Psychology in media Flashcards
communication
Human communication is a relational activity where symbols are exchanged between parties with an intention, from which meanings emerge. This applies even when a person is talking to themselves, as it involves a form of relational activity (Pearson et al., 2011, p. 10). For example, someone reflecting silently, writing in a personal journal, or talking aloud to unfold a problem is engaging in a communicative process, often to prepare for future interactions with others
Context
The framework in which communication occurs, encompassing several dimensions
Roles
Communication involves exchanging roles between sender and receiver.
Messages
a set of symbols shared by the sender through various channels
Channels
The medium through which messages travel
Noise
any interference that affects message reception
Effects
The outcomes or consequences of communication
Intrapersonal Communication
Communication within oneself, often in the form of internal conversations or thoughts
Interpersonal Communication
Communication between two or more people, the most frequent mode in daily life
Group Communication
Communication among three or more people working toward a common goal
Public Communication
Communication where the sender addresses an audience orally or in written form
Mass Communication
Communication through traditional media (e.g., TV, radio, newspapers) or new digital platforms like social media
Computer-Mediated Communication
Communication that occurs through an interface, usually a computer or mobile device screen
Relational Activity
Communication involves the exchange of symbols addressed to someone with an intention, from which meanings emerge
Intrapersonal Communication
Even self-communication (e.g., journaling, silent reflection) is relational as it often prepares for interpersonal interactions
Symbolic Structure
Uses signs, words, graphics, and gestures.
Symbols are arbitrary, created by people to represent objects, emotions, or situations (Pearson et al., 2011).
Misunderstanding occurs when one party doesn’t grasp the symbolic structure (e.g., unfamiliar language).
Complexity of Human Communication:
Human communication is not univocal; messages are subject to varying interpretations.
Communication psychology explores the internal mental processes during the exchange of symbols, including:
Reception: Collecting sensory signals of a message.
Processing: Assigning personal meaning through integration with knowledge, experiences, and emotions.
Effects: Generating responses such as language, gestures, behaviors, attitudes, or internal reflections.
Pervasiveness
Emotions influence all communication stages from reception to response.
Attitudes as Emotional Drivers:
Attitudes are learned orientations (positive/negative) toward objects, people, or situations.
They shape responses based on:
Sentimental components (trust, hatred, curiosity).
Behavioral components (habits, actions).
Cognitive components (beliefs, values).
Cognitive Dissonance:
Emotional discomfort from conflicting ideas (Festinger, 1957).
Drives resolution by opting for alignment with existing beliefs.
Weaver’s Definition
Communication is the process by which one mind influences another.
Interaction model
Incorporates feedback as a response to received messages.
Communication is seen as an alternating process between sender and receiver.
Relevant in interpersonal and organizational communication, emphasizing feedback loops.
Transaction Model
Postulates communication as a simultaneous and cooperative process.
Focuses on creating shared social realities and new meanings.
Essential for studying cultural communication, relationship dynamics, and community building.
Linear Model:
Best suited for mass communication and technical message delivery.
One Cannot Not Communicate
Explanation:
Every behavior in an interaction conveys a message.
Communication is multi-faceted: verbal, tonal, postural, and contextual modes influence meaning.
Content and Relationship Levels in Communication
Explanation:
Communication includes:
Content Level: The literal message.
Relationship Level: Defines how participants understand their relationship.
The relationship level often acts as a “meta-message” that frames the content.
The Punctuation of the Sequence of Facts
Explanation:
Communication involves different interpretations (punctuations) of shared situations.
Misaligned punctuations can lead to conflict; aligned ones foster cooperation.
Digital and Analogical Communication
Explanation:
Communication occurs on two levels:
Digital: Words and symbols (e.g., verbal language).
Analogical: Non-verbal cues (e.g., gestures, tone, expressions).
These levels can complement or contradict each other.
Symmetrical and Complementary Interaction
Explanation:
Relationships are based on two interaction modes:
Symmetrical: Equality-driven; parties mirror each other’s roles and behaviors.
Complementary: Difference-driven; roles are distinct but interdependent.
Explicit Communication
Definition: Direct, clear, and precise verbal communication (Yus, 2022, p. 487).
Characteristics:
Open and less ambiguous.
Focused on clarity and precision.
Example: Saying, “I am upset because you missed the meeting.”
Implicit Communication
Definition: Indirect, ambiguous, and non-verbal cues conveying meaning (Lausic, 2005, p. 5).
Characteristics:
Covert, puzzling, and relies on inference.
Meaning is often subtle and context-dependent.
Example: A person sighing or avoiding eye contact to signal frustration.
Metacommunication
Definition: Communication about communication (Bavelas, 2021, p. 8).
Purpose:
Makes implicit communication explicit.
Clarifies meaning by discussing how the message is delivered and understood.
Example: Asking, “When you said that, did you mean you were upset with me?”
Syntactics
Studies the structure of signs and their grammatical relationships.
Semantics
Concerns the meaning of symbols and codes (Watzlawick et al., 1967, p. 23).
Pragmatics
Explores how communication affects behavior and interaction between speakers and listeners (Hook et al., 2011, p. 107).
Perception:
The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information (Communication in the Real World, 2016, p. 52).
Guides thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and decisions.
Shapes personal reality—what is perceived as THE reality is a subjective creation (Taylor, 2019, para. 6; Beauchamp & Baran, 2015, p. 11).
Stimulus Selection
Definition: The first stage of perception, focusing attention on specific stimuli.
Salience: Stimuli that stand out from the usual are more likely to capture attention.
Stimulus Organization
Definition: Categorizing selected stimuli based on patterns from past experiences
Interpretation of Stimuli
Definition: Assigning meaning to selected and organized stimuli based on personal experiences and beliefs.
Memory Architecture
The brain’s memory structure is commonly represented by the modal model, consisting of three units: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory (Mcleod, 2017, para. 1).
Sensory Memory
Characteristics:
Large storage capacity but very short duration.
Registers sensory information (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).
Unfocused stimuli are quickly lost.
Role:
Passes focused information to short-term memory for processing.
Example: Recognizing letters in text despite errors or distortions through integration with cues from long-term memory.
Short-Term Memory
Characteristics:
Limited capacity: Retains 5–9 items for ~30 seconds.
Functions as a processing hub between sensory and long-term memory.
Process:
Combines cues from sensory memory and long-term memory to assign meaning to stimuli.
Example: Remembering a phone number or short phrase temporarily.
Long-Term Memory
Characteristics:
Virtually unlimited capacity and duration.
Stores information permanently for recall and decision-making.
Non-Sensory Activation
Internal thoughts, ideas, and emotions can evoke memories or reconstruct episodes.
Emotional states influence memory activation, recalling episodic or semantic memories
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
NLP examines how language influences perception and experience (Bandler & Grinder, 1996, p. 46).
Developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder to model effective therapeutic techniques used by Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, and Milton Erickson (Krone, 2020, p. 16).
Described as an “attitude with a methodology that leaves behind a trail of techniques”
Elimination:
Definition: Filtering out certain aspects of an experience to focus on others.
Examples:
Overlooking a colleague’s request while engrossed in another task.
Focusing solely on a baby’s cry amidst other sounds.
Purpose: Reduces cognitive overload and enables attention to specific signals.
Distortion:
Definition: Transforming sensory experiences to fit personal maps of reality.
Examples:
Reframing long work hours as necessary for achieving long-term goals.
Interpreting a delayed text response as disinterest.
Purpose: Can help tolerate discomfort or justify personal positions.
Generalization:
Definition: Extending elements of one experience to a broader category.
Examples:
One poor exam experience leads to believing one is bad at the entire subject.
A single positive encounter with someone from a country generalizes that the entire population is friendly.
Purpose: Simplifies complex experiences but can lead to bias.
Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
A framework for thinking and communication that fosters empathic connections between people (Rosenberg, 2012, p. 9).
Aims to reduce violence and facilitate conflict resolution by prioritizing understanding and compassion.
Empathy
Empathy is being fully present and attentive to others without immediately offering solutions
Transactional Analysis (TA)
A communication model developed by Eric Berne to create healthier and more enriching communication processes.
Focus:
Examine the intention behind communicative acts.
Address manipulative or contradictory responses
Ego States
Defined as systems of feelings and behavioral patterns that influence communication.
Transactions occur when the ego state of one person interacts with another’s ego state (Hill et al., 2007, p. 27).
Objective Content:
The factual information conveyed in the message.
Relationship:
Reflects how the sender views or relates to the receiver.
Self-Disclosure:
Conveys the sender’s emotional state or personal perspective.
Appeal
Represents the sender’s intention or desired response from the receiver.
