Comprehensive Communication and Interpersonal Skills Review

Communication

The process of sending and receiving messages designed to convey meaning and accomplish goals

Action Model

Source encodes and the receiver decodes (one way message)

Interaction Model

Back and forth messaging with feedback

Transaction Model

Source and receiver both encode and decode

Communicative Competence

To convey meaning and accomplish goals

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Self Awareness

Understanding one's own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values

Adaptability

The ability to adjust to new conditions

Cognitive Complexity

The ability to understand a given situation in multiple ways

Ethics

Moral principles that govern a person's behavior

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs

Channel Rich

Access to meaning through multiple cues

Channel Lean

Text message / no access to multiple cues

Content Dimension

The actual content of the message

Relational Dimension

How the message affects the relationship status of two people

Metacommunication

The communication about communication, including all verbal and non-verbal cues

Culture

The system of learned symbols, language, values, and norms that distinguish one group from another

Co Culture

Groups of people within a larger culture who share values or characteristics

Arbitrary

Cultural meanings are not natural; they're created by people and can vary widely

Communication Accommodation Theory

Explains communication adjustments and how that reflects and affects personal and social relationships

Individualistic Culture

Emphasizing the individual

Collectivistic Culture

Emphasizing membership in groups

Masculine Culture

Emphasizing ambition and achievement

Feminine Culture

Emphasizing nurture and quality of life

Low Uncertainty Avoidance

More tolerant of change

High Uncertainty Avoidance

More strict rules and social norms

Monochronic Culture

Time is finite

Polychronic Culture

Time is infinite

Low Context Communication

Direct communication

High Context Communication

Meaning comes from content and nonverbal cues

Self Concept

How we view ourselves and identity

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

When a prediction causes people to act and communicate in ways that make that prediction come true

Face Theory

We manage how we present ourselves to maintain social 'face'

Perception

Process of making meaning from things we experience in our environment

Attribution Theory

Explains how we infer the causes of behavior (internal vs. external)

Listening

The process of making meaning out of a spoken message.

Listening Styles

Different approaches to listening, including relational, task, critical, and analytical.

Relational Listening

Emphasis on emotion and interests.

Task Listening

Listening as a transaction, wanting organized communication.

Critical Listening

Noticing inconsistencies in conversation.

Analytical Listening

Considering all sides before responding.

Effective Listening

Listening to understand the speaker.

Equity Theory

There is a balanced scale when it comes to relationships and benefits of them.

Types of Listening

Informational, critical, inspirational & appreciative, and empathic.

Barriers to Effective Listening

Noise, selective listening, information overload, glazing over, and pseudolistening.

Emotions

A response that is multidimensional that can enhance.

Primary Emotions

Distinct and separate emotional responses.

Secondary Emotions

Combinations of primary emotions and more complex.

Emotion vs Mood

Emotions are responses to events; moods are feelings without a specific cause.

Display Rules

Social norms around the expression of emotion.

Emotional Intelligence

Ability to perceive and express emotions.

Attraction Theory

There are three points in the triangle: physical, social, and task.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

We approach others to reduce uncertainty; the more you know, the more you like.

Self-Disclosure

Sharing information about yourself.

Norm of Reciprocity

You share, I share mentality.

Relational Stage Model

Stages include initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, and bonding.

Characteristics of Close Relationships

Interdependence, investment, and commitment.

Dialectical Tensions

Conflicts between two important but opposing needs or desires.

Investment Model

Satisfaction (+), quality of alternatives (-), investments (+) > commitment (+) > relationship stability.

Relational Maintenance Behaviors

Includes social networks, openness, assurances, positivity, and sharing tasks.

Elements of Interpersonal Conflict

Expressed struggle between two people.

Gottman's Four Horsemen

Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.

Five Approaches to Conflict

Competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating.

Deception Definitions

Knowing intentional information to create a false belief.

Forms of Deception

Falsification, exaggeration, omission, and equivocation.

Truth Default Theory

We do not believe people are lying; consciously considering deception triggers a response.