Ch 1 Vocabulary Terms

Communication-is the process of creating and exchanging meaning through

symbolic interaction
Context-is the situation in which communication occurs.
Appropriateness- is what is suitable for a specific situation.
Role-is a part played in a specific situation.
Norm-is a stated or implied expectation.
Standard-is an established level of requirement or excellence.
Competent Communicator- is someone who incorporates knowledge, attitude,
and skill into his or her communication to communicate effectively and
appropriately.
Task Skills- are the communication skills needed to do a job, complete a task,
or reach a goal effectively.
Relationship Skills-are the communication skills needed to nurture and
maintain goodwill with people.
Organization-is a number of people with specific responsibilities who are
united for some purpose.
Culture-is the set of life patterns passed down from one generation to the
next in a group of people.
Organization Culture-is how an organization thinks, what it finds important,
and how it conducts business.
Culture Shock-is the confusion or anxiety that sometimes results when people
come into contact with a culture different from their own.
Social Responsibility- is an obligation or willingness to work toward the well
being of others.
Conflict-is the struggle between two or more parties who sense interference
in achieving goals.
Chapter 2 Vocabulary Terms
Transactional- is a process that involves an exchange.
Sender-receiver- is the person who sends a message to someone.
Receiver-Sender- is the person who receives, or believes he or she has
received, a message.
Message- is the information that is exchanged between communicators.
Channel- is the space in which the message is transmitted.
Noise-is anything that interferes with a message and is usually temporary.
Barrier- is any obstacle that blocks communication.
Feedback- is one persons observable response to anothers message.

Data- is made up of those things that catch a communicators attention, such

as objects, people, sounds, thoughts, memories, and the message sent by
others.
Sensory Perception- is the complex physical process of taking in data through
your senses.
Encoding- is the mental process of assigning meaning and language to data.
Transmitting- is the physical process of sending verbal and nonverbal
messages.
Acquiring- is the physical process receiver-senders use to take in the senders
message.
Decoding- is the mental process receiver-senders use to create meaning from
language.
Interpersonal Communication- is the communication that occurs in your own
mind.
Self-Talk- is the inner speech or mental conversations that we carry on with
ourselves.
Interpersonal Communication- is communication between two people.
Small Group Communication- is communication within formal and informal
groups or teams.
One-to-group communication- involves a speaker who seeks to inform,
persuade, or motivate an audience.
Mass Communication- is the electronic or print transmission of messages to
the general public.
Mass Media- are outlets of communication, such as radio, television, film, or
print.
Chapter 3 Vocabulary Terms
Perception- the process you use to assign meaning to data about yourself or
the world around you.
Selective Perception-is the mental process of choosing which data or stimuli
focusing on from all that are available to you at any given time.
Personal Perception-is your own understanding of reality.

Perception Check-is a question that helps you determine the accuracy and
validity of your perceptions.
Feed-Forward-is to offer an explanation that you want to make or a reason or
explanation for a question, request, or offer.
Self Concept- also known as self perception is the view you have of yourself.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy- is a prediction or expectation of an event that shapes
your behavior, making the outcome more likely to occur.
Self Disclosure- is the deliberate revelation of significant information about
yourself that is not readily apparent to others.
Chapter 4 Vocabulary Terms
Oral Language- is language that is spoken and heard rather than written and read.
Vocabulary- is all the word symbols that make up a particular code or language.
Structure- the third characteristic, is the way the different parts of language are
arranged.
Grammar- the fourth characteristic of language, is the basic understanding and rules
that regulate the use of language.
Diction- is the degree of clarity and distinctness in a persons speech.
Pronunciation- is the standard set for the overall sound of a word.
Articulation- is the act of clearly and distinctly uttering the constant sounds of a word.
Enunciation- is the act of clearly and distinctly uttering the vowel sound of a word.
Dialect- is a unique combination of speech sounds that identify speech with a
particular group of people.
Formal Language- is language that conforms to a highly structured set of rules; that
is, there are strict standards dictating its use.
Technical Language- is language associated with a particular profession, activity, or
field of study.
Jargon- is another name for technical language.
Standard Language- is the language used by the majority of knowledgeable
communicators within a specific language.
Informal Language- is the type of language most often used in casual situations and
close interpersonal relationships.
Colloquialism- is a term associated with a specific regional culture.

Slang- is a second type of informal language. It can be described as temporary

language because It typically is used for only a brief period of time by a limited group
of people.
Ungrammatical Language- is language that does not use expected standards of
grammar or mechanics.
Social Ritual- is a communication situation that is frequently repeated in daily social
interactions.
Denotation- is a words objective description or meaning.
Connotation- is the emotions or feelings with which a word is associated.
Filler- is a word or phrase use to cover up hesitancy in speech. Some common fillers
are uh, um, like, so, you know, and totally.
Tag- is a statement or question added to the end of a statement to invite approval or
cooperation from others.

Chapter 5 Vocabulary Terms

Nonverbal Communication- is a system of symbolic behaviors that includes all
forms of communication except words.
Ambiguous- means open to interpretation and often confusing.
Pitch- is the highness or lowness of sound on a musical scale.
Range- relates to the variations possible for a speaker to reach- from the
highest pitch possible to the lowest pitch possible.
Inflection- is the rising and falling of pitch that adds variety to speaking.
Tone- is a specific vocal quality.
Rate- refers to how fast or how slow an individual speaks.
Tempo- refers to the rhythmic quality of a persons speech.
Kinesics- refers to the use of the body in communication.
Artifacts- are articles of adornment you use to decorate yourself or your
surroundings.
Chapter 6 Vocabulary Terms

Active Listening-the listener participates fully in the communication process.

When you listen attentively, provide feedback, and strive to understand and
remember messages, you are being an active listener.
Passive Listening- the listener does not fully participate in interactions.
Passive listeners think they can absorb information even when they do not
contribute to the interaction.
Impatient Listening- short burst of active listening are interrupted by noise
and other distractions. Impatient listeners usually intend to pay attention-and
may even be successful for short periods of time-but then they allow their
mind to wander in some way.
Critical Listening- is listening to comprehend ideas and information in order to
achieve a specific goal. Sometimes referred to as comprehensive listening.
Deliberative Listening-is listening to understand, analyze, and evaluate
messages so you can accept or reject a point of view, make a decision, or
take action. Sometimes referred to as evaluative listening.
Emphatic Listening-is listening to understand, participate in or enhance a
relationship.
Appreciative Listening-is listening to enjoy, or appreciate, a speakers
message or a performance on an artistic level. It is listening for fun-to laugh,
cry, use your imagination, or extend creativity.
Listening-is a physical and psychological process that involves acquiring,
assigning meaning, and responding to symbolic messages from others.
Hearing-the physical process of receiving sound.
Attending-is the act of choosing- consciously or subconsciously- to focus your
attention on verbal or nonverbal stimuli.
Understanding- is a complex mental process that involves decoding the
symbolic messages received from others and then interpreting and assigning
a personal meaning to that message.
Interpreting- is a process in which you personalize the senders message to
determine meaning for you.
Responding- is the listeners internal emotional and intellectual reaction to a
message.