1. Em Griffin A First Look at Communication Theory 8 th edition © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Launching Your Study of Communication Theory 1

2. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Launching Your Study of Communication Theory  What Is a Theory and What Does It Do? What Is a Theory and What Does It Do?  What Is Communication? What Is Communication?  An Arrangement of Ideas to Aid Comprehension An Arrangement of Ideas to Aid Comprehension  Chapter Features to Enliven Theory Chapter Features to Enliven Theory Slide 2

3. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What Is a Theory?  Theory – set of systematic, informed hunches about the way things work Set of hunches Informed hunches Hunches that are systematic Slide 3

4. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What Is a Theory?  Images of theory Theories as nets Theories as lenses Theories as maps Slide 4

5. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What Is Communication?  Communication – relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response Messages Text – record of a message that can be analyzed by others; for example, books, films, DVDs, phonographs, or any transcript or recording Slide 5

6. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What Is Communication?  Communication (continued) Creation of messages Text usually constructed, invented, planned, crafted, constituted, selected, or adopted by the communicator Interpretation of messages Messages do not interpret themselves Slide 6

7. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What Is Communication?  Communication (continued) A relational process Takes place between two or more persons and affects the nature of the connections among those people Messages that elicit a response Messages have an effect upon people who receive them Slide 7

8. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. An Arrangement of Ideas to Aid Comprehension Division I – Overview Division II – Interpersonal Communication Division III – Group and Public Communication Division IV – Mass Communication Division V – Cultural Context Division VI – Integration Slide 8

9. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter Features to Enliven Theory  Use extended examples from life on a college campus, a well-known communication event, or the conversations of characters in movies, books, or TV shows  Student accounts of applications of theories Slide 9

10. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter Features to Enliven Theory  “Questions to Sharpen Your Focus”  “Conversations with Communication Theorists”  “A Second Look” Slide 10