Communication theories: Overview and applications

Communication Theories

The unique part of the human mind is that it requires two distinct yet complementary sides that work in concert to bring about reality. In most cases the right side of the mind or brain is the more abstract and artistic component. The left side would therefore be a modeling or constructionist component. Using this framework, it is necessary for both components to come together and bring that's side influence to the total picture.

Littlejohn and Foss use these two distinctions as a meta- model and bases the rest of their arguments and these two methods of deciphering communication. While this argument spans the area covered by many academic disciplines, this appears to be an ontological problem for these authors. Being, existence and becoming are too subtle and complicated to be addressed solely by words and models. The basic set up of the mind is what brings things into being, requiring both constructionists and abstractions to make living in this world tolerable and smoothly.

Question 3

Cooperation entails consent. Everything, besides life and death should be considered consensual activity. Any verbal discussion requires both a speaker and a receiver both actively communicating with one another. Cooperation merely means working together with another person and not necessarily in perfect harmony. The act of discussion or argument alone signifies that there is some level of cooperation being used, whether we are consciously aware of this act or not.

Accommodation theory and interpersonal deception theories, two ideas introduced by Littlejohn and Foss demonstrate how cooperation is at the heart of most communication understandings. Accommodation theory suggests that when people talk with one another they subconsciously adjust their vocal and speech patterns signifying cooperation. With interpersonal deception theory, the idea of cooperation insists that the process is interactive and looks to use deception to reveal greater meanings.

Question 5

Although ritual and habits do provide some sort of communication transmission in their practice, these two terms need to be distinguished from each other in order to understand the finer aspects of their usage within communication. When ordering a meal through a drive thru window at a fast food restaurant that type of communication appears to be an applied use or transmission. There is a ritual aspect of this transmission however, that is rooted in the ritual aspects of food, digestion and regeneration of new cells. A ritualistic aspect of communication would be the common greetings we speak to another. While greetings such as "hello" and " see you later" are rather empty in real meaning, have a ritualistic aspects that demonstrates the emotional attitude of the speaker towards the receiver.

Question 7