MA Communication Studies 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the 'Shannon-Weaver model' of communication describe?
- The psychological effects of mass media on audiences
- A linear model showing message transmission from sender to receiver through a channel (Correct answer)
- The negotiation of meaning between speakers in conversation
- The cultural determinants of communication style
Correct answer: A linear model showing message transmission from sender to receiver through a channel
The Shannon-Weaver model (1949) is a linear model depicting communication as a one-way process: information source → transmitter → channel → receiver → destination, with possible noise.
Question 2: Which term describes nonverbal communication through touch?
- Proxemics
- Kinesics
- Haptics (Correct answer)
- Paralanguage
Correct answer: Haptics
Haptics is the study of communication through touch, including handshakes, hugs, pats, and other forms of tactile interaction.
Question 3: Edward Hall's concept of 'proxemics' refers to:
- The study of eye contact in conversation
- How people use and perceive physical space in communication (Correct answer)
- The timing and pace of speech
- The use of gestures to supplement verbal messages
Correct answer: How people use and perceive physical space in communication
Proxemics, developed by anthropologist Edward Hall, is the study of how people use physical space — including interpersonal distance — as a form of nonverbal communication.
Question 4: What is the 'agenda-setting' function of mass media?
- Media's ability to change audiences' political opinions
- Media's power to determine which issues the public considers important (Correct answer)
- Media's role in scheduling news broadcasts
- Media's capacity to enforce government communication policies
Correct answer: Media's power to determine which issues the public considers important
Agenda-setting theory, developed by McCombs and Shaw, posits that while media may not tell people what to think, it powerfully influences what topics people think about.
Question 5: What does 'active listening' primarily involve?
- Speaking more than the other person to guide the conversation
- Fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is said (Correct answer)
- Taking detailed notes during a conversation
- Asking as many questions as possible to show interest
Correct answer: Fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is said
Active listening involves giving full attention to the speaker, demonstrating understanding through verbal and nonverbal feedback, and retaining the message communicated.
Question 6: The concept of 'framing' in communication theory refers to:
- The physical structure of a television broadcast
- How information is presented to influence how audiences interpret it (Correct answer)
- The legal boundaries of protected speech
- The visual composition techniques used in journalism
Correct answer: How information is presented to influence how audiences interpret it
Framing theory examines how the way information is presented — the 'frame' — influences how audiences understand and evaluate issues, events, and people.
MA Communication Studies 1
What does the 'Shannon-Weaver model' of communication describe?