Theories of Communication
SP 416/516, Fall 2004

Tuesdays: 4-7:40 p.m.


Dr. J. David Kennamer
Office: NH 37; Classroom: PCAT 130
Office hours: M, 1:30-2:30; T, 2:30-3:45; F, 1-2 and by appointment
Office contact: 503-725-3534; jdkenna@pdx.edu

TAs: Location, outside NH 37, Thurs. 4-5 p.m. and by appointment
Rebecca Pierce, rpierce@pdx.edu
Wynde Dyer, wyndedyer@hotmail.com; 503-341-6865

Required Text:

Littlejohn, S.W. and Foss, K.A. (2005). Theories of Communication (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. (Available at PSU Bookstore)

Selected course materials on line at: www.wevct.pdx.edu. Check it frequently for announcements, updates, lecture materials, links to other sites, and other materials

Course Description and Goals:

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to:
  • The scholarly approaches to the study of communication
  • The nature of theory development and systematic inquiry concerning communication;
  • The role of theory in explaining/ predicting communication processes in everyday life.
  • Recent research findings concerning the roles and outcomes of communication

It has been said that "there is nothing more practical than a good theory" since a good theory (one that accurately and adequately describes a phenomenon) provides the basis for understanding, prediction, and perhaps, action. Thus, a good theory of meteorology, along with adequate data collection, would allow for accurate predictions of the weather, which would allow us to take appropriate action (take an umbrella, wear a sweater, go to the beach rather than the mountains, or hide in the basement). A good theory of communication would allow us to understand the meaning of a communication act and its possible outcomes under certain circumstances. Thus we could predict what might happen and take steps to avoid or encourage it, depending upon our goals.

After general considerations of the nature/definitions of communication, theory, and systematic inquiry/research, we will discuss theories developed to explain the communicator, the message, the conversation, and relationships, as well as group, organizational and mediated communication. During this process, we will examine a) specific elements and components of various communication theories, b) the philosophical foundations/assumptions upon which these theories rest, c) the range and type of phenomena they describe, and d) application of the theories to aspects of your day-to-day lives and to societal functioning.

Thus, the course is intended to: 1) develop your analytical and critical thinking abilities, 2) develop your ability to analyze and understand everyday communication processes, and 3) help you become better and more purposeful communicators in your personal and professional lives.

Assignments and grading

You will be required to complete two short essays (3-4 pages each), a term paper (10-12 pages), an in-class midterm, weekly quizzes and a cumulative final. Please see the explanations of these assignments at the end of this syllabus. The due dates and points for these are presented below:

25 20 See schedule 5Attendance 10Total 100
  Date Points
Essay #1 Oct. 19 10
Midterm Exam Nov. 2 20
Essay #2 Nov. 16 10
Term Paper Nov. 30 25
Final Exam Tues., Dec. 7, 3:30-5:20 20
Quizzes See Schedule 5
Attendance   10
Total   100

Grading Scale: 94-100 = A, 90-93 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 84-86 = B, 80-83 = B-, 77-79 = C+, 74-76 = C, 70-73 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 64-66 = D, 60-63 = D-, 59 and below = F.
  • A grade of incomplete will be given only under extraordinary circumstances. Extensions on deadlines and makeup exams will be given only for documented illness, accident, emergency or other serious circumstance. Otherwise, you will be counted down a grade for each day the assignment is late. No makeup quizzes will be given, although I will drop the lowest grade on these.

  • Please remember that the final exam week is part of the semester. I will give the final exam on an alternative date/time only under dire circumstances.

  • Remember that you must make a grade of at least a C (not C-) for this course to count towards your communications major or minor. Poor attendance or one late paper can easily drop you below this limit.


Some (very strong) suggestions:
  • While there are no formal pre-requisites for the course, you should realize that this is a challenging and work-intensive, senior-level course. If you are not a senior and have not had several previous communications courses, ideally including SP 311, you will find the course very difficult. If you are relatively new to the study of communication, you would be much better off taking this course later in your program.

  • Keep up with the readings, come to class, and give yourself time to read, reread, think and absorb the material. While the readings are not extensive in terms of length, they are dense and will take work on your part to absorb and understand.

  • You will find extensive notes on WebCT. Do not think, however, that downloading these will suffice. Much content will be contained in class discussions and lectures that will not necessarily be contained in the WebCT site. That is a supplement, not a substitute, for class attendance and reading the textbook.

  • Despite the large class size, you will do a fair amount of writing. Grammatical, clear, and careful writing is a critical skill for anyone in a professional career. Your grades on various assignments will be partially based on the clarity and quality of your writing. Edit, spell check, and proofread everything, and never turn in a first draft!

  • Attendance will be taken twice during every class period, so if you do not reappear after the mid-class break, you will be counted absent for half the period. I will excuse absences for illness, accident, emergency and other documented circumstances, but, given that the class meets only once a week, too many of these may seriously harm your grade. Attendance formally counts 10% but, in reality, much more.

  • A commitment to high ethical standards is expected. Cheating, plagiarism and other lapses of honesty and integrity will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as your own without citation or attribution. Please see the Portland State University Student Conduct Code. Ethical violations will be pursued to the full extent allowed by that Code.

  • This is a large and work-intensive course, for students, teaching assistants and instructor. Because of the size and work load, you must be able to work in a mature and independent fashion. I will do my best to keep you informed about course developments through announcements in class and on WebCT. If you frequently miss class, come in late or leave early, and don't check the WebCT site, then you may miss important information, and this is entirely your responsibility.

  • I also expect you to conduct yourself in a respectful and civil manner. This means that you respect your instructor, your fellow students and the learning process by avoiding disruptive behavior. This includes, but is not limited to, carrying on side conversations, giggling and passing notes, eating meals in class, leaving the room except during breaks, ringing cell phones, as well as rude, crass, unkind and disrespectful comments aimed at your colleagues or your instructor.

  • Communication with your instructor - Please feel free to meet with me whenever you feel you have the need or to communicate with me in other ways. I am easily available during office hours and at other times by appointment. I check e-mail frequently and respond to it quickly. On e-mails, please identify yourself on the subject line as a student in this class. Otherwise, I may delete it unread. However, do not expect to submit assignments via e-mail.

  • TAs will play a major role in the course, grading papers, taking attendance, leading discussion groups, helping you focus your essays and term papers, and providing information and answering questions. Take advantage of them but don't abuse them..

  • Disabilities: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require PSU to provide academic adjustments or accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Please identify yourself to me within the first week of class, so I can arrange for special accommodations if necessary.


Expectations for Essays:

These are short (approximately 5 pages) personal reflections in which you apply theory or research findings to your life in some fashion. For example, perhaps you can now understand the outcome of an interaction that before was a mystery to you. Perhaps you now can analyze a group project fiasco or the organizational communication at your workplace in a way you couldn't before. Perhaps you now understand news on television in way you did not before. Perhaps you now understand why a first date went so disastrously wrong (or ecstatically well). Maybe you can understand why you and your father/cousin/neighbor/roommate/significant other sometimes have such a hard time understanding each other. No library/Internet research is necessary, although you might find it helpful in some cases. You should, however, make references to the textbook, WebCT material, or lectures, where appropriate.

These papers should have three components:
  1. A description of the issue/problem/circumstance/event (about 1 page)
  2. A summary of the relevant theory and/or research (about 2 pages)
  3. A discussion of how the theory/research helps illuminate the event. (about 2 pages)

Expectations for Term Papers:

Choose a topic of interest to you that relates to any theory we have talked about in class or that is covered in your textbook. For example, you might become interested in the groupthink phenomenon, the agenda setting process, or communicative anxiety, or some aspect of nonverbal communication. This term paper should take the form of an up-to-date summary of the research and theory that seek to explain and understand this phenomenon. It should be about 15 pages long and should consist of the following:
  1. An introduction of the issue/theory/topic with which you are concerned
  2. A discussion as to why it might be important either in the world or as a way to think about some aspect of communication
  3. A brief history of the concept, who first developed it and the context of that development, and how thinking about it may have changed
  4. A summary of the current state of thinking about it.

All papers should be prepared using APA (American Psychological Association) style. You should cite at least 10 sources, aside from your textbook, lecture notes and WebCT site. While Internet sources are acceptable, not all sources should be found there. Go to the library!