Interpersonal Comm

Elements of the listening process

Hearing, attending, understanding, responding, remembering.

Pseudo-listening

Pretending to be listening without truly engaging.

Stage-hogging

Listening just enough to steer the conversation back to oneself.

Selective Listening

Choosing what to listen to based on personal preferences.

Insulated Listening

Avoiding certain topics, guarding ourselves from uncomfortable discussions.

Defensive Listening

Interpreting messages as personal attacks.

Ambushing

Listening to gather information to use against the speaker.

Insensitive Listening

Only focusing on words and ignoring nonverbal cues.

What are common barriers to effective listening?

Message overload, preoccupation, rapid thought, effort, external noise, faulty assumptions, lack of apparent advantages, lack of training, hearing problems.

Prompting

Remaining silent or providing encouragement to help the speaker.

Paraphrasing

Restating what someone has said in your own words to demonstrate understanding.

Similarity in relationships

Shared values and goals that draw individuals together.

Complementarity in relationships

Differences that complement or complete our weaknesses.

What are the phases of relationship development?

Initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, bonding, differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating, avoiding, terminating.

Dialectical tensions

Conflicts in relationships such as connection vs autonomy, openness vs privacy, predictability vs novelty.

Confirming communication

Communication that conveys valuing and respect for others.

Disconfirming communication

Communication that shows a lack of regard for others.

Escalatory conflict spiral

A process where a small conflict escalates into a bigger attack.

Conflict styles

Different approaches to handling conflict: accommodating, competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding.

Destructive conflict patterns

Including criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.

What is the role of culture in conflict style?

Culture influences perceptions of conflict, with varying values on directness and self-restraint.