Foundations of Interpersonal Communication

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Chapter 8

• Foundations of Interpersonal Communication

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Interpersonal Climate

• The overall feeling between people that arises
  largely out of the ways people communicate with
  each other

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Self-disclosure

• Revealing personal information about ourselves
  that others are unlikely to discover on their own

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The Johari Window
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Self-disclosure and Closeness

• Should take place gradually and with caution
• Disclosures are more frequent early in
  relationships
• Fosters trust and comfort
• When closeness declines, so do disclosures

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Levels of Confirmation and Disconfirmation

• Recognition
• Acknowledgment
• Endorsement

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Defensive and Supportive Climates

• Defensive
• evaluation
• certainty
• strategy
• control
• neutrality
• superiority

• Supportive
• description
• provisionalism
• spontaneity
• problem orientation
• empathy
• equality

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Evaluation versus Description

• Description
• describe behavior without judgment
• I language
• This report doesnt include background
  information.

• Evaluation
• judgments, value terms
• You language
• This report is poorly done.

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Certainty versus Provisionalism

• Provisionalism
• tentativeness
• open to other points of view
• Perhaps you should look a little more before you
  settle for a boat that expensive.

• Certainty
• absolute, dogmatic
• ethnocentrism
• Youre making a big mistake by purchasing that
  boat.

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Strategy versus Spontaneity

• Strategy
• pre-planned goal, hidden agenda
• manipulation
• Remember when I helped you with your math last
  term?

• Spontaneity
• open, honest, uncontrived
• I really need your help with this computer
  glitch

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Control versus Problem Orientation

• Problem orientation
• find answers that satisfy everyone
• Is there anything you can do differently so that
  you get home on time?

• Control
• dominance
• If you come home late again, youre grounded.

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Neutrality versus Empathy

• Neutrality
• lack of concern
• detached, withdrawn
• I don't care what your problems are, get this
  job done by the end of the day.

• Empathy
• involved
• seeks understanding
• What difficulties would you encounter if you
  tried to complete this job today?

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Superiority versus Equality

• Superiority
• one up attitude
• Eat everything on your plate because Im the mom
  and I say so.

• Equality
• respect
• equivalent status
• Perhaps we have a problem here can we work it
  out?

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Conflict

• Conflict exits when people who depend on each
  other have different views, interests, or goals
  and perceive their differences as incompatible

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Conflict in Relationships

• Conflict may be overt or covert
• overt
• People express differences in a straightforward
  manner
• covert
• Partners deny or camouflage disagreement or anger
  and express it indirectly

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Conflict in Relationships (contd)

• Conflict may be managed well or poorly
• Conflicts of interest
• Conflict orientation
• Conflict responses
• Conflict outcomes

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The Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect Model
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Conflict in Relationships (contd)

• Conflict reflects and expresses cultures and
  social communities
• Conflict may be good for individuals and
  relationships

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Sustaining Healthy Climates

• Actively use communication to shape climates
• Accept and confirm others
• Accept and confirm yourself
• Self-disclose when appropriate
• Respect diversity in relationships
• closeness in dialogue
• closeness in the doing

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Websites

• Businessballs.com The Johari Window
• Interpersonal Communication Rubric
• The Online Journal of Peace and Conflict
  Resolution
• MentalHealth.net Assertiveness Training

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More Websites

• FAQS About Workplace Conflict
• Centre for Conflict Resolution International
• Communicating With and About People with
  Disabilities
• U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability
  Employment Policy

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Video
Cloudy Climate
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