MAC 140 - EXAM 2 Study Guide

What is one of the most important things we can do to become great communicators?

to improve our listening skills.

What is perspective taking?

understanding another's feelings and experiences.

We talked about 6 characteristics of an effective apology. Name 3 of them.

1. Don't wait. 2. Be genuine. 3. Accept the other person's anger.

4. Identify what you did wrong. 5. Don't offer justifications or excuses. 6. Explain how you will never to what you did again.

How is hearing different than listening?

Hearing is passive while listening is active.

Texting is rewarding and easy. But, the pleasures of instant messaging can be superficial and short-lived.
Why are in-person conversations so important?

because this type of conversation provides a deep sense of satisfaction and can linger in our minds for hours, days or even years.

What are the four stages of listening?

Hearing, Understanding, Evaluating and Responding.

How do people in western countries, such as the United States and Europe, demonstrate good listening?

Eye contact and Head Nods

How do people in countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Japan demonstrate good listening?

Avoiding eye contact AND/OR lots of head nods, and saying "yes, yes," which means "I hear you" not "I agree with you."

What is defensive listening?

What is when someone perceives, anticipates, or experiences a threat they often put up a "wall" for protection, which can distort incoming messages, leading to misinterpretation? Sometimes we also allow negative past experiences with a person to interfere.

Emotions can make us defensive when we feel threatened even if the threat isn’t real.

What are 5 common ineffective listening behaviors?

Wandering, Rejecting, Judging, Predicting, and Rehearsing.

How does social status impact listening?

We listen closely to the words of physicians, teachers, successful businesspeople, and celebrities.

How does physical appearance impact listening?

It heavily shape how people evaluate, trust, and respond to a speaker or listener.

In the next several decades, the U.S. will become a "plurality nation." What does that mean?

It means that no single racial or ethnic group will hold a majority (greater than 50% share) of the total U.S. population.

You can become a more effective intercultural communicator in at least 5 ways. Identify and explain 2 of them.

1. Increase your motivation: You have to have an interest and desire to improve your communication. 2. Increase your knowledge of yourself and others. 3. Avoid stereotypes. 4. Strive for empathy, 5. Navigating the borderlands: The more you engage with diverse cultures and commit to learning about them, the easier it becomes to communicate effectively and respectfully across cultural boundaries.

We should strive for empathy when communicating. What does empathy mean?

The ability to know what it's like to "walk in another person's shoes."

What is "grouphate?"

a strong negative feeling, dread, or aversion that people experience toward participating in groups, team projects, or collective decision-making

What is one advantage of group work?

A group can produçe more innovative ideas than can an individual working alone. Small group discussion stimulates creativity and promotes critical thinking. A group can bring more expertise and experience to solving a problem.

What is one disadvantage of group work?

unequal participation (also known as social loafing or free-riding), where some members do little or no work while still receiving the same credit or reward as the active participants.

Many people blame the space shuttle Challenger explosion on groupthink. What is groupthink?

Groupthink is a negative outcome that happens when groups arrive at a decision before all alternatives have been reasonably assessed. Groupthink occurs when participants feel pressured to conform and do not speak up; or they reject new information and may even react negatively to any information that contradicts the group decisions.

What are 3 ways to prevent groupthink?

1. Consider different points of view. Encourage someone to play "devil's advocate." 2. Make sure everyone is heard as part of the discussion. 3. Don't be in too much of a hurry. Take time to discuss the problem and solutions before making a decision.

Authoritarian leaders and democratic leaders have different styles. How are they different? Cite a time or situation in which the authoritarian leadership style is needed AND a time when the democratic style work best.

Authoritarian are leaders who take charges and had a high level of intellect and expertise making all the decisions and dictating strategies and work task. While Democratic are leaders who want a great deal of input by group members.

What is the Laissez-faire style of leadership?

This leadership style is characterized by a complete freedom for the group in making decisions. The leader participates minimally and makes no attempt to influence the discussion.

What is the Servant Leadership Style?

The leader is a servant first and makes a conscious decision to lead to better serve others, not to increase his or her own power.

The Servant Leader must excel at 10 characteristics. Name 5.

Awareness, Listening, Empathizing, Persuasion, Conceptualization, Foresight, Stewardship, Healing, Commitment to the growth of others, Building community