CONSTRUCTIVISM;

THE SPIRAL OF SILENCE

COMMUNICATION THEORIES I
REYES, GALAXY P.
BVRN2
Jesse Delia
Brant Burleson
Jim Applegate
Theory proposed in 1970

CONSTRUCTIVISM
 CONSTRUCTIVISM

communication theory that seeks to explain

individual differences in people’s ability to
communicate skillfully in social situations.
OUTCOME OF THE THEORY
People who are cognitively complex in their
perceptions of others have a greater capacity
for sophisticated communication that will
achieve positive outcomes. They can employ a
rhetorical message design logic that creates
person-centered message that simultaneously
pursues multiple communication goals. (Griffin
3rd ed., pp. 493-4)
ROLE CATEGORY QUESTIONNAIRE

JOHN ACE
•ALWAYS POLITE +1 •NEGATIVE THOUGHTS +1
•ARRIVES ON TIME +1
•SHORT TEMPERED +1 •RANTS MANY THINGS +1
•HAPPY GO LUCKY +1

ANY SCORE OVER 25 IS A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF HIGH

INTERPERSONAL COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY
 COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY

Mental ability to distinguish subtle

personality and behavior differences
among people
 INTERPERSONAL CONSTRUCTS

Persons make sense of the world through

systems of personal constructs.

*Constructs are the cognitive templates or stencils we fit over reality to bring order to our
perceptions
 PERSON CENTERED MESSAGES

The speaker is able to anticipate how different

individuals might respond to a message and
adjust his or her communication accordingly
 CONSTRUCTING OF MESSAGES
• Procedural record
The recollecting of an action taken in a specific
situation paired with its consequences

If ------------- when ---------- then

 SITUATION
• Consider a workplace dilemma of a young S.A.
named Athena whose married male boss suggest
meeting together to talk about her career but
later on the boss ask her for an intimate sexual
affair
 ATHENA WOULD….
“You are the rudest and disgusting man I have
ever met. You’re nothing but a dirty old man.
Where do you get off thinking you could force
me to have an affair with you? You make me
sick”
 APPLYING CONSTRUCTIVISM
If I want to avoid getting physical and not offend
a guy (goal)

When he makes an improper sexual suggestion

(situation)

Then I should pretend he’s just kidding (Action)

ATHENA WITH PERSON CENTERED MESSAGE

“We’ve got a great working relationship now,

and I’d like us to work well together in the
future. So I think it’s important to talk this out.
You’re a smart and clear-think guy and I
consider you to be my professor as well as my
boss. That’s why I think you must be under a
lot of stress lately. Too much stress can really
make you crazy. You probably just need a
break”
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF PERSON CENTERED
MESSAGES
Validate the other’s feelings and
add additional perspective to
the situation

Take the other’s distress

seriously

Dismiss the thoughts and

feelings of the person who is
hurting you
 BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF PERSON CENTERED
MESSAGES
• Relationship maintenance
• Organizational effectiveness
Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann
Theory proposed 1978

THE SPIRAL OF SILENCE

 SPIRAL OF SILENCE

The fear of isolation causes people to remain

silent about minority opinions and even adopt
the majority opinion despite personal and
philosophical concerns.
HOW SPIRAL OF SILENCE WORKS?

Our willingness to express an opinion is a direct

result of how popular or unpopular we
perceive it to be

The theory explains how societies form

collective opinions and how we make
decisions surrounding loaded topics.
HOW SPIRAL OF SILENCE WORKS?
Each time someone voices a majority opinion,
they reinforce the sense that it is safe to do so.
Each time someone receives a negative
response for voicing a minority opinion, it
signals to anyone sharing their view to avoid
expressing it.
 FACTORS WHERE SPIRAL OF SILENCE IS
TRIGGERED
• Popularity of opinion
• Controversy
• Social isolation/Avoiding social isolation
ASSUMPTIONS OF SPIRAL OF SILENCE

•Fear of isolation
•Fear of reprisal
 SITUATION
In a company, the managing director decides to
increase their working hour from 8 to 10 and
send e-mail to all employees. Majority of
them accept this time changes and few
employees are not satisfied with his decision.
But they cannot or ready to express their
thought publicly.
 BECAUSE
• They may feel unsupported by the other
employees.
• “Fear of isolation” like transfer
• “Fear of Rejection” By rejecting their personal
opinion from the public will help to avoid
fight.
• They may try to save their job by suppressing
or avoid personal statement in public.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
SPIRAL OF SILENCE
• It works well during the public campaign, Senate and
Parliament.
• helps to raise question about considering the role and
responsibility of media in the society.
• The theory which is not considering the other
explanation of silencing. In some cases the person
may feel the majority’s ideas or opinion is much better
than his own view.
• It portrait overly negative view of media influence the
average people.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM;
THE SPIRAL OF SILENCE
COMMUNICATION THEORIES I
REYES, GALAXY P.
BVRN2