Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Case Notes
Chapter 3: Cognition and Intrapersonal Communication
Answer to Case Study 3: You’re Fired
Question 1. What attributions have Lisa, Steve and Konrad made? Make sure to include
information about consensus, consistency, and controllability.
SAMPLE STUDENT ANSWER: Steve and Lisa were excited about their new
company. They had survived the initial downsizing, and, based on situational factors,
they determined they were relatively safe. Lisa had political connections, the company
had strong evidence of their ROI, and the Barcelona group was impressed with their
Question 2. What are the sources of uncertainty in the case? What strategies did Steve use to
reduce his uncertainty?
Question 3. Using examples for each of EVT’s core components (expectancy, violation valence,
and communicator reward valence), how does EVT explain Steve’s response to Konrad?
Question 4. Who experiences cognitive dissonance in the case and why? Do you see any
evidence that the characters have used selective exposure, selective attention, or selective
interpretation?
Question 5. What ethical issues arise in the case? Which theory or combination of theories might
help to pinpoint or address any unethical behavior?
SAMPLE STUDENT ANSWER: If we define ethics to mean basic human decency, then
the way Konrad treated and ultimately fired Steve is an ethical issue. Konrad’s language
and communication style could be interpreted as offensive and inappropriate, which, in
turn, could be labeled unethical. The fact that the top management in the company also