Information Systems Division: Intrapersonal, Meaning, Attitude, and Social Systems

Abstract

AbstractThe Information Systems Division of the International Communication Association is concerned with the systems that make communication work, ranging from the intrapersonal (e.g., emotional and cognitive systems) to interpersonal, organizational, and societal systems. Over the past two decades, the interests of the division have focused increasingly on systems of mental processes in communication, but underlying mechanisms explored in information systems research range from reflexive processing of an advertisement’s formal features to concepts of self-organizing systems used to model the behavior of large organizations. This review looks at four major areas of recent interest to scholars in the Information Systems Division. The first two sections examine systems of mental processing of media from reflexive attentional and emotional responses to the conscious interpretations made by viewers. The third section examines the workings of belief systems, particularly as they apply to attitude change. The final section moves away from the individual to the use of systems theory to understand complex social phenomena, including social organizations.