Symbolic Convergence Theory of Ernest Bormann

What is the central explanatory principle of Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) as set forth by Ernest Bormann?

According to Symbolic Convergence Theory, what is a 'dramatizing message'?

What term does Bormann use for a dramatizing message that causes a symbolic explosion in the form of a chain reaction where members join in?

What is the term for the content of a fantasy that has successfully chained out within a group, which SCT researchers identify as the theory's basic unit of analysis?

In the cigar store example, patrons developed a shared fantasy theme that 'cigar smoking is safe.' What did Bormann suggest is apparent in a group's fantasy themes?

What is a 'symbolic cue' within Symbolic Convergence Theory?

How does Bormann define a 'fantasy type'?

What does Bormann mean by the term 'symbolic convergence'?

What is the relationship between symbolic convergence and group cohesiveness?

What is a 'rhetorical vision' in the context of SCT?

Fantasy theme analysis is a rhetorical criticism methodology built on two basic assumptions. What is one of these assumptions?

According to Bormann, what are the four features that are present in all rhetorical visions and that a critic should look for during fantasy theme analysis?

In Jessi McCabe's fantasy theme analysis of pro-eating disorder websites, what did she identify as the 'sanctioning agent' that legitimates the constructed reality of the community?

Jessi McCabe's analysis of pro-eating disorder websites revealed two contrasting fantasy types. What were they?

In the analysis of the 'Make America Great Again' rhetorical vision, who were identified as the main characters in the drama?

What is one of Bormann's pieces of advice for a group member who wants to build cohesiveness?

Researchers John Cragan and Donald Shields identified three competing master analogues, or rhetorical visions, that high school seniors employ when talking about college. What are these three visions?

According to the critique section, why does Symbolic Convergence Theory fail to meet a key benchmark of a good objective theory?

What is one of the value concerns about SCT raised by critic James Olufowote?

In response to criticism about SCT's lack of predictive power, how did Bormann compare SCT to another scientific theory?

What two conditions have symbolic convergence researchers found increase the chances of a fantasy chaining out?

Once a fantasy chain catches fire, what does Symbolic Convergence Theory predict the group will do?

What does the term 'rhetorical community' refer to in SCT?

In the analysis of the 'righteous vision' for college, what are potential applicants who embrace this vision interested in?

What is the second basic assumption upon which the methodology of fantasy theme analysis is built?

According to Bormann, what is a key indicator that symbolic convergence has occurred in a group?

In the example of the pro-eating disorder websites, members personify their disorders as characters in a drama. Which character represents the ideal of perfection, self-control, and being thin?

Why did Ernest Bormann and his colleagues call themselves the 'Turtle Racers'?

What is the primary way a dramatizing message differs from most comments in a task-oriented group discussion?

James Olufowote's critique of SCT suggests the theory's characterization of rhetorical communities is flawed because it ignores what aspect?

What makes it difficult for symbolic convergence researchers to predict when a fantasy chain will ignite?

In the analysis of the 'pragmatic vision' for college, what are potential applicants who embrace this vision looking for?

What is a key difference between Bormann's use of the term 'fantasy' and its common usage?

The majority of research conducted using SCT has been aimed at what?

Which statement accurately reflects the plotlines McCabe identified in her fantasy theme analysis of pro-eating disorder websites?

What does Bormann’s term 'fantasy theme' primarily focus on?

According to the chapter, why did Bormann believe that conversations about things outside of what's going on in the 'here-and-now' can often serve a group well?

What was the fantasy theme of the Kentucky cigar store patrons that helped them reduce their angst after the death of their friend Greg?

In the analysis of the 'social vision' for college, what are potential applicants who embrace this vision interested in?

What is one way, according to Bormann, that a group can memorialize its group consciousness once symbolic convergence has been experienced?

How did Bormann characterize groups that do little fantasizing?

What does James Olufowote's critique of SCT's 'egalitarian assumption' refer to?

How is Ernest Bormann's Symbolic Convergence Theory described in terms of the objective-interpretive scale?

In the example of Cabin 8, what served as the initial dramatizing message that sparked a fantasy chain?

A 'fantasy type' is a greater abstraction that incorporates several concrete fantasy themes. What example of a fantasy type is given in the text based on the cigar store group's fantasy theme?

What does a rhetorical critic using fantasy theme analysis do after identifying recurring fantasy themes in a text?

What is the consequence for a group when a dramatizing message 'falls flat'?

According to the analysis of the 'Make America Great Again' vision, what was the 'scene'?

The plotline of the 'Make America Great Again' rhetorical vision involved what actions?

What does Bormann's description of a fantasy chain reaction—'People would grow excited, interrupt one another, blush, laugh'—indicate about the nature of the process?