978-1319059491 Chapter 1 Part 4

Other

The speech was

within the time

range of 5–7

minutes.

The speech was

within 15

seconds of the

time range.

The speech was

more than 15

seconds over or

under the time

/5

appropriate or

professional

attire for the

speech.

wear appropriate

or professional

attire for the

speech.

Delivery

posture: feet

planted, no

fidgeting or

pacing;

appropriate

gestures.

solid speaking

posture; a bit of

fidgeting or

pacing, shifting

of weight, etc.

posture;

movements such

as fidgeting or

pacing distracted

from the speech.

to listen to and

clear at all times.

to and clear at

most times.

listen to or clear.

Speaker used a

very

conversational

Speaker used a

mostly

conversational

Speaker was tied

to notes and read

to audience.

/6

present/ cited

correctly.

present but not

cited correctly.

absent.

Second source

was present/ cited

correctly.

Second source

was present but

not cited

correctly.

Second source

was absent.

/3

Third source was

/3

52

present/ cited

correctly.

present but not

cited correctly.

absent.

Transition

statements were

smooth and

apparent between

each of the main

Transition

statements were

present but not

between all

sections and/or

Transition

statements were

nearly

nonexistent;

speech was

/3

tied nicely to the

conclusion.

53

GROUP SPEECH (continued)

Best Good Needs Work Comments Score

Group Grade—Conclusion

“Clincher” was

present, tied in,

and forceful.

“Clincher” was

present but not

connected to the

speech.

“Clincher” was

missing or

weak (for

example, “That’s

it”).

/3

Group Grade—Other

12–16 minutes

(group of 4) or

15–20 minutes

(group of 5).

time range.

under the time

range.

Group used a

visual aid to

contribute to and

Group had a

visual aid that

contributed

Group did not

use the visual

aid to support

/4

everyone in the

room at least 80

percent of the

time.

people in the

room at least 60

percent of the

time.

60 percent of the

time.

54

The speaker

maintained a solid

speaking posture:

The speaker

mostly

maintained a

The speaker did

not maintain a

solid speaking

/6

were excellent

throughout the

speech; speaker

were OK

throughout the

speech; speaker

were poor

throughout the

speech; speaker

appropriate

manner.

was mostly

acceptable for a

public speech.

professional/

appropriate

clothing.

TOTAL SPEECH POINTS: /75

AVERAGE POINTS FROM GROUP MEMBERS’ EVALUATIONS: /25

Comments:

55

Chapter 1

Communication: Essential Human Behavior

CHAPTER OUTCOMES

• Define the communication process

• Describe the functions of communication

• Assess the quality or value of communication by examining its six characteristics

• Define what communication scholars consider to be competent communication

• Describe the visual representations, or models, of communication

• Describe why communication is vital to everyone

LECTURE NOTES

• Communication is the process by which individuals use symbols, signs, and behaviors to

exchange information.

○ Communication helps us satisfy our human needs.

− All communication “works” (or does not work) within the context of relationships—the

interconnections between two or more people.

− Relationships also involve interdependence, meaning that what we do affects others and

what others do affects us.

○ Influencing Others

− Communication requires a shared code, a set of symbols that are joined to create a

meaningful message.

−

Encoding

is the process of mentally constructing a message for production.

− Decoding is the process of receiving a message by interpreting and assigning meaning

○ Assessing Communicative Value requires assessing the quality of your communication as it

relates to the six communication characteristics.

• Communicating Competently examines the different aspects of competent, or effective and

appropriate for a given situation, communication.

○ Competent Communication Is Process Oriented

− Effective behavior requires prioritizing goals that are appropriate to each situation.

○ Competent Communication Involves Communication Skills, or behavioral abilities based

on social understandings that are used to achieve specific goals.

○ Competent Communication Involves Using Technology that may assist communicators in

meeting certain goals but may be inappropriate when used in some situations.

is an example of this model

○ The Competent Communication Model

− A transactional process where communication takes place between interdependent parties

simultaneously encoding and decoding within a relational context, a situational context,

and a cultural context.

57

− The communicators send and receive messages based on cognitions (thoughts,

awareness, and understanding) that in turn influence behavior (observable

communication). Successful communicators have a high degree of cognitive complexity,

or the ability to consider multiple scenarios, theories, and interpretations.

− The relational context refers to the sum of the shared experiences of the individuals

involved in the relationship and helps define what is appropriate in specific circumstances.

It also includes goals and expectations for the relationship.

− The situational context includes the social environment, physical place, specific

situation, and details related to the time and place.

− The cultural context refers to culture as the backdrop for the other communication

contexts; cultural identity influences our communication choices and is reinforced by

messages from those in similar cultures. A successful communicator needs to determine

what is appropriate and what is not in a variety of cultures and situations.

• The Study of Communication explores how communication skills, concepts, and theories

groups and organizations (Part 3 of the text).

○ Public Speaking presents strategies on how to become a competent public speaker (Part 4 of

the text).

○ Mass Communication explores how the professional communicators in the mass media

industries work hard to get and keep our attention, and the power audiences have to reject

1. How does communication function in your everyday life? Where do you see yourself

having strengths in communication? Weaknesses?

• You may find that your students are hesitant to share about a topic as personal as their

communication strengths and weaknesses so early in the semester. Therefore, you might want

thinking about the course concepts, so have some secondary questions ready to go.

2. Looking at the competent communicator model, how do the different layers of context

work on the communication we have in the classroom?

3. What constitutes effective and appropriate communication in the classroom? How might

communication need to change to be appropriate and effective when you’re spending time

with friends or family? What if you’re communicating online?

• If your students seem hesitant, you might want to open up with a funny communication story

don’t know) in response to an essay question on an exam?

4. Take a look at the table The Broad Field of Communication Research Today (Table 1.2).

What types of careers do you think will be open to you if you choose to major in

communication or specialize in one of these areas?

• This is a particularly useful discussion to have with students if your department uses the

your own friends and colleagues from college and graduate school. Where are they now?

5. How does communication work in your relationships? Where do you think the most issues

come up? Why do you think they come up?

• The hardest thing here is going to be reining in the conversation. Be ready to guide students

continually back to the communication concepts they have learned in this chapter. How do

these concepts come into play in relationships?

PERSONAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

1. Identify Your Communication Goals

Ask students to consider a communication goal that they hope to accomplish in the near

future. How will they accomplish it? Have them consider the specific steps that they will need

2. Why Are You Here?

On the first day of class, assign students the question about their goals and motivations for

taking this course (see And You? on p. 00. Have students bring their responses to class and turn

3. Redo the Email

Have students rewrite the email given in the Wired for Communication box on p. 00. Ask them

1. GOAL Puzzles

2. Adjustable blindfold, such as a scarf or bandana

4. Document camera

Directions:

1. Break students into teams of four to five people; each team should have the same

3. The student who is first in line should begin directing the blindfolded student on how to

4. The team with the most pieces in the right places (or with the fastest time correctly

putting the puzzle together) wins.

Debriefing: Direct the students to discover how challenging achieving goals through

communication can be. Even when we think our communication is very clear, other factors,

such as noise, can interfere in such a way as to make it very difficult for us to achieve our

communication goals.

2. Bag Me

Goals: To demonstrate the process of encoding and decoding in communication; to demonstrate

1. Have students place the bags containing their objects in one area of the room.

3. Have students take the object out of the bag and write a short description about the kind of

4. Ask students to read their descriptions out loud, and then ask the students who own the

objects to reveal themselves. Ask the owners if they agree with the descriptions given by

their peers. Repeat until time is up and have students return the objects to their rightful

owners.

did. How might those assumptions relate to the different contexts pointed out in the chapter?

3. Modeling Communication Through Paper Wars

Goals: To illustrate the different models of communication; to reinforce the idea of

1. Piece of full-size scrap paper for each student

1. Have students crumple their pieces of paper into balls. Tell them to hang onto them for the

present. Do the same for your pieces of paper.

2. As you explain the model of linear communication, throw your paper balls to various

students in the room and ask the students to catch the balls. If they fail to catch one of

3. Take one of your paper balls and play a game of “catch” with a student in the front row. Ask

4. Finally, ask students how communication in the classroom differs from what you have seen

before. If none of their answers point this out, prod students, asking them if they ever

5. At this point, ask students to pick up their paper balls. If you preface with “Ready? One . . .

6. Use this opportunity to talk about how competent communication happens as described in

4. Drawing Your Model

2. Permanent marker for each group

1. Break students up into groups of three to four.

2. Have each group, without opening their texts, draw what they think is a model of two

4. Pull out some of the models of communication that the students have drawn. For those that

most resemble the linear model, point out the various parts that exemplify the linear model,

such as sender and receiver, one-way communication, and noise. For those that most

5. How Should We Talk?

Materials: Real Communication, 3e

Directions:

1. If you plan to have your students work in a set group this semester, encourage them to meet

2. Have the groups share their codes with the rest of the class. Ask them to share how their

code differs from the official one. Do they think this credo for ethical communication

might help their group? Why or why not?

6. Are You Like Me?

1. Write out the characteristics and behaviors from Table 1.1, listed on p. 00 of the text, on

2. Hand these cards out randomly to students.

3. Have students wear the neck cards and walk around the classroom, finding the

characteristic or behavior on another person’s card that fits with the card they are

they really pay attention to how communication becomes a transaction? Did students find

themselves pairing up with the “wrong people”? Explain to them that this shows that these

7. Channel Searching

Goal: To discover a number of different channels that communicators might use when

communicating

63

8. No Man Is an Island

Goal: To answer the question, why do we need human communication?

1. What did the Tom Hanks character do when he had no one to talk to?

3. Why should we study human communication, based on what you saw in Cast Away?

9. Connecting with Jimmy Fallon

Goal: Discover how Fallon plays familiar games with celebrity guests to connect with them in

a nonthreatening way.

Time Required: Twenty minutes

Directions: Pick a video of Jimmy Fallon playing games with guests.

Debriefing: Ask students how Fallon is connecting with his guests. What makes Fallon a competent

communicator?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Why, in your opinion, is the study of communication often considered common sense?

2. What are the six characteristics of communication?

3. What do the authors of Real Communication mean when they say communication is

“culturally bound”?

4. Explain the transactional model.

5. What are the differences between the relational context and the situational context? Define

each.

6. What is cultural identity?

7. Why do communicators need to be flexible?

8. Describe an effective communicator.

MEDIA

American Hustle (Sony/Columbia, 2013)

and control. Irving Rosenfeld is a con man recruited by an FBI agent, Richard “Richie”

DiMaso, to participate in a sting operation targeting corrupt congressmen. Irving tries to

balance interdependent relationships with his high-strung wife, Rosalyn, and his mistress,

Sydney. All of these dynamics are complicated by dishonesty and hidden agendas. Ask

the students to discuss the role that ethics play in communication.

The Break-Up (Universal Pictures, 2006)

throughout the film. What do their efforts illustrate about control?

65

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox, 2011)

This movie is a prequel to the Planet of the Apes that shows how experiments with human

genetics gave rise to the apes who became involved in a war for supremacy. Have students

examine the role that communication plays in the rise of the apes and their formation of a

society.

Ronald Reagan: The Great Speeches (The Nostalgia Company, 2004)

Show at least one speech being delivered by Ronald Reagan and have students discuss why

he was considered the “Great Communicator.”

Sideways (Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2004)

Two old friends spend a week before a wedding touring the wine country of Santa

Barbara, California. Ask students to examine the ways in which they communicate as

friends, considering the situational context and their relational history. Students can also

compare the friends’ communication with each other with their behavior with the women

in their lives.

HANDOUTS

Word Search

Use this handout to complete the classroom activity “Channel Searching.”

66

H M Y F R E G A U G N A L

N

GI S

O A T A U R B D S F X K H V F I W

W R L C W T I T M C E Z A G A K R

X C J I S A C E V I V H N L C Q X

Y Y T A O L S X O C L A D T E X E

F L D L A K M T I Z Z N S T B Q G

L L X E Q I O M P Z K D I E O Q A

Y T C X Z N K E C I T W G L O

N

U

P E I P L G E S I R Q R N E K Q G

O E A R L D S S H K M I A G U I

N

I Z H E F S I A D Z D T L R B

N

A

F P H S P L G G V V X I S A D B L

A F E S L R N I S R Q N C P Y H Y

D K M I U E A N I T Y G E H W S D

Z Y A O W E L G K Z S D U Z P X O P

T I N X U S T E L E P H O N E B L G L

S U C H A T B Y U M E A L S