Berger week 4 article Flashcards
(28 cards)
what is word of mouth?
informal communications directed at other consumers about the ownership, usage, or characteristics of particular goods
and services or their sellers
what are the 5 key functions that word of mouth serves?
impression-management, emotion regulation, information acquisition, social bonding, and persua- sion.
in what ways do interpersonal communication facilitate impression management?
1) self-enhancement, (2) identity- signaling, and (3) filling conversational space.
what is self-enhancement?
The tendency to self-enhance is a fundamental human motivation. People like to be perceived positively and present themselves in ways that garner such impressions. people are more likely to share things that make them look good rather than bad
what is identity signaling?
If someone always talks about new restaurants, others may infer that they are a foodie. people may talk about particular topics or ideas not only to self-enhance but also to signal that they have certain characteristics, knowledge, or expertise in a particular domai
what is filling conversation space?
people also infer things about others based on conversational style.
Transitions from one party speaking to the other, for example, usually occur with no long gap or silence in between. Consequently, taking too long to respond may lead others to make negative inference
what are the effects of sharing on interpersonal management?
+ Entertaining content
+ Useful information
+ Self-Concept relevant things
+ High status things
+ Unique and special things
+ Common ground
+ Accessible things
+ When aroused
what is emotional regulation?
Emotion regulation refers to the ways people manage which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them
how does sharing with others generate emotional regulation? ( the components of emotional regulation)
1) generating social support,
(2) venting,
(3) facilitating sense making,
(4) reducing disso- nance,
(5) taking vengeance ( revenge),
(6) encouraging rehearsal
what are the effects of sharing on emotional regulation?
+ Emotional Content
+ Arousing Content
Shapes content valence
emotion regulation should
(a) drive people to share more emotional content,
(b) influence the valence of the content shared,
(c) lead people to share more emotionally arousing content.
what is information aquisition?
They use word of mouth to actively seek information. To obtain the information they need, they talk about that product or idea themselves (i.e., bring it up)
in what way does word of mouth facilitate information acquisition? (components of information acquisition)
(1) seeking advice and
(2) resolving problems
what are the effects of word of mouth on information acquisition?
+ Sharing when decisions are important or uncertain
+Sharing when alternative info is unavailable or untrustworthy
what is social bonding?
People have a fundamental desire for social relationships and interpersonal communication helps fill that need
what is phatic communication?
Phatic communication to describe conversations whose function is to “create social rapport rather than to convey information
What are the components of social bonding?
1) reinforcing shared views
(2) reducing loneliness and social exclusion
social bonding should drive people to talk about things that are?
(what are the effects of social bonding?)
+ Common Ground Content
+ Emotional Content
what is persuading others?
people use interpersonal communication to influence others. People’s desire to change their relationship partner’s attitudes, for example, affects whether they use relationship referencing influence strategies (i.e., words like “we” and “us”) during an argument
persuasion motives should drive people to share things that are?
)The components of persuading other?)
(a) more emotionally polarized
(b) arousing in nature.
is word of mount conscious or deliberate?
There are certainly some situations, hwhere conscious choice plays a role. When on a first date, for example, or at a job interview, people may actively monitor what they are talking about to achieve an impression management goal. Similarly, consumers may consciously bring up certain topics in the hopes of persuading others or acquiring information.
However, most word of mouth is non conscious
is word of mouth self serving?
Most info suggests that yes it is. eg: studies suggest that over 70% of everyday speech is about the self.
Neuroscientific evidence further suggests that such self-disclosure is intrinsically rewarding. Sharing one’s own personal thoughts and feelings activates the same brain regions that respond to things like food, money, and seeing attractive members of the opposite sex
So far we have focused on why people talk and share, but situational factors may moderate when different word of mouth functions have a greater impact. Two key moderators are?
audience, or whom people are communicating with, and the channel, or how people are communicatin
key aspects of the communication audience?
Thus three key aspects of the communication audience are (1) tie strength, (2) audience size, and (3) tie status
in how many and what ways do communication channels differ?
key dimensions are (1) written vs. oral, (2) identifiability, and (3) audience salience
