G-2 Glossaryattending: The step in the listening process of focus-
ing attention on both the presence and commu-
nication of someone else.
attitudes: Our general evaluations of people, ideas,
objects, or events.
attributions: Personal characteristics that are used
to explain other people’s behavior.
audience analysis: A highly systematic process of
getting to know one’s listeners relative to the
topic and speech occasion.
avoiding: An escapist tactic used to stay away from
direct conflict, for example, walking away,
changing the subject, or postponing conflict.
back-channel cues: Vocalizations that signal when
we want to talk versus when we are just encour-
aging others to continue their talking.
bandwagon fallacy: Accepting a statement as true
because it is popular.
bar graph: A presentation aid that shows the rela-
tionship of two or more sets of figures.
begging the question: A logical fallacy in which
the speaker presents arguments that no one can
verify because they are not accompanied by valid
evidence.
behavior: Observable communication, including
both verbal and nonverbal messages; the manner
in which we act or function in response to our
attitudes and beliefs.
behavioral affirmation: Seeing or hearing what one
wants to see or hear in the communication of as-
sorted group members.
behavioral component of listening: The compo-
nent of listening that involves giving feedback
to show that you understand and remember the
information given.
behavioral confirmation: Acting in a way that makes
one’s expectations about a group come true.
behavioral flexibility: The ability to have a number
of communication behaviors at one’s disposal
and the willingness to use different behaviors in
different situations.
beliefs: The ways in which people perceive reality;
our feelings about what is true and real and how
confident we are about the existence or validity
of something.
biased language: Words that are infused with subtle
meanings that influence our perceptions about
the subject.bipolar question: The most closed form of a ques-
tion, for which there are only two possible re-
sponses, “yes” and “no.”
bonding: The process of relational partners sharing
formal symbolic messages with the world that
their relationship is important and cherished.
boundary turbulence: Readjusting the need for pri-
vacy against the need for self-disclosure and con-
nection when there is a threat to one’s privacy
boundaries.
brainstorming: A process that entails focusing on
a general area of interest, amassing information,
thinking creatively, and considering problems
and solutions related to the topic.
broadcasting: Signals carried over the airwaves from
a station transmitter to a receiver.
bullying: Behaviors such as harsh criticism, name-
calling, gossip, slander, personal attacks, or
threats to safety or job security, used to try to
acquire and keep control over an entire group or
individual members within a group.
burnout: A sense of apathy or exhaustion that re-
sults from long-term stress or frustration.
call to action: In a persuasive speech, a challenge to
listeners to act in response to the speech, see the
problem in a new way, or change their beliefs,
actions, and behavior.
cause-effect pattern: A pattern of speech arrange-
ment that organizes the message around cause-
to-effect or effect-to-cause relationships.
central processing: Thinking critically about the
speaker’s message, questioning it, and seriously
considering acting on it; occurs when listeners
are motivated and personally involved in the
content of a message.
chain network: A network in which information is
passed from one member to the next rather than
shared among members.
channel: The method through which communica-
tion occurs.
channel discrepancy: When one set of behaviors
says one thing, and another set says something
different.
charismatic leaders: Vibrant, likable communica-
tors who generate a positive image among their
followers.
chronemics: The study of how people perceive the
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