 6) Evaluate feedback and repeat process.