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COM 474: Seminar in Interpersonal Communication:

The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication

Fall 2016

Tuesdays/Thursdays 2-3:15, Fell 180

Dr. Aimee Miller-Ott

Office Location: Fell 462

Email:

Office Phone: (309) 438-7630

Office Hours: Tuesdays/Thursdays 12:30-1:45 and by appointment

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to examine the “dark side” of interpersonal communication, which highlights the aspects of interpersonal communication typically seen as dysfunctional, including deception, gossip, communicative infidelity, and verbal abuse. The “dark side” can also include aspects of communication that are poorly understood or have yet to be fully studied. Through readings, discussions, writings, and research, we will explore some major areas of communication research focused on the dark side.

Course Objectives

Students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge in key dark side areas
  • Understand both negative and positive aspects of dark side communication behaviors
  • Engage in dialogue about research and theory in the study of the dark side of communication
  • Analyze popular culture portrayals of dark side issues using scholarly literature and communication theory as lenses.

Required Materials

Cupach, W. R., & Spitzberg, B. H. (2011). The dark side of close relationships II. New York:Routledge. (Abbreviated as DS on course schedule)

Kowalski, R. M. (Ed.) (2001). Behaving badly: Aversive behavior in interpersonal relationships. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. (Abbreviated as BB on course schedule)

Additional readings on ReggieNet(Abbreviated as RN on course schedule)

Class Conduct and Expectations

In order to create and maintain a supportive communication environment, I ask the following of you:

  • You must refrain from side-conversations, reading non-related materials, and doing anything else that might make it difficult to hear/pay attention to others in the class.
  • Some of the issues in the course may be difficult to discuss, as unfortunately, the topics may hit close to home. Please be mindful of this and be respectful of your classmates during class discussions.
  • NO CELL-PHONES OR OTHER DEVICES that would cause distractions will be permitted in class (please turn your phones/devices off or leave them elsewhere when in class).
  • Do your best to arrive to class on time. Do not leave early unless you tell me ahead of time.
  • You may use laptops in class ONLY for taking class notes. If I find that you are spending time online or are working on other things, I will ban laptops in class.
  • Late papers are not acceptable in this course and will be severely penalized unless permission for extended deadlines is obtained beforehand. If, at any point, you are confused about assignments, expectations, or feel you are getting lost in the course material, please set up a time to meet with me.
  • Speak professionally and respectfully to me in and out of class. Treat your classmates with respect, even if you do not agree with them. Send only professional emails to me. If you need to discuss an in-depth issue with me, please arrange to meet with me outside of class. I will NOT engage in any discussions about specific grades in the classroom or via email. I will respond to emails within 48 hours of receiving them unless I indicate otherwise. I typically do not response to emails after the workday has ended (5 pm) or during weekends.
  • All work must be typed, using 12-point, Times New Roman font, black ink, and stapled, unless otherwise indicated. When citing sources, you must use the APA style, 6th edition, for in-text citations and reference pages. In addition to being graded on content, you will also be assessed on spelling, grammar, formatting, neatness, punctuation, and APA accuracy. Proofread all work before you hand it in.

University Policies

  • Disabilities: Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Student Access and Accommodation Services (formerly the Office of Disability Concerns) at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD),
  • Mental Health Resources: Student Counseling Services provides free services to students. These services are completely confidential. Find out more at Counseling.IllinoisState.edu or by calling (309) 438-3655.
  • Academic Misconduct/Plagiarism: Possible violations of ethical behaviors in this course include but are not limited to cheating on an exam, or plagiarizing a paper (in whole or in part, from any source, including a publication, the internet or another student). Any student caught in an act of academic misconduct in this class will, at minimum, receive a zero on the assignment/exam. Consult the University Handbook for the plagiarism policy that we will follow in this course.
  • Bereavement: Students who experience the death of an immediate family member or relative as defined in the University Student Bereavement Policy will be excused from class for funeral leave and/or travel considerations. You must provide appropriate documentation to the Dean of Students office and contact me as soon as possible to make arrangements for completing missed work.

Grading in this Course

A -- This grade is reserved for work that is of outstanding caliber and far exceeds the minimum requirements for a course or assignment. For a course, the grade indicates that the student achieved mastery of the subject. For a paper, for example, the grade indicates that the work has potential for publication.

B -- The average graduate school grade. It indicates that the minimum requirements for a course or assignment have been met.

C -- The minimum requirements for a class or assignment were not met. Some examples would include: paper assignment was poorly organized, poorly written, not well researched, or a content area was not completed. The grade may also be awarded as a penalty for unprofessional behavior (e.g., failing to meet deadlines, incomplete assignments, etc.).

D -- This grade means the student did not perform at a graduate level. The student may not have demonstrated the necessary skills for graduate school, several assignments may not have exhibited graduate level work, or sub-par performances may have been combined with unprofessional behavior.

F -- This grade indicates that the student has failed to attempt an assignment, to complete a project, or has compounded poor performance with unprofessional behavior.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Exams: You will take 2 essay-style exams in the course. Details will be provided in class.

Discussion Leading.Details available on ReggieNet and will be discussed in class.

Research Project

Option 1: Research Proposal -- You will develop a proposal for a study in the dark side of interpersonal communication that you could conduct in the future. The paper will include a literature review and a methodology for this proposed study.

Option 2: Conduct Research Study in Team with Dr. Miller-Ott – This option is for students interested in working in a research team with Dr. Miller-Ott on a study on miscommunication in texting among interpersonal relational partners. Please contact Dr. Miller-Ott if interested. Details of this assignment will be given to those interested. The quantity of work will be similar to that of the proposal assignment but will be different in nature and will include writing a literature review, soliciting participants, and collecting and analyzing data.

Option 3: Other Research Option. If you have other ideas for a project that may fit the scope of the course, feel free to discuss it with me. This may include, but not be limited to, conducting original research on your own or with a partner on a topic of your choosing.

Film Response Paper. We will watch a film related to the topics of this course and you will write a paper analyzing the film using course concepts.

Class Contribution: You are expected to have read and analyzed the reading material prior to coming to class. Students who make significant contributions to class read before class, come prepared to contribute insightful points to the discussion, ask questions, make connections between this class and others, and listen attentively.

Course Grade Breakdown

Research Project30%

Discussion Leading20%

Exams

Exam #115%

Exam #215%

Film Response Paper15%

Class Contribution 5%

Final Grade Based on the Following Scale

90-100% A

80-89%B

70-79%C

60-69%D

Below 60%F

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Class Schedule

(*I reserve the right to make changes to this schedule if needed.)

Class Meeting DateTopic & Work Due

Tuesday August 23Intro to class; what is the “dark side of communication?”

Thursday August 25Defining the dark side of interpersonal communication

Reading: DS Chapter 1, pp. 1-13

Bring pop culture examples

Tuesday August 30Defining the dark side (cont.)

Reading: DS Chapter 1, pp. 13-29

Thursday Sept 1Annoying others

Reading: BB Chapter 1

Tuesday Sept 6Inappropriate behaviors as dark side

Readings: BB Chapters 2 & 3

Thursday Sept 8The dark side of identity

Reading: BB Chapter 4

Tuesday Sept 13Narcissism & other “dark” personality characteristics

Reading: DS Chapter 14

Thursday Sept 15Problematic online interactions

Reading: DS Chapter 4

Tuesday Sept 20 Dark side of family life

Reading: RN “Dark Side of Dyadic Family Life”

Thursday Sept 22Exam #1

Tuesday Sept 27Affectionate communication

Reading: DS Chapter 6

Thursday Sept 29Teasing

Reading: BB Chapter 7

Tuesday October 4Rumors and gossip

Reading: BB Chapter 8

Thursday October 6Social aggression

Reading: DS Chapter 12

Tuesday October 11Watch film in class

Thursday October 13 Watch film in class

Tuesday October 18Living single on the dark side

Reading: DS Chapter 15

Thursday October 20Film Response Papers due, discuss in class

Tuesday October 25Hurt feelings

Reading: BB Chapter 6

Thursday October 27Relational turbulence

Reading: DS Chapter 8

Tuesday November 1Interpersonal transgressions

Reading: BB Chapter 9

Thursday November 3Intimate partner violence

Reading: DS Chapter 13

Tuesday November 8Meetings with Dr. Miller-Ott about projects

Thursday, November 10No class – Dr. Miller-Ott at conference

Tuesday, November 15Exam #2

Thursday, November 17Ambiguous loss

Reading: RN “Goodbye without Leaving”

November 22 and 24 No class – Thanksgiving break!

Tuesday November 29Staying in dark relationships

Reading: DS Chapter 11

Thursday, December 1Final papers due, discuss them in class

Tuesday, December 6Making sense of the dark side

Reading: DS Chapter 3

Thursday, December 8Class wrap-up