Chapter 02 – Thinking about the Field: Traditions and Contexts
Chapter 02
Thinking about the Field: Traditions and Contexts
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The _____ context of communication pertains to speaking and persuasion.
2. Which of the following statements most accurately encapsulates the view held by the
semiotic tradition?
3. The environment in which communication takes place is called the
4. The belief that behavior is influenced by one or more variables and can therefore be studied
using experiments to uncover patterns is espoused by which tradition in the field of
communication?
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25. Critiquing the social order is at the heart of the critical tradition.
26. New media includes the Internet, cell phone usage, and high-definition (HD) television.
27. Some communication scholarship can trace its roots back as far as early Roman and Greek
times.
28. Communication apprehension is the fear that communication research is not a legitimate
scholarly discipline.
29. Those who adhere to the socio-psychological tradition of communication theory uphold a
cause–effect model of communication.
Essay Questions
30. Select one of the seven traditions in the field of communication to define and discuss.
Provide examples of the kind of research that is done in that tradition, making sure it is clear
how and why those examples illustrate the main focus and concerns of that tradition.
Answers will vary.
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31. Define the term context, and discuss how it is related to the study of communication.
Answers will vary.
32. Identify and define the two most important components of small group behavior.
Answers will vary.
33. Argue for or against the following proposition: The communication discipline should
establish one core communication theory.
Answers will vary.
34. Provide three examples of communication phenomena that may be studied in more than one
context. Specify to which contexts they might be relevant, and how researchers would differ in
their approaches across those contexts.
Answers will vary.
35. Do you feel that each of the seven contexts of communication is a “legitimate” area of
research? If yes, briefly explain why you feel each is legitimate. If no, explain which contexts
you feel are not legitimate areas and why.
Answers will vary.
36. Which of the seven contexts do you feel is most important and relevant to everyday life? In
your answer, be sure to explain why you feel this way using specific examples to support your
thesis.
Answers will vary.
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37. Identify and discuss an example from your life where you feel a better understanding of the
research associated with one of the seven contexts of communication could have helped you
better deal with a particular problem or situation.
Answers will vary.
38. Do you think communication should really be considered its own discipline, or do you feel
it is just a loose collection of concepts from other fields? In your response, be sure to support
your thesis with specific examples.
Answers will vary.