Communication TheoryEvaluating Theory

Tara WilkinsonMedia + Communication Lecturer

Review Session(Objective vs. Interpretive Scholars)

Ways of Knowing Views of Human Nature Values Goals of Theory Research Methods

6 StandardsGood Objective Theory

Objective

Theory

Explains Past & Present

Predicts the Future

Relative Simplicity

Testability

Practical Utility

Quantifiable

Research

Explanation of Data Explains an event or human behaviour Describes the process, focuses our attention on

what’s crucial, helps us to ignore what makes little difference

Goes beyond raw data to explain why

Prediction of Future Events Predicts what will happen Prediction is only

possible when dealing with things we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste over and over again

Communication is the cause or effect of some other variable

Relative Simplicity

Hypotheses that Can Be Tested Falsifiability: The requirement that a scientific

theory must be stated in such a way that it can be tested and disproved if it is indeed wrong

Practical Utility Usefulness is the measure of worth of the good

objective theory Consider how others have made use of the insight

Quantitative Research Tend to appeal to numbers rather than words Measure and report what they see in precise

numerical rather than linguistic terms which are open to interpretation

6 Standards ‘Good’ Interpretive Theory

Interpretive Theory

New Understanding of People

Clarification of Values

Aesthetic Appeal

Community of

Agreement

Reform of Society

Qualitative Research

New Understanding of People Develop understanding of local knowledge or

members’ unique rules for interaction Tools aid in the search for situated meaning

Clarification of Values Theorists actively seek to acknowledge, identify

or unmask the ideology behind the message under scrutiny

Interpretive theorists should be willing to reveal their own ethical commitments

Scholars should not remain ethically detached from the people they are studying or from the political and economic implication of their work.

Aesthetic Appeal Scientific writing is based on a specific formula.

E.g propositions, hypotheses Artfully incorporates imagery, metaphor,

illustration to make the theory come alive for others

Community of Agreement Generates support within a community of

scholars who are interested and knowledgeable about the same type of communication.

Subject of widespread analysis

Reform of Society Not only interprets the intended meaning of a

text but generates change/fresh alternatives for social action

Expose and publicly resist the ideology that permeates the accepted wisdom of a culture

Qualitative Research While Scientist use numbers to support their

theories, Interpretive scholars use words Qualitative scholars study things in their natural

settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret phenomena in terms of the meaning people bring them

Evaluation Communication Theory

Scientific Theory1. Explanation of Data

2. Prediction of Future

3. Relative Simplicity

4. Testable Hypotheses

5. Practical Utility

6. Quantitative Research

Interpretive Theory

1. Understanding of People

2. Clarification of Values

3. Aesthetic Appeal

4. Community of Agreement

5. Reform of Society

6. Qualitative Research