Models and Theories

Question 1

Diffusion of innovation helps us know how to best communicate and diffuse an idea or product. What are the 4 elements of the process?

Answer 1

1. Explains how people adopt or reject change, ideas or products
2. Reveals why major change is not accomplished in a brief time
3. Reveals why it cannot be accomplished through news media alone
4. Emphasizes why channels of interpersonal communication are the most effective

Question 2

What are the 5 stages within the diffusion of innovation process?

Answer 2

1. Awareness
2. Interest
3. Evaluation
4. Trial
5. Adoption

Question 3

What are the 5 types of people within the theory of diffusion?

Answer 3

1. Innovators
2. Early adopters
3. Early majority
4. Majority
5. Laggards (nonadopters)

(your communication plan should address each of these types of people)

Question 4

The 7 Cs of communications

Answer 4

Clarity
Context
Content
Credibility
Continuity
Channel
Capability

Question 5

What are the 4 elements that make up public opinion?

Answer 5

Opinion - view or judgement

Belief - a state or habit of mind in which trust is placed on someone or something.

Attitude - mental position with regard to a fact, feeling or emotion toward a fact

Value - intrinsically valuable, esteemed

Question 6

Describe the public opinion process.

Answer 6

1. Existing mass opinion
2. Issue arises
3. Publics form (divided groups)
4. Public debate
5. Time
6. New public opinion
7. Social action/change
8. Mass sentiment

Question 7

What elements are in Shannon and Weaver’s first model of communication? What was it missing?

Answer 7

Sender - Message - Channel - Noise/interference - Receiver. Communications often blame the audience for not accepting the message, but it is often that the sender, encoding process or channels chosen were not applied correctly.

It was missing feedback.

Question 8

Overcoming barriers to effective communication (3 ways).

Answer 8

1. Design and deliver message so that it gets the attention of intended audience.
2. Relate to common experiences between the source and destination.
3. Offer a way to meet personality needs appropriate to the group situation the receiver is in at the time.

Question 9

In a crowded message environment, what’s is the first, second, third, and fourth tasks of a PR communication?

Answer 9

1. Get attention of target publics
2. Stimulate interest in message
3. Build desire
4. Direct action

Question 10

Grunig’s Four Models of Public Relations

Answer 10

1 - Press Agentry / Publicity
2 - Public Information Model
3 - One-way Asymmetrical Model
4 - Two-way Symmetrical Model