4. Cognitive Process
Communication has early roots in psychology
Cognitive scholars are concerned with the
mental processes that are used to process
stimuli and generate particular effects
Contrasts behavioral view that focuses solely
on external causes (or stimuli) and behavioral
effects
6. Message Design Logics
Three types of Design
Expressive design
Conventional design
Rhetorical design
7. Message Design Logics
Problems interacting with different MDL styles
When individuals share the same MDL:
they are more likely to acknowledge
communication problems
When individuals have different MDLs:
they are more likely to blame their problems
on the other’s bad intentions, mistaken beliefs,
or undesirable personality characteristics
9. Communication Accommodation
Theory
Giles & Coupland
Premise: when individuals interact with
others, they will:
accommodate their speech and language
patterns
by matching their partner’s speech
by differentiating their speech and language use
10. Communication Accommodation
Theory
Individuals belong to a wide variety of social
groups
These groups shape each person’s collective
identity
In-groups: social affiliations to which an individual
feels he or she belongs
Out-groups: social affiliations to which a person
feels that he or she does not belong
Language, speech, and nonverbal messages all
communicate one’s in-group and out-group status
11. What In-groups are you part of?
Social affiliations to which an individual feels he
or she belongs
What language, speech, and nonverbal
messages are you aware of?
12. What out-groups are you aware of?
Social affiliations to which a person feels that he
or she does not belong
What language, speech, and nonverbal
messages did you observe?
14. Communication Accommodation
Theory
Individuals adjust their speech and
conversational patterns either to assimilate
with or to deviate from others
Convergence: altering your speech and
behavior so that it matches that of your
conversational partner
Divergence: rather than match your partner’s
communication patterns, you seek to make your
speech different
15. Communication Accommodation
Theory
Predictions
When a person wants to be viewed as part of an
in-group, s/he will accommodate by convergence
When a persona wants to be viewed as distinct
from a certain group, s/he will alter your speech
through divergence
In addition to expressing disagreement or rejection
of a speaker, divergence also illustrates one’s
cultural identity or differences in one’s status.
20. Communication Accommodation
Theory
Positive Effects
Increased attraction,
social approval, and
increased persuasion
Negative Effects
Incorrect stereotypes of
out-group, perceived
condescension, loss of
personal identity
21. Communication Accommodation
Theory
Positive Effects
Protects cultural
identity, asserts power
differences, and
increased sympathy
Negative Effects
Perceived disdain for out-
group, perceived lack of
effort, and increased
psychological distance
23. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Berger & Calabrese
Premise: URT explains and predict when,
why, and how individuals use communication
to minimize their doubts when interacting with
others
24. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
URT functions based on three assumptions
Primary goal of communication is to minimize
uncertainties that we have about the world
Individuals experience uncertainty regularly;
the experience of uncertainty is unpleasant
Communication is the primary vehicle for
reducing uncertainty
25. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Reducing uncertainty
3 antecedent conditions: influence whether
we have the motivation to reduce uncertainty
Anticipation of future interaction
Incentive value
Deviance
27. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
8 Axioms Explaining the Uncertainty Reduction Process
Axiom 1: Verbal communication
Axiom 2: Welcoming nonverbal communication
Axiom 3: Information-seeking behaviors
Axiom 4: Intimacy
Axiom 5: Reciprocal communication strategies
Axiom 6: Perceived similarities
Axiom 7: Liking
Axiom 8: Shared communication networks
28. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Berger (1995, 1997) noted that much of
social interaction is goal driven; we
communicate for a reason and we create
plans to guide interaction
Uncertainty reduction strategies
Passive strategy
Active strategy
Interactive strategy
30. Expectancy Violations Theory
Burgoon
Premise: explains the meanings that people
attribute to the violation of their personal space
and predicts their response to such infringements
Assumptions
EVT builds on numerous axioms
Primary assumption: humans have competing
needs for personal space and for affiliation
31. Expectancy Violations Theory
EVT makes predictions as to how individuals
will react to a given violation
Reciprocate: match someone’s behavior
Compensate: counteract by doing the opposite
of your partner’s behavior
32. Expectancy Violations Theory
Core Concepts
Expectancy
Context of the behavior
Relationship with the person in question
Communicator’s characteristics
33. BlackBoard Questions
What cultural differences have you observed
related to any single theory we discussed?