Glossary G-9love: A deep affection for and attachment to another
person involving emotional ties, with varying
degrees of passion, commitment, and intimacy.
low-context culture: A culture that uses very direct
language and relies less on situational factors to
communicate.
low culture: Entertainment that appeals to most
people’s baser instincts, typified by lurid, sensa-
tional images and stories charged with sex, vio-
lence, scandal, and abuse.
low language: A more informal, easygoing language,
used in informal and comfortable environments.
Machiavellianism: Unethical leadership style named
for sixteenth-century philosopher Nicollo Ma-
chiavelli, who advised rulers to use deceit, flattery,
and other exploitative measures strategically to
achieve their desired ends.
main points: In public speaking, the central claims
that support the specific speech purpose and the-
sis statement.
marketplace of ideas: The open forum in which
ideas compete.
masculine culture: A culture that places value on asser-
tiveness, achievement, ambition, and competitive-
ness; sometimes referred to as an achievement culture.
masking: A facial management technique in which
an expression that shows true feeling is replaced
with an expression that shows appropriate feeling
for a given interaction.
mass communication: The occurrence of mediated
communication on a very broad scale.
media convergence: The merging of traditional
mass communication with digital computing
and telecommunication technologies.
media dependence: The expectation that media will
serve certain needs.
media interviews: Information-gathering interviews
that question and analyze people, politics, me-
dia, and events.
media literate: Having an understanding of one’s
own media habits and critically evaluating and
analyzing media sources and messages.
media multitasking: Using more than one media
type at the same time.
media richness: The degree to which a particular
channel is communicative.
mediated communication: The use of technology
to deliver messages between sources and receivers.mentor: A seasoned, respected member of an or-
ganization who serves as a role model for a less
experienced individual.
message: The words or actions originated by a sender.
metacommunication: Communication with each
other about how we communicate to help us
become more aware of our own communicative
missteps in relationships.
metasearch engine: A search engine that scans mul-
tiple search engines simultaneously.
mindfulness: The process of being focused on the task
at hand; necessary for competent communication.
mindlessness: A passive state in which the commu-
nicator is a less critical processor of information,
characterized by reduced cognitive activity, inac-
curate recall, and uncritical evaluation.
model: A presentation aid—an appropriately scaled
object.
monochronic culture: A culture that treats time as
a limited resource, as a commodity that can be
saved or wasted.
monopolistic listening: Listening in order to con-
trol the communication interaction.
monotone: A way of speaking in which the speaker
does not vary his or her vocal pitch.
motivated sequence pattern: A pattern of speech
arrangement that entails five phases based on the
psychological elements of advertising: attention,
need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.
motivational interview: A type of persuasive inter-
view that attempts to elicit change collaboratively
through goal-oriented questioning designed to
inspire and strengthen personal motivation.
multitasking: Attending to several things at once.
mumbling: Omitting certain sounds in a word, run-
ning words together, or speaking so softly that
listeners can hardly hear.
narrative complexity: In mass media, complicated
plots and connections between characters, a
blurring of reality and fantasy, and time that is
not always linear or chronological.
narrative pattern: A pattern of speech arrangement
that ties points together in a way that presents a
vivid story, complete with characters, settings,
plot, and imagery.
narrowcasting: In mass media, the process of target-
ing smaller, specific audiences; also known as
niche marketing.2 20_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-9 0 OHA 45766 _GlossG 1 _ 16 .indd G- 9 13/10/14 5:40 PM 13 / 10 / 14 5 : 40 PM