COMM Theory Exam 2 Questions:
Put the answers in blue and, when they are double checked/someone else agrees that it is the
correct answer, change it to green.
1. According to the book, why should the ping pong communication model
by rejected?
Problem 1 – the game is played with one ball, which at any point in time is
headed in a single direction. A true model of interpersonal encounters would
have people sending and receiving multiple balls at the same time.
Problem 2 – table tennis is a competitive game – there’s a winner and a loser.
In successful dialogue, both people win. (pg 52)
2. Why is culture important in cognitive complexity (education culture
within the family)?
Complex Thinking is a culturally transmitted trait – the parent’s capacity for
complex thinking is recreated in children through complex messages of
nurture and discipline. Culture is produced and reproduced through the
communication of its members. Mothers should focus on motivation, feelings
and intentions of others that increase a child’s own cognitive complexity (pg
107)
Cognitive Complexity is the mental ability to distinguish subtle personality
and behavioral differenced among people (pg 99)
Delia – Person Centered Messages: a tailor made message for a specific
individual and context (culture??) reflects a communicators ability to
anticipate response and adjust accordingly (pg 101)
3. What is not the main theme of the movie brain games?
a. We often prioritize the world and only see what’s important to us
b. The harder you focus, the less you see the peripheral contest
c. We switch our attention constantly – We are not as great at multitasking
as we think
d. We are over stimulated
4. Why are numbers a big part of persuasion?
Numbers are rhetoric, numbers are persuasive, numbers hold power. The
best defense is to know how numbers can manipulate you.
Numbers are communication, rhetoric, convincing and deceptive.
5. According to Walter, what is the rationale for social information
processing theory?
a. Verbal Cues: We use any sues available to form impressions and develop
relationships. CMC uses can create impressions based on linguistic
context.
b. Extended Time: Text-only relationships take time to relay information
therefore the impressions are formed at a reduced rate, but this does not
make the relationship weaker to a person who is actively seeking info (pg
140)
6. Sherif and anchored attitudes.
An anchored attitude is a comparison point in our minds used to form a
judgment when we hear a new message. Basically it’s our opinion we already
have, then we hear a new message, and adjust our previous opinion aka
anchored attitude (pg 198)
Judging how close or how far a message is from our own anchored position is
the first stage of attitude change. Shifting out anchor in response is the
second. Sherif thought that both stages of the influence process usually take
place below the level of consciousness. The greater the discrepancy, the more
hearers will adjust their attitudes. Thus, the message that persuades the most
is the one that is most discrepant from the listener’s position yet falls within
his or her latitude of acceptance or latitude of non-commitment (pg 198)
According to social judgment theory, once we’ve judged a new message to be
within our latitude of acceptance, we will adjust our attitude somewhat to
accommodate the new input (pg 198)
Sherif claimed that we use our own anchored attitudes as a comparison point
when we hear a discrepant message (197)
7. Peripheral and Central routing.
Central routing – message elaboration; the path of cognitive processing that
involves scrutiny of message content
Peripheral route – a mental shortcut process that accepts or rejects a
message bases on irrelevant cues as opposed to actively thinking about the
issue
Cues: Reciprocation, Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity
“Elaboration: the extent to which a person carefully thinks about issuerelevant arguments contained in a persuasive communication” (pg 206)
8. Who is famous for their interactional view?
Paul Watzlawick (pg 181)
9. What is a criticism of cognitive dissonance?
“When researchers find an attitude shift at point C, they automatically
assume that dissonance was built up at point B and is gone by point D. But
they don’t test to see whether dissonance is actually there.” Pg 227
“They never specified a reliable way to detect the degree of dissonance a
person experiences, if any.” “Until some kind of dissonance thermometer is a
standard part of dissonance research, we will never know if the distressing
mental state is for real.” (Pg 227)
10. ATB, who is the founder of expectancy violation theory?
Judee Burgoon (pg 84)
11. ATB, what is role category questionnaire?
A free response survey designed to measure the cognitive complexity (the
mental ability to distinguish subtle personality and behavior difference
among people) of a person’s interpersonal perception. (pg 99)
The RCQ helps us “get inside our head” (pg 98)
Designed to sample the interpersonal constructs in our mental toolbox that
we bring to the construction site of meaning - the central processing
function of our minds. (pg 99)
12. Self-disclosure and what it does to relationships?
Definition – the voluntary sharing of personal history, preferences, attitudes,
feelings, values, secrets, etc., with another person; transparency.
What it does to relationships – it makes people closer. The more they are
willing to self disclose the more they will know about one another
Has to do with vulnerability
13. Brain games, how do we navigate the world, how do we walk around?
Dan Simons: Active Consciousness – essentialize world and focus on what
counts. This leads to attention blindness - failure to see large change.
Dan Simons: decentralize the world and focus only on what counts
Leads to intentional and change blindness
Change Blindness: failure to notice large change. It is in our
nature to focus on one thing at a time.
14. How does the brain decide what is important (how do we learn to see)?
We get taught how to see and what to look for, seeing is cultural, habits, and
norms, what to look for – not purely empiricism
We must learn to anticipate.
Your brain decides what is important and fills in the rest and mistakes –
expectancy violation theory (??)
Prefrontal cortex – newest part of brain – prioritizes brain to choose wither
to watch or to look away
Lecture 2/17
15. The rationale behind Walthers’ social information processing theory,
that communicators will use any cue system available.
Different theories that explain inherent differences between CMC and faceto-face communication: Social Presence Theory, Media Richness Theory, and
Lack of Social Context Cues. All these theories share a cue filtered out
interpretation of CMC. In other words, they assume that most online
communication is text only, without visual or auditory cues, and this limits
its usefulness for developing interpersonal relationships. Walther believed
relationships grow only to the extent hat parties first gain info about each
other and use that info to form interpersonal impressions. Walther
acknowledges that nonverbal cues are filtered out of the interpersonal info
we send and receive through text only CMC (pg 139)
16. Social judgment theory.
Weighing new ideas with our current opinions (aka anchored attitudes)
Latitude Acceptance: range of ideas that the person considers reasonable (pg
195)
Latitude Rejection: range of ideas that the person considers unreasonable
Latitude Non-Commitment: range of ideas that the person considers neither
acceptable nor objectionable
We hear a message and immediately judge where it should be placed on the
attitude scale in our minds.
Social judgment involvement – Perception and evaluation of an idea by
comparing it with current attitudes
Link between ego-involvement and perception (pg 197)
17. According to Voslavik, if a person interrupts her partner she is likely
using what?
One-up communication in the interactional theory – used to gain control (pg
186)
A conversational move to yield control of the exchange; attempted
submission
18. Research on cognitive dissonance theory shows what?
Cognitive Dissonance – the distressing mental state caused by inconsistency
between a person’s two beliefs or a belief and an action (pg 217)
Shows inconsistency
Ex: they want to be healthy but they want to smoke
19. According to Edward T. Hall, the distance between people of 0-18 inches
is called what?
Intimate distance (pg 85)
20. ATB, the following is the first step in message production?
Goals (pg 102)
21. According to message dialect, what are relationships made of?
Relational Dialectics highlight the tension, struggle, and general messiness of
close personal ties (pg 154)
Basically a relationship is made up of give and take
Kramer said Dialect is argumentation, so relational dialect is essentially just
arguments within a relationship
Integration-Separation = intimacy-independence (pg 156)
Stability-Change = predictability-surprise (pg 158)
Expression-Nonexpression = openness-closedness (pg 159)
22. What is prioritized attention?
We essentialize what counts when we navigate the world, but this leads to
change blindness.
We focus on what is affecting you
23. What are criticisms in the book about uncertainty reduction theory?
Anxiety. In reality it is a perceived loss of control that really causes anxiety
1. The theory states the more you like people, the less you will seek info
about them – opposite could be true
2. Lack of info isn’t what motivates people to reduce uncertainty, it is
wanting the info (i.e. I don’t know the answer and I don’t care vs. I don’t
know the answer but I want to find it)
3. Early course relationship could be driven by predicted outcome value, not
the drive to reduce uncertainty (benefits of the relationship vs. getting to
know someone) (pg 135)
24. Social judgment theory; can you really change other peoples minds?
Adjust your attitude somewhat – positive but partial (pg 198) and in lecture
he said no you can’t completely change a person’s mind
25. What is interactional view?
Relationships as a system that need homeostasis or balance
26. What is the goal of cognitive dissonance theory?
“The tension of dissonance motivates us to change wither our behavior or
our belied in a effort to avoid that distressing feeling.” (Pg 217)
The goal is to avoid dissonance. For there to be harmony between our actions
and opinions/beliefs/feelings.
27. What is proxemics?
The study of people’s use of space as a special elaboration of culture (pg 85)
28. ATB, what is social penetration theory (what does talk have to do with
it)?
Definition – the process of developing deeper intimacy with another person
through mutual self-disclosure and other forms of vulnerability
“Gradual and orderly fashion from superficial to intimate levels of exchange
as a function of bother immediate and forecast outcomes” (pg 114)
Conversation – people must converse about one another to know more about
the others lives. The more they talk, the more they know.
Conversation is the primary means of the theory – the best way to get to
know someone.
29. Story Problem
30. Complex question about brain games
31. Sherif’s notion of labeling
32. Based on Walters discussion of information, know CMC model.
Interpersonal info -> impression formation -> relationship development (pg
139)
33. Interactional view and what is says about content.
Content: what is said
Relationship: how it is said
34. ATB, the positive and negative value we place on specific expected
behaviors is ___?
Violation valence – the term violation valence refers to the positive or
negative value we place on a specific unexpected behavior, regardless of who
does it. (pg 90)
35. Social Penetration theory.
a. We live in an interpersonal economy in which we all “take stock” so the
relational value of others we meet (pg 91)
b. The process of developing deeper intimacy with another person through
mutual self-disclosure and other forms of vulnerability (pg 114)
c. Personality structure described through the onion metaphor – the inside
core is where we get to know people the best (pg 115)
36. Top down, Bottom up cognitive processing
Bottom up – surprise that grabs your attention
Top down – decision-making attention. magician tells you to focus on one
place therefore distracting you from another
37. Story Problem
38. Elaboration likelihood model (how we process information)?
When ELM is high, you engage in extensive issue-relevant thinking and
persuasion is achieved through the central route (from persuasion principles
class). ELM is high when the person cares about, or is interested in, the
subject/argument. When they don’t care about the subject/argument, or they
are too tired to pay attention or some other factor, ELM is low and they
engage in peripheral route processing, judging message quality on outside
factors such as source credibility, likability, setting, visual aids, etc.
39. ATB, the sum of attributes both positive and negative brought to an
encounter plus the intention to be good or bad is what?
Communicator Reward Valence - the sun of positive and negative attributes
brought to the encounter plus the potential to reward or punish in the future.
(pg 91)
40. Social Exchange theory.
Definition – relationship behavior and status regulated by both parties’
evaluations of perceived rewards and costs of interaction with each other.
41. Social Exchange theory.
Key concepts – relational outcome, relational satisfaction, and relational
stability
42. Social judgment theory; _______ is a perceptual distortion that leads to
the polarization of ideas.
Contrast (pg 197)
43. The dissonance that happens after buying a new vehicle is explained by
what theory?
Postdecision dissonance (pg 220)
44. ATB, social penetration theory can be related to expectancy violation
theory, how?
Communicator reward valence (pg 91)
Both theories say humans have a tendency to size up people based on
potential rewards that person has to offer.
45. Communication dialects.
Simply arguments in communication. It is more general than relational
dialectics.
46. ATB, who came up with uncertainty reduction theory?
Charles Berger (pg 126)
47. This is about passive and active strategies in CMC.
Active is face-to-face while passive is texting
48. Interactional view.
“You can’t not communicate”
49. Expectancy violation theory; what will a person do when they are
unsure about the meaning of an action?
The brain decides what is important and it fills in the missing and important
information.
Interpret the violation in light of how the violator can affect our lives – “But
when the meaning of an action is unclear, EVT says that we interpret the
violation in light of how the violator can affect our lives” (pg 91).
50. Brain games; penguin walks across stage, what does it demonstrate?
Unintentional blindness – failure to notice something unexpected when
focused on something else
51. Elaboration likelihood model, central route of persuasion.
Focuses on argument quality
The central route involves message elaboration. Elaboration is “the extent to
which a person carefully thinks about issue-relevant arguments contained in
a persuasive communication.” (pg 206)
Central route: Message elaboration; the path of cognitive processing that
involves scrutiny of message content
52. What are positive violations?
According to the ELM, they result when something happens in
communication that is outside of the range of out expectancies, yet viewed
more positive than what was expected.
53. What is an example of top down distraction?
Slight of hand guy TELLING you focus your attention in one place while he
steals from another.
Magician tells you to focus on one place therefore distracting you from
another
Top Down: Decision making attention, controlling focus from the brain
54. Which premise does not underlie CMM theory?
55. What is peripheral question?
Argument where quality does not matter. Paying attention to things such as
source credibility or likability instead of actual content.
56. ATB, messages that reflect an awareness of adaptation to affective and
relational aspects in rational context are what?
As Delia uses the phrase, person-centered messages refers to “messages which
reflect an awareness of an adaptation to subjective, affective, and relational
aspects of the communication contexts.” In other words, the speaker is able
to anticipate how different individuals might respond to a message, and
adjust his or her communication accordingly. (pg 101)
Person-centered message: a tailor-made message for a specific individual
and context; reflects the communicator’s ability to anticipate response and
adjust accordingly (pg 101)
57. What is the relationship between similarities between people and
uncertainties?
Similarities between persons reduce uncertainty, while dissimilarities
produce increases in uncertainty (pg 128)
Uncertainty reduction: increase knowledge of what kind of person another is,
which provides an improved forecast of how a future interaction will turn
out (pg 127).
58. ATB, the degree of intimacy reflected in discourse is what?
Depth of penetration (pg 115)
59. Walter labeled CMC relationships that were more intimate than
relationships between physical partners as what?
Hyperpersonal – Walther uses the term hyperpersonal to label CMC
relationships that are more intimate than romances or friendships would be
if partners were physically together. (pg 143)
60. Social exchange theory argues the following except__?
These ARE concepts of social exchange theory (pg 117-119)
1. Outcome: the perceived rewards minus the costs of interpersonal
interaction
2. Comparison Level: the threshold above which an interpersonal outcome
seems attractive; a standard for relational satisfaction
3. Comparison Level of Alternative: the best outcome available in other
relationships; a standard for relational stability
61. Which of the following statements about ELM is true?
Elaboration: the extent to which a person carefully things about issuerelevant arguments contained in a persuasive communication.
Consists of the central route (message elaboration) and the peripheral route
(no message elaboration) (pg 207)
62. Story Problem
63. Walther study about the usefulness of social information processing
found ___?
“People meeting online can being a relationship just as effectively as if they
had met face-to-face” (pg 142)
“Anticipated future interaction wasn’t part of Walther’s original conception
of SIP, but now he sees it as a way of extending psychological time. Walther
discovered that members of an online conference or task group start to trade
relational messages when they are scheduled for multiple meetings. Its as if
the ‘Shadow of the future” motivates them to encounter others on a personal
level.” (pg 142)
64. Social exchange theory; values are found in what?
A person’s inner core (pg 114)
65. What does the poker game at the end of brain games illustrate?
We only pay attention to what’s important
66. Why is expectancy violation theory important in intercultural
communication?
People from different cultures have different social expectancies/norms.
Violating norms can be negative or positive.
“The size and shape of out personal space depends on our cultural norms and
individual preferences” (pg 85)
67. Which metaphor best describes social exchange theory?
The onion metaphor
We tell someone something at one level of the onion and they exchange
information at the same level.
68. Process of avoiding information that is likely to create dissonance is
called what?
Selective exposure – the tendency people have to avoid information that
would create cognitive dissonance because its incompatible with their
current beliefs. (pg 219)
69. Story Problem
70. The purpose of interpretive research is to do what?
“Create understanding, identify values, inspire aesthetic appreciation,
stimulate agreement, reform society, and conduct qualitative research.” (Pg
31)
71. Pearce and Cronen, CMM theory, coordinated management of meaning,
said that stories are important?
Persons in conversation co-construct their own social realities and are
simultaneously shaped by the worlds they create (pg. 70)
Pearce and Cronen note that the stories we tell and the stories we live are
always tangled together, yet forever in tension because one is the stuff of
language and the other is the way we act. (Pg 73)
72. Qualitative research is interested in ___?
“Qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to
make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meaning people
bring to them.” A focus on meaning and significance (pg 33-34)
73. Tabloid magazines and twitter are criticized for disassociating us with
reality, why?
Our reality is becoming centered on passive observation. Gossip is irrelevant
74. Social media is becoming an integral part of organic relationships, why?
People are using it to stay connected or to reconnect with people from the
past. It bridges the gap of physical distance
75. Paralinguistic’s refers to ____?
How you say something, the style
Vocal communication that is separate from actual language. Includes tone,
inflection, volume, and pitch
NOTES
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ELM = Elaboration Likelihood Model
Elaboration Likelihood – if you are really into the topic of a person’s speech
then you are going to pay more attention to their speech (central); opposed
to, if you don’t really care about what they are saying, you will just start
judging their outfit or how many times they say “like” or “um” (peripheral).
CMC = Computer-Mediated Communication
Walther Social Information Processing Theory – relationships online are just
as effective as face-to-face
CMM = Coordinated Management of Meaning
Every conversation has an afterlife. Tomorrow’s social reality is the afterlife
of how we interact today.