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Summary Introduction to Communication Studies - A First Look at Communication Theory, Media Effects, Artikelen €6,98
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  3. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)
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  5. Introduction to Communication Studies

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Summary Introduction to Communication Studies - A First Look at Communication Theory, Media Effects, Artikelen

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Summary of: - A First Look at Communication Theory chapters 1-7, 14-16, 25, 27-30, 32-36; - Media Effects chapters 1-12; Articles (summarized less extensively): - McAndrew, F. T., & De Jonge, C. R. (2011). Electronic person perception: what do we infer about people from the style of their e-mail...

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  • 1-7, 14-16, 25, 27-30, 32-36
  • 20 oktober 2020
  • 53
  • 2020/2021
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Voorbeeld van de inhoud

A First Look at Communication Theory
Eveliene Quaijtaal
VU Amsterdam jaar 1 2020/2021
Tentamenstof:

- Communication Theory hoofdstuk 1 t/m 7, 14 t/m 16, 25, 27 t/m 30, 32 t/m 35
- Media Effects hoofdstuk 1 t/m 12
- McAndrew, F. T., & De Jonge, C. R. (2011). Electronic person perception: what do
we infer about people from the style of their e-mail messages? Social Psychological
and Personality Science, 2(4), 403-407.
- Veltkamp, M., Custers, R., en Aarts, H. (2011). Motivating consumer behavior by
subliminal conditioning in the absence of basic needs: Striking even while the iron is
cold. Journal of Consumer Psychology 21(1), 49-56.

Communication Theory

Chapter 1: Launching your study of communication theory ​(slides)
A theory is nothing more than a set of systematic, informed hunches about the way things
operate.

A set of hunches​ ​(vermoedens)
If a theory is a set of hunches, it means we aren’t yet sure we have the answer. Theories
always involve an element of speculation, or conjecture. Being a theorist is risky business
because theories go beyond accepted wisdom. A theory is not just inspired by one thought
or an isolated idea. Good theories define their key terms. A theory will also give some
indication of scope (​ reikwijdte)​.

Informed hunches
A theorist’s hunches should be informed. Before developing a theory, there are articles to
read, people to talk to, actions to observe, or experiments to run. Theories are sometimes
defined as “educated” guesses.

Hunches that are systematic
Most scholars reserve the term theory as an integrated system of concepts. It not only lays
out multiple ideas, but it also specifies the relationships among them: it connects the dots.

Images of Theory
- Theories as Nets: This metaphor highlights the ongoing labor of the theorist as a type
of deep-sea angler. It collects everything thus requiring a grand theory.
- Theories as Lenses: Many scholars see their theoretical constructions as similar to
the lens of a camera that accurately reflects the world out there. It takes a closer look
and finds hidden facts
- Theories as Maps: A good map helps us understand unfamiliar terrain. It’s designed
to help you navigate some part of the topography of human relationships. It makes
representations.

Communication



1

,There are more than 120 definitions of communication 50 years ago. Communication
scholars have suggested many more since then, yet no single definition has risen to the top.
For starters, this definition is offered:
“Communication is the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a
response.”

Messages
Messages are the core of communication study. When academic areas, such as psychology,
sociology, anthropology, political science, literature and philosophy deal with human
symbolic activity, they intersect with the study of communication.
Communication theorists use the word text as a synonym for the message that can be
studied, regardless of the medium. An analysis of the text and the context surrounding its
transmission provides a useful case study for examining the essential features of
communication.

Creation of Messages
The content and form of a text are usually constructed, invented, planned, crafted,
constituted, selected or adopted by the communicator. The communicator is making a
conscious choice of message form and substance.

Interpretation of Messages
The meaning that a message holds for the creators and receivers doesn’t reside in the
words that are spoken, written, or acted out. Many communication scholars believe that
words don’t mean things, people mean things. Words and other symbols are polysemic:
they’re open to multiple interpretations.

A Relational Process
Communication is a relational process. It’s a process, but it’s not a freeze-frame snapshot.
The relational part is because it not only takes place between two or more persons, but also
because it affects the nature of the connections among those people.

Messages that elicit a response
If a message fails to stimulate any cognitive, emotional, or behavioural reaction it seems
pointless to refer to it as communication. When you don’t respond (the silent treatment), it is
also a response.

Chapter 2: Talk About Theory ​(slides)
Scholars (social scientist & rhetorical critic) take different theoretical approaches as they
analyze the intent of communication (example book: the Clydesdales ad) and how it works.

An Objective Approach
Objective approach of communication is based on the objective of communicating the
intended information or ideas.
After observing behaviour, we identify or construct a theory that offers insight into what
we’ve observed. Successful persuasive messages evoke past experiences that create
resonance (​ weerklank/helderheid)​ between the message content and a person’s thoughts of
feelings.



2

,It’s not the arguments that persuade people as much as it is memories of personal
experiences triggered by the message. Testing audience response is a crucial scientific
enterprise (​ initiatief).​

An Interpretive Approach
The interpretive approach of communication simply implies one's perception of oneself,
perception of the other person, and one's perception of the other person’s perception of
oneself. In this approach it maintains communication is ineffective if from a single statement,
sign, or gesture.
Ad: Deep within the mental makeup of all human beings is the archetype of the
birth-death-rebirth cycle. The use of such archetypes touches off “depth responses” that
emotionally resonate at the core of our being. By the Budweiser ad the emotions evoked are
strong because we are dealing with life and death, with loss and restoration.

Sorting out the labels
All social scientists work hard to be objective.
All rhetorical critics do interpretive analysis, not all interpretive scholars are rhetoricians.
Most are humanists who study what it’s like to be another person in a specific time and
place.
In the book they’ll use interpreters to refer to the entire group, and use rhetoricians,
humanists, postmodernists or critical scholars to refer to a particular group within the bigger
group.

Discovering truth or creating multiple realities
Epistemology: how do we know what we know, if we know it at all? Scientists are trying to
find out what is truth. They assume that truth is singular. They see a single, timeless reality
that’s not depending on local conditions. It’s waiting to be discovered through the five senses
of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
No person can know it all, so individual researchers pool their findings and build a collective
body of knowledge about how the world works.

Determinism or free will
One of the great philosophical debates throughout history revolves around the question of
human choice. Hard-line determinists claim that every move we make is the result of
heredity (biology is destiny). On the other hand, free-will purists insist that every human act
is ultimately voluntary.
In the same way, the language of scholarship often reflects theorists’ views of human nature.
Behavioural scientists usually describe human conduct as occurring because of forces
outside the individual’s awareness. Interpretive scholars tend to use explanatory phrases
such as in order to and so that because they attribute a person’s actions to conscious intent.

Why is it important?
It’s important to grasp the differences between objective and interpretive scholarship. The
first point is because you can’t fully understand a theory if you aren’t familiar with its
underlying assumptions about truth, human nature, the purpose of its theory, and its values.
The second reason is to master these metatheoretical differences. After exposure to a dozen
or more theories, you may find that they begin to blur together in your mind. Classifying them
as scientific or interpretive is a good way to keep them straight.


3

,Understanding these objective/interpretive choice points can also help you decide the
direction you want to take in your remaining course work.

The scale
There are 4 important areas of differences between objective and interpretive
communication. Once you understand how the theories differ, it will be helpful to realize that
not all theorists fall neatly into one category or the other. It’s more accurate to picture the
objective and interpretive labels as anchoring the ends of a continuum. For easier reference
to positions on the scale, there are 5 columns numbered at the bottom of the chart.




Chapter 3: Weighing the words
Not all objective and interpretive communication theories are equally good. The book made
several criteria to weigh the words of the scholars.

What makes an objective theory good?

1. Prediction of Future Events
Prediction is only possible when we are dealing with things we can see, hear, touch, smell,
and taste repeatedly. As we repeatedly notice the same things happening in similar
situations, we begin to speak of invariable patterns or universal laws.
What do good scientific communication theories forecast? Some predict that a specific type
of communication triggers a particular response. Other theories predict that people will use
different types of communication depending upon some pre-existing factor.

2. Explanation of Data




4

, A good objective theory explains an event or human behaviour. An objective theory should
bring clarity to an otherwise jumbled state of affairs: it should draw order out of chaos. A
good social science theory describes the process, focuses our attention on what’s crucial
and helps us ignore the little differences. But it also goes beyond raw data and explains why.

3. Relative Simplicity
A good objective theory is as simple as possible. “We should accept the less complex
version”

4. Hypothesis that can be tested
A good objective theory is testable. Falsifiability: if a prediction is wrong, there ought to be a
way to demonstrate the error. Unfortunately, some theories are stated in a way that makes it
impossible to prove them false. If it isn’t possible to gather clear evidence that goes against
a theory’s claim, then it’s also impossible to collect evidence that clearly supports those
claims.

5. Practical Utility
A good theory is useful. Before considering a theory irrelevant, make certain you understand
it and consider how others have made use of its insight.

6. Quantitative research
Since objective theorists aim to mirror reality, it makes sense for them to measure and report
what they discover in precise numerical terms rather than in linguistic terms, which are open
for interpretation.
Experiments: An experimenter tries to establish a cause-and-effect relationship by
systematically manipulating one factor in a tightly controlled situation to learn its effect on
another factor.
Surveys: Survey researchers rely on self-reported data to discover people’s past behaviour
and what they now think, feel, or intend to do.

What makes an interpretive theory good?
1. Clarification of values
A good interpretive theory brings people’s values into the open. The theorist seeks to
acknowledge, identify, or unmask the ideology behind the message under scrutiny ​(inspectie).​
Interpretive theorists should also be willing to reveal their own ethical commitment. Not all
interpretive scholars occupy the same moral ground, but most of them share the core
values, like individual freedom.

2. New understanding of people
A good interpretive theory is good when it offers fresh insight into the human condition.
Scholars seek to gain new understanding by analyzing the activity they regard as uniquely
human symbolic interaction.

3. Aesthetic appeal
As any type of communication, both content and style make a difference. Objective theorists
are constrained by the standard format for acceptable scientific writing, but interpretive
theorists have more room for creativity, so aesthetic appeal becomes an issue.



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