Chapter 8 Review

• We use verbal communication when interacting with others. We employ words as symbols to represent people, objects, and ideas.

• Verbal communication is governed by both constitutive rules and regulative rules that define meanings and clarify conversational structure.

• Partners in close relationships often develop personal idioms for each other that convey intimacy. Large groups develop dialects that include distinct pronunciations.

• Language constantly changes and evolves.

• When we speak, we convey both denotative meaning and connotative meaning.

• Linguistic determinism suggests that our capacity for thought is defined by our language. People from different cultures experience different realities due to linguistic relativity.

• We control language through the power of naming.

• Whenever we interact with others, we use language to perform speech acts.

• Honesty is the most important characteristic of cooperative verbal communication. It requires that you abide by the Cooperative Principle. Language should be informative, relevant, and clear to help avoid misunderstandings.

• You also should avoid expressing negative evaluations and opinions through “you” language; instead, replace it with “I” language. “We” language is a good means of fostering a sense of inclusiveness.

• When others display verbal aggression, it’s best to remain polite or to remove yourself from the encounter.

• The most common form of deception is concealment.

• People who use defensive communication dismiss the validity of what another person says.

• Some people experience communication apprehension, which inhibits them from communicating competently. Communication plans can help with overcoming apprehension.