Comm Final!

mood

the emotional tone of a relationship between two people.

levels of interpersonal confirmation

recognition, endorsement, acknowledgement

interpersonal confirmation

the expressed valuing of another person

certainty communication

proclaiming absolutely correct position: "Janet says to Scott, 'There's no point in talking about this any further. I'm not going to change my mind.'

ethnocentrism

form of certainty language that assumes our culture and its norms are the only right ones.

provisionalism

signaling openness to other points of view while recognizing that people from different cultures differ in thoughts, actions, and values.

cultural relativism

recognizing that cultures vary in how they think and behave as well as in what they believe and value

control

a type of communication that promotes defensiveness

claiming superiority of the speaker

I really know a lot more about this than you do, so you should listen to me.

conflict between people in relationships

conflict is a sign that people are involved and matter to each other
conflict may be over or covert
conflict may be managed well or managed poorly

over conflict

conflict expressed directly and in a straightforward manner

covert conflict

conflict that is expressed indirectly; generally more difficult to manage constructively than overt conflict

Kimberly is irritated that Julia left and borrowed her sweater without asking. Kimberly then plays the stereo loudly when Julia is trying to talk on the phone.

covert conflict example

lose-lose conflict orientation

Samantha says, "Arguments are terrible. I believe nobody can win when conflict breaks out.

win-lose conflict orientation

Shenika says, "I don't like to lose arguments. The way I figure it, when you have a disagreement there can be only one winner.

loyalty

The response to conflict that involves staying committed to a relationship despite differences.

assertive communication

communication that expresses the speaker's feelings without disparaging anyone else.

aggressive communication

communication that occurs when one person puts herself or himself ahead of others or derides others' thoughts, feelings, goals, or actions.

Guidelines for creating and sustaining healthy communication climates:

accepting and confirming others, affirming and asserting yourself, respecting diversity among people, and timing conflict effectively.

bracketing

marking off peripheral issues for later discussion

communication behavior contributing to a disconfirming climate

silence

descriptive communication

The other group members seemed alarmed when you knocked over your chair and began cursing" (describe behaviors without passing judgement).

strategy

communication that aims at manipulating a person or group for the benefit of the person manipulating.

interpersonal conflict components

perceived incompatibility of goals or interests, interdependence, personal orientations toward conflict destructive or constructive response
(NOT third party interventions)

deferential communication

I need this report today, but if you can't get it done, that all right

culture

a system of ideas, values, beliefs, customs, and language that is passed from one generation to the next and sustains a particular way of life

individualistic

the type of cultures in which people act relatively independent of others in the culture

collectivist culture members

think of themselves more as part of a group

low-context

the type of communication style used by individualistic cultures which are very explicit, detailed, and precise

high-context

the type of communication style used by collectivist cultures which is indirect and undetailed conveying meanings implicitly than explicitly.

standpoint

the political awareness of social, symbolic, and material practices of a social group that shape its members' perspectives and communication processes

standpoint theory

the idea that any culture includes a number of social groups with distinct perceptions, identities, and ways of interacting

nonverbal communication expressing culture

portrait of George Washington in a grade school classroom
a statue of Benjamin Franklin in front of the town library

masculine communication culture

culture or co-culture that favors competitiveness in interaction, limited emotional responsiveness, and a focus on accomplishing instrumental goals.

collaborative

management style favored by many women

men socialized in masculine communities (spartans)

are competitive,
build friendships by doing things together,
prefer jokes that include aggression and sexual references,
focus talk on solving problems or getting things done

ethnocentrism

the tendency to regard our culture and our way of like as normal and superior to other people and other ways of life.

resistance

Maggie is very nervous around devout Muslims. She thinks they don't belong in the U.S. and never tries to make any conversation with Muslims she comes across.

understanding

Phil attends a party being help in honor of a visitor from Great Britain. Phil notices that the visitor doesn't stand very close to those who are talking to her. Phil doesn't assume that the visitor is being rude or unfriendly' instead he wonders how pers

tolerance

I don't approve of the gay lifestyle, but I can accept it

avoid self-promotion

in a culture that emphasizes collective well-being

the importance of adapting communication to various cultures and social communities

reflected in our ability to accurately interpret nonverbal messages and negotiate effectively with people of varied backgrounds.

learn our culture's perspectives and rules by

learning our language through observing and interacting with others

social communities

groups of people who live within a dominant culture yet also belong to another group that is distinct from the mainstream culture

resistance

rejecting the beliefs of particular cultures or social communities

code switching

bilingual; being able to understand more than one group's ways of using language such as what is practiced by many Asian, Mexican Americans or lesbians, gay men and members of other groups that are simultaneously part of a dominant and a minority culture.

multilingual

ability to speak and understand more than one language or more than one group's way of using language.

social relationships

relationships which are governed more by what we do than who we are.

commitment

making a decision to remain with a relationship

relationship embedded in contexts

the surrounding influence the interactions between the partners in the relationship

relationship dialectics

the opposing and continuous tensions found in a personal relationships.

autonomy/connection

dialectic that involves the desires to be separate, on one hand and to be connected on the other. Tension created.

novelty/predictability

the opposition of the desire for familiar routines and the desire for novelty

openness/closedness

dialectic involving the desire for openness in tension with the desire for privacy.

neutralization

negotiates a balance between the opposing dialectical forces. EX: Bob ad Patina

turning point

moves a relationship toward or away from intimacy. EX: Dan asks sarah to meet parents

coping

the stage in a interracial relationship in which the couple struggles with external pressures

two greatest influences on initial attraction in romantic relationships

proximity and similarity

agape (love)

selfless love where a beloved's happiness is more important than one's own. EX: single mom Michelle

eros

style of love that is passionate, intense, and fast moving

storge

style of love: comfortable, "best friends

ludus

playful style of love even manipulative

mania

unsettling style of loving marked by emotional extremes.

navigating

the process of communication that aims at sustaining intimacy in romantic relationships in the face of changes within the partners and the surrounding context.

relationship culture

the private understandings, rules, and meanings that couples develop to define who they are.

equity

theory that people are happier and more satisfied with balanced and equal relationships than unbalanced and unequal ones.

constitutive rules

define how to interpret communication

regulative rules

govern interaction by specifying when with whom to engage in various kinds on communication

team

a special kind of group characterized by different and complementary resources of members and by a strong sense of collective identity

group

3 or more people who interact over time, depend on one another, and follow shared rules of conduct to reach a common goal.

project team

consists of people who have expertise related to different facets of a project and who combine their knowledge and skills to accomplish a common goal

advisory group

group that exists to provide information and recommendations to an executive who makes the actual decisions

quality improvement team

a group of employees that generates suggestions for improving operations at a company

significant potential disadvantages of group discussion

conformity pressures and time required

group discussion advantages

greater creativity, greater commitment to decisions made, greater resources on which to draw, greater thoroughness.

cohesion

the degree of closeness among group members and a sense of group spirit

social climbing

the attempt to increase personal status in a group by winning approval of high status members

power to (orientation to power)

ability to empower others to reach their goals

power over (orientation to power)

ability to help or harm others

group norms

guidelines that regulate how group members act; grow directly out of interactions within a group

procedural communication

helps a group get organized and stay on track EX: Brian

task communication

provides ideas and information, clarifies a members' understanding, and critically evaluates ideas EX: Shiv

climate communication

focuses on creating and maintaining a constructive climate and encourages members to contribute and evaluate ideas critically

egocentric

self-absorbed

disruptive conflict

personal attacks on another member, focus on issues of self-interest

disruptive conflict communication

competitive, attempts to wield influence, reflects self-interested focus, fosters defensiveness

referent power

Marnie: used to getting her way; charm...go along.