Unit 1 - Foundations
hich of the following is the best definition of a theory?
a. A proven fact about human behavior
b. A random guess about why people act the way they do
c. A framework used to understand, explain, predict, or influence a phenomenon
d. A set of rules that all researchers must follow
C
According to Uncertainty Reduction Theory, why do people seek information when they first meet someone?
a. To impress the other person
b. To show off their communication skills
c. To reduce uncertainty and make the interaction more predictable
d. To establish dominance in the relationship
c. To reduce uncertainty and make the interaction more predictable
According to Fisher's Narrative Paradigm, humans are fundamentally:
a. Rational decision-makers
b. Emotional reactors
c. Storytelling animals
d. Power-seeking agents
c. Storytelling animals
According to Uses & Gratifications Theory, audiences are:
a. Passive recipients of media messages
b. Unconsciously manipulated by media
c. Always negatively affected by media consumption
d. Active choosers who select media to meet specific needs
d. Active choosers who select media to meet specific needs
In Politeness Theory, "face" refers to:
a. The way a person wants others to see them in a particular social context
b. A person's literal facial expressions
c. The mask people wear in formal settings
d. The way people use eye contact in conversation
a. The way a person wants others to see them in a particular social context
A researcher believes that reality exists independently of human perception but that our ability to know it fully is limited. Which metatheoretical paradigm best describes this view?
a. Critical theory
b. Interpretivism
c. Post-positivism
d. Constitutivism
c. Post-positivism
You text a friend "Hey, no worries if you're busy, but… did you maybe want to hang out sometime? Only if you want to, totally fine if not!" According to Politeness Theory, this message is an example of:
a. Bald on-record strategy
b. Positive redress strategy
c. Negative redress strategy
d. Going off-record
c. Negative redress strategy
According to Social Identity Theory, social comparison refers to:
a. Mimicking the behavior of higher-status groups
b. Negotiating conflict between group members
c. Changing your identity to fit in with a new group
d. Evaluating your own group's status relative to other groups
d. Evaluating your own group's status relative to other groups
A news outlet covers a local environmental scandal with 15 stories in one month while covering a local economic development story once. According to Agenda-Setting Theory, the news outlet is primarily:
a. Framing the environmental issue negatively
b. Telling audiences what issues to think about (i.e., setting the agenda)
c. Practicing card stacking
d. Engaging in glittering generalities
b. Telling audiences what issues to think about (i.e., setting the agenda)
A story that describes events consistently and logically — where the plot "hangs together" without contradictions — demonstrates what aspect of Fisher's narrative rationality?
a. Narrative coherence
b. Narrative fidelity
c. Rational-world logic
d. Narrative paradigm
a. Narrative coherence
A researcher studying how college students talk about their mental health believes that knowledge is constructed through lived experience, and that there is no single "objective" truth. What epistemological position does this reflect, and what does that mean for how they approach research?
interpretivist epistemology — knowledge is contextual, created through experience, not uncovered through neutral observation
In Uncertainty Reduction Theory, uncertainty is specifically defined as:
a. A feeling of anxiety in social situations
b. Not knowing whether to trust someone
c. A function of the perceived number and likelihood of possible outcomes
d. Confusion about what to say next in conversation
c. A function of the perceived number and likelihood of possible outcomes
According to Gramsci's concept of hegemony, dominant groups maintain power primarily through:
a. Military force and physical coercion
b. Legal systems and written laws
c. Shaping the beliefs, values, and common sense of society
d. Economic sanctions and financial punishment
c. Shaping the beliefs, values, and common sense of society
A social media post shows a beloved celebrity endorsing a political candidate with the caption: "If [celebrity] believes in her, so should you. Everyone is voting for her — don't be left behind." Identify two propaganda techniques from the Institute for Propaganda Analysis present in this message. For each, explain specifically how it appears.
Testimonial — celebrity endorsement links candidate to trusted figure; Bandwagon — "everyone is voting for her / don't be left behind" appeals to crowd behavior
A politician tells a story about their background to argue for a policy position. The audience finds the story compelling even though they cannot verify most of the facts. (a) According to Fisher's Narrative Paradigm, why might stories be persuasive even without statistical evidence? (b) What two criteria would Fisher say the audience is unconsciously using to evaluate the story?
narrative rationality — stories work because humans are storytelling beings; criteria = narrative coherence (does it hang together?) and narrative fidelity (does it ring true to lived experience?
Which of the following correctly pairs a metatheoretical concept with its definition?
a. Ontology → the study of how values shape resear
b. Metatheory → a first-order theory about communication behavior
c. Paradigm → a framework that brings together ontology, epistemology, axiology, and praxeology to create a cohesive and consistent worldview and basis for pursuing research
d. Epistemology → the nature of reality and what exists
Paradigm → a framework that brings together ontology, epistemology, axiology, and praxeology to create a cohesive and consistent worldview and basis for pursuing research
A doctor needs to inform a patient that a treatment isn't working and they must change course. The doctor and patient have a long, trusting relationship and meet regularly. According to Politeness Theory, which factor(s) would lower the weight of this face-threatening act?
a. The closeness and familiarity between doctor and patient
b. The doctor's institutional authority
c. The seriousness of the medical news
d. The patient's right to autonomy
a. The closeness and familiarity between doctor and patient
A first-generation college student starts downplaying their working-class background around their wealthy classmates and adopts the speech patterns and cultural references of the dominant group. According to Social Identity Theory, this is an example of:
a. Social creativity
b. Social change
c. Social mobility
d. Social categorization
c. Social mobility
According to Disinformation Systems Theory, which of the following is best described as a dynamic within a disinformation system?
a. A social media platform's content moderation policy
b. The political beliefs of a media outlet's owner
c. Echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs by limiting exposure to opposing views
d. A viral piece of false content
c. Echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs by limiting exposure to opposing views
Feminist Standpoint Theory argues that marginalized social positions can actually produce stronger or more complete knowledge in some domains. (a) Explain the reasoning behind this claim. (b) Give an example of a standpoint that might yield knowledge or insight inaccessible to those in dominant positions.
marginalized people must understand the dominant perspective AND their own — "double vision"; those with power rarely need to understand non-dominant experiences; example should connect social position to specific knowledge advantage
Explain the difference between a constitutive model and a transmission model of communication. Then give an example of a communication situation where the constitutive model would offer a richer explanation than the transmission model.
transmission = sending info from A to B; constitutive = communication creates identity, relationships, and social reality. Example should show communication as reality-constructing, not just info-transferring
The concept of the "tyranny of symbols" in Symbolic Interactionism argues that language can constrain thought in unconscious ways. (a) Explain what this means. (b) Provide an example of how the "tyranny" of a specific word or symbol shapes how people communicate or think about a group of people.
symbols carry embedded default assumptions that structure thought without our conscious awareness; strong examples show how a word encodes bias or assumption — e.g., gendered job titles, racial coding in language
Using both Critical Theory and Social Identity Theory, explain how dominant groups use communication to maintain power. Then explain how communication can also be used to resist that power.
Critical Theory → hegemony, control over narratives/ideas; SIT → in-group elevation, out-group derogation, social mobility vs. social change; resistance = counter-narratives, social change strategies, consciousness-raising
Using both Social Identity Theory and Young's Theory of Disinformation, explain why people with strong group identities may be especially susceptible to disinformation that targets their in-group.
SIT — strong identification with groups → motivated to defend in-group; Young — 3 C's: community need + comprehension + control; disinformation that threatens group activates emotional threat response, bypassing critical evaluation
Write a brief summary of the ontological, epistemological, and axiological stance associated with each of the following paradigms: post-positivism, interpretivism, critical paradigm
PP = there is universal truth; human knowledge of truth is limited; research should be value neutral
I = truth depends on perspective; knowledge comes from lived experience, depends on social location; researchers should acknowledge their values transparently
C= power shapes what is regarded as truth & whose knowledge 'counts'; social justice values should guide research