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Detailed ContentsPREFACE xxiv

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xxviii

ABOUT THE AUTHORS xxx

PART 1: FOUNDATIONS

CHAPTER1. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: A FIRST LOOK 1

Learning Objectives 1What Do You Know? 1What Is Interpersonal Communication? 2

Interpersonal Communication Is about Relationships 3

Interpersonal Communication Takes Two 3Interpersonal Communication Is a

Lifelong Project 3TRY THIS: Today, Who Is a Stranger? 4Models of Interpersonal Communication 5ANALYZE THIS: Are You in a Disguise? 6

People 6TRY THIS: Rating Relationships 8

Messages 8Channels 9Noise 9Feedback 10Context 11Effect 12Visualizing Communication 12

How Does Interpersonal Communication Enhance Our Lives? 14

It Fulfills Psychological Functions 14TRY THIS: Making Model Sense 15

It Fulfills Social Functions 16It Fulfills Information Functions 17It Fulfills Influence Functions 17

TRY THIS: Functions in Action 18Understanding Interpersonal Contact:

Characteristics, Patterns, and Axioms of Communication 18

Five Characteristics of Interpersonal Communication 18

Interpersonal Communication Is a Dynamic Process 19

Interpersonal Communication Is Unrepeatable 19

Interpersonal Communication Is Irreversible 19Interpersonal Communication

Is Learned 19Interpersonal Communication Is

Characterized by Wholeness and Nonsummativity 19

Interpersonal Patterns 20Five Communication Axioms 20

Axiom 1: You Cannot Not Communicate 21

Axiom 2: Every Interaction Has Content and Relationship Dimensions 21

Axiom 3: Every Interaction Is Defined by How It Is Punctuated 21

Axiom 4: Messages Consist of Verbal Symbols and Nonverbal Cues 21

Axiom 5: Interactions Are Either Symmetrical or Complementary 22

The Impact of Diversity and Culture 22Diversity and Communication Style 22Orientation and Cultural Context 23

Individual and Collective Orientation 23

High-Context and Low-Context Communication 24

The Impact of Gender 24Gender and Communication Style 24

The Impact of Media and Technology 25

TRY THIS: What’s Okay with You? 26On the Way to Gaining

Communication Competence 27Add to Your Storehouse of

Knowledge about Interpersonal Communication 28

Recognize How Your Relationships Affect You 28

Analyze Your Options 28Interact Ethically, Respect Diversity,

and Think Critically about Your Person-to-Person Contacts 28

REFLECT ON THIS: The Cell Effect 29Practice and Apply Skills to Improve

Interpersonal Performance 29CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of Sylvia and Khalil 30Chapter Summary 31

Check Your Understanding 32Check Your Skills 32Key Terms 33

CHAPTER 2. THE IMPACT OF SELF-CONCEPT 34

Learning Objectives 34What Do You Know? 35The Self-Concept: Your Answer to Who You Are 36ANALYZE THIS: The Clown 37TRY THIS: Who Are You? 38How Are the Self and Self-Concept Related? 37

How Accurate Is the Self-Concept? 38Self-Esteem: Assessing Self-Worth 39

High versus Low Self-Esteem 39Self-Esteem and Performance 39

How Others Shape Our Self-Concept 40We Reflect Others’ Appraisals 40

TRY THIS: Feelings about Age and Physical Ability 41We Compare Ourselves with Others 41We Have Perceived, Ideal, and Expected Selves 42

Goffman’s Dramaturgical Approach 42Imagining a Future Self 42

TRY THIS: The “Authentic” Self 43Reactions to You: Confirming, Rejecting, and

Disconfirming Responses 43The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The Influence

of Positive and Negative Pygmalions 44TRY THIS: Ups and Downs 45

Revising Your Self-Concept: Reexamining Impressions and Conceptions 46

Diversity and Culture in Relationships: How Important Is the “I”? 47

The Self in Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures 47

REFLECT ON THIS: Changes 48The Self in High- and Low-Context Cultures 49The Self in High- and Low-Power-Distance

Cultures 49TRY THIS: Are You an “I” or Part of a “We”? 50

Attitudes toward the Self across Cultures 51Gender and Self-Concept 51TRY THIS: Young and Old 52Seeing the Self through the Media and

Technology Looking Glass 52REFLECT ON THIS: Beauty Standards

and Dying to Be Thin 53The Impact of the Media 53The Impact of Technology 54

ANALYZE THIS: MEdia 55Gaining Communication Competence:

Ways to Strengthen Your Self-Concept 55Update Pictures 55Take Lots and Lots of Pictures 56Explore Others’ Pictures of You 56Picture Possibilities 56

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of Aisha’s Term Paper 57Chapter Summary 58


CHAPTER 3. PERCEPTION 60

Learning Objectives 60What Do You Know? 61Our Perception Defines Our Reality 62

Do We See the Same Realty? 62

Perception in Action: The Process at Work 63Selection 64Organization 65Evaluation and Interpretation 66Memory 66Response 67

ANALYZE THIS: The Deceptiveness of Appearance 68Frameworks of Perception 69

Schemata 69Perceptual Sets and Selectivities 69

REFLECT ON THIS: Attribution Theory 70TRY THIS: Lessons Learned 71

Ethnocentrism and Stereotypes 71Barriers to Accurate Perception 72REFLECT ON THIS: Stereotypes 73

Age and Person Perception 73TRY THIS: The Appearance Factor 74

Fact-Inference Confusions 74TRY THIS: Can You Tell the Difference? 75

Allness 75Indiscrimination 75

ANALYZE THIS: Is That All There Is? 76Frozen Evaluations and Snap Judgments 76Blindering 78Judging Others More Harshly than Ourselves 78

Diversity and Culture: Interpreting through Different I’s 78

Gender and Perception 79The Media, Technology, and Perception 80

The Media and Perception 81Technology and Perception 82

Gaining Communication Competence: Enhancing Your Perceptual Abilities 83

Recognize the Part You Play 83Be a Patient Perceiver 83

TRY THIS: Facebook in Focus 84Become a Perception Checker 84Widen Your Perception 84See through the Eyes of Another 85Build Perceptual Bridges, Not Walls 85Consider How Technology Is Changing

How We Perceive 85CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of Dax’s Trial 86Chapter Summary 87


PART II: MESSAGES

CHAPTER 4. LISTENING 90

Learning Objectives 90What Do You Know? 91Listening in Your Life 92Differences between Hearing

and Listening 93The Differences between Effective

and Ineffective Listeners 93ANALYZE THIS: Understanding

“Understanding” 94Stages of Listening 95TRY THIS: How’s Your LQ (Listening Quotient)? 96

Stage 1: Hearing 97Stage 2: Understanding 97Stage 3: Remembering 97Stage 4: Interpreting 98Stage 5: Evaluating 98Stage 6: Responding 98

Styles and Types of Listening 98Styles of Listening 98

People-Oriented Listening 98REFLECT ON THIS: When Is Listening

Not First and Foremost? 99Action-Oriented Listening 99Content-Oriented Listening 99Time-Oriented Listening 100

Types of Listening 100Appreciative Listening 100Comprehensive Listening 100Critical/Deliberative Listening 100Empathetic Listening 100

Listening Ethics 103Do You Tune Out? 103

ANALYZE THIS: Active and Inactive Listening 104

Do You Fake Attention? 104

Do You Ignore Specific Individuals? 105Do You Lose Emotional Control? 105Do You Avoid Challenging Content? 106Are you Egocentric? 106Do You Waste Potential Listening Time? 106Are You Overly Apprehensive? 106Are You Suffering Symptoms of

Listening Burnout? 106Hurdling Listening Roadblocks 107Responding with Feedback 107

Defining Feedback 108Feedback Options 108

Feedback May Be Immediate or Delayed 109

Feedback May Be Person- or Message-Focused 109

Feedback May Be Low- or High-Monitored 109

Feedback May Be Evaluative or Nonevaluative 109

Culture’s Influence on Listening 111

TRY THIS: It’s in the “I”s 112TRY THIS: Culture, Communication Style,

and Feedback 113Gender’s Influence on Listening 113Media and Technological Influences

on Listening 114Media Influences 114Technology’s Influences 115

TRY THIS: The Ethics of Illusionary Listening 116

Gaining Communication Competence: Becoming a Better Listener 116

Catch Yourself Exhibiting a Bad Habit 116

Substitute a Good Habit for a Bad Habit 116

Listen with Your Whole Body 116Consistently Use Your Ears,

Not Just Your Mouth 116See the Other Side 117Don’t Listen Assumptively 117Participate Actively 117

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of Nonlistening Flora 118

Chapter Summary 119Check Your Understanding 119Check Your Skills 120Key Terms 120

CHAPTER 5. COMMUNICATING WITH WORDS 122

Learning Objectives 122What Do You Know? 123Defining Language 124

The Meaning of Words 124The Triangle of Meaning 126Removing Semantic Barriers 126

Differentiate Denotative and Connotative Meaning 127

Recognize How Time and Place May Change Meaning 127

TRY THIS: Measuring Meaning 128Consider the Effect of Your Words 129

Euphemisms and Linguistic Ambiguity 129Recognize Emotive Language 129

TRY THIS: Euphemisms and Strategic Ambiguity 130Acknowledge the Power of

Polarizing Language 130Balance Politically Correct Language 131Beware of Bypassing 132

REFLECT ON THIS: Which Do You Prefer? 133Don’t Be Misled by Labels 133

TRY THIS: Is It Politically Correct or Incorrect? 134

Language and Relationships: Communication Style, Words, and Feelings 134

ANALYZE THIS: Hurtful Words 135Culturespeak 136TRY THIS: The Language-Culture Link 139

Genderspeak 139Language Can Diminish and Stereotype

Women and Men 139

Language Practices Reflect Goals and Feelings about Power 140

Age and Language 141REFLECT ON THIS: The Muted Group 142

Language, Media, and Technology 142Experiencing Media 142

TRY THIS: How Would You Reengineer a Media Image? 143Experiencing Technology 143

Gaining Communication Competence: Making Your Words Work 144

Are My Words Clear? 144Are My Words Appropriate? 144Am I Using Words That Are Concrete? 144Do My Words Speak to the Other Person

and Reflect the Context? 145Do I Share “to Me” Meaning? 145Do I Respect Uniqueness? 145Do I Look for Growth? 146

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the Wounding Words 146Chapter Summary 147


CHAPTER 6. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION 150

Learning Objectives 150What Do You Know? 151Defining Nonverbal Communication 152The Functions and Characteristics of

Nonverbal Communication 152The Functions of Nonverbal Cues 153Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication 154

All Nonverbal Behavior Has Message Value 154

Nonverbal Communication Is Ambiguous 155

Nonverbal Communication Is Predominantly Relational 155

Nonverbal Behavior May Reveal Deception 155

TRY THIS: It’s Not Just What You Say . . . 158

Reading Nonverbal Messages 158Kinesics: The Messages of Movement 159

Face and Eye Talk 159Putting on a Face: The Ethics

of Face-Work 161ANALYZE THIS: Facecrime 162

Gestures and Posture: The Body in Motion and at Rest 163

TRY THIS: The Ethics of Impression Creation 164Decoding the Body’s Messages 164

Paralinguistics: The Messages of the Voice 165Pitch 166Volume 166Rate 166Articulation and Pronunciation 166

REFLECT ON THIS: Ummmmmmm . . 167Hesitations and Silence 167

Proxemics: Space and Distance Talks 167Spatial Relationships: Near or Far 168Places and Their Spaces: Decoding

the Environment 169Territoriality: Yours and Mine 170

Haptics: Touch 170Artifactual Communication

and Appearance 172Olfactics: Smell 173Color: Associations and Connections 173Chronemics: The Communicative

Value of Time 174Culture and Nonverbal Behavior 175REFLECT ON THIS: Does Beauty Pay? 176Gender and Nonverbal Behavior 177TRY THIS: The Race Factor 178Nonverbal Cues and Flirting:

Expressing Interest or Disinterest 179TRY THIS: Top Billing 179Media, Technology, and

Nonverbal Messages 180TRY THIS: Can You Read the Cues? 182

Gaining Communication Competence in Nonverbal Communication 182

Pay Attention to Nonverbal Messages 182

When Uncertain about a Nonverbal Cue’s Meaning, Ask! 183

Realize Inconsistent Messages Have Communicative Value 183

Match the Degree of Closeness you Seek with the Nonverbal Behavior You Display 183

Monitor Your Nonverbal Behavior 184

Acknowledge That Abilities to Encode and Decode Nonverbal Messages Vary 184

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of Surprised Sam 185


CHAPTER 7. CONVERSATIONS 188

Learning Objectives 188What Do You Know? 189The Importance of Conversational Contact 190TRY THIS: Do You Like to Talk? 191What Is Conversation? 191TRY THIS: The Elevator 192

Conversation: Games and Players 192Conversational Structure 192

TRY THIS: Conversational Analysis 193The Greeting 194Topic Priming 194The Heart of the Conversation 195Preliminary Processing 195The Closing 196

Conversational Management 196Turn Taking: Maintaining and Yielding the Floor 197The Cooperation Principle 197

TRY THIS: Whose Turn Is It, Anyway? 198The Dialogue Principle 198

ANALYZE THIS: Relationship Turns 199Repairing Conversational

Damage 200Cultural Differences and Conversation 200Gender Differences and Conversation 201REFLECT ON THIS: Interruptitis 202Media and Technology Talk 202ANALYZE THIS: Don’t Finish My Thoughts 203TRY THIS: Squawk Talk 204

Media Talk 204Technology Talk 204

Gaining Communication Competence: Improving Your Conversation Skills 206

Develop Metaconversational Abilities 206Develop Awareness of How Culture and

Gender Differences Affect Conversation 206Strive to Improve Conversation Initiation,

Management, and Termination Abilities 206CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the

Company Party 207Chapter Summary 208

Check Your Understanding 208Check Your Skills 209 Key Terms 209

PART III: DYNAMICS

CHAPTER 8. EMOTIONS 210

Learning Objectives 210What Do You Know? 211What Are Emotions? 212

Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important 213

The Look and Feel of Emotions 213

Surprise! 214Anger 214Happiness 215Sadness 215

REFLECT ON THIS: Can Exercise Make You Happy and Less Stressed? 216

Fear 216Disgust 216Emotions: Primary, Mixed,

and Contagious 216Emotions Affect Evaluations 217

TRY THIS: Emotional Checkup 218

Relationships and Emotions 219Are Your Emotions Facilitative or Debilitative? 219What Do You Tell Yourself? 219

TRY THIS: Do You Have Resilience? 220What Do You Tell Another Person? 220

ANALYZE THIS: Should You Tell? 221What Is Your Emotional Attachment Style? 221

Culture and the Expression of Emotion 222TRY THIS: Are You a Face-Saver? 223Gender and the Expression of Emotion 223Media and Technology: Channeling

Feelings 224Media Models 224

TRY THIS: Sharing Feelings 225Technological Channels 226

TRY THIS: Modeling 227Gaining Communication Competence:

Communicating Emotion 227Recognize That Thoughts Cause Feelings 228Choose the Right Words 228Show That You Accept Responsibility for Your

Feelings 229Share Feelings Fully 229Decide When, Where, and to Whom to Reveal

Feelings 229Describe the Response You Seek 229

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of Late Jean 230Chapter Summary 231


CHAPTER 9. TRUST AND DECEPTION 234

Learning Objectives 234What Do You Know? 235What Is Trust? 236

The Bases of Trust 237

The Components of Trust 237Trusting Behavior 237Trustworthy Behavior 237

TRY THIS: Can I Depend on You? Can You Depend on Me? 238

Failed Trust 238Forgiveness: Rebuilding a

Relationship after Trust Is Betrayed 239ANALYZE THIS: Misplaced Trust 240Cost-Benefit Theory: The Price We Are

Willing to Pay for a Relationship 241Defining the Relational Situation 241TRY THIS: Relationship Balance Sheet 242

Cooperative and Competitive Relationships 242TRY THIS: Cooperative or Competitive? 243

Supportive and Defensive Relationships 243Evaluation versus Description 244Control versus Problem Orientation 245Strategy versus Spontaneity 245

ANALYZE THIS: On the Defensive 246Neutrality versus Empathy 247Superiority versus Equality 247Certainty versus Provisionalism 248

Deception and Relationship Ethics 248TRY THIS: Cornered 249

Why Do We Lie? 249REFLECT ON THIS: Building Company Trust 251

White Lies: Motivation Matters 251Lying to Ourselves: Defensive Strategies 252

Displacement 252Repression 252Rationalization 252

Relational Counterfeiters 252The Effects of Lying 253

REFLECT ON THIS: Richard S. Lazarus and the Case for White Lies 254

The Effects of Gossip 254Culture and Trust 255TRY THIS: How Prepared Are You to Trust? 256Gender and Trust 256Media, Technology, and Lessons

on Trust 257The Media and Trust 257Technology and Trust 258

Gaining Communication Competence: Nurturing a Trusting Relationship 260

Be Willing to Disclose Yourself to Another Person 260

Let the Other Person Know You Accept and Support Him or Her 260

Develop a Cooperative/Supportive Rather than a Competitive/Defensive Orientation 260

Trust Another When Warranted 260CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the Trusting Agent 261Chapter Summary 262


CHAPTER 10. POWER AND INFLUENCE 264

Learning Objectives 264What Do You Know? 265The Control Factor: Exploring the Balance of

Power in Relationships 266Feeling Powerful versus Powerless 266

Are You Socially Anxious? 266Are You on a Power Trip? 267

Where Does Power Come From? 267Power Categories 267

TRY THIS: What’s Your Power Orientation? 268Reward Power 269Coercive Power 269Expert Power 269Legitimate Power 269Referent Power 269Persuasive Power 270

Exercising Persuasion 270The Role of Attitudes 270

What Is an Attitude? 270TRY THIS: Powerful People and Power Plays 271

Where Do Our Attitudes Come From? 271The Role of Beliefs 272

What Are Beliefs? 272TRY THIS: Assessing Attitudes and Surveying Beliefs 273

Defining and Characterizing Values 275Gaining Compliance in Interpersonal

Relationships 275Strategies for Compliance Gaining 275

ANALYZE THIS: The Diary of a Young Girl 276TRY THIS: Graphing Your Values 277

Strategies for Balancing Attitudes 279Routes to Interpersonal Influence 281

TRY THIS: Tensions and Tactics 282Diversity, Values, and

Relational Power 283Gender and the Balance of Power 284TRY THIS: Who Has the Power? 285REFLECT ON THIS: Power Issues by Gender 286Media, Technology, and Power Shifts 286

Media Power 286Technological Power 287

Gaining Communication Competence: Controlling Relationships 288

Use Power Wisely 288Understand How Beliefs, Values, and

Attitudes Affect Interactions 288Capitalize on the Need for Balance 288

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the Power Moment 289


CHAPTER 11. CONFLICT 292

Learning Objectives 292What Do You Know? 293The Meaning of Conflict 294

Conflict Defined 294Conflict Is Based on

Interaction 294Feelings about Conflict 294

Functional Conflict 295Dysfunctional Conflict 295

TRY THIS: Thinking through Conflict 296

Conflict’s Sources 298Interactions among Individuals 298Conflict-Generating Behaviors 299

Preemptive Striking 299Forcing 299Blaming 299

Classifying Conflicts 299The Nature of the Goal 299The Intensity Level of the Conflict 299

TRY THIS: How Verbally Aggressive Are You? 300The Character of the Conflict 301

Conflict Management Styles 302Avoiding 302Competitive 303Compromising 303Accommodative 303Collaborative 304

TRY THIS: Where Are You on the Grid? 304

Communication Behavior in the Face of Conflict 305

Destructive Communication Behaviors 305Constructive Communication Behaviors 306DESC Scripts 307

Describe 307Express 307Specify 307Consequences 307

Your Expressive Style: Nonassertive, Aggressive, or Assertive 308

TRY THIS: A Self-Assessment 309Nonassertiveness 311

Why We Do Not Assert Ourselves 311Nonassertive Language 311

Aggressiveness 311Why We Act Aggressively 312Aggressive Language 312

Assertiveness 313Learning Assertive Behavior 313Assertive Language 313

Culture and Conflict Resolution 315ANALYZE THIS: Edward de Bono 316Gender and Conflict Resolution 316Media, Technology, and Conflict Resolution:

Models or Madness 317Media Portrayals: Model the Way 317

REFLECT ON THIS: Lessons Learned 318Technology: Real and Unreal 318

TRY THIS: It’s War! 320Gaining Communication Competence:

Guidelines for Resolving Conflict 320Recognize That Conflict Can Be

Resolved Rationally 320

Agree about How to Define the Conflict 321Exchange Perceptions: Describe, Express,

Specify, and Note Behavioral Consequences 321Assess Alternative Solutions and Choose

the One That Seems Best 321Implement and Evaluate the Selected Solution 321

CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the Jousting Roommates 322


PART IV: RELATIONSHIPS IN CONTEXT

CHAPTER 12. RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS 326

Learning Objectives 326What Do You Know? 327Why Do We Need Relationships? 328

Relationships Preserve Happiness and Health 328Relationships Prevent Isolation 329Relationships Meet Interpersonal Needs 329

ANALYZE THIS: By Yourself 332Relationships Serve as Behavioral Anchors 332Relationships Function as Communication Conduits 332

TRY THIS: How Do You Feel about Being In /Out, Up/Down, or Close/Far? 333

When Good, Relationships Help Maintain Our Sense of Worth 333

Relationship Characteristics 334Duration 334Contact Frequency 334Sharing 334Support 334Interaction Variability 334Goals 335

Forming Friendships 335The Nature of Intimacy 335The Nature of Acquaintanceship 335

TRY THIS: Measuring Intimacy 336The Nature of Friendship 336

Role-Limited Interaction 337Friendly Relations 338Moving toward Friendship 338Nascent Friendship 338Stabilized Friendship 338Waning Friendship 338

Romance: Coming Together and Breaking Apart 339

Love’s Dimensions 339

The Triangle of Love 340

Love’s Stages 340Stage 1: Initiating 341Stage 2: Experimenting 341Stage 3: Intensifying 341Stage 4: Integrating 342Stage 5: Bonding 342Stage 6: Differentiating 342Stage 7: Circumscribing 342

ANALYZE THIS: Status Updates 343Stage 8: Stagnating 343Stage 9: Avoiding 343Stage 10: Terminating 344

TRY THIS: Looking at Your Relationships 345Relationship Attractors 345

Physical Attractiveness 346

Social Attractiveness 346REFLECT ON THIS: The Romantic Attraction Factor 347

Task Attractiveness 348

Proximity 348

Reinforcement 348Similarity 349Complementarity 349

TRY THIS: Attractors 350

Culture and Connection 350Does the Culture Place More Stress on

Individuals or on Social Relationships? 351Does the Culture Promote the Development

of Short- or Long-Term Relationships? 352Does the Culture Value Results or the

Interactional Process? 352

Gender and Relationship Formation 352Media, Technology, and Social Worlds 353

Media Portrayals of Friendship and Romance 353TRY THIS: Ties That Bind 354

Technology: Meeting in Cyberspace 354

Gaining Communication Competence: Mastering Relationship Complexities 356

Understand That Relationships Don’t Just Happen 356Recognize Why We Need Others 357Understand the Nature of Friendship

and Romantic Relationships 357Meet the Challenges Posed by Media

and Technology 357CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the Job Promotion 358Chapter Summary 359


CHAPTER 13. INTIMACY AND DISTANCE IN RELATIONSHIPS 362

Learning Objectives 362What Do You Know? 363Self-Disclosure and Intimacy 364Social Penetration Theory 365TRY THIS: Social Penetration—in Casual and Intimate

Relationships 367The Johari Window and Self-Disclosure 367REFLECT ON THIS: Sharing in Close Relationships 369Using Relational Dialectics to Understand

Relationships 371TRY THIS: Window Gazing 372

Integration-Separation 372Stability-Change 372Expression-Privacy 373Working through Dialectical Tensions 373

TRY THIS: Try to See It My Way 374Relationship Maintenance 374TRY THIS: What’s Fair? 376Relationship Repair: Fix It or End It 376

Identify the Problem 376Identify Strategies to Repair the Problem 377Decide to Dissolve or Save the Relationship 377

The Dark Side of Relationships: Dysfunctions and Toxic Communication 377

REFLECT ON THIS: Abusive Relationships 379Relationships and Death: Processing Grief 380Culture and Relational Intimacy 381Gender, Intimacy, and Distance 382ANALYZE THIS: Feelings 383Media and Technology: The Decline of Privacy

and Distance 383Gaining Communication Competence: Handling

Both Relational Closeness and Distance 384TRY THIS: At a Distance 385

How Important to You Is This Person? 385Are You Willing to Initiate Interaction? 385How Much and What Kind of Intimacy Do You

Desire? 385How Accepting Are You of the Other Person? 386How Are You Willing to Support the Other Person? 386Do You Recognize That Your Relationship Will

Change? 386Can Your Relationship Survive the Distance Test? 386Do You Know When to Continue and When to End

a Relationship? 386CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the Plane Trip 387Chapter Summary 388


CHAPTER 14. RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR LIVES: FAMILY, WORK, AND HEALTH-RELATED CONTEXTS 390

Learning Objectives 390What Do You Know? 391The Nature of Familial Communication 392

The Family as Communication System 393

Family Members Are Interdependent 393The Family Is Greater than the

Sum of Its Parts 394Family Members Engage in

Mutual Influence 394TRY THIS: Virginia Satir on “Peoplemaking” 395

Family Communication: Roles and Rules 395ANALYZE THIS: Transitions 396TRY THIS: The Rules We Live By 398

Communication Patterns in Families 398Problematic Communication Patterns 398Productive Communication Patterns 399Your Family Network 399

Culture and the Family 400Varying Family Composition 401Varying Communication Styles 401Varying Family Roles 401

TRY THIS: Role Call 402Gender and the Family 402Media, Technology, and the Family 403

Interpersonal Communication at Work 404TRY THIS: The TV Family 405

Relationships Are the Organization 405The Dyad and the Organization 405

A Question of Dependence and Independence 406

A Question of Trust 406A Question of Perception 406

Networks, Interaction, and Relationship Satisfaction 407

Working in Teams 407Create Healthy Work Climates 407Practice Effective Decision Making 408

REFLECT ON THIS: The Effects of Groupthink 410Culture and the Workplace 410

Are Workers Dominant or Submissive? 410Are Workers Individualistic or

Collectivistic? 411How Do Workers Perceive the Need for

Space? 411How Do Workers Perceive Time? 411How Diverse Are the Interpersonal

Needs and Skills of Workers? 412Are Members of Different Generations

Prepared to Work Together? 413Gender and the Workplace 413

TRY THIS: Culture Can Shock 414Stereotypes of Women in

Organizations 414Stereotypes of Men in Organizations 415Gender and Work-Life Balance 415Leadership and Management Style 415Workplace Pathologies: Bullying and

Sexual Harassment 416

Media, Technology, and the Workplace 417

Media Portrayals 417Technological Realities 417

Interpersonal Communication in Health Care Settings 418

The Consumer–Health Care Provider Dyad 419

Sensitivity Matters 419Clear Communication

Matters 419Perceptions Matter 420Decision Making Matters 420

Culture and Health Communication 421Gender and Health Care 422Media, Technology, and

Health Care 422Media Messages 422Technology Messages 423

Gaining Communication Competence across Contexts 423

Prepare to Handle Conflict across Contexts 424Recognize That You Cannot

Stay as You Are or Always Be Happy and in Good Health 424

Learn about Each Other 424CONNECT THE CASE: The Case of the

Problematic Reunion 425Chapter Summary 426


GLOSSARY 429

NOTES 436

PHOTO CREDITS 454

INDEX 456

detailed contents - sage publications inc · understanding interpersonal contact: characteristics,...

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