Revised 08/2022

CST 126 - Interpersonal Communication (3 CR.)

Course Description

Teaches interpersonal communication skills for both daily living and the world of work, including perception, self- concept, self-disclosure, listening and feedback, nonverbal communication, attitudes, assertiveness, and other interpersonal skills. The assignments in the course require college-level reading and analysis of scholarly studies and coherent communication through written reports including the production of at least one APA/MLA- formatted individual writing assignment. Lecture 3 hours, Total 3 hours per week

General Course Purpose

CST 126 is designed to be an intensive study into the theories and strategies of interpersonal communication, communication between two people who have a relationship.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

None.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Critical Thinking
    • Apply major theoretical concepts in the field of relational communication to real world relationships
    • Analyze roles in interpersonal relationships in a family, professional, friendship, interracial/intercultural, or intimate context
    • Formulate a plan for improved interpersonal competencies in family, romantic, friendship, and work conversations
    • Construct a plan for setting personal boundaries in interpersonal relationships
    • Evaluate and use information, ideas and arguments from a variety of perspectives to make sense of complex issues
    • Use critical thinking to understand and resolve issues
  • Communication
    • Use written, spoken, and nonverbal communication to express thoughts, philosophies, and strategies for daily interpersonal communication
    • Listen to and interpret complex ideas
    • Demonstrate principles of organization and synthesis of information
    • Send and interpret verbal and nonverbal messages with accuracy
  • Cultural and Civic Engagement
    • Demonstrate the ability to competently work with people of different genders, sexual orientations, cultures, religions, ages, cognitive/physical abilities, and socioeconomic statuses
    • Exhibit the ability to connect with others across communities
    • Adapt behaviors appropriately to live and work in an evolving, diverse world
    • Demonstrate care and concern for the welfare of others
    • Evaluate incompetent interpersonal communication strategies for use in creating competent interpersonal communication strategies
  • Communication Process
    • Define and use a vocabulary of relational communication terms
    • Demonstrate the communication process by creating a model of communication
    • Identify how interpersonal communication is distinct from public speaking and other communication contexts
  • Cultural Influences
    • Identify the influence of ethnicity and gender on culture
  • Influence of Self in the Communication Process
    • Describe how a view of oneself influences the communication process
    • Identify the influences of others on self-identity and communication with others
    • Define self-disclosure and illustrate its use in competent interpersonal communication and relationships
  • Understanding Perception and its role on Interpersonal Communication
    • Describe the three parts of the perception process and its role in competent communication
    • Identify the factors influencing attribution of meaning in communication and relationship
    • Evaluate conversations for fundamental attribution error and self-serving bias as well as other perception missteps in interpersonal communication
  • Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Interpersonal Relationships
    • Distinguish between succinct, clearly spoken communication, and arbitrary, ambiguous use of words
    • Identify consequences of loaded language, biased communication, and prejudice in dialogue
    • Practice effective verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Communication of Emotion in Interpersonal Communication
    • Define emotional intelligence
    • Identify feeling and framing rules and their influence on communication in interpersonal relationships
    • Identify ineffective expression of emotions and choose competent strategies for expressing emotion
    • Evaluate the expression of emotion and solve dialogue challenges by owning the emotion and expression of it
  • Mindful Listening and its Role in Interpersonal Communication
    • Distinguish the difference between hearing and listening
    • Create a strategy for competent listening
    • Identify and classify poor listening behaviors
    • Demonstrate effective mindful listening strategies
    • Describe the various types of noise that interfere with competent listening
    • Identify non-listening and barriers to effective listening
    • Define mindful listening and its role in communication, and create a strategy for it
  • Creating Competent Interpersonal Climates
    • Define relational dialectics and assess competent negotiations of tensions
    • Identify disconfirming and confirming communication climates
    • Assess strategies for turning disconfirming environments into confirming environments
    • Identify types of nonlistening
    • Define interpersonal conflict
    • Construct a plan to use effective communication strategies for managing conflict in interpersonal relationships
    • Describe the responses to conflict and the appropriate use of each response
    • Evaluate ineffective responses to conflict and demonstrate a plan for correction
    • Recognize the stages of relationship and adjust communication strategies based on the stage of the relationship

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Communication Process
  • Cultural Influences
  • Influence of Self in the Communication Process
  • Understanding Perception and its Role on Interpersonal Communication
  • Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Interpersonal Relationships
  • Communication of Emotion in Interpersonal Communication
  • Mindful Listening and its role in Interpersonal Communication
  • Creating Competent Interpersonal Climates