Em Griffin

A First Look at

Communication Theory

8th edition

© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Talk About Theory2

© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Talk About Theory

Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan Objective or Interpretive: Sorting Out the Labels Ways of Knowing: Discovering

Truth of Creating Multiple Realities? Human Nature: Determinism or Free Will? The Highest Value: Objectivity or Emancipation? Purpose of Theory: Universal

Laws or Interpretive Guides? Objective or Interpretive: Why Is It Important?

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Talk About Theory

Glenn Sparks is a behavioral scientist –applies the scientific method to describe, predict, and explain recurring forms of human behavior

Marty Medhurst is a rhetorician – studies ways symbolic forms can be used to identify with people, or to persuade them to a certain point of view

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Talk About Theory

Need to grasp crucial differences between the objective and interpretive approaches to communicationGlenn Sparks: behavioral

scientist, conducts experimentsMarty Medhurst: rhetorician; interpret texts

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

MasterCard “Priceless” campaignAd Week:

• “Peyton Manning is one of the few superstar athletes who shows he can act in his commercials. We’ve seen his cheerleader-for-the-everyday guy before. This time he’s rooting for the waitress who drops her tray, the latte guy who’s burned by escaping steam, and the movers who let a piano escape down a hill. “That’s okay guys. They’re not saying ‘boo,’ they’re saying moooooovers.’”

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Glenn: An Objective ApproachObjective approach – assumption

that truth is singular and is accessible through unbiased sensory observation; committed to uncovering cause-and-effect relationships

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Glenn: An Objective Approach (continued)

MasterCard convinced Manning’s celebrity appeal will rub off on the public image of their credit card

Source credibility – perceived competence and trustworthiness of a speaker or writer that affects how the message is received

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Glenn: An Objective Approach (continued)

Hovland and Weiss suggest that expertise and trustworthiness are two main ingredients of perceived credibility

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Glenn: An Objective Approach (continued)

Kelman: when people forge a body of identification with a figure like Manning, they’ll gladly embrace his persuasive pitch

• Identification – perceived role relationship that affects self-image and attitudes; based on attractiveness of role model, and sustained if relationship remains salient

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Glenn: An Objective Approach (continued)

Do viewers transfer Manning’s expertise from the gridiron to credit cards?

• “I would want an objective test to find out if celebrity appeals really work”

– Is ad campaign followed by increase in new card applications or number of charges?

– Test whether ad has same effect on viewers who do not know who Manning is

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Marty: An Interpretive ApproachInterpretive approach – linguistic

work of assigning meaning or value to communicative texts; assumes that multiple meanings or truths are possible

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Marty: An Interpretive Approach (continued)

MasterCard uses Manning in an attempt to identify manliness with money

• Invites viewer to become part of “team” being instructed by “Coach” Manning

Burke’s dramatistic pentad – five-pronged method of rhetorical criticism to analyze a speaker’s persuasive strategy – act, scene, agent, agency, purpose

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Two Communication Scholars View a Diehard Fan

Marty: An Interpretive Approach (continued)

Ad starts with confusion, moves through pain and destruction, and arrives at manliness, money, and acceptance

Symbolic transformation has taken place• Manning “coaching” the right attitude• Symbolic equivalence established between

being manly and being “in the money”

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Objective or Interpretive: Sorting Out the Labels

Objective approach and interpretive approach to communication study clearly differ in starting point, method, and conclusionGlenn, social scientist who

works hard to be objectiveMarty, rhetorical critic who

does interpretive study

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Objective or Interpretive: A Difference that Matters

Most interpretive scholars are humanists, but a growing numberof postmodern communication theorists reject that traditionHumanistic scholarship – study of what

it is like to be another person, in another time and place; assumes there are few important panhuman similarities

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Objective or Interpretive: A Difference that Matters

Separate worldviews of interpretive scholars and scientists reflect contrasting assumptions about ways we arrive at knowledge, the core of human nature, questions of value, and the purpose and methods of research

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Ways of Knowing: Discovering Truth or Creating Multiple Realities?

Epistemology – study of the origin, nature, method, and limits of knowledgeScientists assume Truth is singularInterpretive scholars regard

truth as socially constructed through communication

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Human Nature:Determinism or Free Will?

Determinism – assumption that behavior is caused by heredity and environmentScientists stress forces that shape human

behavior (biology and environment)Interpretive scholars focus on conscious

choices made by individuals

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The Highest Value:Objectivity or Emancipation?

Most social scientists place high value on objectivity that is not biased by ideological commitments

Interpretive scholars believe that ability to choose separates humanity from the rest of creation, and value scholarship that expands free choice (emancipation)

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The Highest Value:Objectivity or Emancipation?

Emancipation – liberation from political, economic, racial, religious, or sexual oppression; empowerment

Deetz claims that every general communication theory has two priorities – effectiveness and participation

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Purpose of Theory: Universal Laws or Interpretive Guides?

As a behavioral scientist, Glenn works to pin down universal laws of human behavior that cover a variety of situationsTheory testing

is basic activity

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Purpose of Theory: Universal Laws or Interpretive Guides?

As rhetorical critic, Marty strives to interpret a particular communication text in a specific contextExplores web of

meaning that constitutes human existence

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Objective or Interpretive: Why Is It Important?

When you understand what each type of theorist is about, your comfort zone will expand and your confusion will diminishMetatheory: theory about

theory; stated or inherent assumptions made when creating

Both seek to improve society

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Figure 2-2: Classification of Communication Theories According to Objective/Interpretive

Worldview

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