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Communicating in Groups: Applications and Skills, 5/e
Katherine L. Adams, California State University Fresno
Gloria J. Galanes, Southwest Missouri State University


Glossary

Abstract Conceptualization Learning Style  Preference for reading and solitary study
Accommodation  Conflict style describing a person's willingness to engage in conflict; however, she or he backs away from the conflict by giving in to appease the other party
Action-Oriented Listener  A listener who is concerned about how her or his listening behaviors contribute to the task at hand
Active Experimentation Learning Style  Preference for trying out different things to see what works
Active Listening  Listening first to understand another's message before critically judging the message
Ambiguous  A term that has more than one possible meaning
Analogies  Comparisons that help clarify ideas and issues
Antecedent Phase  Phase in group socialization during which members bring previous group experiences, attitudes, beliefs, motives, and communication traits to the process
Anticipatory Phase  Phase in group socialization describing individual and group initial expectations of each other
Area of Freedom  The amount of authority and limitations given to a group
Arguments  Claims supported by evidence and reasoning
Arrangement  One of the canons of rhetoric specifying how a speech is ordered or put together
Assimilation Phase  Phase in group socialization in which group members show full integration
Assuming Meaning  A poor listening habit of interpreting another's messages based uncritically on a listener's frame of reference
Audience Analysis  Studying the unique character of who will receive a presentation in order to adapt how a speech will be delivered and what will be presented
Avoidance  Conflict style describing a person's unwillingness to confront or engage in conflict
Body  The second of three components of a speech where the main ideas are introduced and developed
Boomers  Individuals born from 1946 to 1964; influenced by TV and social upheaval of 1960s
Brainstorming  A procedure designed to tap members' creativity by asking them to generate as many ideas as possible without evaluation
Builders  Individuals born from 1901 to 1945; influenced by Great Depression and World War II
Bypassing  Occurs when group members think they have the same meaning for a word or phrase but in actuality they do not
Charge  The group's assignment
Closed System  Such systems have limited flow of information between themselves and their environment
Coercion  Using threats or force to make a member comply
Cohesiveness  The bonds of attachment members have for each other
Collaboration  Conflict style showing a preference for working with the other to find a solution that pleases both parties
Collectivist Culture  A culture that values group needs and goals more than individual needs and goals
Committee  A type of secondary group that performs a specific service for an organization
Communication  The perception, interpretation, and response of people to signals produced by others
Communication  Process of creating, sending, receiving, and interpreting signals between people
Competition  Conflict style showing a preference for coming out ahead in the conflict at the expense of the other party
Compromise  Conflict style showing a preference for giving a little and gaining a little to manage the issue
Conclusion  The third of three components of a speech that summarizes the ideas a speaker wishes the audience to remember
Concrete Experience Learning Style  Preference for learning by participating and doing
Conflict  Conflict occurs when discordant ideas or feelings are expressed or experienced
Consensus  A decision all members agree is the best they can all support but isn't necessarily everyone's first choice
Consultant-Observer  An outsider who observes and evaluates a group
Content Analysis Procedures  Techniques to help analyze the types of remarks being made
Content Dimension  The ideas or "what" of a message
Content-Oriented Listener  A listener who prefers information from perceived credible sources and is drawn to analyzing the information she or he hears
Contingency Concept  Features of the situation determine appropriate leadership behavior
Creative Thinking  Encouraging use of hunch, intuition, insight, and fantasy to promote creativity
Criteria  Standards and guidelines used to evaluate ideas and solutions
Critical Thinking  Systematic thinking using evidence, reasoning, and logic to promote soundness
Culture  The system of beliefs, values, and symbols shared by an identifiable group of people
Decision Making  Choosing from available options
Defensive Responding  A poor listening habit of responding to another's message defensively because a threat has been perceived
Delivery  One of the canons of rhetoric pertaining to how the presentation is given
Designated Leader  An appointed or elected leader whose title (chair, president) identifies him or her as leader
Deviants  Members who consistently violate group norms
Devil's Advocate  A group member who formally is expected to challenge ideas to foster critical thinking
Discussion Question  The main question or issue that a group must answer
Distributed Leadership  Each group member can and should provide leadership services to a group
Diversity  Differences among group members, from personality and learning style differences to differences of opinion
Egalitarianism  The belief that all group members are created equal
Either-Or Thinking  Asking members to choose between only two options as if no other choices existed
Emergent Leader  A person who starts out with the same status as other members but gradually emerges as informal leader in the eyes of the other members
Emotive Words  Words that trigger strong emotional responses
Encounter Phase  Phase in group socialization in which members' expectations meet with reality as members adjust and fit with each other
Entertainment Speech  A speech with the main purpose of amusing the audience
Environment  Systems do not exist in a vacuum but are embedded in multiple surroundings or contexts
Ethics  Standards and rules for appropriate member and leader behavior
Evidence  Facts, data, opinions, and other information that back a claim or conclusion
Exit Phase  Phase in group socialization in which individuals leave a group or entire group disbands
Expert Power  Interpersonal influence that stems from someone's perceived knowledge or skill
Extemporaneous Speech  A speech that is prepared and delivered from notes and not read from a manuscript
Extraversion/Introversion Dimension  The Myers-Briggs® dimension that describes whether someone's energy is directed outward toward observable events or toward an inner, mental landscape
Facts  Something that can be verified by observation and is not arguable
Fallacies  Mistakes in reasoning and faulty reasoning
Fantasy  Group discussion not focused on the present task of the group
Feedback  The return of system outputs as system inputs, which allows the system to monitor its movement toward goals and make necessary changes
Focused Listening  Listening that involves concentrating on relevant main ideas for later recall
Focus Group  An unstructured technique in which members freely explore thoughts and feelings about a topic
Focusing on Irrelevancies  A poor listening habit of focusing on irrelevancies and not on what the other is saying
Formation Phase  Initial phase of group development where members work out their relationships, roles, rules, and leadership structures
Forum Discussion  Structured audience participation after a speech, symposium, panel, or debate
Functional Concept  Groups need to have certain functions performed, and all group members can and should perform needed functions
Gender  Learned characteristics of masculinity and femininity
Gen-Xers  Individuals born from 1965 to 1976; influenced by Watergate and general mistrust
Group  Three or more individuals who have a common purpose, interact with each other, influence each other, and are interdependent
Group Climate  The psychological atmosphere or environment within a group
Group Ecology  A group's space as created by seating choices and furniture arrangements
Grouphate  Hating or dreading participation in groups
Group Socialization  Process by which new and/or established members learn to fit together through communication
Group Support Systems (GSS)  Computer-based system designed to improve various aspects of group work
Groupthink  A negative relational outcome of group decision making characterized by a group's failure to think critically about its decisions
Hidden Agenda  An unstated private goal a member wants to achieve through a group
High-Context Culture  A culture where features of the situation or context convey more meaning than the words people use
Impromptu Speech  A speech delivered without preparation or notes
Individualistic Culture  A culture that values individual needs and goals more than group needs and goals
Influence  The use of interpersonal power to modify the actions and attitudes of members
Informative Speech  A speech given with the primary purpose of teaching something to an audience
Inputs  All the elements of a system that are present at the outset, or the initial raw materials of the system
Interaction  The heart of group processes revolving around communication among the group members
Interdependence  The elements of a system are related interdependently such that all elements mutually influence each other
Introduction  The first of three components of a speech designed to catch the attention of the audience and show a need to listen, clarifies the main point of the speech
Invention  A canon of rhetoric identifying the raw materials of the speech and how they are adapted to a particular audience
Leader  Any person in the group who uses interpersonal influence to help the group achieve its goals
Leadership  The use of communication to modify attitudes and behaviors of members to meet group goals and needs
Learning Groups  Secondary groups of members meeting to understand and learn about a particular topic
Legitimate Power  Influence based on a member's title or position in the group
Life Cycle  Systems are dynamic processes with inherent moments of stability and change
Listening  A complex process involving perceiving, interpreting, and responding to messages
Low-Context Culture  A culture where the words used convey more meaning than the situation or context
Message  Signals interpreted as a whole by group members
Mind Raping  A poor listening habit of uncritically interpreting another's message based on listener's frame of reference and insisting on that meaning in spite of other's protests to the contrary
Minutes  Formal notes recording what occurs at each meeting
Moderator  A participant in a public group presentation whose main responsibility is to regulate the discussion and guide any audience participation
Multiple Causes  No single system input determines system outputs; instead system outcomes are the result of numerous, interdependent factors
Multiple Paths  System objectives can be reached in a variety of ways
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator  A personality measure, based on Jung's work, that classifies people into 16 basic personality types according to their scores on four dimensions
Net Generation  Individuals born from 1977 to 1997; influenced by computers and information/digital revolution
Nominal Group Technique  This technique alternates between individual work and group work to help a group hear from every member when discussing a controversial issue
Nonsummativity  A system's ability to take on an identity separate from its individual elements
Nonverbal Signals  Any signal in a message that is not the word itself
Norms  Informal, implicit standards of behavior and procedures by which members operate
Open-Minded  Being willing to consider new information and ideas, even if they contradict previous beliefs
Open System  Such systems have a free exchange of information with their environments; that is, inputs and outputs flow back and forth between the system and its environment
Opinions  Inferences that go beyond facts and contain some degree of probability
Organizational Groups  Groups created by organizations, usually to solve organizational problems
Outputs  Those tangible and intangible products or achievements of the group system emerging from throughput processes
Overgeneralization  A conclusion not supported by enough data
Panel Discussion  One of three kinds of group public discussions in which panel members often bring different points of view to the discussion
Participant-Observer (Perspective)  A group member who participates but also observes the group and adapts as necessary
People-Oriented Listener  A listener who is concerned about how her or his listening behaviors affect relationships
Perceiving/Judging Dimension  The Myers-Briggs® dimension that describes whether someone is spontaneous and flexible or planned and orderly
Persuasive Speech  A type of speech containing a call to action
PERT  Program Evaluation and Review Technique that helps group members manage and keep track of a complex task
Postmeeting Reaction (PMR) Forms  Questionnaires members complete after a meeting to evaluate that particular meeting
Power-Distance  Whether a culture maximizes or minimizes status and power differences
Primary Groups  Groups formed to meet primary needs for inclusion and affection
Primary Tension  Anxiety arising early in a group's formation, as members work out their relationships and roles
Principled Negotiation  One way of dealing with conflict that promotes finding ways to meet the needs of conflicting parties and respecting their relationship
Probing Questions  Questions designed to help critical thinking by examining information and reasoning in more depth
Problem  The difference between what exists presently and what you expect or want
Problem Census  A posting technique to help a group identify important issues or problems
Problem Solving  Everything you need to do to move from your present undesirable situation to what you want, including creating solutions and choosing among them
Procedural Model of Problem Solving  A flexible framework to guide each phase of the problem-solving process
Production Phase  Second stage of a group's development, during which a group can concentrate more fully on its task
Pseudolistening  A poor listening habit involving pretending to listen to others
Punishment Power  Influence derived from someone's ability to take away what members want and value
Quality Control Circles  Organizational groups that address issues of job performance and work improvement
Rating Scales  Questions (scales) to help evaluate specific aspects of a group
Referent Power  Influence due to a person's ability to be liked and admired
Reflective Observation Learning Style  Preference for gaining perspective about one's experience by thinking reflectively about it
Relational Dimension  The "how" of a message expressing the perceived relationship between communicators
Reward Power  Influence derived from someone's ability to give members what they want and need
RISK Technique  A technique to help a group assess potential problems or risks with a potential solution
Role  The part a member plays in a group
Rules  Formal, explicit standards of behavior and procedures by which a group operates
Secondary Groups  Groups formed to meet secondary needs for control and problem-solving
Secondary Tension  Task-related tension that stems from differing opinions about the substantive work of the group
Self-Managed Work Teams  Also called autonomous work groups, groups of peers who manage their own work schedules and procedures
Sensing/Intuiting Dimension  The Myers-Briggs® dimension that describes whether someone focuses on present facts or future possibilities
Sex  The inherent biological characteristics of male and female with which people are born
Sidetracking  A poor listening habit of responding to another's message in an irrelevant manner
Sign  Any signal that indicates something else and closely matches that which it represents
Silent Arguing  A poor listening habit of prematurely judging another's comments and then mentally preparing a refutation
Small Group  A group of at least three people that is small enough for individual members to perceive one another as individuals during interaction
Small Group Communication  The verbal and nonverbal interaction among members of a small group
Social Presence  The degree to which a person feels that another is actually present during an interaction
Structuration  Group communication creates and maintains a group's norms and character of operation
Style  One of the canons of rhetoric referring to the individual manner in which a speech is delivered
Support Groups  Groups formed for members to help each other understand, address, and cope with personal issues or problems
Symbol  Any signal that arbitrarily stands for something else
Symbolic Convergence  Humans create shared meaning through their talk; the basis of group fantasy
SYMLOG  The System for the Multiple-Level Observation of Groups, a theory and methodology that produces a diagram of relationships among group members
Symposium  One of three kinds of group public discussions in which participants deliver uninterrupted speeches on a selected topic
Synectics  A procedure designed to stimulate creative thinking through use of metaphor and looking for similarities in different things
System  A set of elements that functions as a whole because of interdependent relationships
Teleconference  Electronically mediated group meeting
Tertiary Tension  Tension that stems from power and status struggles in a group
Thinking/Feeling Dimension  The Myers-Briggs® dimension that describes how people make decisions, by analysis of objective evidence or empathy and subjective feelings
Throughput Processes  Influences on the system that result from actual activities within the group as it goes about its business
Time-Oriented Listener  A listener who values time and is focused on efficient discussion
Transactional  While communicating, all interactants mutually and simultaneously define both themselves and others
Trust  General belief that members can rely on each other
Verbal Interaction Analysis  A technique to discover who talks to whom