COM 240 Exam 1 (RJR) Practice Questions With Advanced Answers Graded A+.

(II. Defining communication) What is communication? - correct answer A social process in which individuals emply symbols to establish and interpret meaning How do we share meaning? - correct answer Symbols and language *What is the focus of communication (as opposed to psychology?) - correct answer The focus on symbols or language and MESSAGES Mind vs. thinking *What is communication inquiry? - correct answer The study of anything related to messages *Inquiring about messages or the study of anything related to messages *Learning how to study messages and anything related to messages "Research is..." (what is research) - correct answer "Displayed inquiry" or the system of exploration - 1. Based on curiosity (it starts with a question) 2. A systematic process (structured to minimize error and maximize replication) 3. Potentially replicable (replication = reliable and valid) 4. Reflexive and self-critical (researchers look for their own flaws... Why?) 5. Cumulative and self-correcting (It builds on itself; we learn and improve on previous works) 6. Cynical (You 'end' with more questions than you started with A Research Model (5 Phases) (CPMAR) - correct answer 1. Conceptualization -> (what do we need to know?) 2. Planning and designing (asking questions, operating, validity and reliability) 3. Methodologies (experiment, survey, textual analysis, interviews, focus groups, etc.) 4. Analyzing and interpreting data (data analysis techniques and statistics) 5. Reconceptualization (starts the process all over again) (III. Divisions of Communications & the Nature of Reality) How do we determine the area of communication an article falls within? - correct answer Research, Study, Inquire What are the 3 branches of reality? - correct answer Ontology, Epistemology, Methodology Ontology - correct answer Your personal belief about "what is real" or "reality" Epistemology - correct answer *How we can "know" about reality *Ontology is determines Epistemology (i.e., your "belief about reality" determines how to "study reality") Methodology - correct answer How we try and "find out" about reality *Based on what we think is real *Based on how we believe we can know about that reality *We will choose a method to study that reality How are ontology, epistemology, and methodology related? - correct answer Ontology determines epistemology to find out about reality (methodology) Subjectivity vs. objectivity - correct answer Subjectivity - Measures PERCEPTIONS: One persons opinion (ex. editorial, student research paper; based on fact but is one persons opinion of that fact) Objectivity - Measures DIRECTLY (numerical): Opinions from many points of view, intended to be unbiased (ex. news reporters, encyclopedias and other reference materials) (IV. The Matrix) How is Descartes' "evil genius related to Com. Inq? - correct answer Understand movie concept (focuses on subjectivity and objectivity problems)- Machines have enslaved humans and inserted the humans in a computer generated world --> "evil genius" presents an illusion of the external world where there is no such external world in existence How is Plato's Cave allegory related to Communication Inquiry? - correct answer Prisoner's born in the cave that do not know their perception (subjectivity) as a prisoner is reality (V. Finding and Reading Literature) JOURNALS Acceptance vs. Citation rate - correct answer Acceptance: Number of journals published/submitted --> Lower acceptance rate is supposed to mean "better" journal" Citation: Number of times articles in a journal are used as sources within other articles --> Higher citation rate means "better journal" Impact factor - correct answer Number of recent cites/number of recent articles Citation half-life - correct answer *How long a particular article (in the last 2-5 years) "lasts" (continues to be referenced until current work replaces it) *Longer lasting is supposed to mean that "no better study exists" What should we look for in articles? - correct answer Highly rated 3 Major Approaches - correct answer 1) Rhetorical criticism 2) Critical and Cultural studies 3) Social Science (VI. Approach #1: Rhetorical criticism) What is rhetoric? - correct answer The way you go about delivering your message What is rhetoric criticism? (3 things) - correct answer 1) Systematic analysis 2) Symbols as the Objects of Analysis 3) Purpose What are the basic steps in "doing rhetorical criticism"? (4 Steps) - correct answer 1) Formulating a research question and selecting the [artifact = data] 2) Selecting a unit of analysis 3) Analyzing the artifact 4) Writing the critical essay (VIII. Doing Rhetorical Criticism) What is the 1 rhetoric theory of many we have learned? - correct answer Kenneth Burke's Dramatism and dramatistic pentad Kenneth Burke's Dramatism and dramatistic pentad - correct answer *Life is not like drama, life is drama *We try to get others to believe our version of life's drama *STORIES are dramatic arguments What is the basic premise of Dramatism? - correct answer Life is a drama that can be understood in dramatic terms What are the 5 parts of Burke's Pentad? - correct answer 1) The act - what took place 2) Scene - Background 3) Agent - Person who acted 4) Agency - Meaning or instruments of acting 5) Purpose - Goal of the act What do