exam 1 Flashcards
perspective
the way in which our shared meanings and practices are constituted through language and symbol, the construction of messages, and their dissemination through media, organizations, and society.
aggregates
a whole formed by combining several (typically disparate) elements.
small group
interaction that takes place with three or more people
team
clear focused, and defined task
→is a coordinated group of individuals organized to work together to achieve a specific, common goal.
transactional
Meaning that when we communicate, we send and receive messages simultaneously.
dyad
communication between two people
distributed teams
team where all members are physically located away from each other, operating within different time zones
social facilitation
the tendency for people to work harder simply because others are present
social loafing
expect others to pull weight for you, tend to slug off, don’t put forth the effort
distribution of responsibility
occurs when people who need to make a decision wait for someone else to act instead. The more people involved, the more likely it is that each person will do nothing, believing someone else from the group will probably respond.
coordination deficits
a failure of the acquisition of skills in both gross and fine movements
individualism
individual autonomy and initiative are valued;
collectivism
collective well-being takes precedence over individual achievement
primary group
group whose purpose is to give people a way to fulfill their need to associate with others. Ex. family and friends
secondary group
accomplish a task/goal
-problem-solving -decision making
-study groups -therapy groups
study groups
The main goal of these groups is to gather information and learn new ideas.
therapy group
seeing psychologists and taking medication helps group members work on personal problems or provides encouragement and support to help manage stress.
t-group
tavirstalk group, not psych problem but self-help. Ex. AA and weight loss camp
problem solving group
exists to overcome some unsatisfactory situation or obstacles to achieving a goal.
decision-making group
To choose among several alternatives. The group must identify the possible choices, dis- cuss the consequences, and then select the alternative that best meets a need or achieves the goal of the group or parent organization.
committee
a group of people elected or appointed for a specific task.
standing committee
which remains active for an extended time period,
ad hoc committee
which disbands when its special task has been completed
quality circle
a group of workers who do the same or similar work, who meet regularly to identify, analyze and solve work-related problems
focus group
a small group of people who are asked to focus on a particular topic or issue so that others can better understand the group’s responses to the topic or issue presented.
virtual small group communication
Three or more people collaborate from different physical locations, perform interdependent tasks, have shared responsibility for the outcome of the work, and rely on some form of technology to communicate with one another.
sychronous communication
occur instantly and simultaneously, with no time delay between sending and receiving a message.
asynchronous communication
is not read, heard, or seen at the same time you send the message; there is a time delay between sending and receiving a message.
electronic meeting systems
a type of computer software that facilitates creative problem solving and decision-making of groups within or across organizations.
group decision support system
is an interactive computer-based system used to facilitate the solution of unstructured problems by a set of decision-makers working together as a group
social presence
the subjective experience of being present with a “real” person and having access to his or her thoughts and emotions
competent communicator
able to assess what is going to be appropriate and effective in a given context and then modify their behaviors accordingly
eureka tasks
easily understandable tasks
→ truth wins
→ most easy
provable tasks
prove what the answer is; not easy to explain
→ truth supported
expert judgment
correct answer is what experts arrive at
→ make claims contradictory to one another
→ best member
truth wins
social decision scheme, Eureka
→ at least one person with the correct answer, then group will lead itself to correct answer (before discussion)
truth supported wins
provable tasks
→ at least two people in the group must have the right answer before the discussion for the group to get the right answer
best member strategy
social decision scheme, exp judge
→ answer of best member, group will perform at this level
staticized groups
groups we analyze statistically but don’t interact or comm with
freely interacting groups
communication taking place, common goal
assembly effect bonus
process gain
→performed stronger than what was predicted
synergy
whole is greater than the sum of its parts
process loss
performs less than what we would have predicted due to faulty communication processes
symbolic signs
no resemblance to that which they represent. No natural connection between the sign and what it represents. Made up a relationship. People make up those relationships. Ex. the word tree does not resemble what it represents.
signs
is anything used to represent something other than what it is. Never can be used to represent itself
iconic signs
resemblance to that of which they represent. Ex. drawings
indexical signs
cause or sequential relationship between the sign and that it represents. The sign is caused by something or causes something to occur. Ex. smoke=fire
intentionality
a way of communicating that deliberately fosters social and emotional skill development
verbal communication
the use of words, common signs, and sounds to encode a message to the receiver
nonverbal communication
the transfer of information through body language, facial expressions, gestures, created space and more
systems theory
open system composed of interdependent elements
open systems
a system that has external interactions. Such interactions can take the form of information, energy, or material transfers into or out of the system boundary, depending on the discipline which defines the concept.
closed systems
operate on their own with little or no influence from the outside world
process theories
explain group and team phenomena
method theories
take a prescriptive approach to small group communication. These how-to theories are particularly useful in establishing formats for solving problems and resolving conflicts in a group.
input
brought into a system from outside its boundaries
output
outcomes of a group process
process
a series of actions or steps taken in order to successfully communicate
system
set of interrelated parts that come together to form a coherent, unified whole
interdependance
parts of a system, interconnected with one another in such a way that a change in one will result in a change in all
explicit rules
the specific information conveyed in written or spoken words;clear, direct, straightforward, and intentional
implicit rules
the “unwritten,” and generally understood and agreed upon, rules that play a significant role in the lives of group members
rules
determine how the group structures itself and performs tasks, and how group members talk to one another.
→a prescription for acceptable behavior.
profit
equals rewards minus costs; as long as rewards exceed costs, a relationship remains attractive.
rewards
pleasurable outcomes associated with particular behaviors
costs
include such things as mental effort, anxiety, or even embarrassment.
fantasy themes
consists of the common or related content of the stories the group tells.
fantasy chain
a string of connected stories that revolve around a common theme.
fantasy
the creative and imaginative shared interpretation of events that fulfills a group’s need to make sense of its experience and to anticipate its future.
structuration
provides a general framework that explains how people structure their groups by making active use of rules and resources
duality of structure
refers to the fact that social structures are simultaneously produced and modified by human agents and are used as resources; structures are dual in the sense that they are both the medium and outcome of the interactions and institutions they recursively organize.
resources
a physical or logical device that provides a single bidirectional, asynchronous data stream
body synchrony
rhythmic synchronization between the body movements of interacting partners
perception checking
being able to describe what is happening in a given situation, provide multiple interpretations of events or behaviors, and ask yourself and others questions for clarification
hidden agendas
a situation in which someone secretly tries to achieve a particular thing while they appear to be doing something else
