CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
1
Core Assessment of Interpersonal Communication
Moses MbuHumanities, Park University
CA 104
Professor Ann Culton
September 17. 2022
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
2
In this paper, you will understand the concept of basic principles of interpersonal skills
and how communication is important in our lives. This research will include the attributes
elements of Communication process that include verbal and nonverbal communication. It will
also outline and analyze the process of engaging in conversation effectively between two or more
people.
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
3
In this paper I will be discussing 8 different types of core learning outcomes of
communication, when used properly it can make more effective communication across all
platforms. These 8 core learning outcomes of communication include: Identify the fundamental
elements of the communication process, illustrate how self-concept influences communication,
explain how perception affects communication. Demonstrate effective listening habits and skills,
explore why language can create communication problems, illustrate why nonverbal cues can
create communication problems. Contrast methods of resolving communication problems caused
by verbal and nonverbal communication, formulate personal strategies for developing effective
intercultural communication. Through this core assessment, I will demonstrate my personal and
academic understanding of these communicative topics, the characteristics within each type, and
provide an analysis of my own communication, including an improvement plan to make my
communication more effective.
The fundamental process of communication is we share our feelings, ideas, thoughts,
suggestion, experience, feedback, and opinions. When we share meaningful information its usually
coming in and going out between two or more people for us to understand each other. The process
involves eight essential elements including: source, receiver, messages, channels, noise, context,
effects, and ethics. Going through all the steps above, communication process starts when the
sender (source) start encoding an idea and interprets the idea into various words, then the receiver
decodes the message by understanding what the sender sent. After it is being interpreted the idea
then becomes a message and is being transmitted to the receiver. When the message reaches the
receiver through a channel which could be either oral, email or written, the sender then receives
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
4
feedback after the receiver reacts to the message. While we are going through this process, we also
must remember the effects it has on others. Related to the reading “it also involves questions of
ethics, the study of good and bad, of right and wrong, of moral and immoral. Ethics is concerned
with actions, with behaviors; it’s concerned with distinguishing between behaviors that are moral”
(DeVito, 2022).
Self-concept influences communication in many ways. As I was growing up, I was taught
to always strive for perfection because it was a level of accomplishment, it comes with admiration,
security, certainty, and a kind of assurance or safeguard against facing painful, frustrating, and
irritations of our day-to-day lives. Since I came to United States, I have always felt my
communication in English is different from my American peers, which at the times it made me feel
inferior because I never saw myself fitting or blending in. For me, perfectionism became a way to
mask about feelings of inferiority around my peers. Later, I realized my obsession of perfection
was getting out control, it took up most of my time, my mind, and left me still with feeling inferior.
It also created the feeling anxiety, depression, unworthiness, shame, guilt which led to several
unbalanced and unhealthy relationships with others. Eventually I realized looking from the outside
everyone is different you don’t have to fit in. Related to the reading my self-concept was impacting
my thinking of inferior. In the reading states self-concept means “You no doubt have an image of
who you are; It consists of your feelings and thoughts about your strengths and weaknesses, your
abilities and limitations, and your aspirations and worldview”. Self-concept also included social
comparisons: I was comparing myself to my peers how I thought I did not speak good English, so I
do not fit in. Culture teachings: I was always told perfectionism is a way to avoid problems. Selfawareness: I was blinded by my thinking. Self-esteem: I was feeling unworthiness shame and guilt.
Self-Destructive Beliefs: I thought I needed to fit in and please everyone on how I viewed the
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
5
world around me. I can improve my beliefs by first recognizing the role it has in my life and
examining if there is much truth to it. Also choosing something new to believe in, something that
will help me improve my thinking. I Am planning on taking action by implementing things that
support my new belief. I will be focusing on positive qualities, skills, and talents that I have. I will
Analyze myself as realistically as possible. I will Consider my communicative strengths, my
intellectual or educational strengths, and my personality strengths to overcome my belief.
Perception effects communication process because the same message can be interpreted
differently by different people. For example, my African clothes I wear symbolizes my culture and
history and it’s a constant reminder where I come from. It’s also important for me to represent my
country because of different tribes with their own languages and cultures. When I wear my
traditional it gives me a sense of belongingness to the nation, it represents national identity and
love for my country. It also gives me a feel of patriotism as well as connectivity in culture. But
other people’s perception may be different how they look at it. Some may say I am too prideful or
showing off. Others may make comments that are totally racist to my cultures. In conclusion the
way people perceive me may affect my interpersonal communication because some may not want
to talk to me based on their perception about my African clothes. Related to the reading the way
people dress also tells you little about that person which may or not make it easy to communicate
with them based on understanding the culture. It mentions “There’s no better preparation for
intercultural communication than learning about the other culture. Fortunately, there are numerous
sources to draw on.
Effective listening habits and skills are essential in communication. Being a good listener
is very important in interpersonal communication. The process of listening skills is hearing,
understanding, remembering, interpreting, evaluating, and responding. These steps are very
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
6
important in limiting listening problems like distractions, failure to focus, bias, judging too soon
and listening anxiety. I think I am a good, empathetic listener, but I am not perfect I often find
myself distracted by medium like my phone going off or a notification, TV being loud and people
actions around me. so, I have learned to silence my phone, turn off the TV and mostly I try to
ignore the distraction to be more effective listening.
Throughout my life I have often caught myself being generous and forgetting about my
own concerns. Recently while I was at work a friend of mine pulled me aside and said he wanted
to tell me about something, he asked me if I could go by his house after work. When I arrived at
the house, he opened up to me that his 10 year old daughter was diagnosed with cancer and he
has been missing work because of her doctors’ appointments. At that moment when I heard this,
I was emotionally sad, it was hard to imagine what it must feel like be told your daughter has
cancer. As we continued the conversation, he explained how he was stressed and having anxiety
that his daughter might die. The moment he finished talking my initial respond was, I am sorry
that you are going through this, I understand what you are going through. I know sometimes
things happen in life that we cannot explain why but only God knows. But I am here to support
you in this situation. One advice I can gave him to lessen stress was trusting in God, having faith
and hope for healing. I also said I will sure pray for your family that the treatment works to
restore your daughter’s health and if you need support, I am here for you anytime. After that I
said be strong while giving him a hug.
During the process of this conversation, I had to apply the skill of active listening and
emotional intelligence practice to understand his predicament and identify appropriate
interventions and support. First of getting his trust was very important to me. I listened keenly
without any interruption or question as he presented his daughter’s problem. I convey my
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
7
engagement in the conversation, I employed verbal and non-verbal cues of communication, such
as maintaining eye contact, nodding my head, and saying ‘mmhmm’ to encourage him to
continue. When he finished presenting his problem, I made it clear that working together, we will
be able to find an appropriate solution to lessen his stress. Therefore, I applied the principles of
active listening and emotional intelligence to understand the situation and establish a trustful
relationship that was instrumental for our friendship.
Some specific concepts that related to the reading is Listening which is defined as “the
process of receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating, and responding to verbal [spoken
or written] and/or nonverbal messages” (DeVito, 2022). As you notice in my conversation stage
one: I paid attention to hear what his was talking about which is receiving, stage two: I
understood his emotions how he was feeling at that moment, so I responded with emotional
sadness, stage three: during the conversations I was processing about how stressed he was which
is remembering, stage four: unconsciously I was evaluating how much anxiety he had in my
head. Stage five: When he was done talking, I responded by using verbal communication and
nonverbal cues. I also used polite listening: such as maintaining eye contact, nodding my head,
and saying ‘mmhmm’ to encourage him to continue.
Related to how I can use the reading concepts to improve my skills: before entering
college, I was exceedingly confident in my ability to be an active listen little did I know, there
was an abundant amount of information to be learned. From that I have realized I need to have
an open mind to allow myself to get new ideas promoting effective learning of various concepts
to acquire new knowledge about listening. It would be also good for me to learn to give others a
chance to air their views and opinions regarding a given concept no matter how knowledgeable I
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
8
may be in the given area rather than formulating immediate responses as a way of pride or
impressing others. I also need to have self-concept of my self-comparing myself to other peers.
In this class I have also realized there is more concepts I did not know about; I need to read and
understand the chapters to improve my skills. Also, the information I read need to be
implemented daily during my daily conversations
Language can create communication problems. Individuals can communicate, exchange
messages, express their feelings and influence other people through language. If languages are
not being understood between individuals it may cause misunderstanding. It simply shows the step
of decoding and interpreting won’t be applicable in this situation. For example, People in some
countries have a different way of greeting others and people having the same language may
speak in different dialects. Through my experience where I come from, we speak different
languages, and those languages make us have accents when it comes to speaking English. As a
foreign it’s our responsibility to learn skills that can improve our pronunciation of words so other
people can understand us. Related to the reading Culture and Listening means “In a global
environment in which people from very different cultures work together, it’s especially important
to understand the ways in which cultural differences can influence listening. Three such factors
may be singled out: (1) language and speech, (2) nonverbal behaviors, and (3) feedback.
Language and Speech” (DeVito, 2022)
For us to succeed in both personal and professional relationships it lies in your skills to
communicate well, it’s not the words that come out of your mouth but your nonverbal cues or
“body language” that speaks the most. Nonverbal language if it’s not used properly it can offend,
confuse, and undermine what message you are trying to convey. When faced with such mixed
signals, the listener must choose whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal message.
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
9
Through my experience my entire family genetically most of us have lazy eyes where it
seems like our eyes are closed but their open. I have practiced numerous times during my
conversations by opening my eyes a little wider and looking at the person directly, so they don’t
think I am sleeping. When I usually take professional pictures, I try to open my eyes more.
Also I tried the exercises by looking away and waiting to look at my cousin for a minute. I
learned it can make people upset. My cousin outcome was he stopped talking and said I was not
listening. Now I have realized eye contact is very important because If you avoid making eye
contact with a person, you might be considered to be distracted or even insulting. I know the
culture in Americans they may think I lack confidence or in some cases, I could be
untrustworthy.
Related to the reading: Eye Avoidance “can also signal lack of interest—in a person, a
conversation, or some visual stimulus”. (DeVito,2022)
I find it more interesting when the book mentioned “Pupil Dilation In the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries, Italian women used to put drops of belladonna (which literally means ‘beautiful
woman’ into their eyes to enlarge the pupils so that they would look more attractive. Research in
the field of pupillometrics supports the intuitive logic of these women: dilated pupils are in fact
judged more attractive than constricted ones (Hess, 1975; Marshall, 1983). In one study, for
example, photographs of women were retouched “(DeVito, 2022).
However, by improving how you understand and use nonverbal communication, you can
express what you really mean, connect better with others, and build stronger, more rewarding
relationships. Resolving problems caused by Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication all can help our
interpersonal communication, Intercultural communication, and Workplace communication. Each
type of solution is unique. Through my experience I use effective communication with friends
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
10
and family in social settings and over social media, as well as coworkers at work, and strangers I
meet day to day when I am running errands. In order to communicate effectively, I must be able
to use effective verbal and non-verbal communication into these encounters. There is also the
need to understand my interpersonal relationships and intercultural communication for others
around me. We all know communication is an essential part in one’s life; it plays a vital role in
everyday life. If we want to improve, we need to pay close attention to other people's nonverbal
behaviors and our own nonverbal behaviors. Here are things you can do: you can practice body
language such as facial expression, eye contact, touching, body posture, signal and tone in the
voice. This is important because my facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture shows how
I am feeling, verbal would be direct message, Avoid Intensional Orientation, Avoid Allness,
Inferences: Avoid Fact Inference Confusion Avoid Indiscrimination, Avoid Polarization
Polarization, Avoid Static Evaluation, and tone of voice can tell how I am responding.
Related to the concepts: Nonverbal Messages Help Manage Impressions “It is largely
through the nonverbal communications of others that you form impressions of them” (DeVito,
2022). This is a powerful tool in connecting myself with others and it will help me express what
I feel and mean. Nonverbal Messages Help Form Relationships “Much of your relationship life
is lived nonverbally. You communicate affection, support, and love, in part at least, nonverbally”
(DeVito, 2022). This is an important aspect on my job, with friends and with a significant other.
It will show how I listen, look and react while interacting with others; if my nonverbal is poor it
will make others uncomfortable, it may create tension, and confusion. Likewise, if I have good
nonverbal communication; it will help me establish trust and clarity.
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
11
As part of our culture, we’ve become increasingly sensitive to cultural differences. Since
people are able to travel all over the world society has moved from an assimilationist attitude to
cultural assimilation. This new kind of system as lead us to depend on each other because we
need to communicate to understand each other through political and economic status. Especially
technology has played a big role in advancing intercultural communication.
As I reflect on my experience on who I am and where I come from, I was met with the
task to learn the American culture. My parents are both African and I was born in Africa. Since I
came to the U.S I did not know many things about the culture even though I knew how to speak
English. I faced cultural sensitivity. It improved because I decided to learn about the culture and
to know more about the American way of life by taking a class. Within one year in America as a
foreigner I began to make friends and go places that gave me a chance to know more about my
new life in America and how to respect peoples culture and how to communicate.
The course reading applied to this situation because I did not make assumption when I
first got here, if I did, I would have been in trouble. The reading states the elements of
Interpersonal Communication: do not to make assumptions because “people from different
cultures often attribute different meanings to a message; members of different cultures also
follow different rules for what is and is not appropriate in interpersonal communication.”
(DeVito, 2022). Also, the reading states concept of personal benefit: meaning “Your personal
success and happiness depend largely on your effectiveness as an interpersonal communicator.
Close friendships and romantic relationships are developed, maintained, and sometimes
destroyed largely through your interpersonal interactions. Likewise, the success of your family
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
12
relationships depends heavily on the interpersonal communication among members.”
(DeVito,2022).
Interpersonal communication is an essential practice that allows people of different
groups to interact and exchange meaningful information through communication processes of
skills. These skills may include feelings, verbal, and nonverbal messages.
The interpersonal communication class has allowed me thoroughly to engage and see
insightful information. I have been able to identify skills involved in interpersonal
communication that allow people to improve in their interaction on a personal and professional
level. I have understood the basics skills required to communicate listening, verbal, non-verbal
skills successfully. This information I learned is important for future development and personal
growth. During this entire period, I kept on practicing all the activities that were part of class,
and homework assignments that reflected on my life experience that have happened to me.
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
13
reference
DeVito, J. A. (2022). The Interpersonal Communication book, University of New York,
Pearson
Rivers, Dense (2012). The Seven Challenges Workbook,
http://newconversations.net/communication-skills-workbook/expressing-yourself-more-clearlyand-completly/
Cuddy, A (2012). Your Body Language may shape who you are, TED Global
https/www.ted.com/task/amy-cuddy-your-body-language-may-shape-who-you-are
Blatner, Adam (2002), More About Nonverbal Communications
http://www.blatner.com/adam/levels/nverb2.htm
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
14
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
15
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
16
Footnotes
1
[Add footnotes, if any, on their own page following references. For APA formatting
requirements, it’s easy to just type your own footnote references and notes. To format a footnote
reference, select the number and then, on the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, click Footnote
Reference. The body of a footnote, such as this example, uses the Normal text style. (Note: If
you delete this sample footnote, don’t forget to delete its in-text reference as well. That’s at the
end of the sample Heading 2 paragraph on the first page of body content in this template.)]
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
17
Tables
Table 1
[Table Title]
Column Head
Row Head
Row Head
Row Head
Row Head
Row Head
Row Head
Column Head
123
456
789
123
456
789
Column Head
123
456
789
123
456
789
Column Head
123
456
789
123
456
789
Column Head
123
456
789
123
456
789
Note: [Place all tables for your paper in a tables section, following references (and, if applicable,
footnotes). Start a new page for each table, include a table number and table title for each, as
shown on this page. All explanatory text appears in a table note that follows the table, such as
this one. Use the Table/Figure style, available on the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, to get the
spacing between table and note. Tables in APA format can use single or 1.5 line spacing.
Include a heading for every row and column, even if the content seems obvious. A default table
style has been setup for this template that fits APA guidelines. To insert a table, on the Insert tab,
click Table.]
CORE ASSESSMENT REPORT
18
Figures title:
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Category 1
Category 2
Series 1
Category 3
Series 2
Category 4
Series 3
Figure 1. [Include all figures in their own section, following references (and footnotes and tables,
if applicable). Include a numbered caption for each figure. Use the Table/Figure style for easy
spacing between figure and caption.]
For more information about all elements of APA formatting, please consult the APA Style
Manual, 6th Edition.