Key Terms
Chapter 3_Self
| Self-concept | also known as self-identity; our mental picture and evaluation of our physical, social, and psychological attributes |
| Self-image | our mental picture of ourselves or our social identity |
| Self-esteem | our feelings and attitudes toward ourselves or how we evaluate ourselves |
| Values | general, relatively long-lasting ideals that guide our behavior |
| Attitudes | evaluative dispositions, feelings, or positions about oneself, others, events, or objects |
| Beliefs | convictions or confidence in the truth of something that is not based on absolute proof |
| Communication Apprehension | an anxiety syndrome associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons |
| Self-fulfilling Prophecy | expectations that we have of ourselves or that others have of us that help create the conditions that lead us to act in predictable ways |
| Impression Management | creating a positive image of oneself in order to influence the perceptions of others |
Chapter 4_Language
| Language | structured system of signs, sounds, gestures, or marks that is used and understood to express ideas and feelings among people within a community, nation, geographic area, or cultural tradition |
| Words | symbols that stand for objects and concepts |
| Grammar | the rules that govern how words may be joined into phrases and sentences |
| Semantics | the study of meaning, or the association of words with ideas, feelings, and contexts |
| Denotation | core meaning associated with a word; standard dictionary definition |
| Connotation | subjective meaning of a word; what a word suggests because of feelings or associations it evokes |
| Concrete Words | symbols for specific things that can be pointed to or physically experienced (seen, tasted, smelled, heard, or touched) |
| Abstract Words | symbols for ideas, qualities, and relationships |
| Slang | jargon that subpopulations of a language community sometimes use; words or phrases that are used in special ways unique to a group |
| Euphemism | an inoffensive or mild expression given in place of one that may offend, cause embarrassment, or suggest something unpleasant |
| Doublespeak | deliberate misuse of language to distort meaning |
| Bypassing | a misunderstanding between a sender and a receiver; when what is meant by a speaker and what is heard and understood by the listener differ |
| Indiscrimination | neglect of individual differences and the overemphasis of similarities |
| Indexing | a method that identifies the specific person, idea, event, or object to which a statement refers |
| Dating | a form of indexing that sorts people, ideas, events, and objects according to time |
| Polarization | the tendency to view things in terms of extremes |
| Pendulum Effect | an escalation of conflict to the point that two parties simply cannot communicate |
| Gender-inclusive Language | language that does not discriminate against males or females |
| Sexist language | language that is characterized by sexual stereotypes and the assumption that the male gender is superior to the female gender |
| Metaphor | figure of speech that associates two things or ideas, not commonly linked, as a means of description |
| Sapir-Whorf hypothesis | a hypothesis that suggests our perception of reality is determined by our thoughts and our language influences our thought processes |
| Llinguistic Determinism | the theory that language determines thought |
| Linguistic Relativity | the theory that people from different language communities perceive the world differently |
| High-context Culture | a culture in which the meaning of the communication event is inferred from the situation or location |
| Low-context Culture | a culture in which the meaning of the communication act is inferred from the messages being sent and not the location where the communication occurs |
| Vividness | direct, fresh language given in the active voice that can bring a sense of excitement, urgency, and forcefulness to what you say |
| Verbal Immediacy | the type of language that makes a message more relevant to the listener by showing the speaker's commitment to the topic and how it relates to the listener's life |