Contacts Book

"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.