Mass Communication Test Bank Questions and Verified Answers (Latest Update 2024)
Communications - Answers The transfer of ideas; The process by which information is exchanged
between individuals using a common system of symbols, signs and behavior
(Requires a receiver and some say requires a goal and a response)
Communications (Fiske) - Answers The act of exchanging meaning through signs
Why communicate? - Answers Communication is vital:
- to the survival of society
- for development
- for entertainment/pleasure
- to the formation of new ideas
Components of Communications Process - Answers - Sender
- Receiver
- Message/content
- Channel
- Context
- Effect
Fiske's 4 assumptions - Answers 1) Communication is the foundation of society
2) Communication is vital
3) Communication is a tool for academic research
4) Communication uses signs and symbols
Interpersonal Communication - Answers - Dyadic = more intimate
- Driven by need (humans need to communicate)
- Feedback (as opposed to mass comm.)
- Initial Relations (who the senders and receivers are affects each communication process): Driven by
our beliefs, values, characteristics etc.
- Sender and receiver can switch roles throughout process
,- Communicators can control an alter the process
- Environment/setting can affect process
- Nonverbal communication = very important
- Unscripted/spontaneous
Intrapersonal Communication - Answers Diary, thoughts, dreams
Small Group Communication - Answers - Up to 25 people
- Slower response
- Likely to have 1 prominent sender
- Involves jealousy, networking
5 Types of Communication - Answers 1) Intrapersonal
2) Interpersonal
3) Small Group
4) Organizational Settings
5) Mass Communication
*All can occur simultaneously
Mass Communication - Answers - Enabled by and requires technology
- Must have POTENTIAL to reach huge, anonymous, heterogenic audience
- Source: media, channels, production companies
- Message is NOT tailored to receiver
- Message is public, rapid and simultaneous
- Feedback is slow, indirect, delayed, limited and sometimes non-existent
5 Ways to Communicate - Answers 1) Sounds & Speech
2) Signs & Symbols
3) Script
4) Visual images
,5) Body language
Symbols - Answers Represent ideas or physical entities:
- There is no symbol with a universal meaning
- Meaning is based on cultural experience, background, beliefs
- Every symbol has many meanings (producers must be aware of this before launching global projects
such as TV shows)
Signs - Answers There is a connection between a sign and what is represents
Semiotics - Answers The study of signs and symbols
Semantics - Answers The study of the relationship between signs and their meanings.
*The accurate understanding of a phrase
(Seinfeld + "gay")
Polysemic - Answers A symbol with many interpretations in different cultures
- In order to a message to be global, it must be polysemic, ambiguous)
Denotation - Answers The literal meaning of an entity
(You are gay)
Connotation - Answers What the denotation implies to different people
(negative/positive/neutral)
Non-objective
Script - Answers "Liberates the mind"
- People have more imaginative power when they read than when they watch TV.
Visual Images - Answers Frame the way we understand reality.
Very different from Script.
Nonverbal Communication - Answers - Plays an extremely important role in communications
- Universal and arguably natural (blind people use it)
- Can be seen in stance, body language, clothing choices, vehicle, hair, make up, eye contact, posture,
uniforms, showing up late/early, touch, smell, expressions etc.
, - As long as something sends a message, it is communicating
- More integral to interpersonal communication but also to mass communication (Obama during
debate)
- The way the media portrays politicians is vital (Nixon vs. Kennedy)
- You can support or undermine a message without saying a word
Examples of Communication Effects - Answers Joke > Laugh
Sad movie > Cry
Commercial > Purchase product
Model - Answers An abstract presentation of a process meant to structure and facilitate the
understanding of a process, an abstract demonstration of reality
A good model:
- Organizes concepts
- Explains processes
- Predicts outcomes
Transmission School - Answers (a) PROCESS (b) LINEAR (c) TRANSACTIONAL
- Every process of communications is designed to create an effect
- Which elements are vital to creating affect?
- How can we more efficiently get results?
- Does NOT focus on content
2 Questions to ask:
1) What helps to deliver the message correctly?
2) What prevents the effect from occurring?
Cultural School - Answers SEMIOTIC SCHOOL
- Much more focussed on content and the way that audiences understand and receive it
- Someone's cultural background will heavily influence the way he understands a message (2 people can
understand the same message completely differently)
Communications - Answers The transfer of ideas; The process by which information is exchanged
between individuals using a common system of symbols, signs and behavior
(Requires a receiver and some say requires a goal and a response)
Communications (Fiske) - Answers The act of exchanging meaning through signs
Why communicate? - Answers Communication is vital:
- to the survival of society
- for development
- for entertainment/pleasure
- to the formation of new ideas
Components of Communications Process - Answers - Sender
- Receiver
- Message/content
- Channel
- Context
- Effect
Fiske's 4 assumptions - Answers 1) Communication is the foundation of society
2) Communication is vital
3) Communication is a tool for academic research
4) Communication uses signs and symbols
Interpersonal Communication - Answers - Dyadic = more intimate
- Driven by need (humans need to communicate)
- Feedback (as opposed to mass comm.)
- Initial Relations (who the senders and receivers are affects each communication process): Driven by
our beliefs, values, characteristics etc.
- Sender and receiver can switch roles throughout process
,- Communicators can control an alter the process
- Environment/setting can affect process
- Nonverbal communication = very important
- Unscripted/spontaneous
Intrapersonal Communication - Answers Diary, thoughts, dreams
Small Group Communication - Answers - Up to 25 people
- Slower response
- Likely to have 1 prominent sender
- Involves jealousy, networking
5 Types of Communication - Answers 1) Intrapersonal
2) Interpersonal
3) Small Group
4) Organizational Settings
5) Mass Communication
*All can occur simultaneously
Mass Communication - Answers - Enabled by and requires technology
- Must have POTENTIAL to reach huge, anonymous, heterogenic audience
- Source: media, channels, production companies
- Message is NOT tailored to receiver
- Message is public, rapid and simultaneous
- Feedback is slow, indirect, delayed, limited and sometimes non-existent
5 Ways to Communicate - Answers 1) Sounds & Speech
2) Signs & Symbols
3) Script
4) Visual images
,5) Body language
Symbols - Answers Represent ideas or physical entities:
- There is no symbol with a universal meaning
- Meaning is based on cultural experience, background, beliefs
- Every symbol has many meanings (producers must be aware of this before launching global projects
such as TV shows)
Signs - Answers There is a connection between a sign and what is represents
Semiotics - Answers The study of signs and symbols
Semantics - Answers The study of the relationship between signs and their meanings.
*The accurate understanding of a phrase
(Seinfeld + "gay")
Polysemic - Answers A symbol with many interpretations in different cultures
- In order to a message to be global, it must be polysemic, ambiguous)
Denotation - Answers The literal meaning of an entity
(You are gay)
Connotation - Answers What the denotation implies to different people
(negative/positive/neutral)
Non-objective
Script - Answers "Liberates the mind"
- People have more imaginative power when they read than when they watch TV.
Visual Images - Answers Frame the way we understand reality.
Very different from Script.
Nonverbal Communication - Answers - Plays an extremely important role in communications
- Universal and arguably natural (blind people use it)
- Can be seen in stance, body language, clothing choices, vehicle, hair, make up, eye contact, posture,
uniforms, showing up late/early, touch, smell, expressions etc.
, - As long as something sends a message, it is communicating
- More integral to interpersonal communication but also to mass communication (Obama during
debate)
- The way the media portrays politicians is vital (Nixon vs. Kennedy)
- You can support or undermine a message without saying a word
Examples of Communication Effects - Answers Joke > Laugh
Sad movie > Cry
Commercial > Purchase product
Model - Answers An abstract presentation of a process meant to structure and facilitate the
understanding of a process, an abstract demonstration of reality
A good model:
- Organizes concepts
- Explains processes
- Predicts outcomes
Transmission School - Answers (a) PROCESS (b) LINEAR (c) TRANSACTIONAL
- Every process of communications is designed to create an effect
- Which elements are vital to creating affect?
- How can we more efficiently get results?
- Does NOT focus on content
2 Questions to ask:
1) What helps to deliver the message correctly?
2) What prevents the effect from occurring?
Cultural School - Answers SEMIOTIC SCHOOL
- Much more focussed on content and the way that audiences understand and receive it
- Someone's cultural background will heavily influence the way he understands a message (2 people can
understand the same message completely differently)
