Traditions in the Field of Communications Theory Flashcards
The Socio-Psychological Tradition
-focuses on how communication is influenced by interaction and individual behavior, attitudes, and emotions
-uses psychology and sociology to explore how people perceive, process, and react to messages
The Socio-Psychological Tradition and Research
-believes objective “truths” can be discovered through careful, systematic observation
-quantitative measurements of variables from surveys or controlled experiments can be obtained
-typical research methods include experiments, surveys, and observations
The Socio-Psychological Tradition Aim
aims to predict and explain communication behavior by examining how personal thoughts, feelings and social environments interact
The Socio-Psychological Tradition Key Concepts
-attitudes and persuasion
-social influence
-behavioral influence
Attitudes and persuasion
how communications changes beliefs and behaviors
e.g. what caused the shifts in views on immigration?
Social influence
how group dynamics impact individual choices
Behavioral influence
how people react to communication stimuli
The Socio-Psychological Tradition Class Examples (questions and studies)
Questions:
-How does a particular social media algorithm influence political opinions?
-How do emotional appeals in advertising affect consumer decisions (e.g. baby schema)
Studies:
-How do social media likes impact adolescent self-esteem
-What is the effectiveness of fear-based health messages on smoking cessation?
The Socio-Psychological Tradition Own Examples (questions and studies)
Study: How does level of engagement with the news affect an individual’s perception of the country?
The Cybernetic Tradition
views communication as a system of information processing, where signals are sent, responses are monitored, and behavior is adjusted based on response
*Feedback loops are an essential part of this tradition
The Cybernetic Tradition Key Concepts
-systems
-information flow
-feedback
The Cybernetic Tradition Example Questions from Class
Questions:
-social media algorithms curating user content based on engagement
-crisis communication systems providing emergency alerts
Studies:
-examining the effect of feedback algorithms on social media addiction
-analyzing how communication breakdowns occur in emergency response systems
The Rhetorical Tradition
views communication as artful public address, where speech can persuade and influence others to achieve particular goals
would look at the language being used (recall anti-immigrant speech example)
The Rhetorical Tradition Aim
understand how language changes the mind of others
The Cybernetic Tradition Own Examples
Question: Copy testing used to alter advertising messages to be more effective
Study: Analyzing how cancel culture influences political communication and its impacts on the Overton window
The Rhetorical Tradition Examples from Class
-a TED talk speaker
-a lawyer presenting an argument to a jury
Studies:
-understanding how different rhetorical strategies influence voters decisions in political campaigns
-studying the impact of motivational speakers on the audience
The Rhetorical Tradition Own Examples
Example: a sports coach motivating their team before a game
Study: Examining how therapy influences an individual’s approach to conflict resolution
The Semiotic Tradition
views communication as the process of sharing meaning through signs and studies how the interpretation of verbal and nonverbal signs can impact society
The Semiotic Tradition key concepts
-signifier
-signified
-diachronic analysis
- semantic shift
Signifier
the word or image representing something
Signified
the meaning that’s being represented
Diachronic Analysis
study of change in a phenomena over time, specifically how signifiers change in response to environmental conditions
e.g. how the meaning of a high heel shifted from sensuality to power
Semantic shift
how do meanings of symbols shift?
e.g. a wave
The Socio-Cultural Tradition
views communication as the creation and enactment of social reality and focuses on how meaning is socially constructed
linguistic relativity: the structure of language influences thought
The Socio-Cultural Tradition Examples from Class
Studies:
-analyzing how workplace culture impacts communication
-studying how immigrant families navigate cultural identity through language
-workplace slang creates in-group identity
-family traditions shape communication styles
-national holidays reinforcing cultural identity
-pop culture shape youth behavior
The Socio-Cultural Tradition Own Examples
Example: Celebrities shaping consumer trends
Study: Investigating how refugees fleeing gender-based violence interact and communicate with others new countries
The Critical Tradition
views communication as a reflective challenge to unjust discourse and focuses on how power imbalances are perpetuated through communicative practices
The Phenomenological Tradition
-emphasizes examining communication through people’s own perception and interpretation of events
What does the critical traditional specifically critique?
critique of blind reliance on scientific method and uncritical acceptance of empirical findings
The Critical Tradition Examples from Class
-media portraying women in stereotypical roles
-corporate advertising reinforcing consumerism
-corporate greenwashing in environmental campaigns
The Critical Tradition Own Examples
Biased news sources bringing in an interviewee seeking to promote private interests
The Phenomenological Tradition Examples from Class
-a trauma survivor sharing their story in therapy
-two siblings recalling their childhood differently
Studies:
-exploring how first generation college students experience pressure
-investigating how patients interpret doctor-patient communication during diagnosis
The Phenomenological Tradition Own Example
Example: LA country fire victim sharing what it was like to flee
Study: Exploring how international students experience pressure to conform social traditions in US colleges.
