The document discusses the idea of theory in communication. It states that theories are used in everyday life and are the academic foundation of every discipline. Theories allow scholars to transform information into knowledge and communicate knowledge. Theories also challenge existing ways of living and generate new ways of living. A theory is an organized set of concepts, explanations, and principles about some aspect of human experience.

1. The Idea of Theory in
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Communication
adapted from Littlejohn, S. W. and Foss, K.A. (2005). Theories of Human
Communication. 8th edition. Belmont, CA.: Thomson Wadsworth.
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2. Communication is central to
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human life. It is
pervasive, important and
complex.
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3. The Idea of Theory
• Theories are used in every day living.
• Theories are also the academic foundation of every discipline
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or field.
• Theories allow scholars and students to transform information
to knowledge.
• Theories do not just help us grow knowledge, they also help
us communicate knowledge.
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4. The Idea of Theory
• Theories also provide a way to challenge existing cultural life
and to generate new ways of living.
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• What is theory?
It is any organized set of concepts, explanations and principles
of some aspect of human experience.
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5. The Idea of Theory
• All theories are abstractions.
• Theories are also human constructions.
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• Theories are less a record of reality than a record of scholar’s
conceptualizations about that reality. –Abraham Kaplan.
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6. The Idea of Theory
Basic Elements of Theory
1. Philosophical assumptions
2. Concepts
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3. Explanations
4. Principles
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7. The Idea of Theory
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Nomothetic Practical
Theory Theory
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8. The Idea of Theory
Evaluating Communication Theory
• Theoretical Scope
• Appropriateness
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• Heuristic Value
• Validity
• Parsimony
• Openness
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9. The Academic Study of
Communication
• Communication has been studied since antiquity but it has
assumed immense importance in academics in recent times.
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• In recent years many scholars have come to recognize that
communication is central to human experience and have
emphasized it in academic research.
• Thus a new field of communication seemed to have emerged
and is growing strong in the universities.
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10. The Academic Study of
Communication
• Communication is so broad a field that it can not be confined
within any single paradigm, nor any single discipline.
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• It is a multi-disciplinary field.
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11. Introducing Communication
Theory
• A theory is not just an explanation; it is a way of packaging
reality, a way of understanding it.
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• We can’t view reality purely; instead, we use a set of concepts
and symbols to define what we see, and our theories provide
the lenses with which we observe and experience the world.
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12. Introducing Communication
Theory
• We need to understand two things about theory:
1. Theory is the product of human judgment and discussion.
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2. Different people prefer different ways of knowing.
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13. Developing Theories
• First Stage: asking questions.
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• Second Stage: observation.
• Third Stage: constructing answers.
• Each stage affects and is affected by the others.
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14. The stages of inquiry
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Questions
Observation
Theory
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15. Types of scholarship
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Standardization Creative Observation
Humanities
Sciences
Social Sciences
Replication Interpretation
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16. Communication Theory as a Field
• Robert Craig in a landmark article proposes a vision for
communication theory that takes a huge step toward unifying
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our otherwise disparate field.
• Craig argues that the field will never be united by a single
theory or group of theories.
• Thus, the field would always have multiplicity of approaches
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17. Communication Theory as a Field
• Craig argues that scholars should not seek a standard model
that applies universally to any communication situation, as
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this would lead to a “dead field”.
• Instead, communication scholars should strive to manage the
tensions of diverse theories of the field through dialogue and
a common understanding of similarities and differences
among theories.
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18. Communication Theory as a Field
• Rather than viewing a theory as an explanation of
communication process, Craig argues that, it should be seen
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as a statement or argument in favour of a particular approach
to the study of the field.
• In other words communication theories are a form of
discourse among diverse approaches of study.
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19. Communication Theory as a Field
• Craig says that theories communicate about
communication, meaning that ‘meta-discourse’ is taking place
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in the field.
• Different theories are different ways of “talking about”
communication each one having its own powers and
limitations.
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20. Communication Theory as a Field
• Craig identifies seven traditional standpoints that enters the
meta-discourse:
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1. Rhetorical
2. Semiotic
3. Phenomenological
4. Cybernetic
5. Socio-psychological
6. Socio-cultural
7. Critical
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21. Jimi Kayode
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Adebola Adegunwa School of
Communication,
Lagos State University,
Lagos, Nigeria.
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