Reflect and Relate : An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

by McCornack, Steven

• ISBN13: 9780312489342
• ISBN10: 031248934X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-07-15
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

The most successful new interpersonal communication textbook in over a decade,Reflect & Relatebroke new ground with its emphasis on critical self-reflection, practical skills, and relationships in context.Reflect & Relatefosters self-awareness by having students examine their own experiences, practice ongoing critical self-reflection, and apply the lessons in the text to their own communication. In the second edition, distinguished teacher and scholar Steven McCornack continues to arm students with the best research in the hottest areas, from the dark side of interpersonal relationships and gender and culture issues to the prevalence of technology in our daily communication.

Author Biography

Steven McCornack is associate professor of communication and coordinator of the undergraduate program at Michigan State University. He has published over 20 articles in leading communication journals, and he has also won several prestigious teaching awards and fellowships, including the Michigan State University Alumni Association Teaching Award, Lilly Endowment Teaching Fellowship, the Amoco Foundation Excellence-in-Teaching Award, and the Michigan State University Teacher/Scholar Award.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

What Is Communication?

      Defining Communication

      Understanding Communication Models

            Linear Communication Model

            Interactive Communication Model

            Transactional Communication Model

What Is Interpersonal Communication?

      Defining Interpersonal Communication

      Principles of Interpersonal Communication

            Interpersonal Communication conveys both content and relationship information

            Interpersonal Communication can be intentional or unintentional

            Interpersonal Communication is irreversible

            Interpersonal Communication is dynamic

            Interpersonal Communication is intertwined with ethics

      Needs and Goals of Interpersonal Communication

            Interpersonal Communication and Human Needs

            Interpersonal Communication and Specific Goals

      Research in Interpersonal Communication

Issues in Interpersonal Communication

 

      Culture

      Gender and Sexual Orientation

      Online Communication

      The Dark Side of Interpersonal Relationships

Learning Interpersonal Communication

      Interpersonal Essentials

      Interpersonal Skills

      Interpersonal Relationships

The Journey Ahead

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 2: CONSIDERING SELF

 

The Components of Self

      Self-Awareness

      Self-Concept

      Self-Esteem

            Measuring Up to Your Own Standards

            Improving Your Self-Esteem

The Sources of Self

      Gender and Self

      Family and Self

      Culture and Self

Presenting Your Self

      Maintaining Your Public Self

      The Importance of Self-Presentation

            Presenting the Self Online

            Improving Your Online Self-Presentation

The Relational Self

      Opening Your Self to Others

      Your Hidden and Revealed Self

      Disclosing Your Self to Others

            Differences in Disclosure

            Effectively Disclosing Your Self

Improving Your Self

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 3: PERCEIVING OTHERS

Perception as a Process

      Selecting Information

      Organizing the Information You’ve Selected

      Interpreting the Information

            Using Familiar Information

            Creating Explanations

     

      Experiencing Uncertainty

Influences on Perception

      Perception and Culture

      Perception and Gender

      Personality

            Prioritizing Our Own Traits When Perceiving Others

            Generalizing From the Traits We Know

Forming Impressions of Others

      Constructing Gestalts

            The Positivity Bias

            The Negativity Effect

            Halos and Horns

      Calculating Algebraic Impressions

      Using Stereotypes

Improving Your Perception of Others

      Offering Empathy

      Checking Your Perception

Practicing Responsible Perception      

 

Chapter Review

CHAPTER 4: EXPERIENCING AND EXPRESSING EMOTIONS

The Nature of Emotion

 

      Defining Emotion

      Feelings and Moods

      Types of Emotion

Forces Shaping Emotion

      Culture

      Gender

      Personality

Managing Your Emotional Experience and Expression

      Managing Your Emotions After They Occur

      Preventing Emotions

      Reappraising Your Emotions

Emotional Challenges

      Online Communication and Empathy Deficits

      Anger

      Passion

      Grief

            Managing Your Grief

            Helping Others Manage Their Grief

Living a Happy Emotional Life

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 5: LISTENING ACTIVELY

Listening: A Five-Step Process

      Receiving

      Attending

      Understanding

      Responding

            Positive Feedback

            Paraphrasing and Clarifying

      Recalling

The Five Functions of Listening

      Listening to Comprehend

      Listening to Support

      Listening to Analyze

      Listening to Appreciate

      Listening to Discern

      Adapting Your Listening Purpose

Understanding Listening Styles

      Four Listening Styles

      Gender Differences in Listening Styles

      Culture and Listening Styles

Preventing Ineffective Listening

      Selective Listening

      Eavesdropping

      Pseudo-Listening

      Aggressive Listening

      Narcissistic Listening

The Gift of Active Listening

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 6: COMMUNICATING VERBALLY

Characteristics of Verbal Communication

      Language Is Symbolic

      Language Is Governed by Rules

      Language Is Flexible

      Language Is Cultural

      Language Evolves

Functions of Verbal Communication

      Sharing Meaning

      Shaping Thought

      Naming

      Performing Actions

      Crafting Conversations

      Managing Relationships

Cooperative Verbal Communication

      Understandable Messages

            Being Informative

            Being Honest

            Being Relevant

            Being Clear

      Use "I" Language

      Using "We" Language

      Gender and Cooperative Verbal Communication

      Culture and Cooperative Verbal Communication

Barriers to Cooperative Verbal Communication

      Deception

      Misunderstanding

The Power of Verbal Communication

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 7: COMMUNICATING NONVERBALLY

Principles of Nonverbal Communication

      Nonverbal Communication Uses Multiple Channels

      Nonverbal Communication Is More Ambiguous

      Nonverbal Communication Has Fewer Rules

      Nonverbal Communication Has More Meaning

      Nonverbal Communication Is Influenced by Culture

      Nonverbal Communication Is Influenced by Gender

      Nonverbal Communication is Liberated through Technology

      Nonverbal and Verbal Combine to Create Communication

Nonverbal Communication Codes

      Communicating through Body Movements

            Facial Expression

            Eye Contact

            Gestures

            Posture

      Communicating through Voice

            Loudness

            Pitch

     

            Speech Rate

            Tone

      Communicating through Touch

      Communicating through Personal Space

      Communicating through Time

      Communicating through Physical Appearance

      Communicating through Objects

      Communicating through the Environment

Functions of Nonverbal Communication

      Conveying Meanings

      Expressing Emotion

      Presenting Self

      Managing Interactions

      Defining Relationships

            Intimacy

            Dominance and Submissiveness

Responsibly Managing Your Nonverbal Communication

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPING INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE

What Is Interpersonal Communication Competence?

      Appropriateness

      Effectiveness

      Ethics

Improving Interpersonal Competence

      Three Kinds of Messages

      Using Rhetorical Messages

Improving Your Competence Online

      Adapting to Online Norms

      How to Communicate Competently Online

Improving Your Intercultural Competence

      Are You World-Minded?

      Remember: Check Your Perceptions and Practice Empathy

Preventing Interpersonal Incompetence

      Communication Apprehension

            Shyness and Loneliness

      Defensiveness

      Verbal Aggression

Taking Control of Competence

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CONFLICT AND POWER

Conflict and Interpersonal Communication

      What Is Conflict?

      Conflict in Relationships

Power and Conflict

 

      Power's Defining Characteristics

 

            Power is Always Present

            Power Can Be Used Ethically or Unethically

            Power Is Granted

            Power Influences Most Conflicts

     

      Power Currencies

      Power and Culture

      Power and Gender

Handling Conflict

      Avoiding Conflict

      Accommodating Conflict

      Competitively Managing Conflict

      Collaboratively Managing Conflict

      Barriers to Constructive Conflict

      Conflict and Violence

Conflict Resolutions and Outcomes

      Short-Term Conflict Resolutions

      Long-Term Conflict Outcomes

      Unsolvable Conflicts

The Influence of Gender, Culture, and Technology on Conflict

      Conflict and Gender

      Conflict and Culture

      Conflict and Technology

The Challenge of Managing Conflict and Power

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 10: RELATIONSHIPS WITH ROMANTIC PARTNERS

Defining Romantic Relationships

      Liking and Loving

      Different Types of Romantic Love

      Key Elements of Romantic Relationships

            Perception

            Diversity

            Choice

            Tensions

            Communication

Romantic Attraction

      Proximity

      Physical Attractiveness

      Similarity

      Resources

      Technology and Romantic Attraction

Relationship Development and Deterioration

      Coming Together

            Initiating

            Experimenting

            Intensifying

            Integrating

            Bonding

      Coming Apart

            Differentiating

            Circumscribing

            Stagnating

            Avoiding

            Terminating

Maintaining Romantic Relationships

      Maintenance Strategies

            Positivity

            Openness

            Assurances

            Sharing Activities

            Sharing Tasks

            Social Networks

      Confronting Relationship Crises

            Voice Strategy

            Loyalty Strategy

            Exit Strategy

            Neglect Strategy

      Deciding Whether to Maintain

The Dark Side of Romantic Relationships

      Dysfunctional Relationship Beliefs

      Jealousy

      Betrayal

            Sexual Infidelity

            Deception

            Dealing with Betrayal

      Dating Violence

The Hard Work of Successful Love

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 11: RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Defining Family

      Types of Family

      Communication Patterns in Families

            Consensual Families

            Pluralistic Families

            Protective Families

            Laissez-Faire Families

Maintaining Family Relationships

      Maintenance Strategies for Families

            Positivity

            Openness

            Assurances

            Technology and Family Maintenance

      Dealing with Family Tensions

      Balancing Autonomy and Connection

      Balancing Openness and Protection

      Sharing Family Stories

Defining Friendship

      The Different Forms of Friendship

      Gender and Friendships

      Friends with Benefits

Maintaining Friendship Relationships

      Maintenance Strategies for Friends

      Abiding by Friendship Rules

      Maintaining Long-Distance Friendships

The Primacy of Family and Friends

Chapter Review

 

CHAPTER 12: RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORKPLACE

Defining Workplace Relationships

      The Culture of the Workplace

      Networks in the Workplace

Supportive and Defensive Organizational Climates

      Strategy versus Spontaneity

      Dogmatism versus Flexibility

      Control versus Collaboration

      Evaluation versus Description

      Detachment versus Empathy

      Superiority versus Equality

      Creating a Supportive Climate

Peer Relationships

      Types of Peer Relationships

      Maintaining Peer Relationships

            Cross-Sex Peers

            Workplace Romances

Mixed Status Relationships

      Managing Up

      Communicating with Subordinates

            Effective Downward Communication

            Compliments and Criticism 

 

      Maintaining Mixed-Status Relationships

      Workplace Abuse

      Sexual Harassment

Workplace Relationships and Human Happiness

Chapter Review

Supplemental Materials

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