Given below are two statements: Statement I: The study of the mass…
2023
Given below are two statements:
Statement I: The study of the mass communication process is characterised by a macroscopic view of messages.
Statement II: Semiology seeks a microscopic view of deconstructing messages.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: B. Both Statement I and Statement II are false — ConceptCommunication can be studied at more than one level. A macroscopic lens examines institutions, systems, and aggregate effects, while a microscopic lens…
- A.
Both Statement I and Statement II are true
- B.
Both Statement I and Statement II are false
- C.
Statement I is true but Statement II is false
- D.
Statement I is false but Statement II is true
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
Communication can be studied at more than one level. A macroscopic lens examines institutions, systems, and aggregate effects, while a microscopic lens examines individual signs, encoding, interpretation, and audience response. Describing the entire communication process by only one level is therefore an overgeneralisation.
Semiology is the study of signs, sign systems, and signification. Deconstruction is a distinct interpretive approach, so treating the deconstruction of messages as the defining aim of semiology conflates two frameworks.
Application
Statement I makes the macroscopic lens the characteristic view of studying the mass-communication process. Macroscopic analysis is useful, but communication research also uses microscopic analysis of messages, signs, audiences, and interpretation; the single-scale characterisation is too broad.
Statement II defines semiology through a microscopic view of deconstructing messages. Semiology examines how signs and codes produce meaning; deconstruction is not its defining purpose. The statement therefore substitutes a different interpretive method for semiology.
NTA’s final answer key for the matching UGC NET 15 June 2023 Shift 1 General Paper question IDs 902041 and 904041 records the response value ‘Both Statement I and Statement II are false’.
Cross-check and contrast
The official key is single-valued and does not mark the question as dropped or multi-keyed. Secondary explanations that call both statements true rely on the broad macro-versus-micro contrast but overlook the overgeneralisation in Statement I and the conflation of semiology with deconstruction in Statement II.
‘Both statements are true’ accepts both the single-scale generalisation and the semiology–deconstruction conflation.
‘Statement I is true but Statement II is false’ corrects the framework conflation but retains the single-scale generalisation.
‘Statement I is false but Statement II is true’ rejects the single-scale generalisation but retains the framework conflation.
Therefore, for this official UGC NET item, both Statement I and Statement II are false.