Real Communication An Introduction

Chapter 1  Communication: Essential Human Behavior 29

TABLE 1.2

THE BROAD FIELD OF COMMUNICATION RESEARCH TODAY

Area of Study Focus of Study

Argumentation and debate Persuasion, reasoning, logic, and presentation

Communication technology and

telecommunication studies

Development and application of technologies across

communication contexts

Conflict management Reducing adversarial messages in personal, organizational,

and community contexts

Family communication Communication between parents and children and between

generations

Health communication Communication messages of health care providers and

patients

Instructional and developmental

communication

Teaching effectiveness and life span communication

Intercultural communication Communication rules and values across cultures and

co-cultures

Interpersonal communication Basic two-person (dyadic) processes

Intergroup communication Effects of communication within and between groups on social

relationships

Journalism Producing and analyzing written, visual, and auditory messages

for public dissemination

Language and social interaction Word acquisition and use in communication messages

Marketing Communicating the value of products or services to

customers

Mass communication and media studies Designing and producing media messages and identifying and

evaluating media effects

New media Digital interactivity involving user feedback and on-demand access

to content

Nonverbal communication Nonlanguage codes that communicate

Organizational communication Communication efficiency and effectiveness in business and other

organizations

Political communication Study of politicians, voters, and audiences and their impact on one

another

Public relations Message production designed to improve the image of individuals

and organizations

Relational communication Communication in close relationships such as romances, families,

and friendships

Rhetorical theory and criticism Analyzing speeches and other public messages

Visual communication Effectiveness of advertising and other visual media

Informed by: Bryant, J., & Pribanic-Smith, E. J. (2010). A historical overview of research in communication science (pp. 21–36).
In C. R. Berger, M. E. Roloff, M. E., & D. R. Roskos-Ewoldsen (Eds.) (2010). The handbook of communication science (2nd ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.