Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
- Analyze a definition of communication, articulating the definition’s level of observation, intentionality, and normative judgment
- Recognize the various contexts in which communication takes place
- Differentiate a communication theory from a concept and a model
- Discriminate between commonsense, working, and scholarly theories
- Use criteria for evaluating theory to determine the relative usefulness of a communication theory