Communication Theory
PART I: Response to the following multiple choice questions:
Symbolic Interaction Theory:
1. Symbolic interaction theory argues that meaning
a. can only exist when people share common interpretations of the symbols they exchange in an interaction
b. occurs between people
c. is affected by society
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
2. According to Mead, one of the most critical activities people accomplish through thought is
a. projection
b. role taking
c. the Pygmalion effect
d. the concept of mind
3. The looking-glass self is best defined as
a. the mental image others have of us
b. the mental image we have of ourselves
c. the mental image we have of how others see us
d. the mental image of the physical attributes we observe
4. True or False? One of Mead's ontological assumptions is that human communication is social.
a. true
b. false
Coordinated Management of Meaning:
5. Coordinated management of meaning
a. refers to how individuals establish rules for creating and interpreting meaning
b. refers to how rules are used in a conversation
c. assumes that humans co create reality
d. all of the above
6. Which of the following is a speech act?
a. a compliment
b. an insult
c. a sarcastic remark
d. all of the above
7. Deanna and her son Aidan are talking about manners. Deanna tells Aidan, "Cover your mouth when you sneeze." This is an example of which type of rule?
a. constitutive
b. unwarranted
c. regulative
d. patterned
8. True or False? CMM is an example of a Laws Approach to theory building.
a. true
b. false
Cognitive Dissonance Theory:
9. Cognitive dissonance can be defined as
a. the feeling people have when they do things that don't fit with what they believe
b. the feeling people have when some of their opinions do not fit with other opinion they hold
c. the feeling people have when their actions are congruent with what they know
d. both a and b
e. none of the above
10. You believe that smoking is dangerous to your health; and yet, you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. When this inconsistency is pointed out to you, you are likely to experience
a. dissonance
b. consonance
c. irrelevance
d. none of the above
11. When confronted with the fact that you smoke even though you think it is bad for you, you rationalize that it's okay for you to smoke because you are under a tremendous amount of stress in college and smoking helps to calm your nerves. This rationalization process is likely to
a. increase your dissonance
b. anger your Comm 300 professor
c. restore consonance
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
12. According to class lecture, the three factors that influence the magnitude of dissonance a person will feel are
a. the amount of inconsistency, the number of dissonant cognitions, and the number of consonant cognitions
b. the amount of inconsistency, the dissonance ratio, and the dissonance propensity
c. the relative importance of your cognitions, the number of dissonant cognitions, and the number of consonant cognitions
d. none of the above
Uncertainty Reduction Theory:
13. According to URT, the two primary goals of individuals engaged in an initial interaction are _________________ and __________________.
a. understanding, disclosure
b. prediction, explanation
c. disclosure, explanation
d. prediction, control
14. In the ____________ phase of interpersonal communication, self disclosure increases as parties begin to reduce their uncertainty about one another.
a. entry
b. primary
c. personal
d. exit
15. Jake is attracted to Felicia, but he's not sure about her current relationship status. He decides to ask one of her friends if Felicia is currently seeing anyone. Which type of tactic has Jake employed to reduce his uncertainty about Felicia?
a. passive
b. active
c. interactive
d. co active
16. Below are two of the seven original Axioms of URT.
Axiom 1: There is a negative relationship between Uncertainty and Verbal Communication
Axiom 5: There is a positive relationship between Uncertainty and Reciprocity
What is the resulting Theorem by combining these two Axioms?
a. there is a positive relationship between verbal communication and reciprocity
b. there is a negative relationship between verbal communication and reciprocity
c. there is no relationship between verbal communication and reciprocity
d. there is a curvi-linear relationship between verbal communication and reciprocity
Social Exchange Theory:
17. Relationships in which costs exceed rewards are perceived as being
a. interdependent
b. negative
c. supportive
d. positive
18. We are likely to stay in relationships when our satisfaction is __________ and our comparison level for alternatives is __________.
a. low, high
b. low, low
c. all of the above
d. none of the above
19. We are likely to leave a relationship when our satisfaction is __________ and our comparison level for alternatives is __________.
a. low, high
b. low, low
c. all of the above
d. none of the above
20. True or False? One of Thibaut and Kelley's epistemological assumptions is that knowledge is certain.
a. true
b. false
Social Penetration Theory:
21. All of the following statements about self disclosure are true EXCEPT
a. nonintimate relationships typically progress to an intimate level without engaging in self disclosure
b. self disclosure can be strategic, which means that disclosures are planned
c. self disclosure can be nonstrategic, which means that disclosures are spontaneous
d. stranger on the train refers to instances in which people reveal information in public places to complete strangers
22. When we meet someone for the first time (i.e., our initial encounter), the breadth of our self disclosure is ___________ and the depth of our self disclosure is __________.
a. high, low
b. high, high
c. low, high
d. low, low
23. Julianne and Ricardo have reached the point in their relationship at which they openly express their thoughts and feelings with one another. Their communication is viewed as being efficient. Which stage of social penetration describes the current state of their relationship?
a. orientation
b. exploratory affective
c. affective exchange
d. stable exchange
Relational Dialectics Theory:
24. All of the following statements are true about dialectical tensions EXCEPT
a. people are not always able to resolve the contradictions they experience and may become comfortable believing inconsistent things about relationships
b. partners in a relationship experience ongoing tensions between contradictory impulses
c. dialectical theorists support the idea that there is typically one point of view that should dominate a relationship
d. Baxter and Montgomery are the researchers associated with Relational Dialectics Theory
25. Kip has been dating Theresa for less than a month. During a recent date, he discovered that he was uncomfortable because he had revealed a lot of information about his dysfunctional childhood to Theresa but had not told her about the time he was arrested for driving under the influence. Which dialectical tension is Kip experiencing?
a. autonomy and connection
b. openness and protection
c. novelty and predictability
d. real and ideal
26. Praxis is the dialectic element which lets us know which of Baxter and Montgomery's ontological assumptions?
a. knowledge is certain
b. communication is an individual endeavor
c. communication is a matter of choice
d. knowledge is uncertain
Aristotle's Rhetoric:
27. One of the assumptions of Aristotle's Rhetoric is that effective speakers must consider their audiences when constructing a speech. This assumption underscores the notion of communication as
a. symbolic meaning making
b. linear
c. confusing
d. transactional
28. Logos involves the use of _________________ and __________________ in a speech.
a. rhetoric, reasoning
b. rhetoric, evidence
c. arguments, evidence
d. reasoning, rhetoric
29. While running for president of the United States, Barack Obama gave many speeches advocating health care reform in the United States. These speeches were a form of _________ oratory.
a. deliberative
b. epideictic
c. forensic
d. ceremonial
30. Consider the following argument:
Major Premise: Unexpressed Premise
Minor Premise: Sarah is a Comm 300 student.
Conclusion: Therefore, Sarah will most likely study a lot for her Comm 300 exams.
True or False? The unexpressed premise is: "Most Comm 300 students study a lot for their exams."
a. true
b. false
PART II: Pentadic Analysis of Edward Kennedy's "Chappaquiddick Speech"
Directions: Below is the text of the late Senator Edward Kennedy's famous "Chappaquiddick Speech". The Speech was broadcast nationally on July 25, 1969. For those of you not familiar with the incident, Edward (Ted) Kennedy was accused of leaving the scene of an accident where a young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, died by drowning after a car driven by Kennedy overturned into a deep pond on Chappaquiddick Island (off Martha's Vineyard). This is the speech where he explains what happened to the people of Massachusetts.
Please read the speech and analyze it using Burke's Pentad (Chapter : Dramatism).
NOTE: If you choose to listen to the speech, please note that the broadcast is incomplete. You will have to read the first couple of paragraphs before you can hear him speaking. Likewise, you will have to read the last couple of paragraphs, after the sound ends. Alternately, you can search for the speech on YouTube. You can usually find it there as well.
Specifically, please answer the following questions regarding Ted Kennedy's Speech.
1. What is the act?
2. What is the scene?
3. Who is the agent?
4. What is the agency?
5. What is the purpose? (i.e., What is the purpose of the Act? Remember this is different than why Kennedy gave the speech)?
6. Which element of the pentad stands out the most in this speech? How does focusing on this element assist in understanding the strategies employed by the speaker?