Mt. San Jacinto College, Temecula Campus

Communication 103 Spring 2017 Interpersonal Communication Mt. San Jacinto College, Temecula Campus

Instructor: Dr. Michele Weber Email: [email protected] Meeting times: TTh 6:00 – 8:50PM Location: TEC 211 Website: www.micheleweber.homestead.com

Text: Adler, R.B.; Rosenfeld, L.B. & Proctor, R.F. (2014) Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication. Oxford University Press. (13th edition)

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:  To introduce students to the basic concepts, theories and processes of Interpersonal Communication  To increase the students understanding of communication skills  To teach students to apply communication skills to their own interpersonal skills  To allow students the opportunity to exercise these new communication skills within the classroom setting  To teach students to analyze different forms of interpersonal communication and formulate strategies for changing them

Policies and Procedures

 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 blue tooth devices upon entry into the classroom.  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 100 pts Final Exam 100 pts Journal 250 pts Presentation 150 pts Application Paper 100 pts Self Concept Bag 50pts Movie Analysis 50pts Participation 100 pts

Total Points 950 pts

Grade Scale

855 – 950 A 760 – 854 B 665 – 759 C 570 – 664 D

Below 570 F

Assignments:

Examinations: There will be two exams for this class: midterm and final. Exams will be objective true / false, 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.

Academic Support is available for all students through the services provided in each campus Learning Resources Centers. Inquire at each center regarding hours of operations and specific subjects for which tutors are available. In addition, some subject area specialist tutors are available for courses through specific departments. Ask your instructor if specialized tutors are available for your individual course.

"Mt. San Jacinto College abides by the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits federal and state agencies or programs from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities. Students in this course who have a documented disability, that limits a major life activity which may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations should meet with a counselor in Disabled Student Services and Program (DSP&S) as soon as possible. Class Schedule

Date Activity Assignment

Tue Jan 17 Introduction to course Chapter 1 Introductions to each other

Thurs Jan 19 The Communication Process Chapter #2 Culture and Communication Journal Entry #1

Tue Jan 24 Culture and Culture Film Chapter 3

Thurs Jan 26 Self – Concept Journal entry #2 Chapter 4

Tue Jan 31 Perception Chapter 5 Analysis Journal entry #3

Thurs Feb 2 Language Chapter 6 Analysis Journal Entry #4

Tue Feb 7 Non Verbal Communication Journal Entry #5

Journals 1-5 are due

Thurs Feb 9 Midterm Exam

Tue Feb 14 Listening Read Chapter 8

Journal Entry #6 Thurs Feb 16 Emotions Chapter 9

Journal Entry #7

Tue Feb 21 Dynamics of relationships Chapter 10, 11 Intimacy and Distance in Relationships Journal Entry #9 Assign group project and begin work on project

Thurs Feb 23 Communication Climates Read Chapter 12

Journal Entry #10 Tue Feb 28 Conflict *Analysis Paper due

Thurs Mar 2 Group Presentation Meeting Day and any wrap up

Tue Mar 7 Group Presentations *Journals due

Thurs Mar 9 Final Exam 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 self- disclose (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.