Com Theory Study Guide

Chapter 15

All of the following statements about rules are true EXCEPT

rules limit our ability to create structures in groups and thus increase uncertainty

rules may be implicitly stated

rules may be explicitly stated

rules enable members to understand and interact with others

Structuration theorists believe that all social interaction in an organization is comprised of a ______________ and ______________ dimension.

temporal and spatial

cognitive and affective

informal and informational

reflexive and reflective

Structuration is defined as

the process by which systems are produced and reproduced through members' use of rules and resources

the rules and resources that affect organizational members interactions and decisions on a daily basis

the development of agency and reflexivity as facilitating decision making in organizations and groups

the system in which an organization operates and develops its rules and resources for guiding interaction

Rules explain both __________ something is done and __________ a goal may be accomplished.

why / how

when / where

how / why

here / when

When you do what your boss asks you to do because you recognize that she has the ability to promote you following next month's performance evaluations, you are acknowledging her

reward power

favoritism tendencies

allocative resources

structuration capacity

Alberto is able to get his group members to agree to participate in a late-night meeting in order to decide on a plan of action before the deadline set by the client. While most people typically would not be willing to work such late hours, Alberto's team complies with his request because he is the Manager of Operations for their division of the company. Which of the following types of power is most influential in getting the group to agree to the late-night meeting?

referent power

expert power

reward power

legitimate power

One's ability to exert influence over others based on his/her ability to penalize group members who do not comply, such as a boss who can require workers who arrive late to do undesirable tasks, is called

coercive power

expert power

referent power

reward power

In Structuration Theory, the _____ is the group or organization and the behaviors that the group engages in to pursue its goals, and the _____ is the rules and resources used to sustain a group or organization.

system / structure

collective / structuration

structure / system

agent / agency

With which communication tradition is Structuration Theory primarily associated?

cybernetic

semiotic

rhetorical

phenomenological

Which of the following is NOT one of the power bases identified by French and Raven?

inferential

referent

reward

expert

Chapter 16-17

All of the following statements about symbols are true EXCEPT

symbols include only the nonverbal communication that takes place in the organization

symbols represent meanings that are held by members of an organization

members of an organization create, use, and interpret symbols in order to create and sustain a sense of organizational reality

organizational values may be communicated through a variety of symbols

Jokes that are shared, jargon that is understood, and stories that are told by members of an organization represent _________ symbols.

verbal

behavioral

physical

cultural

All of the following are methods of investigation used by ethnographers to examine organizational culture EXCEPT

survey questionnaires

direct observation

interviews

participant observation

Rebekkah is responsible for balancing the cash register at the end of every workday. This is an example of a(n) _________ ritual.

task

social

personal

organizational

Renaldo always has a smile on his face when he enters the workplace. His colleagues comment on how much they appreciate his taking the time to stop and ask how their day is going as he passes by their desks. Renaldo is engaging in which type of communicative performance?

sociality

passion

ritual

politics

According to Organizational Information Theory (OIT), the cycle of communication behaviors includes three stages. Which of the following correctly lists the stages and the order in which they occur?

act, respond, adjust

enact, select, retain

retain, select, enact

adjust, respond, act

All of the following are assumptions of Organizational Information Theory EXCEPT

Equivocality of information is useful for assisting an organization in achieving its goals.

The information an organization receives differs in terms of its equivocality.

Human organizations exist in an information environment.

Human organizations engage in information processing to reduce the equivocality of information.

The stage of reducing equivocality at which the organization makes a note of what worked or did not so that it can make a good decision in the future is

retention

conclusion

ambivalence

selection

Because OIT has stimulated a lot of scholarship on various organizational information issues, it is considered to have good __________ value.

heuristic

semiotic

consistency

utility

The meetings your boss organizes each week in order to help the employees in your department experience less ambiguity about upcoming projects is an example of a...

double interact loop

response adjustment

act enactment

retention enactment

Chapter 18

Question Aristotle's definition of ___________ has become corrupted over the years and now is used as a pejorative term for words without substance or action.

rhetoric

sophistry

logos

style

In this classic syllogism, which element is the minor premise? “All humans are mortal. Aristotle is human. Aristotle is mortal.”

All humans are mortal.

Aristotle is human.

Aristotle is mortal.

none of these

One assumption of the Aristotelian theory of rhetoric is that effective speakers must consider their audiences. This assumption underscores the notion of communication as

a transactional process

centering on a speaker's perceived sense of power

a linear process

a symbolic activity

Before he creates his speech, Antonio considers the age, sex, and educational level of his audience. Antonio is engaging in

audience analysis

the activities associated with the canon known as style

predictive behavior

role playing

_________ refers to the perceived character, intelligence, and goodwill of a speaker.

Ethos

Pathos

Mythos

Logos

The use of language to express ideas in a certain manner is called

style

deliberation

delivery

audience adaptation

A syllogism represents a form of ____________ logic.

deductive

inductive

ethos-based

rhetorical

Which of the following is NOT one of Aristotle's canons of rhetoric?

elocution

memory

arrangement

style

While running for president of the United States, Barack Obama gave many speeches advocating health care reform in the United States. These speeches were a form of _________ oratory.

deliberative

epideictic

forensic

ceremonial

Isabella is working on a project on rhetoric for her communication studies class. She has to observe an example of forensic rhetoric. Where should Isabella go to complete her assignment?

a courthouse

a political rally

a funeral

a city council meeting

Chapter 19

Burke argued that some of what people do is motivated by their animal nature (such as thirst and hunger) and some of what they do is motivated by...

symbols

the other

attitude

reaction

Burke asserted that words, thoughts, and actions have

extremely close connections with one another

little effect on human motivation

no meaning without rational thought

never been fully understood

_________ occurs when two people overlap in terms of their substance.

Identification

Action

Purpose

Motivation

According to Burke, _________ is primary motive for human communication and action.

guilt

dramatistic ratio

consubstantiality

scapegoating

Louie is late for his date with Rachel. When she asks him why, he says, "My roommate had been borrowing my car and was late getting back with it. He?s so irresponsible; I?m definitely not rooming with him again next year." Louie is engaging in

scapegoating

mortification

redemption

persuasion

Following publicity of the scandal that ended his political career, Eliot Spitzer said, "I have begun to atone for my private failings. The remorse I feel will always be with me." In another speech, he said, "I have acted in a way that violates my or any sense of right and wrong.” I apologize to the public, who I promise better." These are examples of

mortification

scapegoating

redemption

the negative

Message strategies, storytelling, apologies, and speech making are associated with which element of the pentad?

agency

act

scene

agent

The _________ hypothesis argues that when people use language, they are used by it as well.

Sapir-Whorf

dramatistic ratio

consubstantiality

Lieutenant Worf

When using the pentad to analyze a symbolic interaction, the analyst first labels the elements of the pentad and then examines the

dramatistic ratios

agency

identification

pentadic analysis

What phrase represents the notion that people cannot see beyond what their words lead them to believe?

trained incapacities

narrow observers

limited behavioral observations

limited analytic abilities

Chapter 20

The narrative paradigm asserts that...

humans often are more persuaded by a good story than a good argument

the essential nature of humans is rooted in stories and storytelling

the world is experienced by people as a set of stories from which to choose

all of these

The narrative paradigm argues that the criteria used to evaluate stories are...

power and vision

language and rational argumentation

coherence and fidelity

none of these

After listening to his daughter's story about an event that happened at school, Alberto says, "I believe the story because a similar thing happened to me when I was in sixth grade." Alberto is judging his daughter's story on the basis of...

fidelity

material coherence

coherence

vividness

The logic of _________ presents a listener with a set of values that allows her or him to accept or reject the advice advanced in a narrative.

good reasons

rational argumentation

fidelity

all of these

Whereas the rational world paradigm requires that arguments adhere to specific criteria for soundness and logic, the narrative paradigm argues that

good reasons are determined by issues of history, biography, culture, and character

only narratives can produce true knowledge

the world can be reduced to a series of logical relationships that are understood through deductive reasoning

none of these

Narratives...

are found in all cultures and time periods

provide for the sharing of the practical wisdom that all individuals possess

are affected by history, biography, culture, and character

all of these

Fisher argues that...

only verbal communication is narrative

only nonverbal communication is narrative

all communication is narrative

none of these

After seeing the movie “Next Stop”, Abigail tells Ruthie that she did not believe the characters. In fact, Abigail thinks that the actions of the characters in the movie were inconsistent with their motivations. The basis on which Abigail judges the characters in Next Stop is known as...

characterological coherence

narrative disconnect

narration

fidelity

_________is a broader concept than _________.

Paradigm, theory

Theory, paradigm

Coherence, fidelity

Fidelity, coherence

When you are skeptical about your classmate's account of what happened at last night's party because it is inconsistent with what your roommate told you happened, you are doubting the ____________ of your classmate's story.

material coherence

rationality

good reasons

fidelity

New Testament Study Guide

· To what “general epistles” refers-the meaning of the title and what books are included: no specific audience, also vague (Specific Audience Hebrews, 2 Peter, 1 John and Jude) (Broad James and 1 Peter) (Vague 2 John, 3 John)

· What the term “catholic,” in the “catholic epistles” means: universal, general

· The author of Hebrews: unknown

· The “lines of evidence” given in the text concerning the audience of Hebrews: several lines of evidence indicate that Hebrews was written to a Jewish/Christian audience, the first readers were former adherents of Judaism

· The relationship between the OT & NT communicated in Hebrews: in the Old the New is contained, in the New the Old is explained

· To what “sermonic epistle” refers: to a word of exhortation, addresses a

· common concept rather than a specific people group

· The message of Hebrews and the two main ways it is communicated: trust in the Lord and stand firm. To remind the readers of the incomparable greatness of Jesus and the reader’s need to reaffirm their courageous Christian faith of former days.

· How Hebrews describes Jesus: Christ purifies, furnishes insight into their dilemma and grace to help them find their way forward

· The nature of the Law in Hebrews: Christ is not seen as a replacement but as a fulfillment

· The role of suffering in the life of the Christian, how Jesus gave an example and how the “hall of faith” relate to suffering: stand firm, suffering shouldn’t surprise believers, be encouraged by it (be encouraged by the hall of faith)

· The relationship of the teaching in the book of James to Paul’s teaching in Romans: apparent contradiction (James- justified by works and not faith alone, Romans-man is justified by grace, through faith)

· Who wrote James and why it is significant: James the brother of Jesus, he first was a skeptic but grew to acknowledge as the Messiah

· How James reflects the OT prophets and wisdom literature: Prophets (faithfulness to Lord and denunciation of faithless behavior), the distinctive structure of Proverbs (touches on one theme, goes to others and returns to the first)

· The reason Peter called the hope of Christians a living hope: living hope because we have a living savior

· How the living hope relates to the Christian calling to be holy, recall the particular wording used in 1 Pt. 1:13: be holy because I am holy (gird up your loins-be ready to run the race)

· How Peter communicates the “living purpose” that Christians are to live out in the various areas of life: live to declare God’s goodness, suffering for the sake of Christ

· How Peter describes why Christians suffer and why they should not be ashamed: to suffer for what is right is a blessing in the midst of the crucible

· How suffering relates to humility in Peter: humble yourself therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt in due time

· The role of the “day of the Lord” in 1 & 2 Pt.: to encourage living holy and godly lives, for the day of the Lord is unknown

· How the life of John relates to his writing in the 1, 2, 3 epistles: he was an eyewitness of Christ (the truth and reality of Jesus coming in the flesh)

· John’s definition of love and how it is and is not a new command:

· How what we’re NOT to love relates to Paul’s teaching of Colossians: don’t set your heart on earthly things, for we have been raised with Christ

· The two significant ideas in Jude: urge contention for the faith(as seen through the saints), Jesus can present us before God without fault and with great joy

· The overall genre of Revelation: apocalyptic

· The “two realities” that Revelation communicates: supernatural order (God is all in all), recorded time (God is working out his earthly purposes)

· The four millennial views and what each believes: dispensational pre-millennialism(Saints rule with Christ during thousand year period, satan is released from confinement, at final judgement satan and his angels are cast into Hell), historical pre-millenialism(various persecutions experienced by believers wherein the antichrist will be in power, final judgment at Great White Throne), post millennialism(age of the church is in the millennium, Christ returns at end), amillenialism (rejects literal thousand year reign of Christ)

· How Revelation embodies a philosophy of history and how this is communicated in the titles of God: sets out own philosophy of history (beginning- creation, end-judgment day [telos]), history is God’s story (he is the alpha (beginning) and omega (end)

· The bottom line of Revelation: our story is insignificant, but weaved into God’s story, life has significance through God

· The “balanced vision” of the NT and how it is an example in “seeing the truth and life as a unity”: focused on contrasting truths in that each is preserved without any receiving unhealthy emphasis, seek to make the world a better place while maintaining a spiritual mindset

· What contextualization means and why it is important: passing the gospel onto new cultural settings (new languages and forms) while refraining from distorting the message, makes the message understandable for all cultures.

· The task involved with “church and culture”: involves working out the connection between the gospel and the government, the task is trying to relate church to culture

Final Blog: Online Gambling

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/10/AR2010121005756.html?sid=ST2010121007458

This article was a great example of good journalism. Not only was the story newsworthy, but the writer organized it in a way that was clear and understandable to the reader.

The lead does a great job of answering the question of why a reader should care, while at the same time setting the stage for the story. The writer doesn’t divulge the important information until the end of the lead, which is clearly seen.

The next paragraph brings a big name into full view of the reader by introducing Harry Reid, senate majority leader. Reid, who introduced the bill to legalize online gambling, is important to the story because he is a face that the writer can put on the issue. A reader wants to be able to associate information with a face; in this case it’s Reid’s face.

This second paragraph also spells out clearly, what the bill is all about. Stating clearly what it is trying to accomplish, the writer is able to create a second connection with the reader by providing an issue that affects the lives of millions of Americans. I like how the writer puts this information together in order to ensure interest from the reader, because it is possible that they don’t know the name Harry Reid.

His third paragraph then spells out another key issue: the money. When big figures are part of a story, it is imperative that the writer makes it clear and easy to find in his or her story. People care about money and want to know how their tax money is being spent.

The writer then goes along to show both sides of the story. First he gives quotes from Reid, the face of the story. It’s important to get these quotes to give validity to the story and to guarantee that Reid was involved. He then has quotes from other people involved with the bill. This helps to establish the affirmative argument for online gambling.

Next, in order to ensure good journalism, the writer includes the opposing side. Not only does he use sources from the political arena (senators and congressmen), but he gets quotes from Focus on the Family, which represents a good portion of the country’s news viewers.

I appreciate the balance in this article most of all. I like how the writer first explains what the bill is about, then introduces the debate of whether or not it is a good thing to do. He doesn’t voice his own opinion. He doesn’t use information that does not pertain to the bill. He uses monetary examples to show how the bill will boost the economy. He uses moral values voiced by the opposition to spell out the negative argument.

I enjoyed reading this article because it was timely, concise, and balanced. The author painted a picture of the issue at hand, which was well timed because the bill had not been passed yet. This is important because if it had already passed, there would have been no point on showing both sides of the debate, because it had already been passed. I enjoyed reading how the party politics came into play and how this bill can affect our country. This was a great article.