Getting out of Debt: The Communication Begets Communication (CBC) Typology as an Approach to Theoretical Advancement in the Field

Authors

  • Nathan Walter Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University
  • R. Lance Holbert Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University
  • John Jennings Brooks Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University
  • Camille J. Saucier Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University
  • Sapna Suresh Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University
  • Floor Fiers Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

Keywords:

theoretical advancement, typology, spiral of silence, transportation-imagery model (TIM)

Abstract

A typology rooted in the field’s common object—a communicative act—and the notion that communication begets more communication is presented and evaluated. The organizing power of the typology is illustrated by showing key differences and similarities among existing theories in terms of their communicative dynamics concerning information getting and information giving. The typology’s ability to systematically expand existing theories and increase the theoretical coverage of the field is exemplified by a focus on the spiral of silence and the transportation-imagery model. This article concludes with a discussion of limitations, caveats, and an agenda for theoretical advancement arising from the typology.

Author Biographies

Nathan Walter, Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

Nathan Walter (Ph.D. University of Southern California, 2018) is an assistant professor at the Department of Communication Studies, Northwestern University. His research focuses on cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional processes at the heart of media effects.

R. Lance Holbert, Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University

R. Lance Holbert is Professor of Communication and Social Influence within Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication. He studies persuasion-based processes of media influence within the context of politics. Professor Holbert is also a Distinguished Research Fellow in the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, an International Communication Association Fellow, and he just wrapped up a stint as Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Communication. He served as Chair of ICA’s and NCA’s Mass Communication Divisions, as well as NCA’s Political Communication Division. 

John Jennings Brooks, Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

John J. Brooks (M.A. Northwestern University, 2020) is a doctoral candidate in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. His research agenda centers the study of media effects, primarily in the context of narrative persuasion and entertainment-education.

Camille J. Saucier, Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

Camille Saucier is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on information integrity and the cognitive and motivational factors that influence message processing and media effects.

Sapna Suresh, Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

Sapna Suresh is a PhD candidate in the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on entertainment and social media effects, with particular attention paid to intrinsic message features and the psychological responses of the audience.

Floor Fiers, Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

Floor Fiers is a doctoral candidate in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Their research interests include digital inequalities, digital skills, and resistance, particularly in the context of the gig economy.

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Published

2023-12-26

Issue

Vol. 18 (2024)

Section

Articles

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