Deck 1: Launching Your Study of Communication Theory

Question 1

________ is used as "an umbrella term for all careful, systematic, and self-conscious discussion and analysis of communication phenomena."

A) Communication
B) Inquiry
C) Informed hunch
D) Theory

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Identify a key feature of theory as suggested by Judee Burgoon.

A) Theory consists of a set of hunches.
B) Theory is unlikely to involve an element of speculation, or conjecture.
C) Theory is unlikely to fall in the hunch category when floated initially.
D) Theory is based on an isolated idea.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following nontechnical terms does Judee Burgoon use in reference to communication theory?

A) hints
B) hunches
C) inklings
D) instincts

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Hunches that communication theories are based upon should be:

A) informed.
B) plural.
C) systematic.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 5

Theories:

A) alter what we already believe in.
B) go beyond accepted wisdom.
C) should reflect commonly held beliefs.
D) usually violate or contradict accepted wisdom.

Question 6

Which of the following has NOT been posed as a metaphor for theories?

A) lenses
B) mirrors
C) maps
D) nets

Question 7

________ is the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response.

A) Communication
B) Message exchange
C) Symbolic interaction
D) Theory-building

Question 8

Communicators usually make ________ choices about a message's form and substance.

A) conscious
B) mindless
C) responsive
D) subconscious

Question 9

In the context of the interpretation of messages, many communication scholars believe that:

A) anyone can step into the same river twice.
B) "communication is irreversible."
C) the only "failure in communicating" is not communicating.
D) "words don't mean things, people mean things."

Question 10

Theories should be posed if there is a clear or widely accepted explanation of a given phenomenon.

Question 11

Burgoon believes that a theory is an inspired thought or an isolated idea.

Question 12

Before developing a theory, theorists should be familiar with alternative explanations and interpretations of the types of phenomena they are studying.

Question 13

Communication is a relational process not only because it takes place between two or more persons, but also because it affects the nature of the connections among those people.

Question 14

Communication theorists use the word "text" as a synonym for a message that can be studied, regardless of the medium.

Question 15

Communication is the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that ________.

Question 16

In the context of the interpretation of messages, the term ________ refers to a quality of symbols and means they are open to multiple interpretations.

Question 17

If you were developing a definition of theory, what components would be the most central in your answer?

Question 18

When describing communication theory, explain what Burgoon means by the term "hunches."

Question 19

Communication theorists differ in how they define communication. Do you think this term needs to be universally understood or interpreted?

Question 20

Griffin's working definition of communication, "the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response," involves five features of communication. Which of these features is the most central to the concept of communication?

Question 21

How are both senders and receivers incorporated in Griffin's definition of communication?

Question 22

Change or edit the following statement to better reflect the definition presented in Chapter 1: "A theory is a hunch about the way things work."