COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

PARADIGMS AND COMMUNICATION THEORY SR1 REACTION PAPER

AMRAT HAQ (STUDENT # 10466126)

The chapter provides an overview of the four paradigms for communication research. A paradigm describes groups of theories which share similar assumptions. Following is a summary of the paradigms discussed in SR1. COVERING LAWS PERSPECTIVE: The perspective is also known as the classical model or the logical positivist model. It is a model taken from natural sciences and is based on three principles: 1) we gather information through our senses; 2) we gather information through mathematical modeling or calculations; and 3) laws exist in nature, which are universally applicable. The covering laws perspective claims that if X, then Y and that X will cause Y. Therefore, the inherent assumption of this school is the cause and effect relationship. People behave in a certain way because of prior conditioning, if we discover the reasons for behavior and replicate them, then people will behave in the same manner as before. Understanding prior conditioning can help in predicting how people will react in any given situation. However, while this model works well in natural sciences, human beings do not have the same characteristics as atomsthey have the potential to react to different situations differently, even in the presence of certain antecedents. According to the probabilists school: (Y) will occur under circumstances (X), with (P) degrees of probability. Much of the research on communication laws has centered on persuasion or attitude change. For persuasion the following characteristics are considered effective: source credibility, physical attractiveness, well organized messages and Fear appeal. While the

COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

following characteristics were identified as effective in interpersonal communication: common attitudes, similar backgrounds and physical resemblance. The experimental model is the tool of choice for the laws perspective as this allows researchers to establish causal relationships between variables. Strengths: 1. It helps in making predictions about human behavior 2. It helps in the process of theory building as it helps in better understanding of the variables involved and their relationship with each other. Weaknesses: 1. The perspective does not give enough credit to the concept of free will or human choice 2. The conclusions reached by this perspective can only be applied in a general manner because you cannot predict how any one individual will behave in given circumstances 3. It oversimplifies human communication. It only looks at one variable at one time, while ignoring the rest this is different from actual process of human communication. THE COMMUNIBIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Prior to the communibiological perspective, it was universally accepted that human beings are born as blank slates and are shaped by their environment. However, the communibiological perspective argues that people are born with certain biologically predetermined temperaments that remain consistent across life; i.e., human behavior is a result of your genes not your environment or choice. According to Beatty & McCroskey (1998) the five propositions of this perspective are: 1. All brain functions depend on brain activity, therefore unless something is confirmed by neurobiology there is no scientific proof.

COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

2. If there is no brain activity, there is no basis for claiming that an actual choice existed and was acted upon 3. Genetics are responsible for most of our behavior traits 4. Environment has a negligible impact on our behavior traits 5. Different behaviors occur because of different sets of inherited traits Therefore according to the communibiological perspective, while communication skills can be taught, the basic psychological structure will not change. Strengths: 1. It is more objective and scientific 2. It has the potential to provide predictions on communication traits that can occur in a particular generation 3. It can lead to the development of medicines and diagnostic tools to prevent and/or treat negative traits Weaknesses: 1. A greater understanding of genetics will have to be developed by communication scientists and it is hard to get people to learn new methodological tools 2. Many are skeptical of this approach, if we inherit all our behavior traitsis there any room for learning? 3. Most importantly, the ethical implications of this perspectivehow do you protect peoples rights if their entire behavior can be controlled through drugs? THE HUMAN ACTION APPROACH

COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

This approach acts as a counterweight to both the laws and communibiological approaches. The human action approach states that human beings cannot be studied with the models developed for natural sciences because humans are qualitatively different. According to this perspective, it is not reality alone that shapes communication; it is how this reality is perceived by individuals that decides how they are going to react to it. In order to understand why people react in a certain manner it is important to understand how people interpret and respond to messages. In short it is subjective experience that actually defines what reality is for human beings. According to Schutz (1967) human behavior is based on two types of motives because motives and in-order-to motives. Because motives are related to past events and can fall under the purview of laws perspective; whereas in-order-to motives are related to what you want to achieve in the future. Schutz argues that humans are goal oriented and work towards achieving their goals. The human action approach does not discount the effect of past experiences; it just does not give it the importance that laws perspective does. Human action theorists argue that the influence of goals is stronger two people with similar experiences in the past can react very differently in the future because their interpretation of the events is different as well. As mentioned earlier, perception of events is more important that the event itself. Therefore, theorists for this perspective argue that human behavior can be predicted because people make deliberate choices. According to the rules approach, the choices made by people are based on certain individual or social rules and it is the individuals choice if he wants to follow these rules or not. In short, the rules approach is interested in studying why people choose to follow (or break) certain rules.

COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

Strengths: 1. The theory places emphasis on the importance of human interpretation and choice, unlike other theories 2. It is more helpful in understanding the communication process as well as the motivations behind it Weaknesses: 1. It better explains behavior that has already taken place, than predicting future behavior 2. Few empirical studies have been conducted thus its results are criticized as having less support by other schools of thought THE SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE This perspective is different from the others as such that it does not give preference to one over the other. It sees communication as an integrated process, based on both laws and rules, where a set of independent units work together and adapt to a changing environment. According to this approach, communication systems are open systems which are interacting with their environment. An organization is made up of sub- and supra-systems which leads to non-summativity; a state where the whole system is more than a sum of individual parts. And changing one part of the system has an effect on the rest of the system. However, according to the theorists, systems seek balance and when one element is disturbed the system self-regulates itself to create balance. One main property of systems is equifinality; meaning that a system can reach the same result using different methods. Hence if a researcher is trying to understand how a particular result was reached, s/he would have to look at multiple options to understand which was actually successful.

COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

Strengths: 1. It is an open and flexible approach, which does not look at communication from preconceived constraints 2. It looks at the bigger picture the systems approach studies both individual and interactive communication processes 3. It uses situation-specific generalizations as communication processes change across cultures Weaknesses: 1. Critics argue that this perspective is too broad and general to be applied in theory building 2. The perspective might explain events that are taking place, but it fails to explain why these events are taking place 3. Like the human action perspective, this too does not have a lot of empirical data backing its claims 4. In looking at the overall picture, this perspective ignores the importance of individuals in the communication process COMMENTS: All the four perspectives have their strengths and weaknesses as identified by the reading. However, the hardest to argue for is the communibiological perspective as it completely disregards the concept of human will or choice turning the communication process into a biological process that depends entirely on genetic inheritance. This is extremely alarming as it means that humans have no control over their choices all their actions are predetermined by the accident of birth. Learning and environment have no place in this

COMM 7740 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

perspective, therefore genetic determinism is the reason for most human behavior and can consequently be controlled or manipulated through pharmaceutical interference. This bodes ill for mankind as it implies that people cannot change their circumstances a laborers children are destined to stay laborers, while a criminals kids will end up with criminal tendencies. On the other hand is the laws perspective which reduces human communication to scientific formula, i.e., it also minimizes the concept of choice and free will. While antecedents might be able to predict how people will respond in a given situation, it does not take into consideration that the same person can behave in a very different way when facing the same situation at two different times. It also fails to take into consideration that communication varies across cultures laws that might apply in one society might be inapplicable in another. Socio-cultural background effects behavior and choices for most human beings, for e.g. what might be considered acceptable messages on birth control in the US will be considered inappropriate in Pakistan, despite having the requisite characteristics (source credibility, physical attractiveness, well organized messages and fear appeal). Therefore, a study that can be conducted in the US is not replicable in Pakistan. The rules perspective provides a balance for the laws perspective its concept that people make conscious choices based on their perception of reality provides a frame in which results from different sources can be studied on the basis of why the decision maker made this choice. Socio-cultural rules are easy to identify in any society, therefore similar concepts can be studied across cultures and allow the researcher to understand why individuals choose to follow or break the rules and what the consequences are for these

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actions. This understanding of socio-culturally influenced behavior is growing in importance as the world grows smaller and there is greater movement of people across borders. The final perspective is the systems perspective which takes a more holistic approach towards the study of human communication. It looks at communication between individuals and amongst groups. This has the potential of providing a more complete picture of the communication process, its dynamics, influences and well as consequences. However, it will have to expand its scope from the organization and the family to larger social structures before its applicability can be judged. Overall, of the four it is the rules approach to a great extent and the systems approach to a smaller extent which take into account inherent characteristics of humans in the communication process. In my opinion this makes them more applicable in todays fast evolving communication environment; while the laws perspective is not universal in application and the communibiological perspective is positively archaic in its arguments in favor of genetic determinism.