COMM 305 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: 5,6,7,8, Toilet Papering, Goal Setting
24 May 2018
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Review Exam 2
Chapters: 5, 6, 7, 8
Three types of communication in small groups (Chap. 8)
● Promotive communication – helps the group actually go through the four functions
● Disruptive communication – takes the group away from the four functions
● Counteractive communication – returns the group back to the four requisite functions
○ Most important for decision making because it refocuses the group
Requisite functions (Chap 8.)
A function is what communication does.
● Ex: An apology serves the function of relationship repair
● Ex: A joke serves the function of tension release
Requisite functions help a group make good decisions. All 4 functions must be done in order for
a good decision to be made.
● Problem analysis - must take a realistic look at the problem
○ Focuses on the nature, extent, and causes of problem
○ Recognizing the root cause and implications of the problem
● Goal setting - what an ideal solution looks like and what is absolutely necessary
○ requires the group to develop criteria and determine solution requirements
● Identify alternatives - a larger number of possible solutions, large quantity of solutions
generated is main focus
● Evaluate and select - evaluate each alternative using established goals
○ examine both positive and neg. characteristics in all solutions generated in previous step
making sure you use the criteria the group agreed upon in goal setting
STRUCTURAL FLAWS: problems with how the group is organized
Structural flaws (Chap. 8)
Structural flaws – problems with how the group is organized. Antecedent condition of groupthink.
● Group insulation – group is isolated from the outside world (ex. Corps)
● Biased leadership – leader already has their mind made up
● Lack of procedural norms – no process for decisions making
● Homogeneity – group members are too similar (ex. fish in the Corps)
Adaptive structuration theory (chapter 8 - Group communication)
● Polle, Seibold, McPhee
● Adds to Gidde’s theor sie this is ased off of struturatio theor it is important to first
understand structuration theory - Group comm powerpoint slide #7; Textbook page 145)
○ Structuration theory states humans are actors that make choices or agency (People have
free will )
○ Groups and orgs. are formed and reformed through interaction
■ Structure, Production, Reproduction
● Structures are often borrowed from larger groups
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○ the group is not starting from scratch but relying on structures already available to them
prior to interaction. WOrgs can appropriate larger societal structures like individualism,
patriotism, or capitalism; this behavior is considered appropriation from society
● All social interactions include elements of communication, morality and power.
○ The communication element dictates how organizational members operate within a
given set of meanings or understandings. Because of this language choices are
iportat. A orker a use partiular ords suh as opetitie or ioatie as
symbolic reflections of the rules of the group
○ The idea of morality means group norms about what is and is not acceptable behavior
affect the agency (or actions) of group members
○ Power refers to implicit power structures (equality, hierarchy or authority) that affect
the interactional choices made by group members.
Fantasy in symbolic convergence theory (Chap. 8)
Symbolic convergence states that group members cooperatively create and sustain a shared way of
thinking including shared meaning and interaction.
● Examples:
● tortilla i lieu of toilet paperig houses, frieds ar sigal for F.U., The Christas “tor,
ou’ll shoot our ee out
● group members create shared meaning
○ creating group identity
○ how identity influences norms for behavior
● Fantasy- creative understanding of events that fulfills a psychological or rhetorical need
○ dramatizing message- joke, pun, figure of speech, story, metaphor
■ refer to things that happened in the past or that will happen in the future
■ emotional revelation on both the surface level and at a deeper level
● Ex: a team member solving a difficult problem for the group. Other
members may sing a silly song to acknowledge their team members
contributions. The song serves the function of tension release for other
members while giving praises to the group member who solved the
issue.
○ fantasy theme- when your group responds to a dramatic message
○ fantasy chain- when the fantasy theme is developed through group interactions
(planning) and enters group consciousness
■ A personal joke with a group like giving a difficult boss a nickname
■ Example - the Sandlot video
○ symbolic convergence- group cohesion from building fantasy chains
● repeated until everyone thinks/believes the same thing
Elaboration likelihood model (Chap. 7 persuasion powerpoint slide #3; Textbook page 119-122)
● central processing vs. peripheral processing
● Elaboration likelihood model (ELM) is a theory of persuasion which views persuasion primarily
as a cognitive event, meaning the targets of persuasive messages use mental processes of
motivation and reasoning (or lack of) to accept or reject persuasive messages.
● emphasizes importance of understanding audience members before creating a persuasive
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message.
● The theory has two routes/methods: centrally routed messages and peripherally routed
messages.
● Success of a message depends on how the audience receives that message
● Centrally routed messages (central processing) (elaborated route)
○ Slow and steady
○ more complex method than peripheral
○ include lots of information, rational arguments, and evidence to support a particular
conclusion
■ ex: during elections, politicians have speeches, debates and discussions; each
message is filled with presumably rational info regarding their viewpoints
platform and political history
○ More likely to create long term change when:
■ target must be highly motivated to process info
■ target must be able to process message cognitively
■ e: if ou are't illig to ath a 2 hour deate ou do’t hae the otiatio
required to process an elaborated message in this instance
■ ex: if you watch the debate and the politicians messages are so complex that
you don't understand them you are again unable to process it centrally
○ not everyone is capable of receiving central messages eause the either do’t hae
the otiatio or do’t hae the ailit
● Peripheral processing (peripherally routed messages)
● Peripheral proessig: Rel o the reeier’s eotioal ioleet ad persuade through
more superficial means. Quick and easy ways to influence change when the audience is
unmotivated or unable to process elaborate messages (central) drawback is that it only affects\
short term change.
○ Taking a shortcut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9iCx1Ik9s
7 common peripheral messages- Chap 7
● Authority- someone who has power over you
○ Ex. Clean your room (Do you do it because it is a good thing or do you do it because your
mom has power over you?)
● Commitment- dedication to a product, social cause, group, political party
○ Ex: do banners because you have to get blossom points
○ Ex: Supporting a cause through clothing, donations, rallying, ect.
○ People feel deeper commitment to causes the rep publicly
● Contrast- giat faor ad the askig for soethig sall
○ sets up uneven points of comparison
● Liking- liking a person, place, object (using celebs)
○ Ex: do something because you love a person
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Document Summary
Three types of communication in small groups (chap. Promotive communication helps the group actually go through the four functions. Disruptive communication takes the group away from the four functions. Counteractive communication returns the group back to the four requisite functions. Most important for decision making because it refocuses the group. Ex: an apology serves the function of relationship repair. Ex: a joke serves the function of tension release. Requisite functions help a group make good decisions. All 4 functions must be done in order for a good decision to be made. Problem analysis - must take a realistic look at the problem. Focuses on the nature, extent, and causes of problem. Recognizing the root cause and implications of the problem. Goal setting - what an ideal solution looks like and what is absolutely necessary requires the group to develop criteria and determine solution requirements.
