Theories of Communication

Relationship Rules Theory

Definition: involves principles that relationship partners establish to help define their relationship

Follow the rules for maintaining relationships when you do in fact wish to maintain and even strengthen them. These rules include respect, kindness, and communication in addition to many others. This theory is relevant for any kind of relationship, whether it involves a significant other, parent, friend, and co-worker.

The following article gives advice on what qualities to look for in another person and how to maintain the relationship.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200410/relationship-rules

Social Exchange Theory

Definition: a theory hypothesizing that we develop relationships in which our rewards or profits will be greater than our costs and that we avoid or terminate relationships in which the costs exceed the rewards

If there is a reward, we are more likely to tolerate certain people in different situations. However, if the reward is not worth the sacrifice, then we are more likely to end the relationship. This theory has a lot of relevance because sometimes we have to work with people we do not like in order to gain some kind of reward or achieve a certain position.

The following article discusses the social exchange theory and provides information on the origin including theorists and examples.

http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/interpersonal/socexch.html

Chapter 14 & 16: Public Speaking

Communication apprehension is the fear or anxiety associated with communicating. Most people experience this when it comes to public speaking. There is "trait apprehension,"a fear of communication generally, regardless of the specific situation, as well as "state apprehension," which is a fear specific to a given communication situation.

Mo

My communication apprehension is getting through my presentation in the allotted time. I have a tendency to speak quickly when I get nervous. Additionally, if I have not practiced my speech enough, I sometimes go into too much detail, not addressing all of the main points, and therefore exceed the designated time.

The following article, "The Effects of Impromptu Speech Exercises on Reducing Trait and Situational Communication Apprehension, discusses how practicing public speaking aids in improving fear/anxiety associated with communicating. The reason I chose this article is because Dr. Robinson actually makes us give presentations off the cuff, and I think it has really benefited me by enhancing my public speaking skills.

Rumbough, T. B. (December 07, 1999). The effects of impromptu speech exercises on reducing trait and situational communication apprehension. New Jersey Journal of Communication, 7, 2, 206-15

Jessica
When it comes to presentations I get nervous overall with the whole idea of having to stand in front of a class and talk. I usually start to talk really fast, and I've been told I play with my hair a lot out of nervousness. I have noticed that when I am presenting in front of a group of people I am familiar with I tend to get less nervous, however, practicing many times the night before and taking a deep breath right before presenting helps very much.

The article I chose to go along with our topic is called, "Correlates Between Communication Apprehension and Listening Style Preferences." This articles speaks of the importance of each individual's listening technique and how it goes hand in hand with how people like to receive presentations and what they take away from them. Something interesting the article mentioned was that some people fear communication more than disease or death, which I though was a bit exaggerated but perhaps true for some individuals.

Sargent, Stephanie L., Weaver James B., Kiewitz Christian. (1997). Correlates between communication apprehension and listening style preferences. Communication Research Reports, 14, 1 74-78.

Culture & Communication

Cultural Guidelines

DO...

• research the culture before traveling to a different country
• study general words in different language
• study customs & etiquette of a foreign country
• be open-minded to and respectful of other traditions, customs, beliefs
• be aware that certain words and/or gestures may be considered offensive

DO NOT...

• assume that everyone speaks & understands English
• criticize a culture's way of doing something just because it is different from what you are accustomed to
• forget to bring a gift made in the USA for a first meeting with a client
• show disinterest in a country's history or culture
• assume that handshake rather than a kiss or a bow is an appropriate introduction

Cultural Customs & Etiquettes

Asia

• feet are considered lowest part of the body, therefore do not point at object/touch people with them, do not prop your feet on chairs/tables while sitting,
• refrain from touching people on on the head/ruffling their hair = highest part of the body

Japan

• perfectly ok to slurp noodles
• never stick chopsticks into a bowl of rice upright
• do not fill your own drink but rather fill the glass of the person next to you and wait for the person to reciprocate
• tipping is not common --> give a gift, rather than a tip (money must be in an envelope)
• inappropriate to sneeze loudly in a restaurant

Russia

• wrist should be placed on the edge of the table while eating,
• fork should held in the left hand and the knife on the right
• vodka is for toasting, not casual sipping and can never be mixed/diluted
• women cannot take shots
• place empty bottles on the floor, not the table
• 10% tip is customary at a restaurant
• store prices are set but market prices are negotiable

United Kingdom

• do not stick up index finger and middle finger with the palm of your hand facing you = giving someone the finger

Greece

• do not wave at anyone with an open palm or show the number five = sign of rejection or flipping someone off

Armenia

• polite to pour last drops of alcohol into your own glass so you are responsible for buying the next one

Sweden

• vulgar to clink glasses unless you say "skals" which means cheers

Portugal

• do not ask for seasoning or condiments that are not on the table = insult to the cook

France

• never discuss money over dinner
• never split the bill

Thailand

• do not be alarmed if locals pick their noses while talking to you as it is considered a natural act of good hygiene

Brazil

• expect business clients to answer phone calls during meetings, even in mid-conversation = considered rude to not answer even just to say "I'll call you back,"
• punctuality is uncommon (30 minutes early/late)

Caribbean

• address people with titles until a first name is explicitly offered

Mexico

• if someone next to you is eating, it is good manners to say "provecho" which means enjoy

http://travel.usatoday.com/news/story/2011/03/Foreign-etiquette-for-Americans-A-guide-to-dos-and-donts-abroad-/45453144/1

Chapter 8: Interpersonal Relationship Stages & Theories

The Six Stages of a Relationship

Contact

• first perceptual contact
• gain a physical picture of individual (sound, smell, gender, age, race, height, etc.)
• interaction is superficial and impersonal (small talk/nonverbal behavior)
• within first FOUR minutes it is decided if you want to pursue a relationship or not
• physical appearance is important in initial development of attraction
• individual qualities are revealed (friendliness, warmth, openness, and dynamism)

Involvement

• a sense of mutuality, of being connected, develops
• experiment and try to learn more about other person
• preliminary testing goes on, want to see if initial judgment proves reasonable
• continue involvement by intensifying interaction
• share feelings and emotions (self-disclosure)
• each person tries to find out how the other feels about the relationship

Intimacy

• feeling that you can be honest and open when talking about yourself,
• ability to express thoughts and feelings not revealed in other relationships
• commit further and establish a kind of relationship (title: best friend, lover, companion)
• communication becomes more personalized, synchronized, and easier
• TWO phases: interpersonal commitment- commit to each other in a private way vs. social bonding- commitment is made public (example: engagement, wedding)
• increase display of affiliative cues (Duchenne smiles)
• talk more affectionately, more lovingly, and more deeply

Deterioration

• see the weakening of bonds between parties and represents the downside of relationship progression
• many reasons for its occurrence
• reasons for coming together are no longer present or change drastically
• relationship no longer lessens loneliness or provides stimulation or self-knowledge

Repair

• intrapersonal repair- analyze what went wrong and consider ways of solving relational difficulties
• consider changing behavior or expectations of partner
• weighing of pros and cons
• interpersonal repair- talk about problems, corrections, what you're willing to do, and what you want the other person to do
• stage of negotiating new agreements and behaviors
• REPAIR strategy (recognize the problem, engage in productive conflict resolution, pose possible solutions, affirm each other, integrate solutions, and risk giving)

Dissolution

• cutting of the bonds tying you together
• interpersonal separation- no physical contact or communication (example: moving out, legal separation)
• social/public separation- changing definition of relationship (example: divorce, title to single status)
• final goodbye can be a stage of relief and relaxation or anxiety, frustration, guilt, & grief
• how to deal with dissolution (break the loneliness-depression cycle, take time out, bolster self-esteem, seek the support of others, and avoid repeating negative patterns)

Here is a video that demonstrates the stages of a relationship:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDt4TuO5FLg

Chapter 1: Preliminaries to Human Communication

Intrapersonal Communication

When it comes to human communication, an important topic to learn about is interpersonal communication. What this basically means is that you talk to yourself to better learn about who you are, evaluate and persuade yourself about decisions that you have to make, and also to rehearse a message that you will send to others. Intrapersonal communication helps you think, reason, and analyze with yourself.

The following vieo gives you an example of what interpersonal communication looks like. Towards the end of the video you can see how it relates to this topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aMISACsgXQ

The Competent Communicator

Communication competence refers to both your knowledge and understanding of how communication works and to your ability to use communication effectively. Every individual can improve on their communication skills. It is important to be aware of our actions and behaviors both as senders (encoders) as well as receivers (decoders). Communication competence involves several characteristics. A competent communicator...

• thinks critically and mindfully
• is culturally sensitive
• is ethical
• is an effective listener

Here is a video that demonstrates the benefits of communicating appropriately and effectively:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwjAAgGi-90&feature=related

Elements and rules of communication vary from culture to culture, and it is important to improve our competence in order to function and communicate effectively in our diverse world.

Introduction

My name is Maureen Riley. Very few people call me by my first name, as I prefer to go by Mo. I'm an art history major currently trying to pick up a minor in communications. I would have loved to double major, but unfortunately I didn't have my entire life planned out at the age of 18. I'm a junior, and I'm on the basketball team as well as a member of the honors program at SXU. I work at Blast Fitness in Bridgeview as a personal trainer. It's an awesome job! I love running, coffee, books, FOOD, reggae music, traveling, antiques, libraries, museums, and old things (and people) in general.

I plan on attending graduate school for art history with a concentration in museum studies (or possibly conservation) with hopes of being a curator. I know. Pipe dreams, right? I've heard from countless individuals that I would have a better chance moving to Hollywood and pursuing a career in acting. Or simply working museum security and patiently waiting for one of the curators to fall over and die. Eventually, I want to move into the business side of art involving auction house operations and ultimately art dealing so I can shmooze with super rich people and work on commission. The skills gained through studying communication will be of great value to me in my pursued career path. Hello, my name is Jessica, but I prefer to

Hello, my name is Jessica, but I prefer Jessi. I am currently a senior at SXU, and I am very excited to be graduating in May. I am a Spanish major but not quite sure what I will be doing with that. My goal is to eventually teach Spanish at the high school level; I just hope that I will have the patience for it. At the moment, I am a teller at a bank and doing an internship aside from school. My internship is at a daycare, and so far, I'm loving the little kids. Everyday they have something interesting to share with me.

I am also a mom to my wonderful two year old son, Carlos. He definitely motivates me to continue working hard and brings a smile to my face every day. I enjoy photography (I always carry my camera with me), coffee, listening to oldies, movies, swimming, baking, organizing, and shopping.