Definitions
Founders & Origins
Key Concepts
Research
Practice
100
This theory, proposed by Noelle-Neumann (1974) says that people are less likely to express their opinions publicly when they perceive themselves to be in the minority, due to fear of social isolation.
Spiral of Silence Theory
100
This theory, first proposed by Judee K. Burgoon to explain how people interpret infringements on their personal space, has since broadened to examine how individuals respond when their expectations for “normal” behavior are disrupted.
Expectancy Violations Theory
100
The Elaboration Likelihood Model proposes these as the two primary routes to persuasion.
(What are they and how are they different?)
What is the:
Central Route: approach to forming attitudes based on logic and content, using data and facts to convince people of an argument. This route requires deep processing and critical thinking, but leads to more long-term attitude change.
Peripheral Route: approach to forming attitudes based on superficial cues, using emotional appeals (values, speaker attractiveness, celebrity endorsement). This route requires less cognitive effort, but leads to shorter-term attitude changes.
100
A proposed study using this theory as the guiding framework might examine the barriers women in agricultural leadership positions experience in a historically predominantly male field.
What is social role theory?
100
Gatekeeping theory examines how information is selected, filtered, and transformed before it reaches the public. It argues that communication does not flow freely; instead, information must pass through various “gates”—decision points where someone or something chooses what moves forward.
Give five, specific examples "gates" or gatekeepers of information today.
Who/What are:
- News/magazine editors
- Social media managers
- Algorithms and software developers
- Television producers
- Journalists
- Organizational leaders
- Government entities/regulators
200
According to this theory, individuals are constantly engaging in cost-benefit analysis to determine their current satisfaction and commitment to a relationship. The equation: Rewards – Costs = Outcome determines the likelihood the relationship will continue.
What is Social Exchange Theory?
200
Name the theory and its author:
A German biologist in the 1940s and 50s proposed this theory, arguing that biological, social, and organizational phenomena must be understood as interdependent wholes rather than isolated parts.
What is general systems theory by Ludwig von Bertalanffy?
200
Cognitive Dissonance theory, proposed by Leon Festinger, explains the psychological discomfort people feel when their beliefs and behaviors don’t align.
What are the three routes Festinger identifies that people often take to reduce cognitive dissonance or discomfort? (Give examples of each).
1. Change action or behavior (Stop smoking)
2. Change belief about the behavior (Health risks of smoking are exaggerated).
3. Changing perception, AKA: rationalizing or trivializing; adding new beliefs to justify the behavior. (I only smoke occasionally, so it's not a big deal).
200
Researchers want to conduct a study to understand why the next generation chooses to take over or walk away from a family farm. They plan to use [this theory] as a framework for analyze the stories families tell about legacy, responsibility, and identity, to examine the influence of these experiences on succession decisions, relative to financial outcomes.
What is narrative paradigm?
200
In agricultural communications, this theory helps explain how producers and their stakeholders form shared understanding—or misunderstandings—about an issue such as water use or sustainability practices. It focuses on comparing each group’s actual views, their perceptions of the other group’s views, and their accuracy in predicting them.
What is co-orientation theory?
300
According to William McGuire’s Inoculation Theory, what is the most effective way to make people
resistant to persuasion?
Expose them to weak counterarguments so they can build defenses against stronger
persuasive attacks later.
300
This psychologist introduced the concept of groupthink to explain the poor decision-making that occurs when group pressure discourages dissent.
Who is Irving Janis?
300
How does social exchange theory explain why someone stays in or leaves a relationship?
Include the 5 core concepts central to the theory in your answer.
People compare the rewards and costs of the relationship and evaluate whether the outcomes meet or exceed their comparison level (what they think they deserve) and comparison level for alternatives (whether they could do better elsewhere).
300
This framework would guide a proposed study comparing how dairy producers in high- and low-power-distance cultures respond to communication about new animal welfare certification programs. The research would analyze how cultural values influence trust in certifying bodies and willingness to comply with new standards.
What is Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions?
300
According to Diffusion of Innovations Theory, communication is most effective when tailored to adopter categories. You're an Extension educator introducing a new disease-resistant wheat variety through the OSU Wheat Breeding Program.
If you're targeting this group—known for being curious, but also deliberate, pragmatic, and reliant on social proof—you would prioritize messages emphasizing industry endorsements, field-day demonstrations, and peer farmer success stories. Name the adopter category.
What is early majority?
400
What is the core idea or definition of uses and gratifications theory?
This theory argues that audiences are active, goal-directed users of media who select specific media channels and content to satisfy their individual needs, desires, and motivations
400
This philosopher is known as the 'father of rhetoric.'
Who is Aristotle.
400
According to media dependency theory, when is our dependence on the media heightened?
What is: in times of change or conflict?
400
This approach to behavior change emphasizes identifying barriers, leveraging community norms, and using local tools and resources to encourage social diffusion. In a study where researchers worked with a local community to increase recycling rates by partnering with neighborhood leaders and providing commitment cards, they were likely applying this behavior-change framework. What is the theory?
Community-based social marketing
400
According to Social Identity Theory, people boost their self-esteem by evaluating their in-group more favorably than out-groups. When vegans claim their dietary choices are “more practical and sustainable” than those of meat eaters to maintain a positive sense of group identity, they are engaging in this process.
What is social comparison?
500
Of the theories that we explored in the context of media and mass communication, there are three that are really closely related and explain some facet of how the media influences people's perception of information.
What are they and what is the difference between them?
Agenda setting tells us what issues to think about (issue salience).
Framing tells us how to think about them.
Priming influences how we evaluate people or events based on the issues and frames made salient by the media. Prepares people to use certain criteria for making judgements. (AKA a "crime frame" on immigration news primes thoughts on fear and public safety concerns).
500
How has our understanding of communication changed over time? In your answer, name and describe the evolution of the four models of communication we discussed in week one.
At first, we had a simplistic view of communication.We know recognize it to be a dynamic, complex and cyclical process.
Linear Models: Recognized communication is a one-way process
Interactive Models: Recognized communication as a two-way process; Considers feedback and multiple iterations.
Transactional Models: Recognized communication as a dynamic, simultaneous co-creation of information with constant feedback loops.
Iterative Models: Recognized communication as having no true beginning or end. Emphasized it as an ongoing, reciprocal process where continous feedback and refining gets us one step closer to our goal.
500
Organizational communication encompasses all the ways people interact to coordinate efforts, make decisions, resolve conflicts and achieve
organizational goals.
Identify and define all 7 ways that communication might occur in an organization.
Internal: The flow of information within the organization: among employees, departments and
leadership
External: Interactions with individuals or entities outside the organization, such as customers,
partners, media and stakeholders
Informal: Natural and occurs organically.
Formal: Structured and documented, usually involving an established protocol or process.
Vertical: Up and down hierarchial structure of an organization (top-down)
Horizontal: Exchange of information between employees, teams, or departments at the same hierarchical level within an organization.
Diagonal: Flow of information between employees at different hierarchical levels and across different departments, cutting across traditional silos.
500
Propose an agricultural communications research study you might conduct based on Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior.
Draw out a conceptual framework for this study based on the key variables of the theory.
Study and framework based on the below image.
500
Persuasion is the act or goal of convincing someone to adopt a belief or take action. Aristotle said persuasion centers on three appeals or rhetorical devices. These make up what he called the rhetorical triangle.
What are those three tenants and what part of the communication process do each relate to?
Ethos: Communicator (ethical appeal, speakers credibility)
Logos: Message (logical appeal, facts and reason).
Pathos: Audience (emotional appeal, evoking feelings)