Chapter+Focus+Questions

=Chapter 1= 1. Provide an example from the text of how communication meets: Physical needs, Identity needs, Social needs, and Practical goals 2. Know Maslow’s hierarchy 3. Know the linear and transactional models of communication (in what ways does the transaction model better help us understand interpersonal interactions?) 4. Communication is systemic (occurs within an environment of interrelated parts) – list two factors that affect this system and provide examples of how they might do so. 5. Know the different categories of noise (physical, physiological…) and be able to identify examples of each 6. What does it mean that communication is a process? 7. Define communication 8. Can you articulate an argument for AND against the axiom “One cannot not communicate? (p, 13 and notes) 9. List and explain the five communication principles and misconceptions 10. Why is the quantitative definition of interpersonal communication flawed? 11. What are the five features of the qualitative definition of interpersonal communication? Know and explain each 12. Messages have two dimensions of meaning. List and explain (this is separate from question 13) 13. What is does research (pp.19-22) reveal about computer-mediated communication (CMC)? 14. Define communication competence (as defined in the text) 15. Know several characteristics of competent communicators (pp.27-31)

=Chapter 2= 1. Define self-concept 2. Define self-esteem 3.What is the relationship between biology and self? Do you think nature or nurture matters more? 4. What happened to the boy in the story Cipher in the Snow? Why did it happen? 5. What is social comparison? Reflected appraisal? Reflect on a time when these processes affected your self-worth. What are reference groups? 6. Know and explain the “characteristics of the self-concept” 7. What is cognitive conservatism – know the findings about this on page 53 (following up with this…several problems arise due to a tendency to cling to outmoded self-perceptions--what are they?) 8. Know some of the cultural influences on identity formation (this chapter highlights differences between Asian and Western culture) 9. What is self-fulfilling prophecy? What are the two types of self-fulfilling prophecies? Provide an example of a time when you engaged in a self-imposed prophecy 10. Read and understand characteristics of identity management. Do you engage in these practices. How so?

=Chapter 3= 1. What are the four steps by which we attach meaning to our experiences? 2. Know material about stereotyping. 3. What does the book suggest as a solution to excessive stereotyping? 4. What is punctuation? Be able to provide an example of a misunderstanding due to mis-punctuating an interaction (the book provides good examples) 5. What influences your interpretation of others behaviors? Provide examples of physiological influences, cultural differences, and social roles 6. What are the five common tendencies in perception 7. Define attribution 8. Know self-serving bias 9. Understand the halo effect 10. Understand the idea of cognitive complexity and how it affects perception 11. What are the steps to perception checking? Know how to create a perception check 13. What’s the difference between empathy and sympathy 14. Know the pillow method (know and be able to apply. examples provided are very helpful

=Chapter 4= 1. Know the 4 components of emotion – psysiological factors, nonverbal reactions, cognitive interpretations, verbal expression. 2. Go through Invitation to Insight on page 125. Be able to recognize your own feelings and the ease or discomfort you experience when trying to communicate emotion. 3. Know the influences on emotional expression (there are 6). Can you recognize any of those influences in your own expression of emotions? 4. Know the differences between high and low affection communicators. 5. How hard is it to recognize multiple feelings at the same time? 6. What advice would you give to someone regarding expressing feelings and the communication channel? 7. Identify facilitative and debilitative emotions. 8. what are the sources of debilitative emotions? 9. What are the 7 types of irrational thinking (also called fallacies) and how do they each affect expression of emotions? 10. Identify any other concepts you did not understand.

=Chapter 5= 1. understand what is means to say language is symbolic 2. What is the difference between abstract and behavioral language? 3. What’s the problem with using relative language? 4. What is a static evaluation? 5. What are pragmatic rules. Name at least one pragmatic rule understood within a current relationship 6. Can you identify a time you use convergence of speech? Divergence of speech? 7. Who uses more powerless speech mannerisms? Men or women? Japanese or Westerners? What are some of reasons the text says we should be cautious about using powerful speech? 8. Can you identify the difference between fact statements and opinion statements? Be able to change an opinion statement to a statement of fact. 9. How can we avoid fact-inference confusion? 10. Read and know all of the discussion on gender and language (how do men and women differ in content, reasons for communicating, and conversational style) 11. What is linguistic relativism? Know the section entitled Language and Worldview (What did Whorf observe about the language spoken by Hopi Native Americans?) and what is linguistic relativity?

=Chapter 6= 1. What are the types of communication? Where does nonverbal fit? 2. What is nonverbal communication? 3. What are the characteristics of nonverbal communication? 4. What are the differences between verbal and nonverbal communication? 5. Identify, define and give an example of the functions of nonverbal communication 6. What do the authors mean when they state that nonverbal communication is ambiguous? 7. What are the influences on nonverbal communication? Can you see any of them in yourself? 8. What are the types of nonverbal communication (and the subcategories as well)? Identify, define and give examples.

=Chapter 7= 1. What percentage of time is spent listening to others? 2 what is the difference between hearing and listening 3. Marriage counselors identified what (specifically) as the most frequent communication problem found in marriage? 4. Mindless listening: what are the author’s thoughts about this? 5. Know the five elements of the listening process (be able to explain what happens in each) 6. Know and explain all 7 types of ineffective listening 7. Know and understand all of the reasons we don’t listen better (be able to explain and identify/produce examples of each) 8. What are some of the strategies we can use to meet the challenge of listening better 10. Know the “types of listening responses” (i.e. prompting, questioning, paraphrasing, supporting, analyzing, advising, judging) Know how to provide an example of each 11. Explain Rodgers concept of “Unconditional Positive Regard”

=Chapter 8=

1. Identify factors that influence the formation of relationships. The text gives 8 reasons why we form relationships. Find examples of this in your own life. 2. Know Knapp’s model of relational development. Identify and define each of the stages (there are 10). Using the model in the text, identify and describe the communication that takes place at each stage. 3. What are dialectical tensions? Identify, describe and give examples of each of the dialectical tensions. 4. How does the text suggest managing the dialectical tensions? (there are 8) 5. What kind of communication helps maintain relationships? 6. What is relational commitment? And what are the major indicators of a committed romantic relationship? 7. What is a relational transgression? What are the categories that are identified by the text? 8. Conversations about forgiveness contain two elements. What are they? 9. Know the difference between content and relational messages. What are the types of relational messages? How do we communicate to show the level of relationship? 10. What is metacommunication and why is it important?

=Chapter 9=

1. What is intimacy? What are the dimensions of intimacy? Provide an example of each dimension in your life. 2. What is the masculine style of intimacy? What is the feminine style? 3. What are the limits of intimacy? 4. What is self disclosure? Break down the definition into its main parts (deliberate, significant, not known by others). What does it have to do with intimacy? 5. What is breadth? Depth? What do they have to do with self disclosure? 6. Looking at depth, list, define and give an example of the different types of information that we share. 7. What is the Johari window? What are the 4 panes of the window? 8. What are some of the benefits of self disclosure? (text gives 7) 9. What are the risks? (text gives 5) 10. Why is reciprocation of disclosure so important? 11. Why is silence an alternative to disclosure? 12. What are the reasons the text gives for lying? Can you give an example from your life where you fell into one of these categories? 13. What are the dimensions of truthfulness and equivocation?

=Chapter 10= 1. What is communication climate? 2. What is confirming communication? Disconfirming? Can you give examples of each from your life? 3. What is the difference between disconfirming and disagreeing messages? 4. What are the types of disconfirming communication? 5. What are the types of disagreeing communication? 6. What are the types of confirming communication? 7. What are communication spirals? What is a reciprocal pattern of communication? Give an example of a positive and a negative reciprocal communication pattern. 8. List and define and provide an example of the Gibb categories of climate oriented communication. 9. What is saving face? 10. What is assertiveness? What is the assertive message format? 11. Use the assertive message format in a conflict situation. 12. Use the assertive message format in a situation where you are being criticized.