Contacts: Communicating Interpersonally

Contacts maintains an appropriate balance between the coverage of theory and the coverage of the practice of interpersonal communication skills. The theoretical and foundation material will provide the base of knowledge that today's students will need to develop their own personal and professional contacts. Contacts also offers applied skill material that gives students the opportunity to internalize strategies and master skills that will enable them to develop interpersonal competence and learn to interact effectively to attain goals when face to face with others. This new entry into the interpersonal communication market, Contacts: Communicating Interpersonally, is based on three premises of interpersonal communication. The first premise is that a text on interpersonal communication should explore the varied contexts of our lives. Our ability to interact skillfully with others will influence the development of both our personal and professional relationships. Through applied skills boxes (many set in the workplace), integrated coverage, and readings, Contacts lays a foundation to advance students' personal and professional well-being. The second premise is that the way that we communicate with others is affected, both subtly and overtly, by today's media and technological innovations. The media help shape our interactions, influence our expectations for daily contacts, and color our evaluations of the effectiveness of our interpersonal interactions. Technology brings a new wealth of information to our finger tips. Coverage of technology and media is integrated throughout the book as well as discussed in a special section in each chapter and will help students develop interpersonal communication skills for today's changing society. The third premise is that culture and gender influence interpersonal interactions. Contacts will give students the tools they need to communicate effectively both when they interact with individuals from their own culture and when they encounter individuals from diverse cultures. Cultural and gender issues and controversies are discussed in major sections in each chapter, integrated throughout the text discussions, and considered in many of the applied skills boxes and readings.

Table of Contents:
“Looking Back, Looking Ahead” and “Critical Thinking Challenges” close each chapter.I.PREPARING FOR CONTACT. 1.Understanding Interpersonal Communication Today. Case Study: The Saga of Susan and Juan. Meet the Interpersonal Communicator. Essentials of Interpersonal Communication. A Model of Interpersonal Communication. Why We Communicate Interpersonally: Messages and Motivations. Making Interpersonal Contact: Characteristics, Principles and Axioms of Communication. The Influence of Culture: Diversity and Communication Style. The Influence of Culture: Gender and Communication Style. Interpersonal Interaction and The Technological Embrace. Gaining Communication Competence: Improving Your Effectiveness as an Interpersonal Communicator. II.MAKING INTRAPERSONAL CONTACT. 2.Exploring the Self: The Impact of Self Concept. Case Study: Jenna's Term Paper Problem. The Self Concept: Your Answer To Who Are You. Self Esteem: Feelings of Self Worth Affect You. How Others Shape Our Self Concept. The Self In Relationship To Others: Confirming, Rejecting, and Disconfirming Responses. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: A Look at the Influence of Positive and Negative Pygmalions. Changing Your Self Concept: Revising Impressions and Conceptions. Diversity and Self Concept: How Important is the “I”? Gender and Self Concept. Seeing The Self Through the Media and The Technological Looking Glass. Gaining Communication Competence: Ways to Strengthen Your Self Concept. 3.Perception: Behind the Eye of the I. Case Study: Sam on Trial. Perception in Action: The Process at Work. The Role of Sets, Selectivities, and Stereotypes. Exploring Other Barriers to Accurate Perception. Culture and Perception: Interpreting Through Different I's. Gender and Perception. The Media and Perception: Judging the Accuracy and Inaccuracy of Portrayals. Technology and Virtual Reality. Gaining Communication Competence: How to Enhance Your Perceptual Abilities. III.MAKING CONTACT: WORDS AND ACTION. 4.Language: The Power of Words. Case Study: Words That Wound. Language: A Definition. The Triangle of Meaning: Gaining Perspective. Semantic Barriers: Unlocking Person to Person Understanding. Mastering Meaning. Language and Relationships: Communication Style, Words, and Feelings. Diversity and Language: Culturespeak. Gender and Language: Genderspeak. The Media, Technology, and Language: Distorted Reflections. Gaining Communication Competence: How to Make Language Work For You. 5.Nonverbal Communication: Wordless Messages. Case Study: Sam's Surprise. Nonverbal Communication: A Definition. Understanding Nonverbal Communication: Functions and Characteristics. Types of Nonverbal Messages: Kinesics, Paralanguage, Proxemics and Beyond. Diversity and Nonverbal Behavior: Cultural Patterns. Gender and Nonverbal Behavior: Masculine and Feminine Styles. The Nonverbal Messages Communicated by the Media and Via-Computer-Mediated Means. Gaining Communication Competence: How to Harness the Power of Nonverbal Communication. 6.Listening in Relationships. Case Study: Merilee Nonlistening. Differences Between Listening and Hearing. The Stages of Listening. Types of Listening. The Differences Between Effective and Ineffective Listeners. The Ethics of Listening: A Look at Nonlistening Behaviors. A System for Hurdling Listening Roadblocks. The Feedback Factor. Diversity's Influence on Listening. Gender's Influence on Listening. Media and Technological Influences on Listening. Gaining Communication Competence: How to Become “All Ears.” IV.INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 7.Relationship Basics. Case Study: The Job Promotion. Types of Relationships. Why We Enter into Relationships: Relational Roles and Functions. Relationship Characteristics. Who Is Attracted to Whom? The Culture Factor. The Gender Factor. Media and Technology. Gaining Communication Competence: Mastering Relationship Basics. 8.Relationships in Flux: Initiation, Maintenance, and Termination. Case Study: Tony Terminates by the Book. Relationships Evolve: The Ten-Stage Model. Relationship Maintenance. Relationship Repair: Renegotiation or Dissolution. The Diversity Factor: Changing Relationships. The Gender Factor: Different Goals. Media and Technology's Role in Assisting Relational Formation. Gaining Communication Competence: On the Road to More Satisfying Relationships. 9.Intimacy and Distance in Relationships. Case Study: The Plane Trip. Self Disclosure and Intimacy. Social Penetration Theory: Depth, Breadth, Intimacy and Distance. The Johari Window and Self-Disclosure. Communicating with Acquaintances, Friends, Lovers, and Others. Culture: Getting Closer Through Interpersonal Connections. Gender: Intimacy and Distance. Technology: The Psychological Shortening of Long Distance Relationships. Gaining Communication Competence: Deciding How to Handle Closeness and Distance in Relationships. V.MAKING CONTACT: SHARING RELATIONSHIPS. 10.Interpersonal Dialogue: Small Talk and Conversation. Case Study: Talk, Talk, Talk. The Importance of Conversational Contact. What Is Conversation? Conversational Management. Repairing Conversational Damage. Culture: Differences and Conversation. Gender: Differences and Conversation. Media and Technology Talk. Gaining Communication Competence: Improving Your Conversational Skills. 11.Emotions and Interpersonal Communication: Working through Feelings. Case Study: Time Troubles. What Are Emotions? Relationships and Emotions. The Value of Explaining Feelings. Culture: The Expression of Emotions. Gender: The Expression of Emotions. Media and Technology: Channeling Feelings. Gaining Communication Competence: Guidelines for Sharing Emotions. 12.Interpersonal Power and Influence. Case Study: Power Movement. Interpersonal Control: Exploring the Balance of Power in Relationships. Preparing to Exercise Power: Exploring How Attitudes, Beliefs, and Values Influence Persuasability. Gaining Compliance in Interpersonal Relationships: The Promotion of Attitudinal and Behavioral Change. Diversity and Relational Power. Gender and the Balance of Power. Media and Technology: Power Shifts. Gaining Communication Competence: Controlling Relationships. 13.The Dynamics of Interpersonal Conflict: Mastering the Art of Disagreeing without Becoming Disagreeable. Case Study: Jim and Jack Joust. The Meaning of Conflict. The Sources of Conflict. Resolution Strategies. Your Expressive Style: Nonassertive, Aggressive or Assertive. Culture and Conflict Resolution. Gender and Conflict Resolution. Media and Technology: Conflict Resolution Models or Madness. Gaining Communication Competence: Guidelines for Resolving Conflicts. 14.Trust: Relational Glue, Relational Climates. Case Study: Trust Troubles. What is Trust? Cost-Benefit Theory: The Price We Are Willing to Pay for a Relationship. Defining the Relational Situation. Gender, Risk, and Trust: Today's Dilemma. Relationship Ethics: Deception and Relationships. Culture: Influences on Trust. Gender: Influences on Lying and Trust. The Media and Technology: Lessons About Trust. Gaining Communication Competence: Nurturing a Trusting Relationship. VI.MAKING CONTACT IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS. 15.The Family Setting. Case Study: The Family Reunion. The Nature of Familial Communication. The Family as Communication System. Communication Functions and Dysfunctions: A Look at Family Communication Rules. Communication Patterns. Diversity and the Family. Gender and the Family. Media and Technology: It's Magic. Gaining Competence: Enhancing Communication with Family Members. 16.The World of Work. Case Study: Should Fernando Work for Free? The Importance of Interpersonal Communication On the Job. The Dyad and the Organization. Networks and Interaction: Influencing Relationship Satisfaction. Working in Teams: Strategies for Success. Culture and the Workplace. Gender and the Workplace. Media, Technology and the Workplace: Reflecting and Refracting Images. Gaining Communication Competence: Improving Your Work Relationships. 17.Issues in Health Communication. Case Study: Patient Anxiety: Mr. Johnson Passes Out. Interpersonal Communication: The Link Between Health Care Consumers and Providers. A Closer Look at the Characteristics of Therapeutic Relationships. The Practitioner-Client Dyad: Experiencing the Relationship. Communicate about AIDS with Each Other. Listening to Diversity's Messages: The Role of Culture. Gender Messages and Health. The Media's Messages and the Influence of New Technology. Gaining Communication Competence: How to Improve Your Ability to Enhance Healthtalk. Epilogue: Thinking Critically about Past and Future Contacts. Case Study: The Date. Interpersonal Communication and Change: Your Key to Making Gains and Reaching Goals. Increasing Respect for Diversity. Overcoming Gender Blocks. Managing Technological Changes. Set Your Sights on the Future.