Theories and Truth

Despite their many values, theories don't reveal truth in any absolute sense. Rather, theories reveal some degree of accuracy, some degree of truth. In the natural sciences (such as physics and chemistry), theories are extremely high in accuracy. If you mix two parts of hydrogen to one part of oxygen, you'll get water – every time you do it. In social and behavioral sciences such as communication, sociology, and psychology, the theories are far less accurate in describing the way things work and in predicting how things will work.

This failure to reveal truth, however, does not mean that theories are useless. In increasing your understanding and your ability to predict, theories are extremely helpful. Theories often have practical implications for developing your own communication skills. For example, theories of interpersonal attraction offer practical insights into how to make yourself more attractive to others; theories of leadership offer practical advice on how you can more effectively exert your own leadership. This interrelationship between theories and skills is a theme you'll find throughout this book. The more you know about how communication works (that is, the theories and research), the more likely you'll be able to use it effectively (that is, build your communication skills).

Working with Theories and Research

If you have access, log on to Research Navigator (www.researchnavigator. com) and browse through issues of Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Monographs, or Communication Theory (or scan similar journals in your own field of study); you'll be amazed at the breadth and depth of academic research and theory. Self-presentation goals: You communicate to give others the image you want them to have of you.

Table 1.3

Human Communication This table identifies and arranges the forms of communication in terms of the number of persons involved, from one (in intrapersonal communication) to thousands and millions (in mass communication). It also previews (in general) the progression of topics in this book.
Areas of Human Communication Intrapersonal: communication with the self	Some Common Purposes To think, reason, analyze, reflect	Some Theory-Related Concerns How does a person's self-concept develop? How does the self-concept influence communication? How can problem solving and analyzing abilities be improved and taught? What is the relationship between personality and communication?	Some Skills-Related Concerns Enhancing self-esteem, increasing self-awareness, improving problem-solving and analyzing abilities, increasing self-control, reducing stress, managing intrapersonal conflict
Interpersonal:communication between two persons	To discover, relate, influence, play, help	What is interpersonal effectiveness? Why do people develop relationships? What holds friends, lovers, and families together? What tears them apart? How can relationships be repaired?	Increasing effectiveness in one-to-one communication, developing and maintaining effective relationships (friendship, love, family), improving conflict resolution abilities
Small group: communication within a small group of persons	To share information, generate ideas, solve problems, help	What makes a leader? What type of leadership works best? What roles do members play in groups? What do groups do well, and what do they fail to do well? How can groups be made more effective?	Increasing effectiveness as a group member, improving leadership abilities, using groups to achieve specific purposes (for example, solving problems, generating ideas)
Public: communication of speaker with audience	To inform, persuade, entertain	What kinds of organizational structure work best in informative and persuasive speaking? How can audiences be most effectively analyzed and adapted to? How can ideas be best developed for communication to an audience?	Communicating information more effectively; increasing persuasive abilities; developing, organizing, styling, and delivering messages with greater effectiveness
Mass: communication addressed to an extremely large audience, mediated by audio and/or visual means	To entertain, persuade, and inform	What functions do the media serve? How do the media influence us? How can we influence the media? In what ways is information censored by the media for the public? How does advertising work?	Improving our ability to use the media to greater effectiveness, increasing our ability to control the media, avoiding being taken in by advertisements and tabloid journalism

MEDIA WATCH

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