Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 1
Interpersonal Communication II (CA 301) Student Portfolio
Insert your name here.
I. Tests Documenting 90-100% Achievement
Documentation. Paste test results for chapters 1-10, which you submitted
weeks 1-10. If you don’t have 90%-100% correct, take the final exam and submit
90-100% correct results.
II. Application of Course Concept Analysis
Documentation. Paste Try It Outs for chapters 1-10 here.
III. Action Research Paper
Documentation: Paste your revised Action Research Paper here.
IV. Documentation Showing Exceeding Expectations.
Documentation: Paste extra credit here.
V, Course Concept Definitions
Review chapter 1
communication
A systemic process in which individuals interact with and
through symbols to create and interpret meanings.
fantasy theme
An idea that spins out in a group and captures its social and
task foci.
intercultural communication
The branch of communication field that studies
communication among people from different cultures, including distinct cultures
within a single country.
interpersonal communication
Communication between people. Interpersonal
communication exists on a continuum ranging from impersonal (between social
roles) to highly personal.
intrapersonal communication
Communication with oneself, including self-talk,
planning, and reflections.
meaning
The significance conferred on experiences and phenomena;
meaning is constructed, not intrinsic to communication. In general systems
theory, communication has two levels of meaning: the content level, which
concerns the information in a message; and the relationship level, which
concerns what the message implies about the power, liking, and responsiveness
between the communicators.
monitoring Observing and managing our own thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Monitoring is possible because humans are symbol users.
organizational culture
Understandings about identity and codes of thought
and action that are shared by members of an organization.
process
The quality of being ongoing, in flux, ever changing.
Communication is a process.
symbol
An arbitrary, ambiguous, and abstract representation of other
phenomena. Symbols are the basis of language, much nonverbal behavior, and
human thought.
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systemic
Related to systems, which are organized and interacting wholes in
which all parts interrelate. Communication is systemic.
Review Chapter 2
causal
A form of explanation that asserts that one phenomenon directly
determines another.
control
The use of explanations and predictions to govern what a
phenomenon actually does.
correlational A form of explanation that asserts that two things go together but
not that one causes the other.
description One goal of theory; the use of symbols to represent something and
to identify its parts.
explanation One goal of theorizing; an effort to account for why and/or how
something works.
heurism
A criterion for evaluating theories; the capacity of a theory to
provoke new insights, thoughts, and understandings.
laws-based explanation
A theoretical explanation of the form," Anytime x
happens, y will invariably or probably follow, "or "x and y always or almost always
go together."
parsimony One criterion for evaluating theories; the appropriate simplicity of a
theory.
prediction
Projecting what will happen to a phenomenon under specified
conditions or exposure to particular stimuli.
reform
One goal of theorizing; the use of theory to instigate change in
pragmatic life. Also called "producing positive social change."
rules-based explanation A form of theoretical explanation that articulates
regularities, or patterns, in human behavior that are routinely followed in
particular types of communication situations and relationships.
scope One criterion for evaluating theories; the range of phenomena a theory
describes and explains.
testability
The extent to which a theory's claims can be appraised. Testability
is one criterion for evaluating a theory.
theory
An account of what something is, how it works, what it produces or
causes to happen, and what can change how it operates. Theories are points of
view, human constructions.
understanding
One goal of theorizing; gaining insight into a process,
situation, or phenomenon, not necessarily with the goal of predicting or
controlling it.
utility A criterion for evaluating theories; practical merit or applied value of a
theory.
Review Chapter 3
behaviorism A form of science that focuses on observable behaviors and that
assumes human motives, meanings, feelings, and other subjective phenomena
either don't exist or are irrelevant to behavior.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 3
brute fact
An objective, concrete phenomenon unadorned by interpretations
of meaning.
critical analysis
Research that goes beyond description and explanation to
argue for changes in communicative practices that are judged to be oppressive,
wrong, or otherwise undesirable.
descriptive statistics
Numerical representations of human behavior that
describe populations, proportions, and frequencies.
determinism The belief that human behavior is governed by forces beyond
individual control, usually biology, environment, or a combination of the two.
epistemology
The branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of
knowledge, or how we know what we know.
ethnography A qualitative method of research that interprets actions so as to
generate understanding consistent with the frameworks of those who perform the
actions.
experiment A controlled study that systematically manipulates one thing (called
the independent variable) to determine how it affects another thing (called the
dependent variable because what it does depends on the independent variable).
external validity
The generalizability of a theory across contexts, especially
those beyond the confines of experimental situations.
gender
A socially created system of values, identities, and behaviors that
are prescribed for women and men. Unlike sex, which is biologically determined,
gender is socially constructed.
humanism A form of science that focuses on human choices, motives, and
meanings and assumes that the reasons or causes of human behavior lie within
humans, not outside of them.
hypothesis A carefully stated, testable prediction of a theoretical relationship or
outcome.
institutional fact
The meaning of an act, event, or other phenomenon;
interpretations of brute facts.
internal validity
The degree to which the design and methods used to test a
theory actually measure what they claim to measure.
law An inviolate, unalterable fact that holds true across time and space. Also
called universal law and covering law.
meaning
The significance conferred on experiences and phenomena;
meaning is constructed, not intrinsic to communication. In general systems
theory, communication has two levels of meaning: the content level, which
concerns the information in a message; and the relationship level, which
concerns what the message implies about the power, liking, and responsiveness
between the communicators.
objectivism The belief that reality is material, external to the human mind, and
the same for everyone.
objectivity
The quality of being uninfluenced by values, biases, personal
feelings, and other subjective factors.
ontology
The branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of humans.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 4
operational definition
A precise description that specifies how to observe
the phenomena of interest. Operational definitions provide clarity and precision to
research hypotheses and research questions used to test theory.
qualitative methods Forms of research that involve probing and interpreting the
subjective meanings of experience.
quantitative methods
Forms of research that involve gathering quantifiable
data.
reliability
A criterion for evaluating theoretical research that concerns the
consistency of particular behaviors, patterns, or relationships.
research question A question that specifies the phenomena of interest to a
scholar but does not predict relationships between phenomena. Research
questions are less formal than hypotheses.
sex The biological and genetic quality of maleness or femaleness; not the
same as gender.
significance The conceptual or pragmatic importance of a theory.
social desirability bias
A tendency for research participants to give
responses that they perceive as socially acceptable, which may not be honest.
standpoint theory The view that the material, social, and symbolic
circumstances of a social group shape what members of that group experience,
as well as how they think, act, and feel.
survey
A quantitative method of research that relies on instruments,
questionnaires, or interviews to find out about feelings, experiences, and so forth.
text All symbolic activities, written, oral, or nonverbal; a form of data useful in
qualitative research.
thrownness The arbitrary conditions of the particular time and place of an
individual's life.
unobtrusive methods
Means of gathering data that intrude minimally on
naturally occurring interaction.
validity
A criterion for evaluating a theory. Validity has both internal (the
theory measures what it claims to measure) and external (the theory applies to
real life beyond the laboratory) dimensions.
Review chapter 4
extensional orientation
A view of meaning and communication that is based
on objective particulars of phenomena.
feedforward In general semantics theory, the process of anticipating the effects
of communication and adapting it in advance of actually engaging in
communication.
indexing
Associating referents (such as names) with specific dates,
situations, and so forth to remind ourselves that meanings change; advocated by
general semanticists as a remedy for misunderstanding.
intensional orientation
A view of meaning and communication that is based
on factors inside individuals (biases, experiences, etc.).
Review chapter 5
act
One element in the dramatistic pentad; that which is done.
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agency
One element in the dramatistic pentad; the means or channel
through which an act is performed.
agent One element in the dramatistic pentad; the one who performs an act.
attitude
In the dramatistic hexad, incipient action based on how an actor
positions herself or himself relative to others and the contexts in which she or he
acts; the sixth element that Kenneth Burke added to the original dramatistic
pentad, making it a hexad.
coherence In narrative theory, a standard for judging the quality of a story
according to whether it is internally consistent, complete, and believable.
consubstantiality
In dramatism, identifying with another or becoming common
in substance.
dramatism The point of view that life is a drama that can be understood in
dramatic terms such as act, agent, scene, agency, and purpose. Identification is
viewed as the primary goal of symbolic interaction, and guilt is viewed as the
ultimate motive for communication.
dramatistic pentad (hexad)
The method of conducting dramatistic analysis
of communication in terms of act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. Later,
attitude was added as a sixth element of the method, making it a hexad.
fidelity
In narrative theory, one standard for judging a story's quality
according to whether it "rings true."
generalized other In symbolic interaction theory, the organized perspectives of
a social group, community, or society.
guilt In dramatism, any tension, discomfort, sense of shame, or other
unpleasant feeling that humans experience; the motive of all human action.
hierarchy
In dramatism, a social ordering in which phenomena, including
people, are classified into groups with different value, status, or rank.
Interaction In symbolic interaction theory, the phase or part of self that is
impulsive, creative, and unconstrained by social norms and knowledge.
looking glass self In symbolic interaction theory, the image of oneself that one
gains by seeing the self mirrored in others' eyes.
ME
In symbolic interaction theory, the phase or part of self that is socially
aware, analytical, and evaluative.
mind In symbolic interaction theory, the ability to use significant symbols. Mind
is acquired through symbolic interaction with others.
mortification In dramatism, a method of purging guilt by blaming ourselves,
confessing failings, and seeking forgiveness.
narrative paradigm/narrative theory
The point of view that humans are
natural storytellers and that most, if not all, communication is storytelling.
narrative rationality In narrative theory, the judgment of the quality of narratives,
or stories, according to their coherence and fidelity.
negative
In dramatism, the capacity to say no; the basis of moral conduct
and thought.
particular other
In symbolic interaction theory, an individual who is significant
to another person.
perfection
In dramatism, our imagined ideal or perfect form of things and
ourselves. The inability to achieve perfection is a source of guilt.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 6
purpose
One element in the dramatistic pentad; the reason for an act.
ratio In dramatism, the proportion of different elements in the dramatistic
pentad.
role taking In symbolic interaction theory, an individual's internalization and
perception of experiences from the perspective of another person or persons.
scapegoating
In dramatism, displacing sins into a sacrificial vessel whose
destruction serves to cleanse an individual or group of its sins.
scene In the dramatistic pentad, the context in which an act is performed.
self In symbolic interaction theory, the ability to reflect on oneself from the
perspective of others. Self is not present at birth but is acquired through symbolic
interactions with others.
self-fulfilling prophecy
Behaving and seeing ourselves in ways that are
consistent with how others label us.
substance In dramatism, the general nature or essence of some thing or
person.
symbolic interactionism/symbolic interaction theory
The point of view that
claims society predates individuals, who acquire minds and selves in the process
of interacting symbolically with other members of a culture. Symbols are also
necessary to the functioning and continuation of collective life.
victimage
In dramatism, a method of purging guilt by identifying an external
source (a scapegoat) for some apparent failing or sin.
Review chapter 6
back stage In dramaturgy, behaviors and appearances that are not visible to
audiences (or others in an interactional situation).
dramaturgical model
The view of everyday life in which social interaction is
performance, settings of interaction are stages, people are actors, and viewers
are audiences.
dramaturgy In communication theory, a theory that describes, explains, and
predicts human behavior in terms of dramatic actions and settings. Also called
dramaturgical theory.
ethnography A qualitative method of research that interprets actions so as to
generate understanding consistent with the frameworks of those who perform the
actions.
frame In dramaturgy, the ways people define situations for themselves and
others.
front stage In dramaturgy, behaviors and appearances that are visible to
audiences (or others in an interactional situation).
hermeneutic circle A process that consists of (1) meanings of behaviors and
practices that reflect the understandings of those who are behaving, (2)
meanings that are removed from the actors but represent the understandings of
someone studying or viewing actors, and (3) translating the former into terms
understandable in the vocabularies and experiences of the latter. Ethnographers
move within the hermeneutic circle as they try to understand and represent
practices that initially are unfamiliar to them.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 7
impression management In Goffman's dramaturgical theory, the process of
managing settings, words, nonverbal communication, dress, and appearance in
an effort to give others a specific view of oneself.
narrative
Telling a story about experience, identity, and so forth. Narratives
are not necessarily objective representations or re-creations of experiences and
identities.
participant-observation
A method often used in ethnographic research, in
which the researcher-observer is also a participant in the situation being studied.
performance ethnography A presentation that is based on intimate acquaintance
with and understanding of people and experiences in a specific culture or social
community and that seeks to make those people and experiences knowable to
audiences who are not part of the indigenous groups.
performativity
The extent to which performance realizes (or makes real)
identities and experiences. It is both the doing (the act of performing) and what is
done (the reiteration or challenging of social norms in performance).
personal story
An account that announces how people see themselves and
how they wish to be seen by others in an organization.
testimony
A statement based on personal experience about some action,
experience, person, event, or other phenomenon.
thick description
An ethnographic method that describes cultural practices
from the point of view of people who are members of the particular culture or
social community being studied.
Review chapter 7
abstraction One of three measures of cognitive complexity; the extent to which
an individual interprets others in terms of internal motives, personality traits, and
character as opposed to more concrete factors such as actions, physical
appearance, and so forth.
autobiography
One of six levels in the hierarchy of meanings; an individual's
view of himself or herself that both shapes communication and is shaped by
communication.
cognitive complexity
In constructivist theory, the degree to which an
individual's interpretive processes are differentiated, abstract, and organized.
cognitive schema (pl. schemata) A knowledge structure on which individuals rely
to interpret experience and construct meanings. There are four types of
cognitive schemata: prototypes, personal constructs, stereotypes, and scripts.
constitutive rule
In CMM theory, a rule that defines what counts as what in
communication (for example, what counts as support, meanness, joking, praise).
constructivism
The point of view that humans create meanings by relying on
four basic cognitive schemata, or knowledge structures. There are four types of
cognitive schemata: prototypes, personal constructs, stereotypes, and scripts.
content
One of six levels in the hierarchy of meanings; the denotative or
literal meanings of words in communication.
coordinated management of meanings (CMM) See rules theory.
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cultural pattern
One of six levels in the hierarchy of meanings;
understandings of speech acts, episodes, relationships, and autobiographies that
are shared by some groups and some societies.
differentiation
One of three measures of cognitive complexity; the number
of distinct interpretations (constructs) an individual uses to perceive and describe
others. More cognitively complex individuals use more constructs to interpret
others than do less cognitively complex individuals.
episode
One of six levels in the hierarchy of meaning; a recurring routine of
interaction that is structured by rules and has boundaries.
hierarchy of meanings
In rules theory (coordinated management of meaning),
the multiple levels of meaning, each contextualized by higher levels. We rely on
the hierarchy of meanings to interpret communication.
logical force In CMM theory, the degree to which a person feels he or she must
act or cannot act in a situation.
organization One of three dimensions of cognitive complexity; the extent to
which a person notices and is able to make sense of contradictory behaviors.
person-centeredness
The ability to tailor communication to particular
individuals with whom we interact. Individuals who are highly complex cognitively
seem capable of more person-centered communication than do less cognitively
complex individuals.
personal construct One of four cognitive schemata used to interpret experience;
a bipolar scale of description (for example, happy-unhappy).
prototype
One of four cognitive schemata; an ideal or optimal example of a
category of person, situation, object, and so on.
regulative rule
In CMM theory, a rule that tells us when it's appropriate to do
a certain thing and what we should do next in an interaction.
relationship In rules theory, one of six levels in the hierarchy of meanings; a
scripted form of interaction that we engage in with a particular other.
rule Regularity in behavior that is consistent within a particular situation or
situations but is not assumed to be universal. Rules are guides for behavior, not
determinants of it.
rules theory The point of view that socially constructed and learned rules guide
communication. Also called coordinated management of meaning (CMM) theory.
script One of four cognitive schemata; a routine, or action sequence, that
reflects our understanding of how a particular interaction is supposed to proceed.
speech act In rules theory, one of six levels in the hierarchy of meaning; an
action that is performed by speaking (for example, pleading, joking, apologizing,
inviting).
stereotype One of four cognitive schemata; a predictive generalization about a
person's behavior that is based on general knowledge about the group to which
we classify the person as belonging.
strange loop In CMM theory, an internal conversation (intrapersonal
communication) by means of which the individual is trapped in a destructive
pattern of thinking and/or acting.
Review Chapter 8
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 9
complementary
In interactional theory, of or pertaining to a form of
communication and a type of relationship in which power is unequal between
individuals.
content meaning
One of two levels of meaning identified by interactional
theorists; the literal significance, or denotative meaning, of communication.
dialectical moments
In dialectical theory, momentary periods of equilibrium
between opposing dialectics in the larger pattern of continuous change that
marks relationships.
dialectical theory
The point of view that certain tensions between contradictory
desires are inherent in personal relationships.
dialectics
In dialectical theory, points of contradiction that cause tension and
impel change in relationships. Three relational dialectics have been identified:
autonomy -connection, openness-closedness, and novelty-routine.
general systems theory
Theory originated by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, which
claims that all living organisms are dynamic wholes that function as a result of
organized interaction among parts.
homeostasis A steady state; equilibrium; balance. General systems theory
claims that living systems (relationships, for example) strive for, but never fully
sustain, homeostasis. Dialectical theory, on the other hand, claims that
continuous change is the very nature of relationships.
interactional theory A theory built on the premise that communication and
relationships are systems in which meaning is established through contexts,
punctuation, and content and relationship levels of meaning.
metacommunication
Communication about communication.
neutralization
In dialectical theory, the method of responding to the tension
of relational dialectics by means of a compromise that meets both dialectical
needs to a degree but satisfies neither need fully.
openness
In general systems theory, the extent to which a system affects and
is affected by factors and processes outside of it. Living systems may be more or
less open to outside influence and more or less influential on their contexts.
parallel relationships
In interactional theory, relationships in which
individuals have equal power overall but power is distributed so that each person
has greater power in particular spheres of activity.
process
The quality of being ongoing, in flux, ever changing.
Communication is a process.
punctuation In interactional theory, subjective designations of the start and stop
of particular communication episodes.
reframing
In dialectical theory, a method of managing relational dialectics that
involves transforming the perception of dialectical needs as opposing, and
reframing them as unified, complementary, or otherwise allied.
relationship meaning
In interactional theory, one of two levels of meaning in
communication; what communication reflects about feelings and relationships
between people. Relationship-level meanings may express liking, power, and/or
responsiveness.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 10
selection
In dialectical theory, one means of managing relational dialectics
that involves satisfying one need in a dialectic and ignoring or denying the
contradictory one.
separation In dialectical theory, one means of managing relational dialectics
that attempts to meet both contradictory needs in a dialectic by satisfying each
one in separate situations or spheres of relational life.
symmetrical In interactional theory, of or pertaining to a form of communication
and relationships in which power is equal between partners.
Review Chapter 9
axiom A statement that is presumed to be true on its face and therefore does not
require proof or explanation.
comparison level (CL)
In social exchange theory, a subjective standard of
what we expect in a particular type of relationship such as friendship or romance.
comparison level of alternatives (CLalt) In social exchange theory, a relative
measure that evaluates how good a particular relationship is in comparison to
real or perceived alternatives to that relationship.
cost In social exchange theory, anything that has negative value to an
individual.
developmental theory
The point of view that relationships evolve through
stages defined by participants' expectations, perceptions, and meanings.
equity In social exchange theory, the fairness of a relationship to individuals over
time.
intercultural communication
The branch of communication field that studies
communication among people from different cultures, including distinct cultures
within a single country.
reward
In social exchange theory, anything that has positive value for an
individual.
social exchange theory
The point of view that in relationships people try to
minimize costs, maximize rewards, and ensure equity.
social penetration model One of the first-generation theories of relational
development; likens the development of personal relationships to peeling the
layers of an onion to move progressively toward the center or core self.
trajectory
A personal understanding of various tracks in relationships.
Trajectories define relational courses based on past experiences and
observations.
turning point A critical event, process, or feeling that individuals perceive as
marking a new direction or intensity in a personal relationship.
uncertainty reduction theory
The point of view that uncertainty motivates
communication and that certainty reduces the motivation to communicate.
Review Chapter 10
collegial story
An account about one member of an organization told by a
different member of the organization.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 11
communication rules
Regular patterns in the use and interpretation of
verbal and nonverbal behaviors and their functions within a particular group.
corporate story
A narrative that serves to convey the values, style, and
history of an organization. Told to newcomers, stories perform socialization; told
among veteran members of an organization, stories serve to bind members
together and vitalize the organization's ideology.
critical race theory A theory that examines how laws and legal institutions
construct race and uses race as a critical perspective for questioning cultural
views of justice and fairness.
organizational culture
Understandings about identity and codes of thought
and action that are shared by members of an organization.
organizational culture theory
A point of view that focuses on the ways in
which communication creates and sustains distinct customs, understandings,
and perspectives within particular organizations.
outsider within
A person who is both inside a particular social group through
regular interactions with members of the group and outside of the group because
he or she is defined as not "one of them."
personal story
An account that announces how people see themselves and
how they wish to be seen by others in an organization.
rite
A dramatic, planned set of activities that brings together aspects of cultural
ideology into a single event.
ritual Communicative performance that is regularly repeated in an organization
and that members of an organization come to regard as familiar and routine.
situated knowledges
In standpoint theory, the idea that any individual's
knowledge is situated within her or his particular circumstances and that there
are thus multiple knowledges, not a singular one.
speech community A group of people who share understandings of
communication that are not shared by people outside of the group.
speech community theory The point of view that explains the communication
styles of particular social groups with reference to the cultures in which members
of the groups are socialized.
standpoint The viewpoint and knowledge that grow out of political awareness
of and struggle with material, symbolic, and social circumstances that shape the
lives of a particular group.
standpoint theory The view that the material, social, and symbolic
circumstances of a social group shape what members of that group experience,
as well as how they think, act, and feel.
thick description
An ethnographic method that describes cultural practices
from the point of view of people who are members of the particular culture or
social community being studied.
vocabulary Language used by members of a culture, social group, or institution.
The languages of particular groups reflect their experiences, values, norms, and
ideology.
white studies
An emerging discipline that focuses critical attention on what
whiteness means (and has meant) and how whiteness is and has been
constructed as "normal" in Western cultures.
Student Portfolio for CA 301 (Interpersonal Communication 2) 12
Portfolio References
Braithewaite, D. O., & Wood, J. T. (2000). Case studies in interpersonal
communication processes and problems. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Wood, J. T. (2004). Communication theories in action: An introduction. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth.