Page 343 - Essentials of Human Communication

322 Glossary

schemata. (Singular: schema) Mental templates or structures self-esteem. The value you place on yourself; your self-
that help us organize items of sensory information and evaluation. Usually refers to a positive self-evaluation. Raise
information in memory. your self- esteem: Increase your communication effectiveness,
script. A template or organizational structure describing the challenge self-destructive beliefs, seek out nourishing people
sequence of events in a given action, procedure, or with whom to interact, work on projects that will result in
occurrence. success, and engage in self-affirmation.
secondary source. A summary or interpretation of informa- self-fulfilling prophecy. The situation in which you make a
tion—for example, a newspaper’s summary of a research prediction or prophecy that comes true because you act
study. See primary source. on it as if it were true. Take a second look at your percep-
secondary territory. An area that does not belong to a partic- tions when they correspond very closely to your initial ex-
ular person but that has been occupied by that person pectations; the self-fulfilling prophecy may be at work.
and is therefore associated with her or him—for example, self-handicapping strategies. Techniques used to excuse pos-
the seat a person normally takes in class. sible failure—for example, setting up barriers or obstacles
selective attention. The tendency to attend to those things to make a task impossible so that when you fail, you won’t
that you want to see or that you expect to see. be blamed or thought ineffective.
selective exposure. The tendency of listeners to actively seek self-monitoring. The manipulation of the image presented to
out information that supports their existing opinions, be- others in interpersonal interactions so as to create a fa-
liefs, attitudes, and values and to actively avoid informa- vorable impression.
tion that contradicts them. self-serving bias. A bias in the self-attribution process that
selective perception. The tendency to perceive certain things leads us to take credit for positive consequences and to
and not others; includes selective attention and selective deny responsibility for negative outcomes of our behav-
exposure. iors. Become mindful of any self-serving bias—that is, of
self-acceptance. Satisfaction with yourself, your virtues and giving too much weight to internal factors (when explain-
vices, and your abilities and limitations. ing your positives) and too little weight to external factors
self-actualization needs. A basic need to become and do (when explaining your negatives).
what you feel you must do; a need that is only satisfied, in self-talk. Talk about the self.
Maslow’s theory, after all other needs are satisfied. semantics. The area of language study concerned with meaning.
self-adaptors. Movements that satisfy a physical need, espe- sexist language. Language derogatory to one gender, usually
cially to make you more comfortable; for example, scratch- women. Avoid it.
ing your head to relieve an itch, moistening your lips sexual harassment. Unsolicited and unwanted sexual
because they feel dry, or pushing your hair out of your messages.
eyes. short-term memory. Memory that is very limited in capacity;
self-attribution. A process through which you seek to ac- contains information that is quickly lost if it is not passed
count for and understand the reasons and motivations for on to long-term memory.
your own behaviors. shyness. The condition of discomfort and uneasiness in in-
self-awareness. The degree to which you know yourself. In- terpersonal situations.
crease self-awareness by listening to others, increasing your sign (reasoning from). A form of reasoning in which the
open self as appropriate, and seeking out information presence of certain signs (clues) is interpreted as leading
(discreetly) to reduce any blind spots. to a particular conclusion.
self-concept. An individual’s self-evaluation or self-appraisal. signal reaction. A conditioned response to a signal; a
Learn who you are: See yourself through the eyes of others; response to some signal that is immediate rather than
compare yourself to similar (and admired) others; examine delayed.
the influences of culture; and observe, interpret, and evalu- signal-to-noise ratio. In verbal interaction, the relationship
ate your own message behaviors. between what is signal (i.e., meaningful) and what is
self-deprecating strategies. Techniques used to signal your noise (i.e., interference). This ratio also is relative to the
inability to do some task or your incompetence to en- communication analyst, the participants, and the context.
courage another to help you out. Avoid these or use in silence. The absence of vocal communication; often misun-
moderation; such strategies can easily backfire and simply derstood to refer to the absence of any and all communi-
make you seem incompetent. cation. Silence often communicates feelings or prevents
self-disclosure. The process of revealing something about communication about certain topics. Because silence can
yourself to another person. Usually refers to information communicate many different meanings (e.g., your anger or
that would normally be kept hidden. In considering self- your need for time to think), examine your use of silence
disclosure, consider the legitimacy of your motives for dis- just as you would eye movements or body gestures.
closing, the appropriateness of the disclosure, the listener’s similarity. As a principle of perception, the tendency to see
responses (is the dyadic effect operating?), and the poten- things that are physically similar as belonging together
tial burdens self-disclosures might impose. and/or constituting a unit. As a principle of attraction,