Interplay

Part I: Foundations of Interpersonal Communication
1. Interpersonal Process
Why We Communicate
Physical Needs
Identity Needs
Social Needs
Practical Needs
The Communication Process
A Model of Communication
Insights from the Communication Model
Communication Principles
Communication Misconceptions
Interpersonal Communication Defined
Quantitative and Qualitative Definitions
Personal and Impersonal Communication: A Matter of Balance
Interpersonal Communication and Technology
Interpersonal Communication and Cultural Diversity
Culture
Intercultural Communication
Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication
Comparison of Canadian and US Culture
Attitudes toward Violence
Tolerance of Diversity
Relative Status of Men and Women
Communication Competence
Communication Competence Defined and Described
Characteristics of Competent Communication
2. Communication and the Self
Communication and the Self-Concept
How the Self-Concept Develops
Self-Concept Development in Context
Characteristics of the Self-Concept
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Communication
Changing Your Self-Concept
Presenting the Self: Communication as Identity Management
Public and Private Selves
Characteristics of Identity Management
Why Manage Impressions?
How Do We Manage Impressions?
Identity Management and Honesty
Disclosing the Self
Models of Self-Disclosure
Benefits and Risks of Self-Disclosure
Alternatives to Self Disclosure
Silence and Secrecy
Lying
Equivocation
Hinting
The Ethics of Evasion
Guidelines for Self Disclosure
Is the Other Person Important to You?
Is the Risk of Disclosing Reasonable?
Is the Self-Disclosure Appropriate?
Is the Disclosure Relevant to the Situation at Hand?
Is the Disclosure Reciprocated?
Will the Effect Be Constructive?
3. Perceiving Others
The Perception Process
Selection
Organization
Interpretation
Negotiation
Influences on Perception
Physiological Influences
Psychological Influences
Social Influences
Cultural Influences
Common Tendencies in Perception
We Judge Ourselves More Charitably than We Do Others
We Are Influenced by Our Expectations
We Are Influenced by the Obvious
We Cling to First Impressions
We Assume Others Are Like Us
Perceiving Others More Accurately
Perception Checking
Building Empathy
Part II: Creating and Responding to Messages
4. Emotions
What Are Emotions?
Physiological Changes
Cognitive Interpretations
Non-verbal and Verbal Expression
Influences on Emotional Expression
Personality
Culture
Biological Sex and Gender
Social Conventions
Social Roles
Fear of Self-Disclosure
Emotional Contagion
Guidelines for Expressing Emotions
Recognize Your Feelings
Choose the Best Language
Share Multiple Feelings
Recognize the Difference between Feeling and Acting
Accept Responsibility for Your Feelings
Choose the Best Time and Place to Express Your Feelings
Managing Difficult Emotions
Facilitative and Debilitative Emotions
Thoughts as a Cause of Feelings
Irrational Thinking and Debilitative Emotions
Minimizing Debilitative Emotions
5. Language
The Nature of Language
Language Is Symbolic
Language Is Governed by Rules
Language Is Subjective
Language Is Linked to Worldview
The Influence of Language
Naming and Identity
Credibility and Status
Affiliation, Attraction, and Interest
Power
Sexism, Sexual Prejudice, and Racism
Uses (and Abuses) of Language
Precision and Vagueness
The Language of Responsibility
Disruptive Language
Culture and Language
Translation
High- versus Low-Context Cultures
Verbal Communication Styles
Gender and Language
Content
Reasons for Communicating and Amount of Talking
Conversational Style
Non-Sex Variables
6. Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal Communication Defined
Characteristics of Non-verbal Communication
All Behaviour Has Communicative Value
Non-verbal Communication Is Primarily Relational
Non-verbal Communication Is Ambiguous
Non-verbal Communication Is Influenced by Culture
Functions of Non-verbal Communication
Repeating
Substituting
Complementing and Accenting
Regulating
Contradicting
Deception and Non-verbal Communication
Hiding Deceit
Detecting Deceit
Types of Non-verbal Communication
Face and Eyes
Body Movement
Touch
Voice
Proxemics
Territoriality
Time
Physical Attractiveness
Clothing
Physical Environment
7. Listening
The Nature of Listening
The Importance of Listening
Listening Defined
Reasons for Listening
The Challenge of Listening
Listening Is Not Easy
All Listeners Do Not Receive the Same Message
Types of Non-listening
Components of Listening
Hearing
Attending
Understanding
Remembering
Responding
Types of Listening Responses
Silent Listening
Questioning
Paraphrasing
Empathizing
Supporting
Analyzing
Evaluating
Advising
Which Style to Use?
Part III: Dimensions of Interpersonal Relationships
8. Dynamics of Interpersonal Relationships
Why We Form Relationships
Appearance
Similarity
Complementarity
Rewards
Competence
Proximity
Disclosure
Intimacy and Distance in Relationships
Dimensions of Intimacy and Distance
Influences on Intimacy and Distance
Communication and Relational Dynamics
A Developmental Model of Interpersonal Relationships
Dialectical Tensions in Relationships
Characteristics of Relationship Development
Communicating about Relationships
Content and Relational Messages
Expression of Relational Messages
Communication That Keeps Relationships Going
9. Communication Climate
What Is Communication Climate?
How Communication Climates Develop
Levels of Message Confirmation
Defensiveness
Climate Patterns
Creating Positive Climates
Evaluation versus Description
Control versus Problem Orientation
Strategy versus Spontaneity
Neutrality versus Empathy
Superiority versus Equality
Certainty versus Provisionalism
Transforming Negative Climates
Seek More Information
Agree with the Critic
10. Managing Conflict
What Is Conflict?
Expressed Struggle
Perceived Incompatible Goals
Perceived Scarce Rewards
Interdependence
Inevitability
Functional and Dysfunctional Conflicts
Integration versus Polarization
Co-operation versus Opposition
Confirmation versus Disconfirmation
Agreement versus Coercion
De-escalation versus Escalation
Focusing versus Drifting
Foresight versus Short-Sightedness
Positive versus Negative Results
Individual Conflict Styles
Non-assertion
Indirect Communication
Passive Aggression
Direct Aggression
Assertion
Which Style to Use?
Conflict in Relational Systems
Complementary, Symmetrical, and Parallel Styles
Intimate and Aggressive Styles
Conflict Rituals
Variables in Conflict Styles
Gender
Culture
Methods of Conflict Resolution
Win-Lose
Lose-Lose
Compromise
Win-Win
Steps for the Win-Win Approach
Part IV: Contexts of Interpersonal Communication
11. Communicating with Family
Types of Family Communication
Communication Between Spouses or Partners
Communication Between Parents and Children
Communication Between Siblings
Elements of Family Communication
Families as Communication Systems
Roles
Family Narratives
Models for Other Relationships
Communication Rules
Effective Communication in Families
Strive for Closeness while Respecting Boundaries
Strive for a Moderate Level of Adaptability
Encourage Confirming Messages
Deal Constructively with Family Conflict
12. Work, Group, and Team Communication
Communicating in Organizations
Formal Communication
Informal Communication
Relationships in Work Groups and Teams
Characteristics of Groups and Teams
Personal Skills in Work Groups and Teams
Group Cultures
Face-to-Face and Mediated Relationships
Leadership, Power, and Influence in Working Groups
Types of Leadership
Types of Power
Interviewing
Before the Interview
During the Interview
After the Interview
Glossary

Instructor's Manual:
General Teaching Strategies - detailed information on classroom environment, the importance of exercises, use of small groups, and team learning
10-15 classroom activities for each chapter
20 matching exercises
10-15 additional exercises for each chapter from Communication Teacher (an online journal)
Unit wind-up exercises (in-class exercises designed to draw from more than one chapter)
Study guide - a list of suggestions to give to students on what to study for each chapter
Test Generator and Test Bank:
For each chapter:
40-75 multiple-choice questions
40-65 true-or-false questions
10-25 short-answer questions
1 mini-essay question
0-9 matching questions
PowerPoint Slides:
Summarize key points and incorporate figures and tables from the text - 15-20 slides per chapter
Student Study Guide:
For each chapter:
Updated interactive quizzes (10 multiple-choice questions)
Chapter overviews
Learning objectives
Case study exercises related to communication, nursing, and/or business
3-5 sample answers to select discussion questions
E-Book (ISBN 9780195449884):
Available through CourseSmart.com

Ronald B. Adler is professor emeritus in the Department of Communication, Santa Barbara City College, where he specializes in organizational and interpersonal communication.

Lawrence B. Rosenfeld is professor of communication studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Russell F. Proctor II is currently professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Kentucky University, where he has taught since 1991. He was named NKU's Outstanding Professor in 1997 and has won a variety of university, regional, and national teaching awards.

Constance Winder worked in the field of children's mental health and early childhood education before joining the faculty in the School of Early Childhood at George Brown College. Currently she works in the Office of Academic Excellence at George Brown supporting faculty and administrators in their efforts to provide excellent teaching and learning opportunities for students. She is a member of several community partnerships and the editor of the IDEAS journal - a publication that focuses on emotional well-being in childcare.

Special Features

• Distinctly Canadian. The inclusion of Canadian statistics, research, references, and examples makes the content relevant to students in this country.
• Rigorous scholarship. Cites over a thousand current sources, offering a thorough, balanced treatment of the study of interpersonal communication.
• Cross-cultural comparisons. Explores research studies carried out across Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia to prepare students for the communication challenges of today's globalized world.
• Links theory to everyday life. Photos, cartoons, and first-person accounts reflect real-world situations and add a sense of fun, offering students a practical approach to interpersonal communication and insight into their own relationships.
• Student-friendly. A straightforward, accessible writing style gives introductory students a practical and compelling introduction to the field.
• Emphasizes the relational nature of communication. Students will learn that communication is something we do with others, not to them. (E.g., Ch. 1: Interpersonal Process; Ch. 8: Dynamics of Interpersonal Relationships)
• Reflects Canada's diversity. Emphasizes strategies for effective intercultural communication by exploring issues of language and identity as they pertain to First Nations people and francophones.
• Contemporary design. A stunning, full-colour design with a wealth of photos, figures, and tables throughout reflects the vibrancy and excitement of interpersonal communication today.

• New chapters. Two distinct chapters on communicating with family (Ch. 11) and communicating at work (Ch. 12) explore in greater detail the complexities of interpersonal communication within these important cultural settings.
• Multiple-choice quizzes. Provide students with a quick assessment tool to ensure comprehension of material discussed in each chapter.
• 'Journal Ideas' section. These goal-setting questions encourage students to reflect on how concepts and strategies discussed in the chapter relate to their personal goals.
• Enhanced Canadian content. A diverse range of additional Canadian examples, issues, and cases throughout helps students place key concepts in a familiar context.
• Fully updated. Reflects the latest research and theories in the field with more material on business and emotion, feedback and boundaries, the role of technology, and the influences of culture on interpersonal communication, offering students a thorough, up-to-date treatment of the field.

• 'Self-Assessment' quizzes. Students are taught how to analyze their current communication behaviours and their consequences - topics include listening styles, expressing emotions, self-disclosure, and ways to handle aggression.
• 'Building Work Skills' exercises. Help students apply communication skills to common workplace situations.
• 'Focus on Research' profiles. Highlight scholarship that will engage students on topics ranging from workplace bullying to how social status and self-identification are influenced by material possessions.
• 'Focus on Technology' boxes. Explore new technology and current research on interpersonal communication through such topics as text-message syntax, cell phones and forced eavesdropping, and the influence of culture on computer-mediated business negotiations.
• 'Reflection' sidebars. Offer first-person accounts of how principles covered in the text apply to real life.
• 'Check It!' questions. Give students a great tool for study and review.
• 'Take Two' boxes. Recap core concepts and terms that are similar and commonly confused to ensure students understand differences and connections among them.
• Chapter openers. Preview the contents of each chapter and include key terms and learning objectives to provide a concise overview of the material to be covered.
• Chapter summaries. Recap important information, helping students review for tests and exams.
• Interactive student activities. Listed at the end of each chapter, practical, interactive exercises reinforce important concepts.
• Discussion questions. Found at the end of each chapter, these questions draw out key issues while encouraging readers to form their own conclusions about interpersonal communication.