Table of Contents

PART I: FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION; CHAPTER 1: COMPETENT COMMUNICATION: EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE; I. Benefits of Communication Competence; II. Communication Myths; III. Defining Communication; IV. Defining Communication Competence; V. Achieving Communication Competence; VI. Creating a Communication Climate; VII. Summary; VIII. Film School; BOX 1-1: Developing Communication Competence: Hindsight Bias Test; BOX 1-2: Focus on Controversy: Ethics and Hypercompetitiveness; CHAPTER 2: PERCEPTION OF SELF AND OTHERS: WHO AM I? WHO ARE THEY?; I. The Perceptual Process; II. Perception of Self; III. Perception of Others; IV. Communication Competence and Perceptual Challenges; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 2-1: Focus on Controversy: Self-Esteem: More Is Not Always Better; BOX 2-2: Developing Communication Competence: Where Do You Draw the Line?; CHAPTER 3: CULTURE AND GENDER; I. Culture and Communication; II. Intercultural Miscommunication; III. Intercultural Communication Competence; IV. Gender and Communication; V. Communication Competence and Gender; VI. Summary; VII. Film School; BOX 3-1: Developing Communication Competence: Be Ye Individualist or Collectivist?; BOX 3-2: Focus on Controversy: Competition: Cultural Influence; CHAPTER 4: LANGUAGE: SHARING MEANING WITH WORDS; I. The Nature of Language; II. The Abstracting Process; III. Competent Language Use; IV. Summary; V. Film School; BOX 4-1: Focus on Controversy: Aping Language: The Debate over Animals' Linguistic Abilities; BOX 4-2: Developing Communication Competence: Measuring Connotative Meaning; BOX 4-3: Focus on Controversy: Verbal Taboos: A Question of Appropriateness; CHAPTER 5: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION: SHARING MEANING WITHOUT WORDS; I. Distinctions between Verbal and Nonverbal Communication; II. Interconnectedness of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication; III. Types of Nonverbal Communication; IV. Communicating Competently with Nonverbal Codes; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 5-1: Developing Communication Competence: Nonverbal Communication Test; BOX 5-2: Focus on Controversy: Gated Communities: Fortress America?; CHAPTER 6: LISTENING TO OTHERS; I. The Listening Process; II. Competent Informational Listening; III. Competent Critical Listening; IV. Competent Empathic Listening; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 6-1: Developing Communication Competence: Focused Attention; BOX 6-2: Focus on Controversy: Skepticism and Open-Mindedness: Inquiring Minds, Not Empty Minds; BOX 6-3: Developing Communication Competence: Distinguishing Listening Responses; PART TWO: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION; CHAPTER 7: POWER: THE INESCAPABLE INTERPERSONAL DYNAMIC; I. Definition of Power; II. Communication Indicators of Power; III. Power Resources; IV. Problems of Power Imbalance; V. Competent Communication and Balancing Power; VI. Summary; VII. Film School; BOX 7-1: Focus on Controversy: Gender and Relationship Aggression: A White-Hot Debate; BOX 7-2: Developing Communication Competence: Assertiveness Self-Assessment Questionnaire; CHAPTER 8: MAKING RELATIONSHIPS WORK; I. Forming Close Relationships; II. Sustaining Relationships with Competent Communication; III. Technology and Competent Interpersonal Relationships; IV. Intercultural Relationships and Communication Competence; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 8-1: Focus on Controversy: Cyberaddiction; BOX 8-2: Developing Communication Competence: Cell Phone Etiquette for the Competent Communicator; BOX 8-3: Developing Communication Competence: Netiquette; CHAPTER 9: INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT; I. Definition of Conflict; II. Relationship Dialectics; III. Communication Styles of Conflict Management; IV. Managing Conflict Competently; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 9-1: Focus on Controversy: Ethical Conundrum: Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?; PART THREE: GROUP COMMUNICATION; CHAPTER 10: THE ANATOMY OF SMALL GROUPS; I. The Genius of Groups; II. The Structure of Small Groups; III. Leadership; IV. Summary; V. Film School; BOX 10-1: Developing Communication Competence: Playing By the Roles: A Self-Assessment; BOX 10-2: Focus on Controversy: Gender and Ethnicity: Glass Ceiling or Tricky Labyrinth?; CHAPTER 11: EFFECTIVE GROUPS; I. Challenges of Group Composition; II. Competent Group Decision Making and Problem Solving; III. Teambuilding and Teamwork; IV. Virtual Groups and Teams; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 11-1: Developing Communication Competence: A Sample Agenda for Group Meetings; BOX 11-2: Developing Communication Competence: How to Achieve a Consensus; PART FOUR: PUBLIC SPEAKING; CHAPTER 12: PREPARING SPEECHES; I. Audience Analysis; II. Topic Choice and Analysis; III. Researching the Topic; IV. Supporting Materials; V. Competent Outlining and Organizing; VI. Summary; VII. Film School; BOX 12-1: Focus on Controversy: Wikipedia: Credible Scholarship or Mob Rule?; BOX 12-2: Developing Communication Competence: Spotting Fallacies; BOX 12-3: Developing Communication Competence: A Student Outline: Rough Draft and Revision; CHAPTER 13: PRESENTING SPEECHES; I. Addressing Speech Anxiety; II. Gaining and Maintaining Attention; III. Competent Presentation of Introductions and Conclusions; IV. Competent Presentation of Supporting Materials; V. Competent Style of Presentation: A Signature Event; VI. Competent Delivery of Speeches; VII. Summary; VIII. Film School; BOX 13-1: FOCUS ON CONTROVERSY: DELETING PRESIDENTIAL VERBAL GOOFS: AN ETHICAL QUESTION; CHAPTER 14: INFORMATIVE SPEAKING; I. Distinguishing Informative from Persuasive Speaking; II. Types of Informative Speeches; III. Guidelines for Competent Informative Speaking; IV. Visual Aids; V. Summary; VI. Film School; BOX 14-1: Developing Communication Competence: Examples of Signposts and Transitions; BOX 14-2: Developing Communication Competence: Outline and Text of an Informative Speech; BOX 14-3: Focus on Controversy: PowerPoint: Lots of Power, Little Point?; CHAPTER 15: PERSUASIVE SPEAKING; I. Foundations of Persuasion; II. Competent Persuasive Speaking; III. Summary; IV. Film School; BOX 15-1: Developing Communication Competence: A Sample Outline and Persuasive Speech; APPENDIX: INTERVIEWING

About the Author

J. Dan Rothwell is Professor of Communication at Cabrillo College.

Reviews

"Right from the start I was drawn in through the use of humor. Who doesn't like a good joke? Even when the laughs stopped, I kept reading. The conversational style distinguishes Rothwell from most of the introductory texts I've read."--Robert E. Mild Jr., Fairmont State University"The subject or topic headings are eye-catching for each of the chapters. This suggests a more contemporary take on the traditional topics and incorporates a more current perspective."--Jason Teven, California State University, Fullerton"I really like this framework for teaching listening. I will use the ideas in my class. . . . Wonderful ways to teach and encourage critical thinking in a basic communication textbook!"--Kimberly Cuny, University of North Carolina at Greensboro