chapter 3 conceptualization in comm research

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Chapter 3

Conceptualizations in

CommunicationResearch

(Reinard)

PREPARED BY: ABD RAUF HJ RIDZUAN

FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

STUDIES, UiTM, MELAKA


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Theories

Play a central role in scholarshipand give us ways to organizebodies of knowledge.

A purpose of research is to developtheoretic eplanations for things.

!sing concepts re"uires de#ningthe$ so that they can be studied.


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%eveloping &heoreticConceptualizations in

Co$$unication Researchatte$pts

to #nd relationshipsand eplain the$.

&heories are used to

help us understandthese relationships.

'or$al and nfor$altheories are sourcesof research

hypotheses. A $aor goal of

research is todevelop theory andeplanations.


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s Co$$unication a

*cience+ Scienceas a way of testing state$ents bysyste$atic application of the scienti#c $ethods.

*cience also is de#ned as the use of the scienti#c$ethod to gather infor$ation.

f co$$unication scholar relies on nonresearch$ethods of knowing about co$$unication ,tenacity- authority- a priori belief- or trial anderror , then the scholar is not doing science./

f co$$unication scholars rely on the $ethod ofaesthetics or art to eplore co$$unication- then

the in"uiries would not be de#ned as science/.

0n the other hand- if the scholar uses theresearch $ethods to know things aboutco$$unication- then co$$unication is a science.


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All co$$unicationresearch statesproble$s- sets criteriafor per$issibleinterpretation- and$akes careful

observations ofco$$unicationtransaction.

&hus- using research$ethods in

co$$unication $akesco$$unication ascienti#c study area.

&he study ofco$$unication is ascience if one choosesto use the scienti#c


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%e#nition of a &heory A theoryis a body of

interrelated principlesthat explain orpredict. t is a logicalsyste$ that organizesand eplains the facts.

&heories help answerresearch "uestions.


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Co$ponents of &heory An abstract calculus- s si$ply the logical structure of relationship. t states

that as one event occurs another event also shouldoccur. 1g2 f a speakers physical attractivenessincreases- then the speakers persuasiveness willincrease.

Theoretic constructs- Are generalizations about observables according to

so$e co$$on property/. 1g2 *elf estee$ is aconstruct. Although nobody has ever seen your selfestee$.

- &hese ter$s are used to describe a collection ofvariables that have been found. 1g2 &hough nobodyhas seen your self estee$- there are behaviors ,variables , that people have seen about you.

- Construct are su$$ary descriptions about collectionsof speci#c variables.

Rules of correspondence- *how how well the theorys constructs and abstract

calculus can be applied to actual eperience.-

*o$ething looks good in theory and in practice.


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Re"uire$ent of &heory The requirement of

falsication holds that anytheory must deal withstatements that could befalsied by data andinformation if the theorieswere untrue.

- 1g2 *o$e students say that theyhope to prove a theory is true. nreality- they are atte$pting tofalsify alternative theories.

The requirement oftentativeness demands

that scholars recognizethat a theorys answers areprovisional.

- &heories can only describe part ofthe reality that eists. 0thertheories $ay e$erge at a laterti$e that provide i$proved

eplanations. *o$e relationshipsare rede#ned by new theories.


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'unctions of &heory !escription4 s the lowest level of theorizing in which behavior ischaracterized into di5erent for$s. 1g2 Research to identify$ethods that people used to in6uence others. *o$eresearchers $ight say patterns of conversations and so$e$ight say interpersonal con6icts and etc.

"#planation

4 nvolves taking an event and treating it as an instance ofa larger syste$ of things. !sually we eplain things thathave occurred. 1g2 &he !ses and 7rati#cations theory hasbeen used to eplain the reasons people use the internetas a $ass $edia source.

$rediction

4 %escribes what can be epected in the future. s a usefulway to eplain things. 1g2 8igh level of uncertainty causeincreases in infor$ation seeking behavior.

Control4 s the power to direct things. *o$e theories provide

infor$ation to in6uence our own personal environ$ent.1g2 Agenda *etting theory (9:%; < Rohingya refugees).


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Applications of &heory %nductive approach-

&he #rst $ethod involvesgathering infor$ation andthen developing theoreticeplanations.

- Researchers doingeploratory work oftene$ploy this approach

(grounded theory)

!eductive approach- %evelop theoretic thinking

and then gather data totest it.

- :ost researcher use thisapproach.


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%eveloping %e#nitions for Concepts

&heories provide relationships a$ongconcepts. &hus- early in the research processter$s $ust be de#ned to identify variablesclearly.

1g2 0ne view de#ned credibility as image of

source in any communication situation/. 0nthe other hand- an alternative de#nition ofsource credibility eplained it as the attitudetoward a source of communication held at agiven time by a receiver/.

n very real ways- a scholars choices ofde#nitions are pre$ises for subse"uent


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%e#nitions &sing Conceptual

!enitions- Relies on other concepts todescribe a ter$.

- 1g2 %ictionary de#nitions.- !aily denitions2

*tate$ents generally adopted

by $e$bers of society. 1g2Culture $eans custo$s- artsand craft of people in society.

- $oetic denitions2 Arestate$ents that involve#gurative interpretations ofobects. 1g2 Culture $eansthe civilizing tradition thatelevates society/.

- Scholarly denition2 Arehighly speci#c state$entsthat have technical $eaningsfor a group of scholars. &he

de#nition is technical. 1g2Culture $eans a way of life of


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&sing 'perational

!enitions- t describes what is to beobserved by specifyingwhat researchers $ust doto $ake observations.

- &hey tell you the steps that

$ust be followed to $akean observation.- 1g2 0ne $ight de#ne

co$$unication co$petenceas the ability to interact wellwith others. 0perationalde#nition in contrast-identify observations bydescribing the $ethod to$ake an observation suchas through competencescale.


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4 &he 1nd 4


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003

Ac

tivityinCl!!

Please choose any theoryfrom subjects that you have

learnt (Sociology, MassMedia, Public elations andetc.! and discuss it in class.

chapter 3 conceptualization in comm research

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