ComS 100A: Survey of Communication Studies
Final Exam: Study Guide
Harris-Jenkinson
The test is worth 100 points and consists of a combination of multiple choice and true/false
questions. It covers all the material we have discussed and read over the semester. Some of the
questions may be from previous tests.
Please note: Some questions are very straight forward and involve rote memory (e.g., definitions,
lists), while others are application-based (you may be given an example and asked to identify a
concept). Other questions are based upon synthesis (you may not be able to find the exact
answer from lecture or in the textbook, but you should be able to figure out the answer if you
understand the material). Occasionally I use comic strips as the basis for questions
Materials needed:
 One scantron (green, #882, half sheet)
 One piece of binder paper (if you come across a question on the multiple choice or true/false
questions where you believe you need to justify your answer)
 One or two sharpened #2 pencils
 Your bright, cheerful, awake and READY smiling face
You should know (be able to identify based upon examples, give an example/definition for a
concept, etc.):
 The impact of communication to our lives
 The models of communication (linear, interactive, transactional) and what distinguishes each
from each other
 Types of communication contexts (interpersonal, group, public, organizational, etc.)
 Principles and misconceptions of communication
 How electronically-mediated communication is impacting our lives and the changing
understanding of conversations
 Stages of interpersonal perception
 Influences on self-concept and self-esteem
 Self-concept, self-esteem, self-fulfilling prophecy—basically, if it has “self” in the word, know
it!
 Theories: implicit personality theory, halo/horn effect, communibiological approach,
dominance theory of male & female language, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
 Conversational process
 Denotative and connotative meanings of words
 Language abstraction ladder
 Language barriers
 Symbols & referents
 Difficulties in interpreting nonverbal communication
 How verbal and nonverbal messages interact (repeat/emphasize, substitute, etc.)
 Areas of study in nonverbal communication
 Differences between listening and hearing
 Types of listening
 Suggestions to improve your listening
 Types of conflict (pseudoconflict, intrapersonal, ego conflict, simple conflict, intergroup, etc.)
 Conflict myths and benefits
 Responses to conflict, (feminine and masculine, cultural differences)
 Conflict styles (competitive, avoidance, etc.)
 Principled negotiation guidelines
 Confirming & disconfirming responses
Harris-Jenkinson
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Final Exam Study Guide: ComS 100A
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Gibbs’ communication climates (supportive & defensive, characteristics of each)
Characteristics of Interpersonal communication
Appropriateness of Self-Disclosure, Johari Window
Reasons to study intercultural communication
Differences between low-context and high-context cultures
Differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures
Ethnocentrism, cultural imperialism, cultural homogeneity, culture shock, enculturation,
acculturation
Hofsteade’s research on cultural dimensions/cultural values
Interpersonal attraction (what is it, what are the elements of it, when each type is most
important)
Models of relational development/dissolution (Knapp, Duck, dialectical theory, etc.)
Type of power relationships
Relationships of circumstance & choice
Circumplex model of family interaction
Types of groups (primary, secondary, problem-solving, therapy, etc.)
Advantages and disadvantages of working in groups
Types of roles in groups (task, maintenance, individualized/self-centered)
Leadership theories
Types of interviews (performance review, reprimand, etc.; board interviews, panel interviews,
etc.)
Types of questions (open, closed, leading, illegal, etc.)
Aristotle’s forms of rhetorical proof
Intrinsic & extrinsic credibility
Differences between informative and persuasive presentations
Organizational arrangements (chronological, causal, etc.)
Delivery styles
What credibility affects (exposure, cognitive learning, etc.)
Communication message flow (downward, upward, horizontal, formal, informal)
Ethical perspectives (golden mean, categorical imperative, Utilitarianism, veil of ignorance,
etc.)
Communication and classical management theories
Functions performed by communication in organizations
Hawthorne Studies
Theories/models of mass media (functions, uses and gratification, technological determinism)
Hawthorne Study
Types of power in organizations
Functions of organizations (command, relational, ambiguity-management)
Selective exposure, selective perception, etc.
Modeling
Motivations or gratifications of using various forms of media
James Vicary’s claim of subliminal messages
Support for subliminal messages for affect or behavior
Judas Priest trial in relation to subliminal messages
Tachistoscope
Definitions or descriptions of:
 Primacy & Recency effects
 Nonverbal communication
 Metacommunication
 Interpersonal communication
 Self-disclosure
 Phatic communication
Harris-Jenkinson
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Final Exam Study Guide: ComS 100A
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Cultural filtering, imperialism, homogeneity, etc. (If it has cultural in front of it, you need to
know it)
Enculturation, assimilation
Ethnocentrism, ethnorelativism, xenocentrism
Family
Groupthink, risky shift phenomenon
Rhetoric (as per Aristotle)
Ethos (as per Aristotle)
The grapevine
Whistleblowing
Organizations
Organizational culture
Mass media
Newshole
Digital divide
Harris-Jenkinson
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Final Exam Study Guide: ComS 100A