Name of Module
The Psychology of Interpersonal Communication
Module Code
KOMPe
ECTSCredits
Module Type
Contact-hours
Term
3
3
Language of Instruction:
English
Module Level
advanced
Total amount of work
90 hours
Full-Time Study: 4th semester
Part-Time Study: 6th semester
Lecturer Responsible Dr. Esther Giger Robinson
Lecturer Team
Methods of Teaching
and Learning

Presentations

Class discussions

Group work

Role-plays
Aim
FHS graduates apply a variety of communication skills in a differentiated way
and in accordance with the requirements of specific situations, and they are
acquainted with the theoretical foundations of these skills. As managers, they
are thus able to deal adequately with the complex challenges of interpersonal
communication in the business environment.
Module Target /
Learning Target
(Competencies)
Professional Competencies:
- to be familiar with the key concepts, terms and axioms of interpersonal
communication
- to be acquainted with important psychological aspects of communication
processes (dimensions of the self, processes of perception, the ego-states
model)
Method Competencies:
- to analyze typical communication processes, both formal and informal, on the
basis of a sound theoretical framework
- to apply crucial communication techniques (e.g. conversation management,
active listening) effectively and in a differentiated way, i.e. in accordance with
the requirements of a specific situation
- to react to dysfunctional communication processes in an appropriate way
Self Competencies:
- to develop a sense of interpersonal communication as a continuous learning
process
- to make more reasoned, more reasonable and more effective communication
decisions.
Module Content/
Learning Content
Topics/Learning Block I:
- Images of human nature and their role in management and communication
processes
- Key terms and axioms of interpersonal communication
- Dimensions of the self in interpersonal communication: self-concept, selfawareness (the Johari window), self-esteem, self-disclosure
- Communication apprehension
- Stages of perception: stimulation, organization, interpretation-evaluation,
memory, recall
- Perceptual processes: implicit personality theory, perceptual accentuation,
primacy-recency, consistency, stereotyping, attribution
- Increasing accuracy in interpersonal perception
- Transactional Analysis: The ego-states model (PAC), reciprocal, crossed and
duplex/covert transactions, strokes
Topics/Learning Block II:
- The creation of "meaning": content and relationship, approximation, context
- Messages and their characteristics: abstraction, inclusion, directness,
assertiveness
- Key issues in verbal communication: intentional orientation, allness, factinference confusion, indiscrimination, polarization, static evaluation,
confirmation
- Stages and styles of listening: empathic and objective listening, surface and
depth listening, active and inactive listening
- Culture, gender and listening
- Feedback (1)
Topics/Learning Block III:
- Stages in the conversation process: opening, feedforward, substance,
feedback, closing
- Conversation management: initiating, maintaining, closing
- Conversational problems: prevention and repair
- Managing important conversations in the workplace
- Conducting successful negotiations
Topics/Learning Block IV
- Formal and informal communication in organisations
- Case study in informal communication: rumors
- The concept of "power"
- Types of power: referent power, legitimate power, expert power, information or
persuasion power, reward and coercive power
- The role of nonverbal communication: body communication, paralanguage
and silence, spatial messages, artifactual communication, temporal
communication
Module Structure
Contact Hours (33h)
Gradation of Self-Study:
A guided self-study contains:
- Supervision of projects
related to practice (weekly
meetings)
- Consultation hour with
personal contact
- Moderation of discussion
forum (E-Learning
Platform)
- Supervision of term paper
Self-Study (56h)
- Homework and assignments
Self-Study contains:
- Homework
- Studying literature
Teaching material
- Coursebook: DeVito, J. (2006). The Interpersonal Communication Book (11th
ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Supplementary material:
- Baney, J. (2004). Guide to Interpersonal Communication. Boston: Pearson.
- Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S. J. & and Redmond, M. (2004). Interpersonal
Communication (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
- Disbrow, L.M. (2004). Video Workshop Interpersonal Communication. (CDROM). Boston: Pearson.
- Harvard Business Essentials: Negotiation. (2003). Boston, Mass.: Harvard
Business School.
- Hintermann, J. (2005). Lust auf Kommunikation. Zürich: Versus.
- Kälin, K. & Müri, P. (1993). Sich und andere führen. Psychologie für
Fhrungskräfte und Mitarbeiter (7. Auflage). Thun: Ott Verlag.
- Kühne, J. (undated). Kommunikationspsychologie. FHS St. Gallen.
- Schulz von Thun, F. (2004). Miteinander reden. Störungen und Klärungen.
(40. Auflage). Reinbek: Rowohlt.
- Schulz von Thun, F., Ruppel, J. & Stratmann, R. (2004). Miteinander reden.
Kommunikationspsychologie für Führungskräfte. Reinbek: Rowohlt.
- Steiger, Th. & Lippmann, E. (Hrsg.). (2003). Handbuch angewandte
Psychologie für Führungskräfte (2. Aufl.). Berlin: Springer.
Module
Requirements
Efficiency Rating/
Certificate
Requirements
Accessing Modules
Written examination (90 minutes)