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PHILOSOPHICALFOUNDATIONS:
WHAT IS THEORY?
Chapter Two
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What is Communication?
y Definition: The process through which messages,both intentional and unintentional, create meaning(Metts, 2004, p. 5).
yAspects: Dialectical nature
Strategic and Consequential
Perceptual consequences
Behavioral consequences Relational consequences
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What happens on afirst date that willlead people to goon a second date?
How can astudent besuccessful?
What leads one
broadcastingagency to becomesuccessful in amarket?
What wouldmake employeesin a givenorganization
more productive?
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What is Theory?
yNave or lay theories
y There is no single correct definition of
theoryyDefinitions depend on assumptions and
needs/goals of theorist
y
But all agree that theory if fundamentally anabstraction
Theory is not behavior but an abstract
representation of behavior
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Metaphors might help
Theories are a
Reduction of
details to patternsof associations
A map
A fishing netSpectacles
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Difference between nave theories andscientific theories
y Both lay theories and scientific theories function toorganize information, describe phenomena,explain how communication works, and sometimespredict future occurrences.
y However, the important difference between lay
theories and scientific theories is that scholarsmust be able to argue for the validity (truth orcorrectness) of their theoriesthey do thisempirically, statistically, and/or logically
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More Formal Definitions of Theory?
yAbstractions of the social worldthatexplain how, when, or why something
happens, and exist at varying levels ofgenerality (Miller, 2005)
yA description of concepts and
specifications of the relationshipsbetween or among these concepts(Metts, 2004, p. 9)
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What Theories Are Not
y Theories should be distinguished from hypotheses,typologies, taxonomies, and models.
Hypothesis: A single statement about the relationship
between two concepts Typology: Thematic categories (e.g., types of immediacy
cues in the classroom or types of power)
Taxonomy: Categories that are arranged hierarchically(types of animals)
Models: usually concerned with processes; draw ontypologies, taxonomies, and theories but describe withoutpredicting or explaining. Ex.: the stages of relationshipdevelopment and deterioration
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What a theory is not
y A hypothesis
y A model
y A taxonomy
y A paradigm
As depth of self-disclosure increases,
relationships will grow
Compliance Gaining Strategies
REWARD APPEALS1. Ingratiation
2. Promise
3. Debt
4. Esteem
5. Allurement
PUNISHMENT APPEALSetc.
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What is this?
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What is this?
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What are the parts of a theory?
Miller (2005):
y (1) description of phenomena,
y (2) relationships among thesephenomena,
y (3) an underlying storyline that
describes mechanisms at work, and
y (4) links between the abstract theoryand observed phenomena
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Firstsome review!
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What are the parts of a theory?
Metts (2004):
y (1) concepts
y (2) relationships among these conceptsPropositions OR Other statements
yPropositions
Temporal
Correlational
Causal
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What does a theory do?(Metts, 2004, p. 14)
Function What the Theory Does
Organize
Describe
Explain
Predict
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Functions of theories
y To provide answers to interesting questionsand/or solutions to important problems
Theories address empirical problems inwhich something about the observed world ispuzzling
Theories address conceptual problems in
which there are inconsistencies within a theoryor with other theories
Theories address practical problems of dailylife
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Actual practice
Inductive
DeductiveInductive
Deductive
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How can I tell if a theory is good?
y Utility
y scientific &
practicaly Scope Breadth (range of
applicability)
Parsimonyy Heurism
y Falsifiability
yAccuracy(entailsfalsifiability)
y Consistency(internal and external)
y Scope
y Simple (Parsimony)
y Fruitful (Heurism)
Metts Miller (Ch. 3; p. 44)
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Paradigms & Theories
yKuhn on Paradigms
yParadigms > Theories
yThe Paradox of ParadigmsyRevolution versus accumulation
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Paradigm shift as Revolution
Normal
ScienceAnomalies
Crisis
Revolution
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Paradigms & Theories
Paradigm Paradigm Paradigm
TheoryType
TheoryType
TheoryType
Theory Theory Theory
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Metatheoretical Commitments
yMetatheory: theory about theory --philosophical commitments
yMetatheoretical commitments definedifferent approaches to theorydevelopment and research practices
yThree important aspects of metatheoryare ontology, epistemology, andaxiology
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Ontology: The Nature of the Social World
y Realist stance: The social world is seen asconsisting of real entities, independent of anindividuals perception
y Nominalist stance: The social world consistsof names and labels we use to structurereality
y Social constructionist stance: We create thesocial world through symbols and interactionbut it then becomes a reality constrainingour behavior
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These positions are on a continuum
Realist Social Nominalist
Constructionist
Where do you fall on this continuum?
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Epistemology: The creation and growthof knowledge (Table 2.1, p. 29)
y Objectivist stance: Causal explanations of thesocial world are developed through separation ofknower and known and use of the scientific
method (observation, search for regularities inbehavior; generalizable knowledge)
y Subjectivist stance: Emergent and localunderstandings of the social world are developedthrough situated knowledge and reports ofcultural insidersresearcher often becomes partof the group
y Intersubjectivist stance?
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Paradigms: Burrell & Morgans View
yBurrell and Morgan outline sociologicaltheories, many of which also appear incommunication research, on two continua.
y These are continua, rather than simplecategories (though they do inform Millersdiscussion).
y The two are as follows: 1) Ontology/Epistemology (x-axis)
2) Axiology (y axis)
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The Subjective-Objective Dimension
(Source: Burrell and Morgan, 1979: 3)
Subjective Objective
Ontology/
Epistemology
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The Subjective-Objective Dimension
Nominalism Realismontology
Anti-positivism Positivismepistemology
Ideographic Nomotheticmethodology
The subjectivist
approach to
social science
The objectivist
approach to
social science
(Source: Burrell and Morgan, 1979: 3)
Voluntarism Determinismhuman nature
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Scientific key words
yCauseEffect, influence, affect, lead to
yFactors, variables
y
PredictyGeneralizable
yAnalytic/reductionistic
yQuantitative (or qualitative)
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Humanistic key words
yContextual
y Interpretive
y
Social constructionyHolistic
ySubjective
yQualitative (usually)
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Axiology: The role of values in theorydevelopment
yMost theorists now reject the idea thatvalues can be totally eliminated fromthe research process
yThree positions are still evident:values only play a role in parts of the
research process
values permeate the research processvalues should direct the research process
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Rephrased as questions:
yCan research be value-free?
yShould research be value-free?
yWhat do you think?
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The Social Change/Status Quo Dimension
(Source: Burrell and Morgan, 1979: 3)
Radical Social Change
Regulation/Status Quo/Observation
Axiology
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Critical key words
yPower (struggles, etc.)yProduction and reproduction of social
structures (like sexism, racism,
classism)yEmpowerment, emancipation,
resistanceySocial relations
y Ideology, hegemonyySocial changey NOTE: May be qualitative orquantitative
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A very important note: Critical theory, atleast in communication, is not a question ofmethod or ontological/epistemological
assumptions, but of the purpose of research:y Study 1: Does exposure to pornography lead men to
see women in more objectified terms?
y Study2: In what ways does the movie, Thelma and
Louise provide new (and empowering) narratives forwomens relationships?
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Three (socially constructed) paradigmsnin
communication!
(Source: Burrell and
Morgan, 1979: 22)
SUBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE
REGULAT
ION
RADICAL CHANGE
CRITICAL:
Social change
SCIENTIFIC:
Predict/Control
HUMANISTIC:
Observe/Interpret
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Building Communication TheoryChapter 3
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Two debates in Communication
y 1977: Laws, Rules Systemsy 1983: Scientific, Humanistic, CriticalyTodays debates?
y 1989: Rethinking CommunicationyWhat would you find at a communication
conference today?yW
hat do you find in the School ofCommunication at Illinois StateUniversity?