CHAPTER 1: CONNECTING PROCESS AND PRINCIPLES

Rhetoricians of ancient Greece and Rome

Recognized communication as a powerful means of influence; studied principles of effective
composition and delivery of persuasive speech
Human symbolic interaction
People use a symbol system (language) to share thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, customs,
and ideas
Internet plagiarism
Use of another persons information, language, or ideas without citing the originator and
making it appear that the user is the originator
Ethos
Ethical appeal; Aristotle believed that communication was most powerful when the speakers
character was engaged in presenting the truth
Quintillian
Rhetorician who state that communication needed to be presented by a good man speaking
well
Unethical communication may, in fact, constitute effective communication
Eg persuade to do something morally wrong = effective, but unethical communication
Communication and our multicultural society
Necessity to interact successfully with people of all racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious
heritages; language structure itself influences and is influenced by culture; nonverbal behaviors
determined by cultural background
Communication is a process
Involves a series of actions that has no beginning or end and is constantly changing
Communication is a system
Combination of parts interdependently acting to form a whole; occurs only when necessary
components interact; if malfunction or absent, communication is prevented or ineffective
Communication is both interactional and transactional
Interaction: exchange of communication in which communicators take turns sending and
receiving messages
Transaction: exchange of communication in which the communicators act simultaneously,
encoding and decoding at the same time
Essential components of communication
1. Source/Sender creator of message; determines meaning, encodes (translates
thoughts/feelings into words, sounds, and physical expressions) the meaning into a message,
sends the message, and perceives and reacts to a listeners response
2. Message communication produced by the source; words, grammar, organization of
thoughts, physical appearance, body movement, voice, personality, self-concept, and personal
style
3. Interference/Noise anything that changes the meaning of an intended message; external &
physical or internal & psychological
4. Channel route by which messages flow between sources and receivers; sound/light waves,
media, other senses (touch, smell, taste)
5. Receiver analyzes and interprets the message, decodes (translating a message into thoughts
or feelings that were communicated)
6. Feedback response to a message that the receiver sends to the source
7. Environment psychological and physical surroundings in which communication occur
8. Context circumstances or situation in which communication occurs
Interpersonal communication
Creating and sharing of meaning between people who are in a relationship
Intrapersonal communication
Process of understanding information within oneself
Mediated Communication
Communication transmitted by some kind of mechanistic means
Mass communication communication with a large number of people
Electronic-mediated communication (EMC) communication transmitted through electronic
devices
Myth 1: Communication is a cure-all
Truth: communication can help eliminate or reduce our problems, but it is not a solution; the
message that is communicated makes the difference
Myth 2: Quantity means quality
Truth: It isnt the act or amount of communication, but the content that makes the difference
Myth 3: Meaning is in the words we use
Truth: words have meaning only when we give them meaning; meaning of a word cannot be
separated from the person using it
Myth 4: We have the natural ability to communicate
Truth: ability to communicate requires not only capability but also an understanding of how
communication works
Myth 5: Communication is reversible
Truth: once something is said the receiver will have to deal with that message

CHAPTER 2: CONNECTING PERCEPTIONS AND COMMUNICATION
Perception
Process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information to give personal meaning to the
communication
Robert Scott
Nothing is clear in and of itself but in some context for some person
One persons perception is not correct or more accurate
Cognitive complexity
How our minds process and store simple to complex information
Low complexity = concrete aspects
High complexity = perceive relationships, flexible perceptions, person-centered messages

Selection
Sorting one stimulus from another
Selective exposure = choices to experience or avoid particular stimuli
Selective attention = focusing on specific stimuli while ignoring or downplaying others
Selective retention = processing, storing, and retrieval of info we already have perceived
Organization
Sorting, organizing, or categorizing
Closure = filling in details so that partially perceived entity appears to be complete
Proximity = grouping stimuli that are close to one another
Similarity = grouping stimuli that resemble one another in traits like size, shape, color
Interpretation
Assigning meaning to stimuli
Past experience
New situations
Opinions of others
Perception acts a filter
Perceptual set
Fixed, previously determined view of events, objects, and people
Stereotyping
Categorizing of events, objects, and people without regard to unique individual characteristics
and qualities
Greatest single problem with human communication
Assumption that our perceptions are always correct
Attribution error
Perceiving others as acting as they do because they are that kind of person rather than
because of any external factors that may have influenced their behavior
Physical characteristics
Play a role in the way a person makes perceptions
Psychological state
Influences our perceptions

CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING SELF AND COMMUNICATION
Self-Concept perceived self = organized beliefs and attitudes of self
Self-Image mental picture of oneself
Self-Esteem feelings or attitudes toward oneself
Values general, long-lasting ideal that guides behavior
Attitudes evaluative feelings or way of thinking
Beliefs confidence in truth of something that is not based on absolute proof
Values are reflected in attitudes
Attitudes include an evaluation, where beliefs reflect perception of truth
Social Self-Concept William W. Wilmot each persons view of himself affects his as well as his
partners behavior; consists of interpersonal relationships and one more person (race, culture, etc.)
Kinchs Model John W. Kinch perceptions of how others respond to us (P) affect our self-concept (S);
self-concept (S) affects how we behave (B); our behavior (B) is related to how others react to our
behavior (A); actual responses (A) of others relate to our perceptions of others responses (P).
Goffman Facework verbal and nonverbal ways we act to maintain our own presenting image

CHAPTER 4: CONNECTING THROUGH VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Muted Group Theory status and power are clearly linked and that minorities have little voice as they
lack the power of appropriate language
Style-Switch process of moving between the language of ones own coculture and the language of the
dominant culture to successfully operate in both
Semantics study of meaning or association of words with ideas, feelings, and contexts
Pendulum Effect conflict that results from the use of polar terms to describe and defend their
perceptions
Linguistic Relativity people from different language communities perceive the world differently
High-context Culture meaning of the communication act is inferred from the situation
Low-context Culture meaning of the communication act is inferred from messages being sent

CHAPTER 5: CONNECTING THROUGH NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Functions of Nonverbal Communication
Complementing completes or accents a verbal message
Repeating expresses an identical meaning to verbal message
Regulating controls flow of communication
Substituting replaces verbal message with nonverbal to exchange thoughts
Deceiving nonverbal cues that purposefully disguise or mislead verbal message
Eye Behavior or Oculesics influence attitude change and persuasion, indicate a degree of attentiveness,
express emotion, regulate interaction, indicate power and status, and form impressions in others
Facial Management Techniques
Intensifying exaggeration of expression to meet others expectations
Deintensifying understatement of reactions to meet others expectations
Neutralizing avoidance of any emotional expression
Masking replacement of one expression with another more appropriate for situation
Categories of Body Movements and Facial Expressions
Emblems translate directly into words
Illustrators accent, reinforce, or emphasize verbal message
Regulators control, monitor, or maintain interaction
Affect Displays express emotion
Adaptors help one feel at ease in situation
Proxemics study of the use of space and distance between communicating individuals (Hall)