The Interpersonal Communication Playbook

Practical skills for developing successful relationships—both face-to-face and online. Written in a conversational style and presented in an innovative handbook format, The Interpersonal Communication Playbook empowers students to take an active role in the development of their communication skills. Best-selling authors Teri Kwal Gamble and Michael W. Gamble provide students with abundant opportunities to make personal observations, analyze personal experiences, and assess personal growth across interpersonal contexts. Offering an array of communication settings for students to practice their skills, this text makes it easy for students to see how relevant theory can be applied to develop and maintain healthy relationships with family, friends, romantic partners, and coworkers. This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package. Contact your SAGE representative to request a demo.   Digital Option / Courseware SAGE Vantage is an intuitive digital platform that delivers this text’s content and course materials in a learning experience that offers auto-graded assignments and interactive multimedia tools, all carefully designed to ignite student engagement and drive critical thinking. Built with you and your students in mind, it offers simple course set-up and enables students to better prepare for class. Learn more. Assignable Video with Assessment Assignable video (available with SAGE Vantage) is tied to learning objectives and curated exclusively for this text to bring concepts to life. Watch a sample video now.  LMS Cartridge (formerly known as SAGE Coursepacks): Import this title’s instructor resources into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. Don’t use an LMS? You can still access all of the same online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site. Learn more. 

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1: Interpersonal Communication: Why It Matters Communication Presence What Is Interpersonal Communication? Models of Interpersonal Communication How Does Interpersonal Communication Enhance Life? Understanding Interpersonal Contact Diversity and Cultural Considerations The Impact of Gender The Impact of Media and Technology On the Way to Gaining Communication Competence Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 2: Self-Concept, Identity, and Communication Presence Self-Concept: Your Answer to Who You Are Self-Esteem: Assessing Self-Worth Others Help Shape Our Self-Concept The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Revising Your Self-Concept: Reexamining Impressions and Conceptions Diversity and Culture in Relationships: How Important is the “I”? Seeing the Self Through the Media and Technology Looking Glass Gaining Communication Competence: Ways to Strengthen Your Self-Concept and Communication Presence Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 3: Perception and Social Experience Our Perception Defines Our Reality The Perception Process in Action Frameworks of Perception More Barriers to Accurate Perception Diversity and Culture: Interpreting Through Different I’s The Media, Technology, and Perception Gaining Communication Competence: Enhancing Your Perceptual Skills Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 4: Listening and Life Contexts Listening in Your Life Stages of Listening Ways of Listening Listening Ethics Responding With Feedback Diversity and Culture in Listening Media and Technological Influences on Listening Gaining Communication Skills: Becoming a Better Listener Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 5: Communicating With Words Defining Language The Triangle of Meaning Remove Semantic Barriers Consider the Effects of Your Words Language and Relationships: Communication Style, Words, and Feelings Language Conveys and Reinforces Attitudes Toward Culture, Gender, and Age Language, Media, and Technology Gaining Communication Competence: Making Your Words Work Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 6: Nonverbal Communication Defining Nonverbal Communication Reading Nonverbal Messages Culture and Nonverbal Behavior Gender and Nonverbal Behavior Media, Technology, and Nonverbal Messages Gaining Communication Competence: Using Skills to Enhance Relational Understanding Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 7: Conversations: Social Glue Small Talk: Social Lubricant What Is Conversation? Why Is It Important? Conversation Management Having Difficult Conversations and Repairing Conversational Damage Cultural Differences and Conversation Gender Differences and Conversation Media and Technology Talk Gaining Communication Competence: Improving Your Conversation Skills Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 8: Emotions What Are Emotions? Managing Emotions Emotions Have a Look and Feel Experiencing Emotions in Relationships Culture and the Expression of Emotion Gender and the Expression of Emotion Media and Technology: Modeling and Channeling Feelings Gaining Communication Competence: Communicating Emotion Skillfully Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 9: Trust and Deception What Is Trust? Forgiveness: Rebuilding a Relationship After Trust Was Betrayed Cost-Benefit Theory: The Price We Are Willing to Pay for a Relationship Exploring Relational Situations Lying and Relationship Ethics Culture and Gender Media, Technology, and Lessons in Trust Gaining Communication Competence: Developing Skills Needed to Nurture Trusting Relationships Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 10: Power and Influence The Control Factor: Exploring the Balance of Power in Relationships Exercising Persuasion The Impact of Culture, Gender, Media, and Technology on Conceptions of Power Gaining Communication Competence: Skills for Balancing Power in Relationships Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 11: Conflict in Relationships The Meaning of Conflict Sources and Classifications of Conflict Conflict Management Styles Communicating During Conflict Your Expressive Style Culture and Conflict Resolution Gender and Conflict Resolution Media, Technology, and Conflict Resolution: Models or Madness Gaining Communication Competence: Guidelines for Skillfully Resolving Conflict Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 12: Interpersonal Needs, Attraction, and Relationship Dynamics Why We Form Relationships Relationship Characteristics Relationship Attractors The Relationship Spectrum How Culture, Gender, and the Media and Technology Influence Our Relationships Gaining Communication Competence: Guidelines for Skillfully Navigating the Relationship Spectrum Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 13: Intimacy and Distance in Relationships Self-Disclosure and Intimacy Using Relational Dialectics Theory to Understand Relationships Focusing on Relationship Maintenance Relationships in Need of Repair: Fix It or End It The Dark Side of Relationships: Dysfunctions and Toxic Communication Relationships and Death: Processing Grief The Effects of Culture, Gender, and Media and Technology on Relational Intimacy Gaining Communication Competence: Handling Relational Closeness and Distance Skillfully Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Chapter 14: Relationships in Context: Family, Work, and Health-Related Settings The Nature of Familial Communication Interpersonal Communication at Work Interpersonal Communication in Health Care Settings Gaining Communication Competence Across Contexts Review This Chapter Summary Check Your Understanding Key Terms Glossary Notes Index

About the Author :
Teri Kwal Gamble enjoyed a career as a full professor of communication at the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY (PhD, New York University; MA and BA, Lehman College, CUNY), and Michael W. Gamble, is a full professor of communication at the New York Institute of Technology in New York City (PhD, New York University; BA and MFA, University of Oklahoma). The Gambles are partners in life and work. Professional writers of education and training materials, the Gambles are the coauthors of numerous textbooks and trade books. Their most recent publication is The Interpersonal Communication Playbook (2020). Teri and Mike also are the coauthors of The Communication Playbook (2019). Among other books the Gambles have written together are Nonverbal Messages Tell More: A Practical Guide to Nonverbal Communication (2017), Leading with Communication (2013), and The Gender Communication Connection (2nd ed., 2014). Previously, Michael served as an officer and taught Leadership Skills for the U.S. Army Infantry School during the Vietnam War. The Gambles also are the founders of Interact Training Systems, a consulting firm that conducts seminars, workshops, and short courses for business and professional organizations. Teri and Mike also produce training and marketing materials for sales organizations and are the coauthors of the trade book, Sales Scripts That Sell.   Teri Kwal Gamble enjoyed a career as a full professor of communication at the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY (PhD, New York University; MA and BA, Lehman College, CUNY), and Michael W. Gamble, is a full professor of communication at the New York Institute of Technology in New York City (PhD, New York University; BA and MFA, University of Oklahoma). The Gambles are partners in life and work. Professional writers of education and training materials, the Gambles are the coauthors of numerous textbooks and trade books. Their most recent publication is The Interpersonal Communication Playbook (2020). Teri and Mike also are the coauthors of The Communication Playbook (2019). Among other books the Gambles have written together are Nonverbal Messages Tell More: A Practical Guide to Nonverbal Communication (2017), Leading with Communication (2013), and The Gender Communication Connection (2nd ed., 2014). Previously, Michael served as an officer and taught Leadership Skills for the U.S. Army Infantry School during the Vietnam War. The Gambles also are the founders of Interact Training Systems, a consulting firm that conducts seminars, workshops, and short courses for business and professional organizations. Teri and Mike also produce training and marketing materials for sales organizations and are the coauthors of the trade book, Sales Scripts That Sell.  

Review :
"This textbook takes a practical and applicable approach to teaching interpersonal communication. It uses real-life examples to link theory to practice." "The text is written well.  It makes complex concepts easily accessible to students through the use of relevant and up-to-date examples and scenarios." "The wonderful resources at the end of the chapters are a jumping-off point for students and professors alike to expand their discussions and critical thinking. They will spark creative thinking and analysis in classrooms everywhere." "The pedagogical content is this book is better than any I have seen. If a student uses all these features they should be able to clearly understand the material and apply it to their personal situations effectively." "This textbook engages students by using multiple creative approaches and valuable examples. The breadth and depth of coverage of the field of interpersonal communication is highly appreciated. Students and instructors alike will enjoy learning about the basics of interpersonal communication using this all-inclusive book." "A comprehensive book which allows students to play with interpersonal concepts." "This is an excellent text for an introductory interpersonal communication course with a relational focus in a program that does not offer additional upper division courses in interpersonal or relational communication." "I would say this book was a comprehensive look at interpersonal communication with a very conversational tone and interactive ideas and activities embedded throughout."