last updated 10/13/08

DYNAMICS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION - F '08

THIS IS A RANDOM  (& incomplete)  LIST OF ITEMS YOU SHOULD KNOW
(Test day = W 10/22/08).  See below for ONE advance test question & ONE extra credit question

Questions will probably be of the Fill-in, Terminology definitions, Short answer, & Essay types. Possible some multiple choice questions.  Be prepared to explain, to analyze, to compare and  to contrast. 

I will NOT use the same exact wording as in the books & I expect you to use your own words in your answers. We have covered a great deal of material and it will be difficult to "cram" effectively.  I'd recommend starting now to reread  & outline the chapters.

It is expected that most people will be able to complete the test in 40-50 minutes.

Review the handouts that have been used for class activities.  They also indicate important concepts/terms from the course that your professor wants to emphasize.   As you review your readings, make use of the chapter preview information as well as the post-chapter glossaries. Also, be familiar with such terms/concepts as these: (please note that this list is random, incomplete & off the top-of-my-head, but it will get you started.)

   Also, the material on the online quizzes  is helpful for review purposes.  If nec. refer to main page directions on  accessing past Blackboard quizzes.

Below are various samples of questions I have asked in the past. These may or may  not pertain to your current textbook; I simply cut & pasted  items from previous tests, but at least they will give you an idea of how complex my questions tend to be.

Some Sample Objective-type Questions -----

  [F.I.]  1. According to your authors, a person needs to be skilled in several areas in order to considered "interpersonally competent. What are 4 of those competencies?______,______,______,______.

  [F.I.]  2. The idea behind Wilson's 4 Communication Styles is conceptually based on a matrix of a person's aggressiveness tendencies combined with a measure of _____________tendencies.

  [M.C.] 3. We all use our past experiences & frames of reference in order to help us make assessments about current people and situations. When we use such past information to GENERALIZE/PREDICT a stranger's behavior based on our observance of just one aspect, It is generally referred to as:    a) prototyping      b) personally constructing        c) stereotyping       d) scripting  

  [F.I.] 4. Define "Attribution Process" in reference to the study of human communication. Support your answer by applying it to a specific current event.

[M.C.] 5. We use our past experiences & frames of reference in order to help us make assessments about current people and situations. When we use such past information to DEFINE a behavior via a particular person's demonstration of it, we are:           a) prototyping      b) personally constructing         c) stereotyping          d) scripting

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * *

Some Sample Short Answer/Essay-type Questions -----

[SA] 6. Take one of the competencies you listed in question 1. Explain the item by briefly describing the last time you exhibited such competency during an interpersonal encounter.

[SA] 7. Recently,  you had the opportunity to confer with the instructor concerning the upcoming independent projects. Was that conference an example of "INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION"? Explain.  

[SA] 8. Now, choose a particular Attitude you hold rather strongly. Trace back to ONE Belief that  served to shape that attitude. Then determine from what Values(s) did that belief stem?  

[SA] 9. "Mirroring" in terms of nonverbal behavior  is connected to the basic human pattern of seeking  similarity. Explain .

[ES]  10. Two students (who have an acquaintanceship) pass each other on a campus pathway  and say:

      "Hi! What's up?"-"Nothing much" and then continue on their way.

This interaction can be discussed in a variety of ways (e.g. as pragmatic language act / as phatic communication

                        / as situational vs developmental relationship  /  as interpersonal communication, , etc.).
From at least 3 perspectives, explain what could have been going on in this encounter.

[SA] 11. If Chris Believes that racism exists in the workplace, Chris is more likely to perceive co-worker Jaime's loud voice & aggressive behavior as being racially motivated.  Explain this phenomenon by applying the Believing-is-Seeing concept

[ES]  12. Explain the four basic ways that nonverbal communication channels are used in relation to the words being said.

[ES] 13. This weekend, while working in a box office with a female co-worker, a third party approached each of us and asked if we had some ":Motrin", "Tylenol", aspirin. etc. When we both told him that we didn't, his response was "What kind of  woman doesn't carry Motrin in her purse?  My next  thought was that the guy was so ignorant.

ANALYZE this communication encounter by applying relevant concepts from  PERCEPTION and/or CULTURE.

Slayer fans at Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday night.   photo by Michael Falco for The New York Times-2/17/07

updated 10/08

Leftover items. n.a. for  S03
 
 

Speech Acts

Language: coding, meaning, functions

2. BY CITING & DESCRIBING  SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM YOUR OWN LIFE, explain each of the 5 "Principles of Interpersonal Relationships" discussed in Chapter 1.