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COM 472: EMPIRICAL APPROACHES TO INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
M & W 4:30-6:50
Rm. 104 Communications
Winter 2015
Com 472 is device-free (see technology policy below)
Interpersonal communication is a particular kind of communication. It occurs when people respond to each other as individuals rather as members of groups or cultures. Interpersonal communication can occur in many settings—one-on-one relationships, the internet, organizations. Whatever the setting, true interpersonal communication is relatively rare. It takes time to achieve. It is usually something people work up to over time. Because of this, it usually occurs in our personal relationships. This is a class about how we achieve interpersonal communi- cation and about how it can be lost. The class is organized around the lifecycle of interpersonal relationships— how they start, how they develop and are maintained, how they often run into difficulty and dissolve, and how they shape our lives. When you are finished, you should be able to:
- Distinguish interpersonal communication from other kinds of communication.
- View individuals and relationships as communication
- Describe the role played by personal relationships in the life of individuals, organizations, and societies.
- Describe the way that communication changes as relationships develop and dissolve.
- Apply theories of interpersonal communication to your own experience.
- Use social network concepts to think creatively and critically.
- Identify common patterns of dysfunctional interpersonal communication and suggest alternatives.
- Engage in conflict with more productively—with both greater courage and thought.
- Describe how relationships come apart and what commonly happens afterwards.
Our overarching goal in this class is help you see your own experience through the lens of a growing body of social scientific findings.
Required Text:
Knapp, Mark L,Vangelisti, Anita L., and Caughlin, John P. (2014). Interpersonal Communication and Human Relationships (7th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon
Assignments and Grading:
Assignments: / Contribution to Final Grade:Relationship Assessment Exercise / 5%
Personal Application Paper 1 / 7%
Personal Application Paper 2 / 7%
Love Week group activity (group + rating) / 10%
Destructive communication example and exercise / 7%
Class participation / 12%
Test 1 / 26%
Test 2 / 26%
100%
Final grades will be assigned to your weighted total points across these assignments. When assigning final grades, I will consider both the overall number of points earned and class standing. Late, electronic, or handwritten submissions will not be accepted (unless otherwise noted), and incompletes will not be given. The overall curve will be based on my assessment of the class as a whole, butthe final average grade will likely be between 2.9 and 3.15.
Overview of Assignments
“Relationship Assessment Exercise” You will be asked to complete a structured “personal research” project in which you describe the most important relationships in your own personal communication network. This project described in a separate handout and will be assigned the first day of class. It will be due Monday, January 12th.
“Personal Application Papers” Pick some specific concept, idea, or finding from lecture or text and then write a brief paper in which you use it to gain insight into one of your interpersonal relationships. The choice and application is up to you, but the goal is to think with course concepts about something that matters to you. Looking for analysis, not just description. You will do this twice. Paper 1 is due Wednesday, January 21. Paper 2 is due Wednesday, March 4.
“Love Week” – Valentine’s Day is perhaps the most interesting, complex, and conflicted of the relational holidays. Since it falls during the quarter, I’d like you to work in groups to explore a topic of your choice (but with my approval) that is related to Valentine’s Day. A group might, for example, explore the history of Valentine’s Day, or present information on its commercial impact, or look at Valentine’s Day in other cultures. Or groups might look at how the Internet is used to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or even present an advice column on how to have a successful Valentine’s Day. I’ll assign students to groups of 4-6 people about a month before presentations are due. Each group will present to the class for 10-15 minutes on February 11th. Each group will distribute a handout describing their presentation.
Destructive Communication Exercise—Chapter 11 of the text contains a catalog of communication strategies gone bad. Preview the chapter to see if one has happened to you and then write it up as an example. Identify the situation in which it occurred and then describe the actual communication in as much detail as you can. Be specific about what was said and done. Then suggest one way you could have changed your communication to avoid or reduce to the problem. Your write-up should be no more than 3 pages (typed, double-spaced). Write-up will be shared anonymously with 1-2 class members who will be asked to give additional feedback based on class principles. Due Monday, February 23
Class Participation—Come to class, participate in discussion, say thoughtful things, play nice, get the points. I won’t take roll every day, though I will from time to time. Attendance doesn’t have to be perfect, but I do expect you to be there nearly every time. My goal with participation points is to recognize those who have made particularly positive contributions to the class and to make sure that those who come regularly come out better than those who don’t really engage.
Tests—Tests should take 60-90 minutes to complete and will be a mixture of short essay, and longer essay and some multiple-choice. You will be given a study guide in advance of the test. I make up the tests from the material on the study guide—I want to measure how much you know, not how well I can surprise you.
Class Schedule
Session / Date / Topic / Reading / Activity1 / Monday
January 5 / Nature of Interpersonal Communication
Significance of personal relationships” / Chapter 1
Relationship Assessment Assigned
2 / Wednesday
January 7 /
- Describing relationships
- Stages in Coming Together & Coming Apart.
3 / Monday
January 12 / Dimensions of relationship change / Chapter 9 (pp. 301-314)
Assessment Exercise Due
“Love Week” Group Project Assigned
4 / Wednesday
January 14 / Theories of Relationship Change
- Uncertainty reduction theory
- Social exchange theories
- Relationship dialectics
Monday
January 19 / Martin Luther King Day – No Class / No class
5 / Wednesday
January 21 / No Class – Prof. Parks is ill
6 / Monday
January 26 / Self and Other in Communication / Chapter 3
Personal App Paper 1 Due
7 / Wednesday
January 28 / Relationship Initiation in Social Context.
More on relationship development:
Intimacy in social context. / Chapter 5 &
Chapter 6
8 / Monday
February 2 / Liking, Loving, & Loathing
Value of Weak Ties / Chapter 7
9 / Wednesday
February 4 / Test 1 All materials to date / Test 1
Session / Date / Topic / Reading / Activity
10 / Monday
February 9 / Conflict in Relationships
Constructive conflict strategies / Chapter 8 (p. 278 to end).
11 / Wednesday
February 11 / “Love Week” Presentations / All Groups
Monday
February 16 / Presidents’ Day Holiday – No Class / No class
12 / Wednesday
February 18 / Managing Relationships among relationships
13 / Monday
February 23 / Computer-mediated communication in relationships / Chapter 4 (p. 126 to end)
Destructive strategies paper due
14 / Wednesday
February 25 / Drama, Social surveillance, and other challenges of the online life
15 / Monday
March 2 / Destructive, dysfunctional communication patterns in relationships. (Class is driven by examples from students) / Chapter 11
16 / Wednesday
March 4 / Destructive, dysfunctional communication patterns in relationships. (Class is driven by examples from students) / Personal App Paper 2 Due
17 / Monday
March 9 / Disengaging from relationships
Communicating to disengage / Chapter 10
18 / Wednesday
March 11 / Between relationships: From disengagement to engagement
Monday
March 16 / Test 2 All materials since Midterm. (final is not cumulative) / Test 2
4:30-6:20
Communicating with Dr. Parks
The best way to reach me is with questions during class or to meet with me during office hours. I’ll do my best to be responsive, but if it has to be quick, see me in class. E-mail is great, though I’m slower to respond on weekends.
Technology Policy (Cellphones, laptops, tablets)
- Use of personal media devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) is not permitted in class. That’s because research has consistently shown that:
- Devices distract students from learning. The temptation to do other things is simply too great.
- Taking notes on a laptop or other device does not help students understand the material. Taking notes by hand helps learning more than typing.
- Device use distracts others. Merely sitting behind a laptop user can lower grades.
- You are welcome to use devices during breaks when you are outside the classroom.
- To assist you with note taking, outlines of lectures will be placed online before class. In some cases, Dr. Parks will post full copies of lecture materials.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Any violation of academic integrity (e.g., cheating, fabrication, facilitation, or plagiarism) is subject to disciplinary action. Plagiarism, broadly defined, includes -- but is not limited to -- intentionally or unintentionally using another person’s original words, ideas, or research in any academic exercise without properly crediting that person. In short, when your work summarizes the work of others, be sure that your summaries are original and acknowledge all sources. More information can be found here:
Accommodation of Disabilities
Disability Resources for Students (DRS) offers resources and coordinates accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.Accommodations are worked out between you, your instructor and DRS. If you have already established accommodations with DRS, please communicate your approved accommodations to your instructor at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or or disability.uw.edu
Doing well in this class…
Those who do the readings, come to class with questions, participate actively in discussions, and make sure they get their questions answered at the earliest opportunity will do far better than those who do not. According to the University’s General Catalog, “The basic rule for determining academic credit is: 1 credit represents a total student time commitment of 3 hours each week” (p. 29). What this means for this 5-credit class is that you are making a commitment to work on the material for this course for 15 hours per week. You’ll spend 5 of those hours in class, you’ll want to spend the other 10 reviewing notes, reading, and doing assignments.
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In-Class DOs and DON’Ts:
- Do come to class-- with your reading completed.
- Do be prepared to begin class on time & don’t pack up early.
- Do ask questions – don’t let yourself get behind.
- Do come to class prepared to be actively involved in discussions.
- Do make agree to exchange notes with at least one other student in case on of you has to miss a class.
- Do listen to other students’ comments during discussion.
Out-of-Class DOs and DON’Ts:
- Do read the course material for understanding.
- Do think about the course material and come to class with questions/comments.
- Do study class material every day so you don’t have to cram.
- Do form study groups with your peers from the discussion sections to work on course material.
- Do come to office hours if you have questions or concerns about the course material. Do it as soon as you can—don’t wait until just before a test.
- Do consult the syllabus and website before writing Dr. Parks for information. Many common questions can be answered there.
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