Communication Principles for a Lifetime

Updated in its 5thedition, Communication: Principles for a Lifetimehelps readers see the relationships among the concepts, skills, theories, and contexts of communication by anchoring the content around five fundamental communication principles. Written by experienced and highly regarded textbook authors and teachers, Communication provides readers with all the theory and skills necessary in a manner that helps them apply what they've learned throughout their lives.

I. PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

 

1. Foundations of Human Communication.

Communication Defined.

Communication Competence

Ethics and Communication: What Are Your Sources of Ethical Influence?

Why Study Communication?

Communication Models.

Communication Characteristics.

Communication Principles for a Lifetime.

Communicating with Others: Three Situations.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

2. Self-Awareness and Communication.

Self-Awareness: How Well Do You Know Yourself?

Self-Concept: Who Are You?

              Technology and Communication: Exploring Self-Concept through Computer-Mediated Communication

              Ethics and Communication: Cyber Selves

Self-Esteem: What Is Your Value?

              Diversity and Communication: Self-Esteem and Ethnicity

Communication and the Enhancement of Self-Esteem.

The Perception Process.

Communication and the Enhancement of Perceptual Accuracy.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

3. Understanding Verbal Messages.

Why Focus on Language?

The Nature of Language.

              Diversity and Communication: Words across the Country

The Power of Words.

              Technology and Communication: Minding Your Manners, Even on the Net.

Confronting Bias in Language

Using Words to Establish Supportive Relationships.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

4. Understanding Nonverbal Messages.

Why Focus on Nonverbal Communication?

              Technology and Communication: Conveying Emotions Online

The Nature of Nonverbal Communication.

Codes of Nonverbal Communication.

              Ethics and Communication: Lie Detectors

              Diversity and Communication: Cultural Meanings of Silence

How to Interpret Nonverbal Cues More Accurately.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

5. Listening and Responding.

How We Listen.

Listening Styles

Adapting to Your Listening Style

              Diversity and Communication: East and West Listening Styles

Listening Barriers.

Improving Your Listening Skills.

              Diversity and Communication: Who Are Better Listeners, Men or Women?

Responding Skills.

Responding with Empathy.

              Ethics and Communication: Honest Listening

              Technology and Communication: Can Computers Listen Empathically?

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

6. Adapting to Others: Bridging Culture and Gender Differences.

Ethically Adapt Your Communication to Others

Culture and Communication.

              Diversity and Communication: Diversity Almanac

              Technology and Communication: Adapting to Cultural Differences When Communicating Virtually

Gender and Communication.

Barriers to Bridging Differences and Adapting to Others.

              Ethics and Communication: Stereotyping Others

Adapting to Others Who Are Different from You.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

II. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.

 

7. Understanding Interpersonal Communication.

What Is Interpersonal Communication?

Initiating Relationships

              Ethics and Communication: The Harmless Crush?

              Diversity and Communication: What Attracts You?

              Technology and Communication: Gender and Online Communication

Maintaining Relationships

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

8. Enhancing Relationships.

The Importance of Friendship

The Importance of Family

The Importance of Colleagues

Stages of Relationship Development

              Ethics and Communication: Making Breaking Up Easier to Do?

Managing Interpersonal Conflict

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

III. COMMUNICATING IN GROUPS AND TEAMS.

 

9. Understanding Group and Team Performance.

Groups and Teams Defined.

              Ethics and Communication: Ethically Achieving a Team Goal

Understanding Types of Groups and Teams.

              Technology and Communication: Does Virtual Group Communication Improve Decision Making?

Understanding Group and Team Dynamics.

Understanding Group and Team Phases of Development.

              Diversity and Communication: The Impact of Individualism and Collectivism on Groups and Teams

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

10. Enhancing Group and Team Performance.

What Effective Group Members Do.

When Not to Work in Groups

Structuring Group and Team Problem Solving.

              Technology and Communication: Brainstorming

              Ethics and Communication: Managing Conflict in Groups and Teams

Enhancing Team Leadership.

              Diversity and Communication: Differences in Use of Time in Groups and Teams

Enhancing Group and Team Meetings.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

IV. PRESENTATIONAL SPEAKING.

 

11. Developing Your Presentation.

An Overview of the Presentational Speaking Process.

Understanding Speaker Anxiety.

Managing Speaker Anxiety.

Selecting and Narrowing Your Topic.

Identifying Your Purpose.

Developing Your Central Idea.

Generating Main Ideas.

Gathering Supporting Material.

              Technology and Communication: A New Kind of Search Engine

              Ethics and Communication: The Question of Speechwriting

              Diversity and Communication: Adapting to Diverse Audiences

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

12. Organizing and Outlining Your Presentation.

Organizing Your Main Ideas.

Organizing Your Supporting Material.

              Diversity and Communication: Acknowledging Cultural Differences in Organizing Messages

Organizing Your Presentation for the Ears of Others.

              Ethics and Communication: The Ethics of Primacy and Recency

Introducing and Concluding Your Presentation.

Outlining Your Presentation.

              Technology and Communication: Using Outlining Software

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

13. Delivering Your Presentation.

Methods of Delivery.

Effective Verbal Delivery.

Effective Nonverbal Delivery.

              Diversity and Communication: The Academic Quarter

              Technology and Communication: Rehearsing on Videotape

Effective Presentation Aids.

              Ethics and Communication: Profanity in an Audio Presentation Aid

Some Final Tips for Rehearsing and Delivering Your Presentation.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

14. Speaking to Inform.

Types of Informative Presentations.

              Ethics and Communication: Confidential or Potentially Subversive Information

Strategies for Organizing Your Informative Presentation

Strategies for Making Your Informative Presentation Clear.

              Diversity and Communication: Using an Interpreter

Strategies for Making Your Informative Speech Interesting.

              Technology and Communication: Using an Electronic Thesaurus

Strategies for Making Your Presentation Memorable.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

15. Speaking to Persuade.

Persuasion Defined.

Motivating Your Audience: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Selecting and Narrowing Your Persuasive Topic.

Identifying Your Persuasive Purpose.

Developing Your Central Idea as a Persuasive Proposition.

Supporting Your Presentation with Credibility, Logic, and Emotion: Strategies for Persuading Your Audience.

              Diversity and Communication: “Elementary Reasoning, My Dear Watson”.

Organizing Your Persuasive Message

              Technology and Communication: The Motivated Sequence in Television Advertising

How to Adapt Ideas to People and People to Ideas.

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

Discussion and Review

Putting Principles into Practice

 

Appendix A. Interviewing.

The Nature and Types of Interviews

Interview Structure

How to Be Interviewed for a Job

How to Be Interviewed for an Information-Gathering Interview

The Responsibilities of the Interviewer

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

 

Appendix B: Communication and Technology.

Technology and Interpersonal Communication

Technology and Group Communication

Summary

Principles for a Lifetime: Enhancing Your Skills

 

Appendix C. Sample Speeches for Discussion and Evaluation.