Session 5

Communication

Theory

Prepared by Drs. Rendro Dhani, MSi.

Edited by Hersinta, M.Si

The London School of Public Relations

LSPR Jakarta – 2011

© rendro2009

1. Uncertainty Reduction Theory - URT: Makna & Asumsi

- Seven axioms/concepts in URT

2. Social Information Processing - Pengertian & Asumsi

- Tahapan Proses

- Karakteristik CMC

- Hyperpersonal

© rendro2009

Next...

Makna URT

• Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) dikemukakan

oleh Charles Berger & Richard Calabrese (1975).

Dikenal juga sebagai Initial Interaction Theory.

• Berger & Calabrese berteori bahwa komunikasi

digunakan untuk mengurangi ketidakpastian antar

orang asing yang berhubungan dalam

pembicaraan untuk pertama kalinya.

• Sebaliknya, pengurangan ketidakpastian

menciptakan kondisi yang sangat baik untuk

pengembangan hubungan interpersonal

• Berger & Calabrese yakin bahwa ketika orang asing

bertemu pertama kalinya, mereka terutama tertarik

pada meningkatkan prediktabilitas sebagai upaya

memahami pengalaman komunikasi mereka.

• Versi terbaru dari URT: ada 2 tipe ketidakpastian yaitu

• Ketidakpastian kognitif: merujuk pada tingkatketidakpastian yang dihubungkan dengan keyakinandan sikap yang kita pegang.

• Ketidakpastian prilaku: tingkat ketidakpastian yang berhubungan dengan prilaku.

Makna URT

Asumsi Teori

• Orang mengalami ketidakpastian dlm latar interpersonal

• Ketidakpastian tidak mengenakan, menimbulkan stress

• Untuk mengurangi ketidakpastian, orang asing yang bertemu meningkatkan prediktabilitas

• Komunikasi interpersonal adalah proses yang bertahap

• Kom interpersonal: alat utama mengurangi ketidakpastian

• Kuantitas & sifat informasi yang dibagi orang akan berubahseiring perjalanan waktu

• Memprediksi prilaku orang dapat dimungkinkan denganmenggunakan pendekatan hukum (law-governed approach) URT follow the “If…then…” statement. For example: “If uncertainty levels are high, the amount of verbal communication between strangers will decrease.”

• Prediction: adalah kemampuan untuk memperkira-kan pilihan-pilihan prilaku yang mungkin dipilih darisejumlah kemungkinan pilihan yang tersedia padaseseorang atau rekannya.

• Explanation: upaya untuk menerjemahkan makna daritindakan-tindakan masa lalu dalam suatu hubungan. Prediction & Explanation inilah yang membentukdua sub-proses utama dalam mengurangiketidakpastian.

• Cognitive uncertainty: tingkat ketidakpastian yang berhubungan dengan kognitif

• Behavioral uncertainty: tingkat ketidakpastian yang berhubungan dengan perilaku

Beberapa Istilah dalam URT

When strangers meet, their primary focus is on reducing their level of uncertainty in the situation because uncertainty is uncomfortable. People can be uncertain on two different levels: behavioral and cognitive. They may be unsure of how to behave, and they may also be unsure of what they think of the other person and what the other person think of them. High level of uncertainty are related to a variety of verbal and nonverbal behaviors.

Berger & Calabrese

“

”

Berger & Calabrese mengatakan bahwa uncertainty berhubungan dengan 7 aksioma/konsep yang berakar dalam komunikasi dan pembangunanhubungan:

– Verbal output

– Nonverbal warmth (such as pleasant vocal tone, & leaning forward)

– Information seeking (asking question)

– Self-disclosure

– Reciprocity of disclosure

– Similarity

– Liking

Seven Axioms

1. Uncertainty Reduction Theory - URT: Makna & Asumsi

- Seven axioms/concepts in URT

2. Social Information Processing - Pengertian & Asumsi

- Tahapan Proses

- Karakteristik CMC

- Hyperpersonal

© rendro2009

Next...

We’ve learned about interpersonal communication which happen face to face, but what happened with

interpersonal communication mediated by computer?• face

CMC is a process of human communication via computers, involving people, situated in particular contexts, engaging in processes to shape media for a variety of purposes

John December, 1997

CMC is a communication that takes place between human beings via the instrumentality of via computers

Susan Herring, 1996

Media Characteristics

Asynchronous vsSynchronous

Low vs High Interactivity

Low vs High Social Presence

Communication Mode Social Presence Rating*

Face-to face 0,81

Television 0.24

Multispeaker Audio -0,18

Telephone Audio -0,52

Business Letter -0,85

*Social presence scores range from +0.90 to -0,9

Mediated communication is a mixed blessing…

Limited communication modes

Anonimity and Depersonalization

Decreased sense of place

In Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), nonverbal cues such as facial expression, appearance, gestures, tone of voice, interpersonal distance, smell and touch are all missing.

Let’s look at the Social Information Processing Theory which could explain the relationship development in CMC

Social Information Processing

• Joseph Walther (1992), claimed that CMC users could adapt and use computer effectively to develop close relationship.

• He believes that relationships grow only to the extent that parties first gain information about each other and use that information to form interpersonal impressions of who they are.

Both interacting parties draw closer if they both like the image of the other they

formed

InterpersonalInformation

ImpressionFormation

RelationshipDevelopmen

t

Two Features of CMC

• Verbal Cues

When motivated to form impressions and develop relationships, we could use verbal/linguistic content of computer-mediated messages

• Extended Time

The exchange of social information through CMC is much more slower than face to face communication

CMC vs Face

to Face

Face to face communication is like drinking a big gulp of water-the flood of verbal and non verbal information makes it possible to form a quick interpersonal impression

But when we communicate through

computer, it’s like drinking through straw-

one sip at a time.

The relationship could developed, but it would take much longer time.

CMC

Relationship is

hyperpersonal

Sender: Selective Self-Presentation (Looking good! : Anonimity, optimize our self-presentation

Receiver: Overattribution of Similarity (Birds of a feather: Thinking that people are more similar than the fact may be

CMC is

hyperpersonal

Channel: Communicating on Your Own Time (You’re all mine: Giving time to compose our messages more thoughtfully)

Feedback: Self-fulfillngProphecy

In 1998, the movie

You’ve Got Mail could

portray how an

Internet romance was

built and developed.

The film stars Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly, the owner of a small children’s bookstore, and Tom Hanks as Joe Fox, the head of Fox Books- a Barnes & Noble- type superstore. They meet online in an over 30 chatroom as “Shopgirl” and “NY152”.

Discovering a common love of books, music and New York City, they exit chat and pursue their friendship through e-mails. They decide not to reveal their real identities or life

stories, and they didn’t know that in real life, they both are enemies.

You’ve Got Mail opens with Kathleen wake up in the morning and eagerly turn on the computer to check for an

email from Joe.

Joe: Brinkley is my dog. He loves the streets of New York as much as I do, although he likes to eat bits and pieces of bagel off the sidewalk, and I prefer to buy them. Don’t you love New York on the fall? Makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.

Kathleen: Dear friend, I like to start my notes to you as if we were already in the middle of a conversation. “What will NY152 say today?” I wonder. I turn on my computer; I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: “You’ve got mail.” I hear nothing. Not even a around on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you.

Kathleen and Joe followed the verbal only path. They become more than friends through the content of their words rather than being distracted by their physical appearance.