A First Look At Communication Theory, 10e (Griffin)
Chapter 24 Narrative Paradigm
1) Fisher believes that human nature is epitomized by:
A) storytelling.
B) information gathering.
C) symbolic communication.
D) rhetoric.
2) Which of the following is one of the assumptions of the prevailing rational-world paradigm?
A) We make decisions on the basis of good reasons.
B) People are essentially rational.
C) The type of speaker does not determine the course of the argument.
D) All of the answers are correct.
3) Which of the following is one of the assumptions of the narrative paradigm?
A) We make decisions on the basis of good reasons.
B) People are essentially rational.
C) The type of speaker determines the course of the argument.
D) All of the answers are correct.
4) The ultimate test of narrative coherence is whether or not:
A) the characters act in a reliable manner.
B) the narrator has included all important information.
C) the narrator has accounted for other plausible interpretations.
D) the story is consistent with the audience’s values.
5) Phatic communication refers to communication aimed at:
A) passing along information.
B) maintaining relationships.
C) saying something new.
D) identifying the source’s credibility.
6) Fisher believes that stories can be evaluated using the twin standards of:
A) accuracy and unity.
B) emphasis and intensity.
C) coherence and fidelity.
D) reason and passion.
7) According to Fisher, the ideal audience:
A) uses cultural standards to evaluate a story.
B) uses the standards of the rational-world paradigm to make decisions.
C) is guided by humane values in determining good reasons.
D) is easily persuaded, unless a paradigm shift is in place.
8) Fisher uses the term ”_____” to refer to a conceptual framework that calls for people to view
events through a common interpretive lens.
A) coherence
B) rationality
C) narration
D) paradigm
9) Fisher uses the term ”_____” to refer to the internal consistency of a story with characters
acting in a reliable fashion.
A) narrative paradigm
B) narrative agreement
C) narrative coherence
D) narrative fidelity
10) Fisher uses the term ”_____” to refer to the quality of a story that causes the words to strike a
responsive chord in the life of the listener.
A) narrative paradigm
B) narrative fidelity
C) narrative coherence
D) narrative agreement
11) Fisher holds that all forms of human communication need to be seen fundamentally as
stories.
12) Fisher maintains that offering good reasons has more to do with telling a compelling story
than it does with piling up evidence or constructing a tight argument.
13) Fisher argues that only very few types of communication are either purely descriptive or
didactic.
14) The narrative paradigm sees the world as a collection of logical puzzles that we can solve
through rational analysis.
15) According to Fisher’s narrative paradigm, rationality is determined by how much we know
and how well we argue.
16) We seldom judge the coherence of a story by comparing it with other stories we have heard
that deal with the same theme.
17) Fisher argues that an ideal audience will be convinced by how concisely and rationally a
speaker argues.
18) Fisher believes that people have a natural tendency to prefer truthful and humane stories over
stories lacking those characteristics.
19) Fisher believes that everyone applies the same standards of narrative rationality to whatever
stories he or she hears.
20) A story has narrative fidelity when it provides a logic of good reasons to guide our future
actions.
21) Fisher defines ________ as “symbolic actions—words and/or deeds—that have sequence and
meaning for those who live, create, or interpret them.”
22) The ________ is a scientific or philosophical approach to knowledge that assumes people are
logical, making decisions on the basis of evidence and lines of argument.
23) A story that makes rational sense but doesn’t align with our values is said to have ________
but lacks ________.
24) Compare and contrast the rational-world and narrative paradigms.
25) Discuss and critique Fisher’s definition of narration.
26) For Fisher, what is the difference between good reasons and argument? Do you find this
difference compelling?
27) Define and illustrate the concepts of narrative coherence and fidelity.
28) Fisher believes that people have a natural tendency to prefer truthful and humane stories.
Does this mean that all people share the same idea of what is truthful and what is humane?
29) Why might evil or wrongheaded stories be persuasive? What values might they appeal to that
might not be good or humane but that might nonetheless be fundamental to human nature and
communication?
30) Critique Fisher’s concept of the ideal audience.
31) How would Burke respond to Fisher’s criteria for narrative rationality? What are the good
reasons behind the scapegoat and victimage? How might he respond to the story of Naomi, Ruth,
and Boaz?
32) How does Fisher’s theory of narrative compare to Aristotle’s treatment of the example as a
rhetorical form of inductive proof?
33) Compare the three theories of public rhetoric featured in this textbook. What are their
primary similarities and differences? Which theories do you find the most compelling, the most
useful, and the most problematic?
34) How does Fisher’s narrative paradigm relate to the stories told and stories lived of
coordinated management of meaning?
35) Do you agree with Griffin’s claim that Hirokawa and Gouran’s functional perspective on
group decision making is a perfect example of the rational-world paradigm?
36) How might Geertz and Pacanowsky (and Philipsen) respond to Fisher’s narrative paradigm?