G-14 Glossaryservice, or support based on that information; used,
for example, by customer service representatives.
sexual harassment: “Unwelcome sexual advances, re-
quests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physi-
cal harassment of a sexual nature... when it is so
frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or of-
fensive work environment or when it results in an
adverse employment decision (such as the victim
being fired or demoted)” (from the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, 2011).
signposts: Key words or phrases within sentences
that signify transitions between main points.
situational context: The social environment, physical
place, and specific events that affect a situation.
slang: Language that is informal, nonstandard, and
usually particular to a specific group.
slippery slope fallacy: A logical fallacy that is
employed when a speaker attests that some
event must clearly occur as a result of another event
without showing any proof that the second event
is caused by the first.
social capital: The valuable resources, such as infor-
mation and support, that come from having con-
nections and relationships among people.
social cognitive theory: The theory that we learn
behavior by watching the behaviors of those
whom we have identified as models.
social comparison theory: A theory that explains
our tendency to compare ourselves to others,
such as friends and acquaintances or popular fig-
ures in the media, as we develop our ideas about
ourselves.
social exchange theory: A theory that explains the
process of balancing the advantages and disad-
vantages of a relationship.
social forces: Group standards for behavior that in-
fluence decision making.
social group: A group in which membership offers
opportunities to form relationships with others.
social identity theory: The theory that we each
have a personal identity, which is our sense of our
unique individual personality, and a social iden-
tity, the part of our self-concept that comes from
group memberships.
social information processing theory: The theory
that communicators use unique language and sty-
listic cues in their online messages to develop rela-
tionships that are just as close as those that growfrom face-to-face contact because using text takes
time, it takes longer to become intimate.
social judgment theory: The theory that a speaker’s
ability to successfully persuade an audience de-
pends on the audience’s current attitudes or
disposition toward the topic.
social loafing: Failure to invest the same level of ef-
fort in the group that people would put in if they
were working alone or with one other person.
social ostracism: The exclusion of a particular
group member (or members).
social penetration theory (SPT): The theory that
partners move from superficial levels to greater
intimacy.
social relationships: Relationships that are func-
tional within a specific context but are less inti-
mate than friendships.
social roles: Group roles that evolve to reflect indi-
vidual members’ personality traits and interests.
spatial pattern: A pattern of speech arrangement
that arranges main points in terms of their
physical proximity or position in relation to each
other (north to south, east to west, bottom to
top, left to right, outside to inside, and so on).
speaking outline: The final speech plan, complete
with details, delivery tips, and important notes
about presentation aids; also known as the deliv-
ery outline.
speaking rate: How fast or slow one speaks.
specific purpose statement: A statement that ex-
presses both the topic and the general speech
purpose in action form and in terms of the spe-
cific objectives the speaker hopes to achieve with
his or her presentation.
speech repertoire: A set of complex language be-
haviors or language possibilities that one calls on
to most effectively and appropriately meet the
demands of a given relationship, situation, or
cultural environment.
stable stage: The stage of a relationship in which it
is no longer volatile or temporary; both partners
have a great deal of knowledge about one an-
other, their expectations are accurate and realis-
tic, and they feel comfortable with their motives
for being in the relationship.
stages of change model: Approach to understand-
ing your audience’s disposition that helps pre-
dict audience members’ motivational readiness2 20_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-14 0 OHA 45766 _GlossG 1 _ 16 .indd G- 14 13/10/14 5:40 PM 13 / 10 / 14 5 : 40 PM