Communication

Question 1

What are the three types of knowledge we must acquire?

Answer 1

Content of the language(what), form of the language(how), use of the language(use).

Question 2

What are the two main theories of language development?

Answer 2

Chomsky’s innate theory and Bruner’s learned theory.

Question 3

Explain Chomsky’s innate theory.

Answer 3

• He said we are programmed from birth
• Based on a hypothetical tool that is hardwired into the brain called the language acquisition device.
• LAD is not a section of the brain but a combination of underlying processes.
• Used the LAD to explain why children are able to acquire language and understand grammar and syntax so quickly.

Question 4

State some limitations of Chomsky’s theory.

Answer 4

• Very little attention given to the environment the child was raised in.
• Didn’t study real kids.
• Not sufficient reference made to the interactions between child and caregiver.

Question 5

How does the language acquisition device work? And state its three rules.

Answer 5

• Chomsky proposed each child was born with a LAD that holds the fundamental rules for language.

1. Universal language rules
2. Surface structure rules
3. Deep structure rules

Question 6

Explain Bruner’s learned theory.

Answer 6

• Believed children learned through interactions with others. (mostly parents talking to children through shared activities)
• Children have the innate ability to learn but interaction with others provides the necessary framework to encourage talk and to facilitate the learning of language.
• We learn using the LAD and the LASS.

Question 7

What are the 2 components of the LASS?

Answer 7

1. Child component: innate ability to learn (LAD)

2. Adult component: social and instructional frameworks to encourage talk and facilitate the learning of language.

Question 8

How does the LASS work?

Answer 8

FORMATS: children learn through routines.
SCAFFOLDING: as the child grows the mother will raise the expectations of language development in the routine.

Question 9

State the limitations of Bruner’s theory.

Answer 9

• Some parents/mothers don’t have structured routines/ talk to their child about what they are doing.
• Parents/mothers may not pick up on errors/misconceptions

Question 10

What supports the idea that language is learnt through interactions?

Answer 10

REFERENCES: direct attention with a nonverbal clue.

JOINT ATTENTION: shared focus of 2 individuals on an object.

Question 11

Define communication.

Answer 11

Sending and receiving information between 2 or more people.

Question 12

What can communication be affected by?

Answer 12

• Content of the message
• How the content is conveyed
• Different Communication styles

Question 13

Define communication styles?

Answer 13

• Depends of our gender, our socioeconomic background and culture.
• Involves accents, vocabulary, grammar and ideas being expressed.

Question 14

State what psychologist studied gender differences and what she found?

Answer 14

• Deborah Tannen
• Men and women have completely different styles of communication and that understanding the differences can help us avoid conflict.

Question 15

Outline some characteristic of female communication styles.

Answer 15

• Rapport talk(establishing relationships, developing understanding and negotiating differences)
• Prefer private conversations
• More indirect
• Make more confirmatory noises

Question 16

Outline some characteristic of male communication styles.

Answer 16

• Report talk(talking is about Information)
• Comfortable being centre stage when telling jokes or stories.
• Talking is used to gain and hold audiences attention as well as negotiating and maintaining status
• More direct

Question 17

Who was the psychologist that studied socioeconomic background and what did he claim?

Answer 17

Basil Bernstein, people from different class systems use different forms of language and different codes. 
Suggested that lower (working) classes used restricted code while middle to upper class used both restricted and elaborative.

Question 18

Define a language code. What are the 2 types of codes?

Answer 18

The structure of a written or verbal sentence.
RESTRICTED: short simple sentences
ELABORATIVE: complex precise sentences

Question 19

What are three characteristics of restricted code?

Answer 19

• few descriptive words used
• abstract ideas rarely expressed
• short simple sentences

Question 20

What are three characteristics of elaborative code?

Answer 20

• many descriptive words used
• abstract ideas expressed often
• complex precise sentences

Question 21

Who opposed Bernstein and what was his reasoning?

Answer 21

Labov opposed Bernstein by saying that using a restricted code does not show that their language is deficient it just shows that it is different. He found Black English Vernacular to be just as complex and rule governed as standard English.

Question 22

Define Persuasion?

Answer 22

persuasion involves trying to change the beliefs, feelings and behavior of another person or group!

Question 23

How persuasive a message is depends on what?

Answer 23

• The route to persuasion
• The source of the message
• The nature of the communication
• The characteristics of the audience

Question 24

What are the two routes to persuasion and who stated them?

Answer 24

Petty and Cacioppa (1986) stated that the two routes to persuasion are central and peripheral.

Question 25

Explain the central route to persuasion.

Answer 25

• consists of thoughtful consideration of the content of the message by the receiver.
• sees the receiver as an active participant in the process of persuasion.
• relies on the listener to care about the topic and understand the persuasive message

Question 26

Explain the peripheral route of persuasion?

Answer 26

• occurs when the listener decides whether to agree with a message based on cues rather than the content of the message.
• may use emotional statements, colours, music, attractive people.

Question 27

Three things that influence a listener most are?

Answer 27

• people with expertise
• fast talkers
• trust in the speaker

Question 28

What do advertisers attempt to change to persuade listeners?

Answer 28

• inducing fear
• inducing a good mood (humor)
• the use of media (tv, radio, print)