Practical Value

Since starting school this last fall I have made more than 10 posts on a variety of communication theories. After studying all of this material I have found that many of these theories have practical applications in the "real world" and society would be a much better place as a whole if we taught them more. If everyone were taught the motivations behind the many behaviors we all do on daily basis then many of the problems stemming from the confusion of not knowing why something is happening would go down considerably in today's society. For example, when I learned about the Uncertainty Reduction Theory, I was able to understand that the reason some people I interact with who constantly asked questions me questions were not just doing so for the sake of asking, but in order to get to know me better and to reduce their anxiety about it. With this in mind I am now more patient with answering questions and is also something I keep in mind when I am the one asking questions. I feel that the ability for URT to translate to more patience is an incredibly useful transformation that can be used as a tool in today's world. In this video of Whose Line is it Anyway? Colin is answering question's from the the other three and all of them are asking questions in order to limit the uncertainty that Colin has about who he is. He is then able to guess his identity by being able to narrow down that uncertainty by obtaining more information. Usually it is the the person asking who is trying to narrow down the information in order to get a better understanding if a situation, but on this show its a game so it's in reverse order. I feel if URT were taught more broadly, relationships and occupations that involved gathering information such such as journalism would both benefit greatly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KMYPsPNXQ

Unfortunately learning about communication theory is limited to just that, communication. My house has one psych major, one engineer, one computer science major, and two sports science majors. Unfortunately, whenever I ask them about any of the theories I have learned none of them know what I am talking about. I think many of the theories I have learned should be taught not just in upper level communication classes, but as a required bacc core class. The information you can gain by doing so is, in my opinion, to valuable to only be delivered to a selective group of individuals. The benefits won't just stop with my example of URT and its potential positive correlation with relationships and certain jobs. Social Information Processing theory may be the deciding factor on whether you decide to try dating online, or maybe learning about Feminist Stand Point Theory changes the way you conduct your business and view inequality in the world.

The knowledge I have obtained will help me become an overall better communicator and successful conversationalist. This means I will be a hit at parties, and you could be too! As I conclude I want to show the video I put on my first blog of the term. This video again puts emphasis on just how important communication and its concepts our in the world. Who knows, maybe one day knowing all of these theories may save your life! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwjAAgGi-90