Includes index.

Contents: Talk about theory -- Mapping the territory -- Weighing the words -- Symbolic interactionism -- Coordinated management of meaning -- Expectancy violations theory -- Interpersonal deception theory -- Constructivism -- Social penetration theory -- Uncertainty reduction theory -- Relational dialetics -- The Interactional view -- Social judgement theory -- Elaboration likelihood model -- Cognitive dissonance theory -- Functional perspective on group decision making -- Adaptive structuration theory -- Information systems approach to organizations -- Cultural approach to organizations -- Critical theory of communication approach to organizations -- The rhetoric -- Dramatism -- Narrative paradigm -- Technological determinism -- Semiotics -- Cultural studies -- Cultivation theory -- Agenda-setting theory -- The Media equation -- Anxiety/uncertainty management theory -- Face negotiation theory -- Speech codes theory -- Genderlect styles -- Standpoint theory -- Muted group theory -- Order out of chaos -- Appendix A: Glossary -- Appendix B: Abstracts of theories -- Appendix C: Academic journals that focus on communication theory -- Appendix D: Feature films that illustrate communication theory -- Appendix E: NCA credo for communication ethics.