Theory, Our Daily Lives and Communication

Paper Summary:

The paper explains why theory is important and then formulates three universal laws derived from common communication theories. The paper discusses how people will communicate most often with those whom they share basic values, that the things which mean the most to us and which comprise the most intimate aspects of our self-conception are often the things which we reveal last and that men and women truly are different and that allowances must be made for this fact. The paper shows how if these universal laws are followed, many characteristics of human interaction will become more understandable.

From the Paper:

"The first "truth" which will be put forward by this writer is the universal law that human beings communicate predominantly with those whose values and beliefs coincide with their own. Not to be overlooked, the "flip-side" of this theory is that people will act evasively or communicate in almost defensive manner when compelled to interact with those with whom they disagree. This law is derived from the concept of "selective exposure" which is a sub-component of the broad theory of cognitive dissonance (both items will be discussed in greater detail shortly). Moving right along, the second universal law put forward by this writer is that the manner by which people communicate will become more defensive the closer any conversation or exchange comes to their most deeply-held fantasies or fears. Simply stated, this law is derived from the "onion" metaphor colorfully described by Altman and Taylor and it is part of the sometimes under-appreciated Social Penetration theory that offers a fascinating glimpse into how human beings reveal aspects of themselves. Finally, the last universal law is that men and women really do communicate differently and process information differently - and this explains why so many relationships fall apart despite the best efforts. This insight is gleaned from the Genderlect theory of communication advanced by Deborah Tannen and it goes a very long way towards explaining why so much tension between men and women exists in contemporary western society."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Altman, Irwin, & Taylor, Dalmas. (1997). Social penetration theory. In E.M. Griffin (ed.), A First Look at Communication Theory, 3rd Edition (pp.118-27). United States: McGraw-Hill.
• Epistemology. (2006). Epistemology: Definition and Much More from Answers.com. Retrieved September 14, 2006, from <http://www.answers.com/topic/epistemology>
• Festinger, Leon. (1997). Cognitive dissonance theory. In E.M. Griffin (ed.), A First Look at Communication Theory, 3rd Edition (pp.228-237). United States: McGraw-Hill.
• Tannen, Deborah. (1997). Genderlect styles. In E.M. Griffin (ed.), A First Look at Communication Theory, 3rd Edition (pp.470-81). United States: McGraw-Hill

More papers on Theory, Our Daily Lives and Communication:

• Persuasive Essay # 129569 : "Theory, Our Daily Lives and Communication"
• Essay # 144596 : "Management And Communication In Today’s Work Environment"
• Research Paper # 4725 : "Fiber Optics Touch Our Daily Lives."

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: