Glossary G-3chronological pattern: A pattern of speech arrange-
ment that presents the main points of a message
forward (or backward) in a systematic, time-
related fashion.
civility: The social norm for appropriate behavior.
classical management approach: An approach to
organizational communication that likens orga-
nizations to machines, with a focus on maximiz-
ing efficiency.
clique: A small subgroup of individuals who have
bonded together within a group; also called
coalitions.
closed question: A type of interview question that
gives less freedom to the interviewee by restrict-
ing answer choices.
clustering: A technique for identifying potential
speech topics whereby the writer begins with a
core idea and branches out into a web of related
thoughts and ideas.
co-culture: A smaller group of people within a culture
who are distinguished by features such as race, re-
ligion, age, generation, political affiliation, gender,
sexual orientation, economic status, educational
level, occupation, and a host of other factors.
code: A set of symbols that are joined to create a
meaningful message.
code switching: A type of accommodation in which
communicators change their regular language
and slang to fit into a particular group.
coercion: The act of using manipulation, threats,
intimidation, or violence to gain compliance.
coercive power: Power that stems from a person’s
ability to threaten or harm others.
cognitions: Thoughts that communicators have
about themselves and others.
cognitive complexity: Ability to consider multiple
scenarios, formulate multiple theories, and make
multiple interpretations when encoding and de-
coding messages.
cognitive component of listening: The component
of listening that involves the mental processes
of selecting messages to focus on, giving them
attention, and then trying to understand them.
cognitive forces: Group members’ thoughts and
beliefs that affect how everyone in a particular
group perceives, interprets, evaluates, stores, and
retrieves information, which in turn influence
the group’s decisions.cognitive language: The specific system of symbols
that one uses to describe people, things, and situ-
ations in one’s mind.
cohesion: The degree to which group members have
bonded, like each other, and consider themselves
to be one entity.
collaborating: Conflict style that involves finding a
win-win solution that satisfies all parties.
collectivist culture: A culture in which individuals
perceive themselves first and foremost as members
of a group and communicate from that perspective.
communication: The process by which individuals
use symbols, signs, and behaviors to exchange
information.
communication accommodation theory: Theory
that explains how language and identity shape
communication in various contexts.
communication acquisition: The process of learn-
ing individual words in a language and learning
to use that language appropriately and effectively
in the context of the situation.
communication apprehension (CA): Fear or anxi-
ety associated with communication, which is
often a common barrier to effective delivery.
communication climate: The dominant temper, at-
titudes, and outlook of relational partners.
communication privacy management theory
(CPM): An explanation of how people perceive
the information they hold about themselves and
whether they will disclose or protect it.
communication processing: The means by which
we gather, organize, and evaluate the informa-
tion we receive.
communication skills: Behaviors based on social
understandings that help communicators achieve
their goals.
comparative advantage pattern: An organizing pat-
tern for persuasive speaking in which the speaker
shows that his or her viewpoint is superior to
other viewpoints on the topic.
competent communication: Communication that
is effective and appropriate for a given situation,
in which the communicators continually evaluate
and reassess their own communication process.
competent communication model: A transactional
model of communication in which communicators
send and receive messages simultaneously within a
relational, situational, and cultural context.2 20_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-3 0 OHA 45766 _GlossG 1 _ 16 .indd G- 3 13/10/14 5:40 PM 13 / 10 / 14 5 : 40 PM