Interpersonal communication
Answer questions please
Interpersonal communication
Discussion Prompt #1
Online communication allows
people the ability to create new
identities. People can switch
genders, race, age, etc. since the
visual and auditory cues used in
face-to-face encounters are not
used. Do you think this practice
is helpful, harmful, or both to
people’s self-concept? Does it
create ethical issues when
presenting oneself as something
they are not? Why or why not?
What might be some reasons
people do this? How could this
be both useful and not useful?
Discussion Prompt #2
Find a popular magazine and
identify examples of the
generalized other’s perspective.
How does the media define
desirable women and men? How
is that different than what
“regular” people define as
desirable? Analyze the messages
and how society responds to
them. What impact does this
have on our relationships?
2. Discussion Prompt #1
Identify and discuss an example
of self-serving bias in a
workplace. Describe how you
engaged in self-serving bias to
explain your own or a co-
worker’s behavior, or how a co-
worker engaged in self-serving
bias in explaining your or their
behavior. How did this impact the
situation and the relationship?
Discussion Prompt #2
Analyze the attributional patterns
you use to explain a mean or
disappointing behavior by a good
friend and by someone whom
you do not like. Analyze how
differences in your feelings about
the two individuals affect your
attributional tendencies.
3. Discussion Prompt #1
Identify and define at least one
regulative and constitutive rule
for interacting in face-to-face
situations, and one of each type
of rule when communicating over
e-mail. Discuss how you learned
each of these rules. What
happens if these rules are not
followed?
Discussion Prompt #2
Describe verbal communication
between you and a close friend
or romantic partner of the other
sex. How do you both follow the
gender patterns for your
respective gender? How do
gender stereotypes factor into
this interaction?
4. Discussion Prompt #1
Consider three different friends
that you have and discuss their
physical appearance. Does their
physical appearance affect their
personality? Are there certain
things about their physical
appearance that cause others to
stereotype them or prejudge
them? If they went to a different
country, how would people view
them?
Discussion Prompt #2
Look around your office or
bedroom. How would you analyze
the artifacts and environment?
What do you these nonverbal say
about who you are? How do
these items impact your feelings
of comfort, identity and security?
How would it be different if all of
these things disappeared?
5. Discussion Prompt #1
Analyze your own listening
effectiveness. Using the textbook
to guide you, analyze your
strengths and weaknesses in
terms of the text’s guidelines for
effective informational listening
and effective relational listening.
Identify two listening skills you
would like to improve and
describe how you plan to develop
greater competence in each.
Discussion Prompt #2
Effective listening varies
according to listening purposes
and people with whom we
interact. Explain how we adapt
styles and behaviors of listening
to diverse situations and
individuals. Use the textbook for
definitions and supporting
material.
6. Discussion Prompt #1
Consider how conflict can be
detrimental and/or beneficial to a
relationship. Give examples and
how it applies to the basic
principle of conflict.
Discussion Prompt #2
Consider a friendship that you
sustain over long distances. What
technologies (e.g., phone, e-mail,
e-Cards, web pages, chat rooms,
video phones, etc.) do you use to
sustain this relationship? Do you
use different technologies for
different kinds of communication
activities?
7. Discussion Prompt #1
Consider the four guidelines for
effective communication in
families. Discuss how you have
used or not used each of these
guidelines in your family.
Discussion Prompt #2
Watch a television show about a
family. Describe how your family
is different from the television
show that you watch. Relate it
terms that were discussed in the
book.