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COM 212 Interpersonal Communication

Dr. Marcia D. Dixson

NF 230B

481-6558

dixson@ipfw.edu

Mom and me

Navigating the rough waters of interpersonal communication!

(My mom and I on the river)

 

 

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Units page

212 Groups and webpages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit III Developing Interpersonal Skills: Part I

February 7 - 20

 

Saturday - Tuesday (2/8): Take quiz over Chapters 5 and 8

Wednesday (2/9): Post your initial answer in your group discussion forum (see information on Units page for Successfully Using Discussion Forums) to the following:

Given the case study on page, 172, "Listening When You Don’t Want To” what would you do?

Write a sentence or two stating exactly what your next action/response would look like. Then, support your decision using information from your text. The format for your answer (and the group's final answer) should be:

Action: Sentence or two
Support: Paragraph or two that provides support, explanation, reasoning using what you have learned in the chapter

Wednesday - Wednesday (2/16): Discussion of case study in your groups. Final answers (in the above format) must be posted in your forum with the topic "FINAL ANSWER FOR YOURGROUPNAME".

Friday (2/11): Your second interpersonal analysis addition to your webpage is due this unit.  To help you better understand some of the concepts in the course and be able to apply them to improve your own interpersonal communication skills, you need to:

Choose two of the following:

1. It is nearly impossible to navigate through interpersonal relationships without experiencing some kind of defensive communication. At times it seems almost instinctive. Although it seems natural, it is important to understand different aspects of this defensive communication style.

Recall a situation in which you were offered a suggestion, advice, or criticism and you reacted defensively. What caused your reaction? What attributions did you make about the other person’s communication? What were the interpersonal out-comes of your defensive communication? How could you have prevented a defensive response?

2. Consider the 5 steps to the listening process. Many messages bombard us regardless of our willingness to listen. It is important to understand why we attend and respond to a given message. Think about people to whom you’re always eager to pay attention and listen. What makes these individuals salient for you? How do they differ from people to whom you find it difficult to pay attention? What does your answer suggest about the factors that drive your attention?

3. Take the “Test Your Self-Monitoring” quiz on page 256 in the text. Do you practice more high or low self-monitoring? What are some of the positive and negative relational effects that you have personally experienced from using your level of self-monitoring? Do you think it is important to adapt your self-monitoring level to the context of the situation? Why or why not?

4. Our attention, time, and resources are constantly being requested through a host of different communication channels and mediums. Sometimes it may seem that life is treadmill that is stuck on high-speed.

This exercise is designed to minimize distractions and maximize listening. For four consecutive hours, take a vow of silence. (No talking (unless absolutely necessary), no I-pod, no radio, no television, no audible media or verbal interaction of any kind). These four hours need to be done while you are awake, and at a time when you would normally use media or interpersonal interaction (ie. At a restaurant, work, family function).

Your assignment is to journal (on your webpage) the thoughts and observations you had while undertaking this vow of silence. Did you find yourself listening more or with a different purpose? Did you notice things that you normally would not have noticed? Is the silence uncomfortable, meaningful, or dreadful? Why do you think you responded this way?

Friday - Thursday (2/17): Comment on your group members' webpages in the Unit Three Webpage Comments forum. Answer the following questions for each of your group members' webpages:
  

1. First check your group members’ webpages to be sure they have:

2. Then, choose one person who you feel “taught” you something about this unit’s concepts – what did that person teach you with his/her website? Why does learning about that concept matter?

Things to remember about webpages:
    •    Read the information on the Units page about Additions to Interpersonal Analysis webpages (IAW)
    •    Start early and ask for help often if you are not familiar with building webpages
    •    Post pictures, if you like, but please do not post too many as that really increases the amount of time to load your page
    •    Write for the web (information about this on the Units page as well)

Friday (2/18): Final revisions to Unit Three Interpersonal Analysis Webpage (IAW) due

Thursday - Sunday (2/20): Debate final answers for case study in Unit Three Debate Discussion Forum (see Units page for information on Debating Final Answers).