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Social Sci LibreTexts

Glossary

  • Page ID
    71784
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    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition) The definition is case sensitive (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] (Optional) Caption for Image (Optional) External or Internal Link (Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/ CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s) Definition Image Caption Link Source
    Active Listening A communication technique that requires the listener to fully concentrate, understand, respond, and remember what is being said.        
    Audience The group of individuals who receive and interpret a message in a communication process.        
    Barriers to Communication Factors that impede effective communication, such as noise, distractions, misunderstandings, and psychological obstacles.        
    Body Language A form of nonverbal communication involving posture, gestures, and facial expressions.        
    Channel The medium through which a message is transmitted from sender to receiver (e.g., verbal, written, digital).        
    Classical Period A historical era (500 BCE–400 CE) in which rhetoric and communication studies began with figures like Aristotle, Plato, and Cicero.        
    Communication The process of exchanging messages through verbal, nonverbal, written, or digital means.        
    Communication Climate The emotional and social tone of a relationship or interaction that influences communication effectiveness.        
    Communication Theory A systematic explanation of how communication functions, including different paradigms such as systems theory, rhetorical theory, and critical theories.        
    Decoding The process by which a receiver interprets and understands a message.        
    Dialogue A two-way communication exchange that involves listening and responding in an engaged manner.        
    Encoding The process of transforming thoughts into communicable messages using symbols, words, or gestures.        
    Ethnocentrism The tendency to evaluate other cultures based on one’s own cultural standards, often leading to misunderstandings in intercultural communication.        
    Feedback The response given by the receiver to the sender that indicates whether the message was understood.        
    Facial Expressions A type of nonverbal communication that conveys emotions through movements of the face.        
    Gender Communication The study of how gender influences communication styles, perceptions, and interactions.        
    Health Communication A field that examines how communication affects health-related interactions, including patient-caregiver communication.        
    Intercultural Communication The exchange of messages between individuals from different cultural backgrounds.        
    Interpersonal Communication Direct, face-to-face communication between two or more people.        
    Listening The active process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken or nonverbal messages.        
    Mass Communication The transmission of messages to large audiences via media channels such as television, newspapers, and the internet.        
    Message The content being conveyed from a sender to a receiver in a communication process.        
    Noise Any interference that disrupts the clarity or effectiveness of a message.        
    Nonverbal Communication The process of conveying messages without spoken words, including gestures, facial expressions, and posture.        
    Perception The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information received through the senses.        
    Public Speaking The act of delivering a speech or presentation to an audience.        
    Rhetoric The art of persuasion in communication, particularly studied during the Classical Period.        
    Self-Disclosure The act of sharing personal information with others as part of interpersonal communication.        
    Sender The person who creates and transmits a message.        
    Symbol A word, gesture, or sign that represents an idea, concept, or object in communication.        
    Theory A structured explanation or framework used to understand communication processes.        
    Timbre The unique quality of a voice or sound that helps distinguish it in communication.        
    Verbal Communication The use of spoken or written words to convey a message.        
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