Spring 2015
San Bernardino Valley College
Instructor: Dr. Michele Weber
Email: mweber@valleycollege.edu
website: www.micheleweber.homestead.com
Meeting times: Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00am
Location: HLN 141
Office Hours: by appointment
Text:
Adler, R.B.; Rosenfeld, L.B. & Proctor, R.F. (2012) Interplay: The process of interpersonal
communication. Oxford University Press. Twelfth .
Course Description:
This course will examine the dynamics interpersonal communication within relationships. The
focus of the course will be on learning and practicing skills which are needed to help improve the
quality of interpersonal communication. This class is designed to help you improve your
interpersonal skills. The class is very skills oriented and will emphasize learning though
experiences.
Course Objectives:
Upon satisfactory completion of the course students should be able to:
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Evaluate the effectiveness of their own communication skills
Apply effective communication skills in specific situations
Analyze theories and research on interpersonal communication
Recognize the influence of personal variables (self-concept, perception, emotions)
on their communication behavior
Compare and contrast effective vs. ineffective conflict management principles
Compare and contrast supportive vs. defensive communication climates and styles
Recognize the influence of culture and gender on their interpersonal
communication patterns
Develop and deliver effective oral presentations that demonstrate appropriate
rhetorical principles
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the concepts and theories of
interpersonal communication by evaluating their own communication patterns and
making changes to improve their personal relationships when needed as described in their
personal journals and or paper assignments.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the influence of personal
variables such as self-concept, perception, emotions, conflict, climates, culture,
and gender that impacts their communication behavior by developing and
delivering an effective presentation.
Policies and Procedures
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Because “active participation” is essential and is an integral part of your grade you
will be required to come to class ready to discuss reading assignments and to
participate in other class activities. These activities will include lecture and
discussion, group work, presentations and other in class assignments.
Examinations must occur on the day assigned. Make-ups will only be given in
the case of excused absences, such as a verifiable illness.
Attendance is mandatory. Each student is allowed one absence without
participation points being deducted. If you miss a class you risk missing important
information and assignments. I discourage tardiness, however if you are late for
class, do not walk in while a presentation is being given.
All assignments must be typed and proofread for errors. Grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and writing style are all important components of written assignments.
Follow standard APA and MLA guidelines.
All assignments are due on the day assigned. An excused absence is the only
exception. Excused absences are defined as verifiable illness, funeral, wedding, jury
duty, emergency, etc. Any other late assignments will receive a 20% deduction off
the total. It is your responsibility to keep me informed.
Please turn off all cell phones and iPods upon entry into the classroom. At least
have your devices set to silent so you do not disturb the class.
You are expected to provide original work. Any plagiarism will result in an automatic
“F” in this course. Plagiarism is the improper use, or failure to attribute, another
person’s writing or ideas. Please give credit where credit is due to all the sources
you use. Also, keep in mind that any cheating, or copying of another person’s exam,
or paper will not be tolerated.
Please show courtesy and respect for others. This is especially true while someone
is giving sharing their ideas. We may not always agree with someone else’s
perspective or interpretation of information.
Note: To receive GE credit for this course, a semester grade of “C” or better must be
earned.
Grade breakdown: Your grade is based on the number of points you accumulate
out of the total possible
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Journal s
Presentation
Application Paper
Self Concept Bag
Short Movie Analysis
Participation
100 pts
100 pts
250 pts
150 pts
100 pts
50 pts
50 pts
150 pts
Total Points
950 pts
Grade Scale
855 – 950
760 – 854
665 – 759
570 – 664
A
B
C
D
Below 570
F
Assignments:
Examinations: There will be two exams for this class: midterm and final. The midterm will
cover chapters 1-6. The final will cover chapters 7-12. Exams will be multiple choice. You
will need a Scantron 882. Each exam will cover reading, in class activities and lecture.
Journal: Journals are a means to provide self-reflection. Journal writing will serve two
purposes. The first purpose will be to respond to communication skills. The second will be
to respond to various topics. There will be 10 journal entries with each entry being worth 25
points. The journals will be collected twice throughout the semester for grading. It is very
important that you stay current with your journal writings. Late journal entries will be
penalized.
Presentation: You and a partner will be responsible for delivering a 10 to 15 minute
presentation. Your presentation will need to cover a communication principle in depth. Be
creative on this one and make the presentation fun, interesting and meaningful to the class.
Your presentation will then be graded on the quality of information presented as well as the
style of the presentation. You will be responsible for turning in an outline on the day of the
presentation. You will also be required to turn in an evaluation of your partner to me after
your presentation is complete.
Application Paper: This will be a research paper which will cover a topic which we have
discussed in class. I will hand out a list of topics you can use; however you can choose
something else, just run it by me first. This paper should provide insight and application into
the area of communication. The relevancy of the paper should be how we can apply these
principles or concepts to everyday life. The paper will be a 5-7 page double spaced paper,
with a minimum of seven sources in your bibliography. Citations should follow standard
MLA or APA format.
Participation: This class is very experiential. You must be present to experience the in
class assignments. You must understand that due to our accelerated schedule, attendance
is an important part of this class. If you miss class you risk missing important assignments
or skills which the class is working on. Simply attending class however will not be enough to
receive full participation points. Class participation points will be made up of attendance,
active involvement in class, homework assignments, and in class assignments. Please be
on time to class as well.
Class Schedule
Date
Activity
Tue Jan 13
Introduction to course
Introductions to each other
Chapter #1
The Communication Process
Intro to Interpersonal Relationships
Journal Entry #1
Tue Jan 20
Activities on Comm Process
Chapter #2
Thurs Jan 22
Culture and Interpersonal Comm
Tue Jan 27
Culture Activities
Movie Culture
Thurs Jan 29
Movie Culture Part II
Assign Self Concept bag
Tue Feb 3
Self – concept
Thurs Feb 5
Self Concept bag is due
Tue Feb10
Perception
Thurs Feb12
Perception / Pillow Method of Empathy
Tues Feb 17
Perception
Thurs Feb 19
Language
Tue Feb 24
Exercises on Language
Chapter #6
Thurs Feb 26
Non Verbal Communication
Journal Entry #5
Thurs Jan 15
Assignment
Chapter #3
Journal Entry #2
Chapter #4
Journal entry #3
Chapter #5
Journal Entry#4
Tue March 3
Nonverbal Communication Excercise
Thurs March 5
Review for Midterm exam
Tue March 10
Midterm Exam
Thurs March 12
Journals 1-5 are due
Chapter #7
Listening
*Assign Application Paper
Spring Break March 16 – 20th
Journal Entry #6
Tue March 24
More on Listening
Chapter #8
Thurs March 26
Emotions
Journal Entry #7
Chapter #9
Tue March 31
Dynamics of Relationships
Chapter #10
Thurs April 2
Intimacy and Distance in Relationships
Tue April 7
More on Relationships / Assign Group Project Chapter #11
Journal Entry #8
Thurs April 9
Communication Climates
Tue April 14
Communication Climates
Thurs April 16
Conflict
Tue April 21
Movie Relationships, Climates and Conflict
Application Paper is Due
Thurs April 23
movie continued
Tue April 28
Group Meeting Day
Thurs April 30
Group Presentations
Tue May 5
Group Presentations
Thurs May 7
Group Presentations
Tue May 12
Review for Final Exam
Chapter #12
Journal Entry #9
Journal Entry #10
*Journals Due
Week of May 15 – 21st Final Exams
Please check Final Exam Schedule on the Valley College Website
Journal Entry Assignments
Instructions:
Use some type of notebook or blue book for your entries. All of your journal
entries can be hand written, however they should be free of spelling and
grammatical errors and easy to read. It is recommended that you keep up with
all of your journal entries as we go through each section. This is important for
two reasons: First, you will have the ideas or concepts we discussed in class
fresh in your mind, therefore making it easier to respond. Second, I will be
collecting the journals twice during the semester for grading.
Entry #1: Interpersonal Communication (personal assessment)
Think about communication competence and your communication skills. In a
couple of paragraphs “What do you consider your two or three most significant
strengths in the area of communication? Share some examples why you
consider these to be strengths. Identify one or two significant weaknesses.
Why do you consider these to be problem areas?
Now come up with three to five goals (related to interpersonal communication)
which you would like to set for yourself this semester. What is one specific thing
that you could do now in order to reach one of these goals?
Entry #2: Self-fulfilling Prophecy
Evaluate two incidents in which self-fulfilling prophecies you have imposed on
yourself have affected communication. Describe how each one of these
predictions shaped your behavior. Describe how you might have behaved
differently if you had made a different prediction.
Now describe two incidents in which you imposed self-fulfilling prophecies on
others. What effect did your prediction have on these people’s actions?
Entry #3: Perception Checking
In at least two situations this week in which you think perception checking will be
appropriate, try using this skill with others. The skill of perception checking
consists of:
1. A description of the behavior your noted
2. Two possible interpretations of that behavior
3. A request for feedback as to the correct interpretation of the behavior.
In your journal, describe the situation(s), discuss why you thought perception
checking was appropriate in the situations, and reflect on how perception
checking influenced the quality of your communication.
Entry #4: Language
1. Identify and provide specific examples of times in your interpersonal
relationships when choice of language led to either positive or negative
results. For each situation, cite the person involved, the place of the
occurrence, the situation and the language use.
2. After this identify the type of language problem (equivocal language,
relative words, euphemisms, static evaluation, etc…) and explain the
results of each incident.
3. How did language play a pivotal role in these experiences? (be sure to
illustrate a different type of language problem for each)
Entry #5: Nonverbal
Provide personal examples (10 total) of how you have used each of the types
of nonverbal communication as discussed in the textbook. The elements that
should be included are: face and eyes, kinesics, touch, paralanguage,
proxemics, territory, chronemics, physical attractiveness, clothing, and
environment. These examples should reflect specific incidents, not just
generalities.
Next, based on the examples you have provided as well as comments made
by others about your nonverbal communication, how do you rate yourself in
regards to frequency (how often you use nonverbal cues), awareness (are
you aware of yourself and others nonverbal behavior)? Be specific and
provide examples.
Entry #6 Listening
1. The text book discusses different types of ineffective listening. Which two
are you most likely to participate? Share examples of each. What would
you do differently in each situation?
2. If you could pick a “model” of a good listener what who would it be?
Why? What makes this person an effective listener??
Entry #7: Emotions
1. Relate four incidents in which you experience communication related
debilitative emotions. These can be either mild or extreme (ex. Getting
ready for a job interview, presentation, etc.)
2. For each incident record the self talk that led to the emotion experienced
(ex. “I’m not ready for this test” or “I’m going to blow this interview.”
3. Identify the fallacy that relates to the self talk recorded (ex. Catastrophic
expectations, over generalization, helplessness, etc…)
4. Provide conclusions for each incident.
Entry #8: Relationships
Consider on of your most important relationships. Begin by identifying the
individual and briefly describing the relationship. Then, use the principles in
the chapters to analyze this relationship.
1. Consider the variables of why we form relationships (attraction, similarity,
complementarily, proximity, etc.) How did these variables function in the
beginning of your relationship? How do the variables function now that you
have a more established relationship?
2. Discuss your relationship in terms of Knapp’s stages of Coming Together /
Apart. How did you move from one stage to another? Where are you now?
What tells you this?
3. How do the dialectical tensions function in this relationship? Give at least
two specific examples and describe how you managed the tension?
4. What role does self-disclosure play in this relationship? Why do you selfdisclose (ch 10) What benefits have you found in self-disclosure in this
relationship? How important is honesty in this relationship? Do you ever use
“alternatives” to self-disclosure (white lies, equivocation, hinting?) What are
the results of such behavior? Give specific examples.
5. How would you describe the “social penetration” of this relationship?
6. What is your satisfaction in the relationship? What could / should be
changed? What is your prediction for the future?
Entry #9 responding non-defensively
When we perceive that others are attacking our self-concept we tend to
respond defensively. Responding defensively often lowers the quality of
communication. During this next week when you find yourself feeling
defensive, stop and consciously decide to respond non defensively. In your
journal respond to the following:
1. First, describe two situations in which you tried to respond non defensively
and what you did to be non defensive.
2. Analyze the influence of the use of this skill on the quality of
communication which occurred.
Entry #10 Conflict
1. During the next week, consciously try to use the skills for managing
conflict constructively in at least one conflict situation you are involved in.
Describe the situation, how you tried to manage it constructively, and the
influence your skill had on the quality of the communication. Remember to use
one of the conflict management skills discussed in class.