G-16 Glossarythe group toward meeting the goals set forth in
the vision.
transitions: Sentences that connect different points,
thoughts, and details in a way that allows them
to flow naturally from one to the next.
trolling: The posting of provocative or offensive
messages to whole forums or discussion boards
to elicit some type of general reaction.
tunnel sequence: A pattern of questioning in which
all questions are at the same level, either broad
and open-ended or narrow and closed; com-
monly used in polls and surveys.
turning points: Positive or negative events or
changes that stand out in people’s minds as im-
portant to defining their relationships.
uncertain climate: A communication climate in
which at least one of the people involved is un-
clear, vague, tentative, and awkward about the
goals, expectations, and potential outcomes of
the conflict situation.
uncertainty avoidance: The process of adapting be-
haviors to reduce uncertainty and risk.
uncertainty event: An event or behavioral pattern
that causes uncertainty in a relationship.
uncertainty reduction theory: The theory that
when two people meet, their main focus is on
decreasing the uncertainty about each other.
understanding: The step in the listening process of
interpreting and making sense of messages.
understatement: Language that downplays the
emotional intensity or importance of events, of-
ten with euphemisms.undue influence: Giving greater credibility or
importance to something shown or said than
should be the case.
unproductive conflict: Conflict that is managed
poorly and has a negative impact on the indi-
viduals and relationships involved.
user-generated content: Songs, videos, and other
content that individuals create and share publicly
through mass media.
uses and gratifications perspective: A perspective
that focuses not on what media does to us, but
on what we do with media—that is, the way we
make media choices (uses) to satisfy our needs
and goals (gratifications).
verbal aggressiveness: Attacks on individuals, rather
than on issues.
visionary leaders: Leaders who are able to picture a
new or different reality from what currently ex-
ists and consider the bigger, long-range picture
of the group’s or organization’s future.
vocalizations: Paralinguistic cues that give informa-
tion about the speaker’s emotional or physical
state, for example, laughing, crying, or sighing.
volume: How loud or soft the voice is.
wheel network: A network in which all group mem-
bers share their information with one central
individual, who then shares the information with
the rest of the group.
work–life balance: Achieving success in one’s per-
sonal and professional life.
worldview: The framework through which one in-
terprets the world and the people in it.2 20_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-16 0 OHA 45766 _GlossG 1 _ 16 .indd G- 16 13/10/14 5:40 PM 13 / 10 / 14 5 : 40 PM