RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION - COMM 113 STUDY GUIDE - MIDTERM EXAM FORM: Primarily Objective (T/F, Multiple Choice); one short essay TOPICS: (This list is not inclusive) ( Wednesday, March 6)

John Stewart. Bridges Not Walls The Stewart book deserves a thorough read, even as specific questions are not easy to draft. Read for the idea, and remember major terms/themes only. Specific sections Chapter 2: What is communication? Interpersonal assumption (e.g., "nexting"), nature of persons and objects (humanizing/objectifying), distinctions and implications, . Lecture part: act, interact, and transact, punctuation/segmentation of ongoing behavior, fierce conversation .I find Buber fundamental in establishing a posture for viewing dialogue Chapter 3: The self in communication. Self concept/perception. Identities Chapter 4: Nonverbal and language as it affects perception and interaction potentials, proximics Chapter 5 : will have a few questions on listening with some coming from mini-lectures in lab

Dan Canary, Michael Cody, and Valarie Manusov Interpersonal Communication: A Goal-Based 4th Edition The Cody et al. book is important social scientific research. This book helps to provide the empirical data to support or deny interpersonal communication theories. Here are some of the important areas from each chapter that you should definitely know for the exam. However, this list is not exclusive. Chapter 1- the definition of interpersonal communication and the assumptions its based on, the definition of goals and the seven properties of goals that relate to interpersonal communication, and the three types of interpersonal goals, communication competence. Chapter 2-, person perception, confirming/disconfirming, illocutinary acts, individual differences (not many Q from this chapter) Chapter 3- Definition of non-verbal communication, the seven types of non-verbals (know vis-a-vis lecture Kinesics, Proximics, Paralinguistics), non-verbals and culture, 5 functions of non-verbal behavior, models on non-verbal intimacy and immediacy. Chapter 4- Listening, backchannels, dialogic listening, empathic, Deliberative and Active listening Chapter 5 -Cognition and attribution sections, stereotypes, expectancies, four types of schemata, the four important cognitive processes: stereotypes [from lecture: schema (person, role, self), scripted behavior, mindfulness/mindlessness] Chapter 14- Why study individual differences?, Machiavellian Behavior, Self Monitoring Behavior, Locus of control, Cognitive Complexity, Argumentativeness, Communication Apprehension, loneliness, narcissism .

Lectures: Even as it is difficult to take extensive notes in lectures there have been some. PowerPoint (Models; Listening, Perception, Nonverbal,. Lecture items less emphasized in texts include attribution (e.g. Fundamental Attribution Error and reasoning errors/tendencies, estimated relationship potential, bottom-up/top-down processing, traits vs. situation, etc)

Labs: lecture materials, especially as they are extensions from the book are fair game. active listening, listening skills, social roles, non-verbals (deception), , small talk..

Short essay: Will select one essay from the following three: 1. If there were an example might be: "If you were to isolate the single most important rule or axiom that emerged for you concerning interpersonal relationships what would it be? Explain and defend your answer. Make an argument, do not just feedback stuff to show how well prepared you are. THINK and make a point. For example, I might answer this with discussing "Tentativeness" in judgments in conversations as a way of opening up the possibile 2. Consider what you learned about conversation meta-perspectives ("How I see me" "How I see you," "How I think you see me," etc.) Reflect on a recent interaction you've had with another person; describe how coversation meta-perspectives played a role in that interaction. Additionally, how has your awareness of covedrnsation meta-perspectives affected your comunication with others? 3. Dr. Louden prompted a discussion by exchanging students' pens with one another.  What did this activity illustrate with relation to communication styles?  Select two examples of relationships in your own life to illustrate contrasting types of communication and discuss how you approach communication in each.  How do these varying communication styles influence your relationships?  How do the relationships influence your communications styles? Thrust is treating a person as an object or human - Buber I-Thou. Be flexible, creative, focused, and think a bit and you'll be fine.

I know there is a lot of materials in the readings. I also know that lecture highlight rather than spoon feeding, but for those feeling test anxiety consider the following. I recognize the study guide can never be specific enough. It is a guide, mostly to not blindside folks with questions from the text that were not in lecture. If questions on the exam are specific, and we consciously try not to get too specific (picky) but of course that is "in the eye of the beholder." The "picky" questions are on the exam are those either in lecture, power points, lab handouts or specifically mentioned in study guide. Also, for example, a question like this true/false one: "C. Roland Christensen's essay on teaching argues that teaching and learning are inseparable, [a] reciprocal giving and receiving." We never are playing the game of "is this the right author/theory match." Christensen essay is about teaching. The question really is are teaching and learning inseparable. Also we check the test after the exam and throw out questions that do not do the job or are "unfair" for some reason. In the end, the test ends up being "mostly" fair. Knowing what to do with Stewart is more problematic. That is why the study guide says "Read for the idea, and remember major terms/themes only." Again,we try not to get picky. Finally, many questions on the exam are just give aways I know 99% will get correct. They are there to emphasize a given thought. So, be familiar with the big stuff. Relax and trust your ability to reason through questions, to get at what is really being asked rather than the trivia of terms and labels.

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