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Midterm Examination

Comm 1040.01 Interpersonal Communication

The Midterm examination will cover the first five chapters of Interpllay:The Process of Interpersonal Communication.

Be prepared to answer the following questions based on your reading of the textbook, discussions in class, your outside reading, and your observations.

Discuss in detail your understanding of the transactional communication model (Figure 1.1, page 11), its most important elements, insights you’ve gained about the model, and its importance in our study of interpersonal communication.

Explain the primary cultural influences that affect interpersonal communication. Include in your discussion, the following:
1. High versus low contexts
2. Individualism versus collectivism
3. Power distance
4. Uncertainty Avoidance
5. Achievement versus nurturing

Explain the phenomenon called the self-fulfilling prophecy and how it impacts interpersonal communication. Describe the two types of self-fulfilling prophecies (positive and negative) and include examples of each from your reading of the textbook, your outside readings, your own experience and your observations.

The major challenges facing us in understanding one another and insulating us from our fellow human beings include physiological distortion, psychological interference, and social and cultural conditioning. Recognizing these challenges, discuss (1) the common tendencies many people have to quickly develop inaccurate perceptions, and (2) how one can learn to correct perceptions (perception checking). And discuss the meaning of empathy, its importance, what it takes to develop it.

The general public seems to be captivated by the topic of gender differences in language. Your textbook offers two approaches to gender and language. Describe the two different views offered, and discuss the significance of each.