Models & Theories

Question 1

What is third-person affect?

Answer 1

When a person lacks information about other people’s opinions, he/she thinks others will think and behave as he/she would.

Question 2

What is two-step flow theory?

Answer 2

People are influenced by communications from both opinion leaders and mass media; this can have internal and external application.

Question 3

What is the spiral of silence?

Answer 3

People constantly monitor the opinion climate around them. They perceive the majority viewpoint. Those who disagree keep silent. They are afraid of social isolation if they buck the majority view.

Question 4

What is Attribution theory?

Answer 4

To understand or explain circumstances, events or phenomenon, communicators assign (attribute) cause(s) to events.

Question 5

What is Wilbur-Schramm theory?

Answer 5

By analyzing and understanding the different frames of reference for each group, the pr professional can minimize communication barriers by finding common ground and building a messaging approach that resonates with both groups.

Question 6

What is framing theory?

Answer 6

Framing situations/topics that allows relevant stakeholders to look at it in the desired light; instructing an audience how to think about an issue.

Question 7

What is innoculation?

Answer 7

People are more
likely to resist persuasive messages if those
people have been exposed to
counterarguments in advance. People are less
likely to change opinions they have already
formed and tested.

Question 8

What is rhetoric message theory?

Answer 8

The rhetorical approach uses
information about the communicator (SPOKESPERSON), the logic of the message and the emotional appeal of the message to describe and predict how effective a message will be.

Question 9

What is the two-way symmetrical model?

Answer 9

The two-way symmetrical model emphasizes two-way open communication, the sharing of information (research), and an attempt to adjust the organization to the public and the public to the organization.

Question 10

What is diffusion of innovation?

Answer 10

Everett Rogers’ theory describes how people
adopt new products or ideas. Personality traits influence how people approach new things.
The theory proposes five personality
categories: innovators, early adopters, early
majority, late majority and laggards.

Question 11

What are the stages of diffusion theory?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Who are diffusion theory audiences?

Answer 12

1. Innovators
2. Early adopters
3. Early majority
   CRITICAL MASS
4. Majority
5. Non-adopters

Question 13

What is the Shannon and Weaver model?

Answer 13

A sender > A message > A channel where the message travels > noise or interference > a receiver

Question 14

What is a system?

Answer 14

A system is a set of interacting units that endures through time by responding and adjusting to change pressures to achieve and maintain goals

Question 15

What is a closed system?

Answer 15

A system with impermeable boundaries so they cannot exchange matter, energy or information with their environments. They do not adapt to external change and eventually disintegrate.

Question 16

What is an open system?

Answer 16

Open systems exchange input and output with their environment through permeable boundaries. Recognize and respond to environmental change. Most successful.

Question 17

What is a homeostatis goal state?

Answer 17

One that although relatively stable, are subject to change as the result of system inputs

Question 18

What is morphogensis goal state?

Answer 18

Changes in the structure and process of open systems. Refers to system growth.

Question 19

What are cybernetics?

Answer 19

Study of the input-output process in a system.
1. Goals established
2. Outputs related to goals
3. Feedback on output
4. Comparison of a new system state
5. The need for corrective output

Question 20

What is characteristic of reactive PR program?

Answer 20

Employs a closed systems approach; activates only when disturbed.

Question 21

What is characteristic of proactive PR program?

Answer 21

Using “radar” to gather information, make adjustments and general outputs to avoid problems. Employs open system approach. Casts PR in role of bringing mutual change in environment and organization.

Question 22

What is functionary PR role?

Answer 22

Closed system approach. Only concerned with supplying info on org to environment, not on environment to org. No feedback info is supplied. Maintain status quo while trying to change publics.

Question 23

What is functional PR role?

Answer 23

Open systems approach. Changing both org and environment. Relationships between the org and its publics are maintained or changed on the basis of reciprocal feedback.

Question 24

What is the difference between communications and public relations?

Answer 24

Public relations is about building and maintaining relationships between orgs and stakeholder publics. Communication, reciprocal process of exchanging information to inform, persuade or instruct, is “done” as part of the four-step of strategic process. Sending a message (dissemination) is not the same as communication.

Question 25

What is the first task of PR in a crowded messaging environment?

Answer 25

To get the attention of the targeted publics.
Then…stimulate interest, build desire and intention to act, direct the action.

Question 26

What are the four steps in the process of informing?

Answer 26

1. Attracting attention
2. Achieving acceptance
3. Interpreted as intended
4. Message stored for later
   (5. Accepting change)

Question 27

What is agenda-setting theory?

Answer 27

Mass media can have a substantial and important impact on what people think about and what they think; results in large measure from repetition of messaging

Question 28

What is issue salience vs. pertinence?

Answer 28

Salience determines the prominence and penetration the issue has with the audience; how well it resonates with each public. People are about what is close to their own interest.

Pertinence is the value found by making object-by-object comparisons.

Question 29

What is cognitive priming?

Answer 29

The personal experience or connection that someone has with an issue. Previous or personal exposure to an issue stimulates interest in that issue’s media coverage.

Question 30

What is the definition of public opinion?

Answer 30

The ONGOING social process of forming, expressing and adjusting ideals that impact collective behavior. A sense of common-ness vs. consensus.

Question 31

What are the dimensions of public opinion?

Answer 31

DISIS
1. Direction - yes/no response to a survey question
2. Intensity - how strongly people feel about their opinions
3. Stability - how long people have held or will hold feeling on an issue
4. Informational support - how much knowledge people hold about the object of their opinion
5. Social support - the extent to which people their opinions are share

Question 32

What is orientation vs. co-orientation?

Answer 32

Orientation is perception of issues or objects in one’s environment and perceptions of significant others’ views; Co-orientation is when two or more individuals orientations include the same issues or objects and each other, they are in a state of co-orientation.

Question 33

What is attitude vs. opinion?

Answer 33

Attitude is based on a lifetime of accumulating and evaluating information and experiences; Opinion is the judgement expressed in a specific situation or circumstances; generally considered to be verbal.