glossary
abstraction ladder: A model that ranks communi-
cation from specific, which ensures clarity, to
general and vague.
accent: A pattern of pronunciation that is specific
to a certain upbringing, geographical region, or
culture.
accenting: Nonverbal behavior that clarifies and em-
phasizes specific information in a verbal message.
accommodation: Adapting and adjusting one’s lan-
guage and nonverbal behaviors for other people
or cultures.
achievement-oriented leader: A leader who sets
challenging goals and communicates high expec-
tations and standards to members.
action-oriented listeners: Communicators who are
usually focused on tasks; they tend to keep the dis-
course on track and are often valuable in meetings.
active listeners: Active participants in making
choices about selecting, attending, understand-
ing, and responding.
active strategies: In relationship management, strat-
egies that allow one to obtain information about
a person more directly, by seeking information
from a third party.
adaptability: An organization’s ability to adjust to
changing times and circumstances.
adaptors: Body movements that satisfy some physi-
cal or psychological need, such as rubbing your
eyes when you’re tired or twisting your hair
when you’re nervous or bored.
ad hominem fallacy: A logical fallacy that entails at-
tacking a person instead of the person’s arguments.
adjourning: The stage of group development in
which members reflect on their accomplishments
and failures as well as determine whether the
group will disassemble or take on another project.
affect displays: Body movements that convey feel-
ings, moods, and reactions; they are often unin-
tentional, reflecting the sender’s emotions.affective component of listening: The component
of listening that refers to your attitude toward
listening to a person or message.
affiliation: The affect, or feelings, we have for others.
agenda: A plan for a meeting that details the subject
and goal, logistics, and a schedule.
agenda setting: The idea that extensive media cover-
age of a particular issue will “set the agenda” for
what issues people are thinking and talking about.
all-channel network: A network in which all mem-
bers are an equal distance from one another and
all members interact with each other.
anchor position: An audience’s position on a topic
at the outset of the speech.
anecdotes: Brief, personal stories that have a point
or punch line.
antigroup roles: Roles that create problems because
they serve individual members’ priorities at the
expense of overall group needs.
apologize: To openly take responsibility for your
own misbehavior in a miscommunication.
appeal to tradition: A logical fallacy in which the
speaker uses tradition as proof, suggesting that
listeners should agree with his or her point be-
cause “that’s the way it has always been.”
appreciative listening: Listening with the simple goal
of taking pleasure in the sounds that one receives.
argumentativeness: A particular form of assertive-
ness, in which a person tends to express positions
on controversial issues and verbally attack the
positions that other people take.
articulation: The clarity and forcefulness with
which sounds are made, regardless of whether
they are pronounced correctly.
artifacts: Accessories carried or used on the body for
decoration or identification.
assertiveness: The use of communication messages
that demonstrate confidence, dominance, and
forcefulness to achieve personal goals.G-120_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-120_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-1 13/10/14 5:40 PM13/10/14 5:40 PM