Theories Covered Through the 7th Edition—by Author
The list below contains theories that are or have been covered in A First Look at Communication Theory.
Full = a chapter in the 7th edition is dedicated to this theory.
Brief = the theory is capsuled in the 7th edition, but not assigned a full chapter.
Archive = the theory was covered in a full chapter in previous editions. A pdf from the last edition in which it appeared is available.
When a theory name is clickable, it will go to the Theory Resources for that theory or open the archived chapter.
View/Sort by:
Theories | Authors
You can also view the 7th Edtion Table of Contents to see supplementary material as well as theories
| Author | Theory | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Irwin Altman with Dalmas Taylor |
Social Penetration Theory | Full (Ch. 9) |
| Aristotle | The Rhetoric | Full (Ch. 21) |
| Aristotle | Golden Mean | Brief |
| Robert Bales | Interaction Process Analysis | Brief |
| Roland Barthes | Semiotics | Full (Ch. 25) |
| Leslie Baxter with Barbara Montgomery |
Relational Dialectics | Full (Ch. 12) |
| Seyla Benhabib | Interactive Universalism | Brief |
| Charles Berger | Uncertainty Reduction Theory | Full (Ch. 10) |
| Sissella Bok | Principle of Veracity | Brief |
| Ernest Bormann | Symbolic Convergence Theory | Full (Ch. 3) |
| Martin Buber | Dialogic Ethics | Brief |
| Martin Buber | Dialogic Theory | Brief |
| David Buller with Judee Burgoon |
Interpersonal Deception Theory (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 6) |
| Judee Burgoon with David Buller |
Interpersonal Deception Theory (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 6) |
| Judee Burgoon | Expectancy Violations Theory | Full (Ch. 7) |
| Kenneth Burke | Dramatism | Full (Ch. 22) |
| John Cacioppio with Richard Petty |
Elaboration Likelihood Model | Full (Ch. 15) |
| Clifford Christians | Communitarian Ethics | Brief |
| Dwight Conquergood | Performance Ethnography | Brief |
| Vernon Cronen with W Barnet Pearce |
Coordinated Management of Meaning | Full (Ch. 6) |
| Stanley Deetz | Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations | Full (Ch. 20) |
| Jesse Delia | Constructivism | Full (Ch. 8) |
| Ferdinand de Saussure | Structural Linguistics | Brief |
| James Dillard | Goals-Plans-Action Model | Brief |
| Leon Festinger | Cognitive Dissonance | Full (Ch. 16) |
| B Aubrey Fisher | Interact System Model of Decision Emergence (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 2) |
| Walter Fisher | Narrative Paradigm | Full (Ch. 23) |
| Michel Foucault | Discursive Formation | Brief |
| Clifford Geertz with Michael Pacanowsky |
Cultural Approach to Organizations | Full (Ch. 19) |
| George Gerbner | Cultivation Theory | Full (Ch. 27) |
| Anthony Giddens | Structuration Theory | Brief |
| Carol Gilligan | Different Voice (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 1) |
| Dennis Gouran with Randy Hirokawa |
Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making | Full (Ch. 17) |
| John Greene | Action Assembly Theory (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 1) |
| William Gudykunst | Anxiety-Uncertainty Management Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 6) |
| Jürgen Habermas | Discourse Ethics-Theory of Communicative Action | Brief |
| Edward Hall | Proxemic Theory (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 1) |
| Edward Hall | High- and Low-Context Cultures | Brief |
| Stuart Hall | Cultural Studies | Full (Ch. 26) |
| Sandra Harding with Julia T Wood |
Standpoint Theory | Full (Ch. 34) |
| Fritz Heider | Attribution Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 2) |
| Randy Hirokawa with Dennis Gouran |
Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making | Full (Ch. 17) |
| Irving Janis | Groupthink (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 3) |
| Immanuel Kant | Categorical Imperative | Brief |
| Harold Kelley with John Thibaut |
Social Exchange Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 2) |
| Alfred Korzybski | General Semantics (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 1) |
| Cheris Kramarae | Muted Group Theory | Full (Ch. 35) |
| Karl Marx | Critical Theory | Brief |
| Abraham Maslow | Hierarchy of Needs (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 2) |
| Maxwell McCombs with Donald Shaw |
Agenda Setting Theory | Full (Ch. 28) |
| Marshall McLuhan | Media Ecology | Full (Ch. 24) |
| George Herbert Mead | Symbolic Interactionism | Full (Ch. 5) |
| Barbara Montgomery with Leslie Baxter |
Relational Dialectics | Full (Ch. 12) |
| Clifford Nass with Byron Reeves |
The Media Equation (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 5) |
| Thomas Nilsen | Significant Choice | Brief |
| Elisabeth Noelle-Nuemann | Spiral of Silence | Full (Ch. 29) |
| Charles Osgood | Mediational Theory of Meaning (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 1) |
| Michael Pacanowsky with Clifford Geertz |
Cultural Approach to Organizations | Full (Ch. 19) |
| W Barnett Pearce with Vernon Cronen |
Coordinated Management of Meaning | Full (Ch. 6) |
| Richard Petty with John Cacippo |
Elaboration Likelihood Model | Full (Ch. 15) |
| Gerry Philipsen | Speech Codes Theory | Full (Ch. 32) |
| Marshall Scott Poole | Adaptive Structuration Theory | Full (Ch. 18) |
| Byron Reeves with Clifford Nass |
The Media Equation (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 5) |
| I A Richards | Meaning of Meaning (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 3) |
| Carl Rogers | Existential Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 1) |
| William Schutz | FIRO Theory (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 1) |
| Claude Shannon with Warren Weaver |
Information Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 3) |
| Donald Shaw with Maxwell McCombs |
Agenda Setting Theory | Full (Ch. 28) |
| Muzafer Sherif | Social Judgment Theory | Full (Ch. 14) |
| Deborah Tannen | Genderlect Styles | Full (Ch. 33) |
| Dalmas Taylor with Irwin Altman |
Social Penetration Theory | Full (Ch. 9) |
| John Thibaut with Harold Kelley |
Social Exchange Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 2) |
| Stella Ting-Toomey | Face Negotiation Theory | Full (Ch. 31) |
| Paul Watzlawick | The Interactional View | Full (Ch. 13) |
| Warren Weaver with Claude Shannon |
Information Theory (PDF) | Brief + Archive (Ed. 3) |
| Karl Weick | Information Systems Approach to Organizations (PDF) | Archive (Ed. 6) |
| Cornel West | Prophetic Pragmatism | Brief |
| Julia T Wood with Sandra Harding |
Standpoint Theory | Full (Ch. 34) |