Page 336 - Essentials of Human Communication

Glossary 315

person rather than explicitly coded in the verbal mes- impression management. The processes you go through to cre-
sages. Collectivist cultures are generally high context. ate the impression you want the other person to have of you.
Adjust your messages and your listening in light of the impromptu speech. A speech delivered off-the-cuff, without
differences between high- and low-context cultures. preparation.
Contrast low-context culture. inclusion principle. In verbal interaction, the principle stating
high-power-distance cultures. Cultures in which power is that all members should be a part of (i.e., included in) the
concentrated in the hands of a few, and there is a great interaction.
difference between the power held by these people and inclusive talk. Communication that includes all people; com-
the power held by the ordinary citizen. Contrast low- munication that does not exclude certain groups, such as
power-distance cultures. women, lesbians and gays, or members of certain races or
home field advantage. The increased power that comes from nationalities.
being in your own territory. index. An extensional device used to emphasize the notion
home territories. Territories about which individuals have a of nonidentity (i.e., that no two things are the same) and
sense of intimacy and over which they exercise control— symbolized by a subscript—for example, politician is not
1
for example, a person’s home. politician .
2
human communication. The sending and receiving of verbal indirect speech. Speech that may hide the speaker’s true in-
and nonverbal messages between two or more people. tentions or that may be used to make requests and obser-
hyphen. An extensional device used to illustrate that what vations indirectly. Make judicious use of indirect messages
may be separated verbally may not be separable on the when a more direct style might prove insulting or offensive.
event level or on the nonverbal level; for example, although But be aware that indirect messages can create communi-
body and mind are often discussed as if they were separa- cation problems, because they are easier to misunderstand
ble, in reality they are better referred to as body–mind. than direct messages.
indiscrimination. A misevaluation caused when we categorize
people, events, or objects into a particular class and respond
idea-generation group. A group whose purpose is to gener- to them only as members of the class; a failure to recognize
ate ideas. See also brainstorming. that each individual is unique; a failure to apply the index.
idioms. Expressions that are unique to a specific language and Avoid indiscrimination by treating each situation and each
whose meaning cannot be deduced from the individual person as unique (when possible) even when they’re covered
words used. by the same label or name. Index your key concepts.
illustration. A relatively long and detailed example. individual orientation. A cultural orientation that stresses the
illustrators. Nonverbal behaviors that accompany and literally individual’s rather than the group’s goals and preferences.
illustrate verbal messages—for example, upward hand move- Adjust your messages and your listening on the basis of
ments that accompany the verbalization “It’s up there.” differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures.
image-confirming strategies. Techniques used to communi- Contrast collective orientation.
cate or to confirm your self-image, the image you want individual roles (in groups). Behavior in groups that is usu-
others to see. ally dysfunctional and works against a sense of groupness.
I-messages. Messages in which the speaker accepts responsi- In a group avoid playing the popular but dysfunctional in-
bility for personal thoughts and behaviors; messages in dividual roles—those of the aggressor, blocker, recognition
which the speaker’s point of view is stated explicitly. Use seeker, self-confessor, and dominator.
I-messages when communicating your feelings; take re- individualistic culture. A culture that emphasizes the individ-
sponsibility for your own feelings (as in “I get angry when ual’s rather than the group’s goals and preferences. Con-
you . . .”) rather than attributing them to others (as in trast collectivist culture.
“you make me angry”). Contrast you-messages. inevitability. In communication, the fact that communication
immediacy. A sense of contact and togetherness; a feeling of cannot be avoided—that all behavior in an interactional
interest in and liking for the other person in an inter- setting is communication.
change. A quality of interpersonal effectiveness. Maintain inferential statement. A statement that can be made by any-
nonverbal immediacy through close physical distances, eye one, is not limited to what is observed, and can be made
contact, and smiling; maintain verbal immediacy by using at any time. Contrast factual statement.
the other person’s name and focusing on his or her influencing strategies. Strategies designed to influence the
remarks. attitudes or behaviors of others.
Impostor phenomenon. The tendency to disregard outward informal time terms. Expressions that denote approximate
signs of success and to consider yourself an “impostor,” a rather than exact time intervals—for example, “soon,”
fake, a fraud, one who doesn’t really deserve to be consid- “early,” and “in a while.”
ered successful. information. Knowledge that reduces uncertainty.
impression formation. The processes you go through in information overload. A condition in which the amount of
forming an impression of another person. information is too great to be dealt with effectively or the