Today

Today in 1891 Henry Miller, author best known for his explicit treatment of sexual relationships (Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Sexus, Plexus, and Nexus, is born. And today in 1932 Radio City Musical Hall, one of the great Art Deco theatres of the world, opens.

Today

Today, in 1906, the first full-length motion picture, The Story of the Kelly Gang, premiers in Melbourne, Australia.

Today

Today in 1906, Reginald Aubrey Fessenden presented the first radio broadcast.
And today, in 1822, Clement Moore composed his "A Visit from St. Nicholas"--more popularly known as The Night Before Christmas.

Ethics

An article in today's New York Times reports that at least 12 educators were involved in helping students cheat on their science laboratory reports. The chancellor's office, says the Times, called the actions "unacceptable" and was trying to determine appropriate disciplinary measures. Has Chancellor Klein never heard the words "you're fired"? My guess is that absolutely nothing will happen to these educators; they'll be back in the classrooms and administrative offices with hardly a slapped wrist. It makes you wonder if teaching ethics in public speaking and other communication courses isn't coming a bit late in the education of Quintilian's orator-citizen.

Pubic Speaking Idea

In the middle of this feud between Rosie and the Donald, I thought it might be interesting in a public speaking course or even in an argumentation course, to analyze this "debate". It might prove a useful break from all the serious topics all are dealing with.

Today

Today, in 1989 famed dramatist Samuel Beckett died in Paris. And in 2000 Madonna and Guy Ritchie were married in Scotland.

Today

Today, Benjamin Disraeli, author, statesman, and Prime Minister of Great Britain, is born in 1804.

Today

Today in 1928, the Ethel Barrymore Theatre opens in New York at 243 W. 14th Street.

Today

Today, in 1953, Robert Andrews Millikan, Nobel prize winning physicist for his contributions to the study of electornics and the photoelectric effect, dies.

Today

Today, in 1856, Sir Joseph J. Thomson, Nobel prize winner who discovered the electron which made possible 20th century advances in electronic communications, is born.

Today

Today, in 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright each piloted the first heavier than air machine; Wilbur lasted in the air for 57 seconds and traveled 852 feet. And then came ear phones and movies and CD players (in planes and in cars and in buses) and destroyed some great opportunities for interpersonal communication.

Today

Today, in 1901, influential anthropologist Margaret Mead is born.

Today

Today, in 1791 the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, was adopted. The first amendment guaranteed freedom of religion, speech, and press among other rights.

And today, in 1875, the first advertisment for female typists appeared in The Nation--prior to this time typists were all men.

Today

The Boston Gazette begins publicatin in 1719.

Nonverbal Communication

An interesting take on nonverbal communication that's likely to spark some good interaction in the classroom.

Today

Today, in 1819 Daniel Webster (1782-1852), one of the great orators in American history, delivers his argument in the Dartmouth College Case, one of his most famous speeches. Webster also attended Dartmouth as a student where he took a class in declamation (aka pubic speaking).

e-mail

There are lots of articles on the dos and don'ts of e-mail but this one, I think, is especially to the point.

Communication Apprehension

An interesting complement to our texts' discussions of communication apprehension.

I Worry

I worry. A small article in the NYTimes (12/9/06, p. B8) notes that Thomas Nelson Publishers will now require that authors must agree with the Nicene Creed and Philippians 4:8. Is this a test for a well-written book? For a book that should or should not be published? To my mind, this makes Thomas Nelson, not a publisher, but a public relations press.

Today

Today in 1745 John Jay, one of the founders of the country, was born. And in 1939, Douglas Fairbanks died. And, for you Pennsylvanians, today, in 1787, Pennsylvania ratified the Constitution.

Interviewing

Here's some advice on group interviewing, something that is definitely on the increase and yet receives little attention in our interviewing books.

Today

According to Wikipedia: "The kaleidoscope is a toy containing small, brightly-colored tumbling objects, and a set of mirrors which reflect the view of the tumbling objects into repeating, symmetric patterns." Today, in 1781, the inventor of the kaleidoscope, David Brewster, is born.

Today

Today, in 1936, King Edward VIII of England delivered his famous speech, giving up the British crown for "the woman I love" (Wallace Simpson). This "all for love" speech is surely one of the most famous of all speeches. Of course, it helped that Edward had Winston Churchill help out with the speech.

Today

Today in 1971 Ralph Bunche, powerful speaker, winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize dies in New York City.

Nonverbal Communication

An interesting take on nonverbal communication that should appeal to business oriented students.

E-mail

More on the etiquette of e-mail.

Today

Today, in 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his declaration of war against Japan spech to a joint session of Congress.

Public Speaking Topics

Here's some useful advice on selecting a topic.

New NCA Publication

Here is a new website and publication from NCA. It looks like exactly what was needed--brief summaries of NCA journal articles for the general public. Take a look.

Today

Today, in 1928 Noam Chomsky was born. Chomsky, now perhaps known more for his political writings, revolutionized the field of linguistics by defining it as a branch of cognitive psychology and developing the theory of generative transformational grammar. From this psycholingujisics was born. Chomsky gave linguistic study a mind!

Today

Today, in 1823, Max Muller, German philologist, world famous linguist, and some would say the founder of the study of comparative religion, is born. Muller died in 1900.

Today

Today, in 1890 in Vienna, Fritz Lang is born. Lang is most noted as a director (Dr. Mabuse, M) but was also a writer, producer, and actor. Lang died August 2, 1976.

Today

Today, in 1923, Maria Callas--one of the world's great operatic voices, is born.

OrgComm E-mail

Another useful reminder about the etiquette of e-mail in the workplace.

Today

Today in 1910, the first Neon ight is displayed at the Paris Motor Show.

Today

Today in 1906 Peter Goldmark, inventor of the long playing phonograph record (1948) and the first color television system used in commercial broadcasts, is born in Budapest.

Today

Today, in 1903, The Great Train Robbery, generally credited with being the first film to tell a story and the first western, is copyrighted.

NCA Convention

At the recent NCA convention, on the elevator I read a graduate student's affiliation (U of Wisconsin at Madison) and I asked if he had taken a course with Mary Anne Fitzpatrick. He said he hadn't because he was in rhetorical studies. Later I thought that sometimes graduate students look only at the courses to take and not at the instructors. From my point of view, we learn most from great instructors regardless of what they're teaching. Attending UWM without taking a course from Fitzpatrick seems like a horrible waste to me. So, if that student is reading this, my advice is to take those courses--even those out of your area of interest--that are taught by the great people in the field.

TODAY

Today, Cyrus Field, responsible for the first successful transatlantic cable (1866), is born in Stockridge, MA, 1819.

TODAY

Today, in 1895, Busby Berkeley, dance director best known for his elaborate productions in the movies of the 1930's, is born.

TODAY

Today, in 1908, Claude Levi-Stauss, social anthropologist and leader of the structuralist movement, is born in Brussels.

TODAY

Today, in 1953, Eugene O'Neill, American dramatist (Emperor Jones, Desire Under the Elms, Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day's Journey into Night) dies.

Plagiarism

At NCA in San Antonio, one program I attended was devoted to plagiarism. Ably chaired by Sherry Morreale, the panel consisted of a number of young instructors and teaching assistants who focused largely on catching the plagiarist. So much attention seemed to have been devoted to identifying the plagiarism and punishing the plagiarist that I wondered if that was time well spent. Surely, plagiarism is a problem—in all college activities and not just in public speaking where it seems we focus—but if its identification and punishment absorbs so much of our time, where is the time to inspire students, prepare lectures, and to encourage those students who need our support?
It seems there are two issues which are often not separated. One issue is to explain to students what needs and what does not need citation and how to cite these sources in the oral speech and in the papers and outlines. That, it seems, is our province as teachers and one of the tasks we need to address thoroughly. The second issue is—and this one is never made explicit but it’s there in the background—to make our students ethical and moral people. This task, it seems, is more than most teachers have time for and of course it’s not something any teacher has been trained for. How do you make someone a good person? If we knew the answer to that, this world would not be in the shape it’s in.
Consider: from the time the child enters pre-school, the parents are helping with the child’s homework, craft projects, or whatever else the child has to turn in and that might reflect poorly on the parents or prevent the child from getting into the right prep school. And this pattern, it seems, continues throughout elementary and high school and when it comes to the college application, coaches are hired to guide what is said and how it is said and, in some cases I’m sure, to actually write the required essays. And, regardless of your political persuasion, you’ll have to admit we regularly see lying and cheating that has a lot more serious consequences than whether a student earns an “A” or an “F.” Unfortunately, the same is true in the large corporations where lying has destroyed the pension funds of millions of workers. So, why are we surprised when a college student buys a paper or speech from some online source or gets it from one of the club files? The student’s parents taught him or her that such behavior was acceptable and the political and business worlds demonstrate that such deceptions are standard operating procedure. To assume that we, as communication teachers, can take this student—with this very typical history and experience—and, in a one-semester course, turn him or her into a moral and ethical person, is nothing short of ridiculous.
There is another problem with this fixation on catching the cheater and that is that it changes you (the teacher). It refocuses your energies and makes you a police officer, a disciplinarian. Instead, that same energy could be used to help the young instructor become a great teacher. Unfortunately, each person (even the college instructor) has only so much energy; if you spend it on catching and punishing the unethical student, you have that much less to give to the ethical student who wants to learn and who needs your guidance. At the same time, your fixation on plagiarism establishes an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion. It’s similar to the situation in interpersonal relationships where one partner’s constant checking on the other creates an atmosphere that is guarded, accusatory, and just plain unhealthy and unpleasant.
All this is not to say that we should abandon efforts to identify plagiarism. It is a problem. But, it should never dominate the teaching experience.

TODAY

Today, in 1922 King Tut's tomb was opened.

TODAY

Not exactly Brad and Angelina, but today in 1938 the first Ann Sheridan-James Cagney film, Angels with Dirty Faces premiers.

TODAY

Today, in 1925, William F. Buckley, conservative spokesperson and journalist, is born.

Today

Today, in 1903, Enrico Caruso, perhaps the world's greatest tenor, debuts at the Metropolitan Opera.

Culture and public speaking

Here's an interesting article on the cultural dimension of public speaking which we rarely talk about in class.

TODAY

Today, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy is shot in Dallas as the nation watches on television.

TODAY

Today, in 1877 Thomas Edison invents the phonograph--without which we'd probably never have seen the iPod.

New Feature for Blog

I switched to a revised version of the blog and will now be able to label the posts so that you can call up all the self-tests or all the exercises with one button--or so I think--haven't done it yet. But, I will use labels with all new posts.

Off to NCA

For the next week I'll be off at the National Communication Association Convention in San Antonio--a great time to get rejuvenated and to meet old friends and make new ones.

Today

Today, the word "star" was apparently first used to refer to a television performer, Grant Kimball of CBS, in the New York Sun, 1932.

Some Interviewing Don'ts

Here are some things to avoid in the interview.
HR Interview - HR Interview Mistakes You Will Want To Avoid - Free Training

Today

In 1887, The Parrot, a Manchester, England humorous paper, publishes the first photographically illustrated advertisement.

Today

Today, Horace Mann, a school for the education of the hearing impaired, opens in Boston in 1869. This is the oldest public school for the deaf and hard of hearing and is still in operation today.

Today

Today, in 1965, the Northeastern United States and parts of Eastern Canada experience a blackout. CT, MA, NH, RI, VT, NY, and NJ all experienced a blackout where some 25 million people were without electricity, some for up to 12 hours. It would be interesting to speculate--maybe there's even research on this--on the effect this had on interperosnal communication.

Today

Today, Margaret Mitchell, author of one novel--Gone with the Wind--is born in 1900. She died in 1949 from injuries received from being hit by a taxi cab. According to Wikipedia, GWTW sold more copies than any other book, other than the Bible. In 1992, Alexandra Ripley wrote a sequel, Scarlett.

The resume

Another list of 10--this time for the resume. Again, useful advice to the novice job interviewer.
MSN Careers - 10 Ways to Get Your Résumé Ignored - Career Advice Article

Small Group Advice

Here are some useful tips on small group meetings. Articles like these, I think, complement the academic findings from scientific studies. And they make a lot of practical sense.
MSN Careers - 10 Worst Things to Do in a Meeting - Career Advice Article

Today

Today, in 1948, Studio One premiers with The Storm starring Margaret Sullivan. Studio One was the first dramatic anthology series and ran from 1948 to 1958 and was one of the major reasons this period is referred to as the "Golden Age of Television."

Outing, a great example

Here's a great example of outing, discussed in one of the ethics boxes. Personally, I support this kind of outing; hypocrites like this need to be outed and removed from positions of influence.
This article is also interesting from the point of view of the special occasion speech, for example, speeches of apology or speeches to secure goodwill.
Haggard: 'I am a deceiver and a liar' - U.S. Life - MSNBC.com

Cultural Orientation Self-Test

If anyone uses the cultural orientation self-test I posted the other day, I'd sure appreciate any comments you'd care to share. You can e-mail me at jadevito@earthlink.net. Thanks.

Today

Today in 1921 James Jones, naturalistic novelist, most famous for the first novel of a trilogy of life before Pearl Harbor (From Here to Eternity, 1951--the others were The Think Red Line, 1962, and Whistle, 1978, is born. Perhaps his next most famous novel was Some Came Running, published in 1957. Jones died in 1977.

Today

Today in 1733 John Peter Zenger published his first issue of the New York Weekly Journal. Zenger is remembered for his being indicted, tried, and acquitted of libel and sedition against William Cosby, then governer of the New York Colony. The trial was a landmark for its defense of freedom of the press, a freedom that now seems to be under attack from so many quarters in the United States and nonexistent in many other countries.

Self-Test on Cultural Orientation

I wrote this self-test as an introduction to the various cultural orientations I talk about in the texts. I thought it would make a good introduction to culture generally or to cultural orientations specifically.

Test Yourself
What’s Your Cultural Orientation?

This test is designed to get you thinking about your own cultural orientations, five of which are considered in this next section. Before reading about these perspectives, take the following self-test. For each of the items below, select either a or b. In some cases, you may feel that neither a nor b describes you accurately; in these cases simply select the one that is closer to your feeling. As you’ll see when you read this next section, these are not either-or preferences, but more-or-less preferences.

1. Success, to my way of thinking, is better measured by
a. the extent to which I surpass others
b. my contribution to the group effort
2. My heroes are generally
a. people who stand out from the crowd
b. team players
3. Of the following values, the one’s I consider more important are:
a. achievement, stimulation, enjoyment
b. tradition, benevolence, conformity
4. Generally, in my business transactions, I feel comfortable
a. relying on oral agreements
b. relying on written agreements
5. If I were a manager I would likely
a. reprimand a worker in public if the occasion warranted
b. always reprimand in private regardless of the situation
6. In communicating, it’s generally more important to be
a. polite than accurate or direct
b. accurate and direct rather than polite
7. Of the following characteristics, the ones I value more highly are
a. aggressiveness, material success, and strength M
b. modesty, tenderness, and quality of life F
8. In a conflict situation I’d be more likely to
a. confront conflicts directly and seek to win
b. confront conflicts with the aim of compromise
9.If I were a manager of an organization I would stress
a. competition and aggressiveness
b. worker satisfaction
10. I’d enjoy working in most groups where
a. there is little distinction between leaders and members
b. there is a clearly defined leader
11. As a student (and if I feel well-informed)
a. I’d feel comfortable challenging a professor
b. I’d feel uncomfortable challenging a professor
12. In choosing a life partner or even close friends, I’d feel more comfortable
a. with just about anyone, not necessarily one from my own culture and class
b. with those from my own culture and class
13. Generally, I’m
a. comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty
b. uncomfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty
14. As a student I’m more comfortable with assignments in which
a. there is freedom for interpretation
b. there are clearly defined instructions
15. Generally when approaching an undertaking with which I’ve had no experience, I’d feel
a. comfortable
b. uncomfortable

How did you do? Items 1-3 refer to the individualist-collectivist orientation; a responses indicate an individualist orientation, b responses indicate a collectivist orientation. Items 4-6 refer to the high and low context characteristics; a responses indicating a high context focus and b responses indicating a low context focus. Items 7-9 refer to the masculine-feminine dimension; a responses indicate a masculine orientation; b responses a feminine orientation. Items 10-12 refer to power distance dimension; a responses indicate a greater comfort with low power distance, b responses indicate a great comfort with high power distance. Items 13-15 refer to the tolerance for ambiguity or uncertainty; a responses indicate a high tolerance and b responses indicate a low tolerance.
What will you do? Understanding your preferences in a wide variety of situations as culturally influenced (at least in part), is a first step to controlling them and to changing them should you wish. This understanding also helps you modify your behavior as appropriate for greater effectiveness in certain situations. The remaining discussion in this section explains these orientations and their implications further.

Today

The first continuous television serial, One Man's Family is presented on NBC, 1949.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday: Station KDKA in Pittsburgh which received the first commercial lecense from the Department of Commerce opens to broadcast the results of the Harding-Cox presidential election, 1920.
And Today, the first color television coast-to-coast broadcast is made, 1953.
And, for the day I missed, November 1: Stephen Crane--a journalist and poet though best known for his novel, The Red Badge of Courage is born, 1800.

NVC

Here is one list of the top 10 things you can do to communicate more effectively nonverbally.
Psychoworld.sk - human psychology news: Top Nonverbal Communication Tips

E-mail Advice

Some elementary and not so elementary e-mail advice.
E-mail mistakes that make you look bad - Microsoft Products - MSN Tech & Gadgets

Today

Today, in 1791, the National Gazette begins publication.
National Gazette

PowerPoint

Some useful suggestions for using PowerPoint.
Public Speaking: Use Visuals for Maximum Impact

Today

Today in 1925, the first television transmission of a moving image which had variations of light and shade was produced by John Logie Baird in London.

Self-disclosing

An interesting topic. I think I'd present students with a scenario such as this and then ask them to develop a set of principles or guidelines for such disclosures. It also provides an excellent introduction to examining the ways we disclose positive and negative information.
MSN Dating & Personals - Bringing up your bad past…

Intercultural Communication

There's a lot here on intercultural communication.
Alp Icoz, M.A. in TESOL: International Student & Scholar Handbook

Today and Tomorrow

Today, in 1936 Tyrone Power and Loretta Young appear together for the first time in Ladies in Love which premiered in New York City. And tomorrow (October 29), the first ball point pen went on sale in the US at New York's Gimble's Department Store. The pens sold for $12.50; approximately 10,000 were sold on the first day, 1945.

Intercultural Communication

Some interesting stuff on intercultural communication from a somewhat different perspective.
Alp Icoz, M.A. in TESOL: International Student & Scholar Handbook

Intercultural Communication

Some interesting stuff on intercultural communication from a somewhat different perspective.
Alp Icoz, M.A. in TESOL: International Student & Scholar Handbook

Good Advice on Humor

Here's some interesting advice on public speaking and especially humor in public speaking.
Great Public Speaking: Public Speaking: Humor Placement

More on Public Speaking

Again, brief and practical advice on public speaking.
Killing the Seven Deadly Habits

Public Speaking and More

More and more of these commercial sites offer brief, practical, and insightful guides to a variety of communication situations.
Guide to Effective Public Speaking

Today

Today, Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), American painter and pioneer in the Pop Art movement who often used comic strips as sources for his paintings, is born in New York City.

Today

Jackie Coogan, child star of the 20's (The Kid, Peck's Bad boy) who later turned to television (The Addams Family), is born, 1914.

The Eulogy

It's amazing how public speaking turns up in the oddest places, well perhaps not so odd when you think about it. At any rate, here's an interesting Esquire article on this special occasion speech.
Esquire:Feature Story:How to Give a Eulogy

Shaking Hands

Here is a form of nonverbal communication that most texts ignore. Shaking hands is especially interesting because most people are totally unaware of how their hand shake is perceived.
Influence: The Art of the Handshake - MSN Lifestyle: Men

Today

Today, in 1858, William Henry Seward (1801-1872) delivered his famous "The Irrepressible Conflict" speech in Rochester, New York.

Cheating, the other half

Here's a companion piece to round out the cheating discussion.
MSN Dating & Personals - “Why I cheated”: Women fess up

Today

Today, in 1897, "Yellow Kid," the first comic strip appears in the supplement to the New York Journal.

Cheating

Always a good subject to create lots of animated discussion.
MSN Dating & Personals - Men reveal: “Why I cheated”

Public Speaking

An interesting look at Public Speaking and a quotation from President Ford that I hadn't seen before.
The Things That Stop Most People Presenting in Public & How to Overcome Them | Best Syndication

Today

Today, in 1950, Al Jolson, singer and star of The Jazz Singer, dies. The Jazz Singer was the first full length "talkie" and opened in 1927. In 1953 Danny Thomas starred in a remake and in 1980 Neil Diamond did another remake.

Today

Today, in 1845 Paris, Sarah Bernardt is born.

Today

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet and literary and rhetorical critic, is born, 1772.

Today

Today, in 1884, Bela Lugosi, Hollywood horror film star, most famous for his portrayal of Dracula, is born in Lugos, Hungary. And today you'll find lots of Lugosi movies on TV.

Today

Today, in 1745, Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, dies.

Today in History

Today, in 1926 Chuck Berry, songwriter and singer who greatly influenced the development of rock and roll--especially with his first record ("Maybellene")--is born.

PowerPoint: when it's too much

An interesting Q&A on public speaking.
Give a great speech: public speaking tips - Oct. 18, 2006

Networking and IPC

An interesting take on networking and interpersonal communication.
The Rising Nepal

Help for Speaker Apprehension?

I'm not sure this works, but it sure sounds interesting.
The Electric New Paper, Singapore - The Electric New Paper Show

Decoding dating messages

Here is a sure discussion starter for talking about messages, differences between content and relationship messages, deep and surface listening, connotation and denotation, and a host of other concepts we discuss in human and interpersonal communication.
MSN Dating & Personals - 8 common dating lines—decoded

Nonverbal Advice

Here's some useful nonverbal advice.
MSN Careers - The Interview: Body Language Do's and Don'ts - Career Advice Article

Nonverbal Lecture

If you're in the neighborhood. Knapp always gives a great presentation.
Emporia State University - News and Events Archive

Media Literacy

An interesting bit of evidence for the usefulness of media literacy.
Teen Health > Teens Half As Likely To Smoke If They Are Wise To Subliminal Messages In Cigarette Ads

Public Speaking and Power Point

Here are some useful ideas for giving a speech with PowerPoint.
Public Speaking: Use Visuals for Maximum Impact

Public Speaking TIPS

Some useful advice on public speaking.
Public Speaking: 10 Tips to Improve Public Speaking Skills

Public Speaking online

It continues to amaze me how big a business public speaking instruction is. It's a good indication of how important business leaders think public speaking mastery is.
EWORLDWIRE PRESS RELEASE distribution, WRITING, and EDGAR FILING Service

Small talk

A brief reminder that communication is what makes the difference!
Small talk can equal big opportunities in life and work - News

How to impress at interviews

Some interesting thoughts all the way from Malaysia.
How to impress at interviews

New Rules @ Work

I think you'll find this little book by Barbara Pachter (with Ellen Schneid Coleman) most interesting in an interpersonal or organizational communication class. One reason I like the book is that it deals with topics we generally avoid. For example, when you're passing someone you know on the street or in a hallway at the office, at what point do you acknowledge the person. And how does the closeness with which you approach each other influence the form of the acknowledgement? Here is Pachter's answer: "If you make eye contact with someone who is within ten feet of you, you mustacknowledge the person with a nod or a smile. At five feet you must say someting: "Hello," or "Good morning." A simple rule to resolve a simple but often uncomfortable situation. The book is filled with stuff like this. It's subtitled: "79 etiquette tips, tools, and techniques to get ahead and stay ahead."

WIU BEH 331 Class Group 2

Responding as requested :-)
Hello.
Joe

Dating small talk

This should spark some lively class discussion.
MSN Dating & Personals - Conversational U-turns

Communication Skills

Periodically, I think it's useful to remind our students that what they're learning in our classrooms are exactly the skills that employers are looking for. This is just one of the hundreds of examples you can find every day.
Welcome to Jersey Finance Online - Jersey Finance is looking to recruit Technical Director

Body Language

Aside from repeating the 7% figure for verbal communication--for which there is clearly no evidence--the nonverbal suggestions seems logical enough and may prove useful in a variety of situations.
Body Language and Business Practices - Perspectives - Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick

Oprah on Public Speaking

More advice on public speaking, this time in business.
Grab Your Audience Fast

Lectures for Sale

Is this something that's going to become the norm?
Professor gives students the option of purchasing his lectures online - News

Lie Detection

Last night's Law and Order: Criminal Intent had some interesting scenes of a poker player "reading" the nonverbal signals, the tells, that reveal the person is bluffing in poker and lying in conversation. It might be a good classroom starter and could easily lead in to the ways we each detect lying, how we act when we lie, and so on.

Miss Manners Column Index - MSN Lifestyle - Relationships

Here's an interesting website with much that is relevant to interpersonal communication. Whenever I used an etiquette book along with a regular textbook in interpersonal communication, the students all thought the combination made lots of sense and they were eager to learn the "proper" way to do things.
Miss Manners Column Index - MSN Lifestyle - Relationships

E-mailing

I received a message about the exercises in TICB through the "comment" but I'm not able to reply to a comment that is sent anonymously. If you'd like me to reply please e-mail me directly--jadevito@earthlink.net. It's also on the blog. So, for Rob: to find the exercises mentioned in TICB, go to the companion website of TICB (which you can access through the blog), click on the chapter you want, and then click Handbook of Experiential Vehicles, then click the exercise you want.

Public speaking and Interpersonal Communication

It's good to see that public speaking and interpersonal communication are included here.
District of Columbia Mayoral Candidate Dennis Moore Outlines Major "Out-of-the-Box" Educational Excellence Initiative - Critics Say He's Way Outside DC's Usual Candidates - PR.com

Organizational public speaking

An interesting look at public speaking in the workplace.
Recovering a Fumble at the Flip Chart - New York Times

Communication President

Thought this might interest some of you. As you may know, Ribeau is a PhD in Communication from the University of Illinois.
- toledoblade.com -

Public Speaking Courses

A most interesting article.
Inside Higher Ed :: No Public Speaking at Harvard

Gender Stereotypes

This might prove a good discussion starter for analyzing gender stereotypes.
Gender stereotypes may be true, poll finds | ScrippsNews

Charisma

A little different approach to charisma.
Kansas City Star | 08/14/2006 | THE �IT� FACTOR

Pubic Speaking

Some interesting stuff on public speaking.
Don't Picture Everyone in Their Underwear & Other Tips on Public Speaking - Associated Content

Self-Disclosure

Here is the perfect complement to the academic self-disclosure literature and a sure discussion starter.
11 "Don't-Tell-the-Husband" Secrets All Women Keep - MSN Lifestyle - Relationships

Meeting and Greeting

Some practical interpersonal advice here.
Meeting your greet expectations - Newsday.com

Human Communication and Essential Elements of Public Speaking

I just received the reviews of Human Communication 10/e and EEPS 2/e and will begin revising both of these. If anyone who has used one or both of these books and has any comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc. I'd sure appreciate hearing from you. Actually, I'd appreciate hearing from you regardless of the text you use. You can e-mail me directly (jadevito@earthlink.net) or respond to this post with a comment. You can respond with your name or anonymously. Thanks.

OrgComm

Here's an interesting website and an interesting article on communication in the organization.
The Source for Communicators

Men and Women

A useful class discussion stimulus.
Businesswoman offers job insights

Media Literacy

According to Nielsen Media Research, product placements on TV for the first quarter seem especially healthy. American Idol led all programs with 3,052 placements; the Biggest Loser was next with 945, followed by Beauty...Geek, 844, Amazing Race, 683, and King of Queens, 665.

Communication Examples

One of the things I found useful to do in class is to ask students to find examples of concepts talked about in class or in the textbook and to bring these into class. Here's one on stereotyping and indiscrimination. It comes from Senator Joseph Lieberman (reported in the New York Times, 7/16/06, p. 20): "The Irish tend not to be fair-weather friends," Mr. Lieberman said. "They're with you all the way." I find such comments incredible, especially when made for public consumption by a leading politician.

Five Myths About Community Colleges - MSN Encarta

I thought this was interesting, especially for community college people but actually relevant to everyone in a college setting.
Five Myths About Community Colleges - MSN Encarta

Confidants

Here's a good summary of the study showing that people have fewer confidants in 2004 than they had in 1985. The complete study appears in the American Sociological Review (June 2006). Lots of implications for self-disclosure, self-esteem, networking, and a host of topics we discuss in IPC.
Americans Have Fewer Friends Outside the Family, Duke Study Shows

Class Discussion in IPC

This is sure to spark some excellent discussion in interpersonal communication.
11 "Don't-Tell-the-Wife" Secrets All Men Keep - MSN Lifestyle - Relationships

Credibility

I thought this was an interesting take on credibility.

The Textbook Revision Process

As I revise Interpersonal Messages (because the changes were so extensive we’re renaming the book) and Essentials of Human Communication, 6th edition, I thought some of you might be interested in just what is involved in revising a textbook. It’s actually a lot more complicated than most people think. Though each publisher works differently, each author does things differently, and each book is treated differently—largely depending on its sales history but also on the potential seen for the new edition—the main steps in the general process (as I experience it) go something like this. Three qualifications: (1) The steps often overlap; since there are lots of people working on one book, many of the steps are being worked on simultaneously. My chronology is, in some cases, a guess. (2) I leave out a lot of what happens behind the scenes, for example, at the printers or with marketing and sales. These are areas that many authors know very little about (at least, I know little about). (3) I also omit the research that goes into creating the revised manuscript; it’s not unlike writing/revising a research study, a convention paper, or a lecture.
I invite other authors or publishing people to comment, correct, and otherwise improve this lengthy (but abridged) presentation of what I see as the process of revising a textbook.
1. As soon as a book comes out, I label it “review copy” and begin to make notes on what I like and don’t like and what I would change directly on the page. This, btw, is the only copy I look at—it ensures that I record all my thoughts and ideas in one place.
2. If a book does well, say it meets or exceeds its sales estimate, the Acquisition Editor (AE), representing the publisher, and I agree to do a revised edition. Actually, when you sign the original contract, you agree to do revisions at the publisher’s “request.” This oral agreement is confirmed and made legal by a written amendment to the original contract identifying the date the completed manuscript is due, the agreed upon page length (almost always the same length as the previous edition), the number of photos, and any other changes.
3. At some early point, a budget is created for the book, largely based on the estimated sales. This budget will influence a variety of decisions—the number of photos, the ancillaries offered with the book, and probably lots of other things. Again, this is an area that the author generally knows little about and that’s probably a good thing (at least in many cases).
4. If the book is to go through “development”—as most introductory four-color texts in communication do—a Developmental Editor (DE) is appointed to work on the book’s revision. Sometimes this person works freelance (my current DE works from Georgia and 99% of our communications are via e-mail) and sometimes an “in-house” developmental editor will be assigned to the book.
5. The DE then undertakes a review of the previous edition and constructs a questionnaire on the book—often with the author’s, AE’s, and the market manager’s input. Often this is done by the AE’s Editorial Assistant (EA) since at this time, the DE may not have been selected. Users and nonusers of the text are then contacted and asked to review the book (for a fee). Generally, both users and nonusers are asked to review the book (often 3 users of the text to be revised and 3 users of the major competitors). Different questions are used for users and nonusers. These reviews come to me anonymously, though the first question in the questionnaire usually asks the reviewer to explain his or her specific school and course. And from this I get a sense of the type of school the reviewer teaches at and the kinds of students the reviewer teaches and by implication the kind of textbook needed. Among the questions asked of users are (and I’m lifting these questions from the actual questionnaire used for EHC): General Impression. Please comment on the major strengths and weaknesses in the pedagogical approach and content of the 5th edition? In general, how has your experience been teaching with the text. Did EHC work well in meeting your course goals? Why or why not? Table of Contents. Please evaluate the table of contents of the 5th edition. What topics, if any, does EHC fail to cover? What topics, if any, does EHC cover in too much depth? Should any chapters be deleted or condensed? Should any chapters be added? Pedagogical Features. What sorts of pedagogical features do you find useful (e.g., a glossary, chapter discussion questions, chapter objectives, bulleted lists, exercises, etc.) in a text for this course? Please comment on the pedagogical features in the 5th edition. Are there pedagogical feature you would recommend be added to the text? [This question is then followed by a complete list of all the pedagogical features in the 5th edition and asking if they see the feature as useful and if they would assign it for students.] Chapter Reviews. Which chapters do you feel are the strongest or weakest in the 5th edition? For each chapter, what top two or three revisions would you suggest for the next edition? For example, any concepts, theories, skills, principles or new research that needs to be covered? What topics need to be expanded, abbreviated, or deleted? Is the scholarship up to date? Have you identified any errors of fact or interpretation? Users of other texts get essentially the same questions but are also asked about the text they’re currently using—its strengths and weaknesses and its pedagogy, for example, as compared to EHC.
6. The DE meanwhile, analyzes the competing texts. Depending on the DE and his or her charge, this may be an informal analysis or an item-by-item analysis drawn in elaborate charts. This analysis is fairly objective and focuses on the physical book (for example, size, number of pages, number of photos and cartoons), the topics covered, its major features/advantages, and the print and electronic supplements that are available with the text.
7. When the reviews come in, they go to the AE, DE, author, and (I suspect) to the marketing manager (but I’m not sure). For EHC 6/e, these reviews totaled 51 single spaced pages. The DE summarizes them and identifies common threads—in the case of EHC 6/e, this came to 15 single spaced pages. From these reviews and the analysis of the competing texts, the DE offers suggestions for revising the text.
8. From these reviews, from the DE’s summary of the reviews, from the comparison with the competition, and from the suggestions for revision, all of which I read and reread throughout the revision process, I get a view of how users found the book and how non-users feel my book compares to another text.
9. I then combine this with my own reading of the literature (I receive just about every journal in communication and use the Internet databases in a variety of fields), with the trends I see reflected in the journals and at conventions, for example. My own view is that a textbook’s foundation must be based on the theory and research of the field. That is the primary purpose of a textbook.
10. A third source of information needed for revision is an understanding of what is going on in the world—on micro and macro levels. Without this infusion of real world people and events a textbook becomes irrelevant to the students. This is really a great principle; it enables me to watch Desperate Housewives and Jerry Springer—for one kind of reality—without guilt.
11. On occasion I have asked for “expert” reviews where experts in narrow areas comment on just a small portion of the text. I ask for this when I feel that researchers on the cutting edge of a particular area can offer different perspectives and provide some fresh insights. Over the years I’ve benefited from the expert reviews of my material on perception, critical thinking, listening, media, interviewing, and small group communication.
12. With these reviews, the DEs suggestions, my own notes on the theory and research over the last few years, and my real world experiences, I begin revising the book. Of course, I’ve already been recording ideas and often have several new sections written by this time. But, here the revision process begins formally. In my case, I construct what I call a “beta” manuscript that contains the basal text, all the boxed and marginal materials, and is just about as complete as possible.
13. I then send this beta manuscript off to the DE who reviews the manuscript, making comments on just about every page. With EHC 6/e each thoroughly edited chapter was also accompanied by 2, 3, and 4 page summaries of suggested changes to be made for the chapter. Sometimes the comments are stylistic (use a more direct style, change this word or phrase, or use an active sentence—not unlike the things we tell our students), sometimes structural (rearrange these 3 paragraphs, bullet these principles, make this heading a subhead, or add a paragraph previewing the points you’ll discuss), and sometimes content-oriented (you didn’t discuss . . . , this needs a clearer explanation, or give 1 or 2 examples).
14. Meanwhile the publisher sends me a CD of the electronic files from the previous edition. Some publishers prefer author’s to work with tearsheets while others prefer author’s to work with all new manuscript (created from the compositor’s files of the previous edition). I use the tearsheets on which I can indicate changes without obscuring what’s on the page. For new material and for sections that are revised extensively, I create new text files. The resulting manuscript is a combination of edited tearsheets and new manuscript pages.
15. Once all the elements are in place, a sample chapter is created for design. This chapter must contain all the elements that are in the book. I also submit an extensive design memo in which I identify all the elements and give my opinions as to what I think the design should reflect. The design memo for EHC 6/e that I created was a four-page 2 x 16 table. This design memo is then edited by the DE and AE and it, along with the sample chapter, is turned over to the designer who uses these as guides for the design of the new edition.
16. Meanwhile, I submit a list of photo specs. Usually, a revised edition is allowed about 35 percent new photos; the rest have to be reused from the last edition. So, for the new ones, I submit specs, for example, “a female speaker around 20 years old addressing a multicultural audience in a college type setting” or “a husband and wife arguing while children are watching them.” Along with these specific specs for each new photo, I include general specs such as suggestions to make the photos multicultural, to have people with disabilities represented, to include same-sex as well as opposite-sex pairings, to make sure that women are portrayed in power positions, and so on. These specs then go to the photo editor who searches the archives and submits 2, 3, 4, 5, and sometimes more photos for each spec. I then make the final selections and write the captions and indicate where in the manuscript each photo should go. In the current editions of Interpersonal Messages and Essentials of Human Communication, we’re trying something new. Here the DE wrote the specs, selected the photos to be picked up from the previous edition, and paired each photo with a quotation from a list that I supplied for each chapter. I had two goals in mind here. First, I wanted someone with a totally new perspective on photos to make the selections; sometimes you can get into a rut and simply select the same types of photos over and over again. Second, since I have the “What do you say?” marginal items and questions for discussion at the ends of the chapters, the photo ViewPoints were no longer distinctive.
17. Sometime around this time, an ancillary program is developed--the videos, DVDs, booklets, software, and Internet resources that can accompany the textbook. About this I know very little.
18. Also, I guess around this time, a marketing plan is created. A sales marketing page, identifying the features of the text and especially what is new to this edition, is created and sent to sales representatives. I also see the preliminary version of this page and comment on it. This marketing plan, I’m assuming, is discussed at the semi-annual sales meetings. I’ve never attended one so I don’t really know what goes on at these meetings but I assume the new books are discussed to help the sales representatives learn about the new books.
19. If the book is to have cartoons (as both Interpersonal Messages and Essentials of Human Communication do), they, like the photos, have to be about 65% pickups and 35% new. In this case, the DE selected the cartoons from a large group that I selected and submitted.
20. At around this time the cover is designed. Usually several covers are designed around a set of specs that the author, DE, and AE provide. Everyone gets involved in the cover, including the marketing manager.
21. I then construct a revised manuscript (let’s say the Alpha manuscript). The text manuscript contains: the title page, the brief toc, the detailed toc, the specialized toc, the preface, the chapters, the glossary, the bibliography. In this manuscript each box, photo, and marginal item are positioned in the manuscript. When I submit the manuscript, I submit it in both hard copy and electronic formats.
22. At around this time, a writer for the Instructor’s Manual is hired. Some authors write their own manuals but the practice is quickly changing to having independent people write the manual. I do submit material to be included in the IM and wrote many of the original questions but, for the most part, the IM is the work of the IM writer. And, I think, that’s helpful because it gives the instructor using the text another perspective on the material and the course.
23. A cast-off (an estimate of the total length of the book) is then (usually) undertaken. This can only be done after the design is finalized and the manuscript is in hand. Ideally, this estimate is exactly what was agreed upon between author and editor. When it isn’t, the manuscript has to be cut (almost invariably submitted manuscripts come in too long) or the length renegotiated. And, as you can appreciate, this makes revisions difficult because for every paragraph you add, one paragraph has to be deleted. Often this amounts to topic changes—if a new topic has to be added (because of new research, for example), then perhaps an entire old topic has to be deleted. This is made still more difficult because (1) reviewers almost always want things added (but rarely want things removed), (2) the DE usually asks for additional materials (and less frequently for cuts), and (3) my own tendency is to include further clarification in the form of an additional example or definition. Yet you need to come in at the same length as the last edition. One of the ways I dealt with the page length for EHC was to remove the interviewing chapter and make that a separate item that could be packaged with the text if the instructor wanted it (for no extra charge). So, it worked out to be a win-win situation. I tried to make the same change in Essential Elements of Public Speaking by taking out the small group chapter and packaging it like the interviewing pamphlet but I’ve not been successful in convincing the publisher to do this—yet. There are exceptions to this same-length-for-revision rule, of course. For example, the former Interviewing and Human Communication, is being expanded somewhat and will have a new title, The Interviewing Guidebook.
24. At the same time, I also prepare and submit a web manuscript of exercises, self-tests, and whatever other material I think might be useful to the instructor or student using the book.
25. I also submit a permissions list—a list of all the permissions I think will have to be secured. A Permissions Editor is then assigned to work on this and secures the necessary permissions. Occasionally permission is denied. Recently, for example, Conan O’Brien, Sidney Poitier, and James Cameron denied permission to reprint their speeches though they’re all on the Internet. Others—like John Lennon and Yoko Ono and Woody Allen (whose material I used in an earlier version of the public speaking book)—were accommodating and gracious.
26. At about this time, a design has been created for the book. A “pamphlet” of about 16 or so pages is printed showing how all the elements of the text will be designed and the colors that will be used. The AE, DE, marketing manager, and I look over the design—sent to all in PDF—and all comment on it. Invariably several things are changed and perhaps some colors are changed. A revised design is then submitted. Hopefully everyone loves it. If not, it may have to be done again.
27. The text manuscript is then prepared for turnover by the EA or DE. Depending on how the author prepares the manuscript this preparation may involve creating a separate table and figure manuscript or renumbering the pages or pointing out missing elements. It always involves extensive coding for each element in the text. With electronic files, all elements have to be coded so that the correct fonts, spacing, positioning, and so on are used.
28. At this point, a Project Editor (PE), who had been assigned to the book sometime earlier, takes over. The PE coordinates all activities among the author, pager, compositor, copy editor, and printer.
29. A Copy Editor (CE) is then appointed who goes through the manuscript word by word, making sure that the style manual of the publisher is followed, that every reference in the text is included in the bibliography, that all key words appear in the glossary, that the summary accurately reflects the chapter contents, that all terms in the vocabulary quizzes are in fact in the chapter, that the headings are all coded as they should be, that there are no contradictions or seeming contradictions, that everything in the text is as clear as it can be, that the spelling is accurate and the sentences grammatical, and does lots more.
30. This copy-edited manuscript is then returned to me and I review all the changes, add the missing bibliography items (invariably this is my most unpleasant task), and in general do everything the CE suggests that seems logical and helpful—usually about 99%.
31. The reviewed copy-edited manuscript is then returned to the PE who instructs the compositor to make various changes and sends it off to the printer.
32. From the manuscript and the book’s design, the text pages are created. These are then sent to the author who reviews them for accuracy—making sure the headings are correct, the bullets appear as they should, the placement of the boxes, cartoons, photos, and marginal notes are all logically positioned and, in general, makes sure that all looks as it should. At the same time a proof reader makes sure all is correctly printed.
33. At the same time, an indexer is hired to create an index according to specifications already established (for example, whether there will be both a name and a concept index or just one index). The length of the index is also influenced by the subject matter, the purpose of the text, and by the number of pages available.
34. The completed text is published. Copies are sent to the editor, marketing manager, sales representatives, instructors, and others, and I get my six copies.
35. I label one copy “review copy” and begin to record what I like and what I dislike and, most important, what I’d change.

Nonverbal communication

Here's another example of this claim that 80% of communication is nonverbal. There is no evidence that this is true and yet it gets repeated probably because it's counter-intuitive (and it is counter-intuitive because it isn't true).
St. Paul Pioneer Press | 06/23/2006 | Watch out, your body's talking

Public Speaking, Gender, and Stage Fright

Something new on communication apprehension.
News - Yorkshire Post Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More

Public Speaking

I thought this was an interesting website; it's the kind of thing that demonstrates very clearly how important public speaking skills are and how fortunate the students taking the course are to get the training while in college.
Public Speaking A Starters Guide - Press Release

Introducing your new significant other

Here's a topic we just never discuss in interpersonal communication textbooks.
MSN Dating & Personals - Meet the kids�

Media Literacy

If you're looking to incorporate media literacy into your human communication course, take a look at this website and especially at the handouts and downloads--I think they're sensational!
Media Education Foundation: Home

Nonverbals

A few good examples of the differences in nonverbal messages from culture to culture.
America's 'OK' signal will get you slapped in Germany - Nashville, Tennessee - Friday, 06/09/06 - Tennessean.com

Top 10 Most Popular College Majors

We're Number 8.
Top 10 Most Popular College Majors - MSN Encarta

Public Speaking

A depressing indication of the power of public speaking.
World | Reuters.co.in

Communication privacy

With all the recent news about privacy invasions, it's perhaps a good idea to review some basic principles for maintaining one's own privacy.
MSN Careers - 10 Ways to Maintain Your Privacy at Work - Career Advice Article

Communication apprehension

A new take on commapp.
Online Recruitment - The magazine for recruitment and HR professionals involved in internet recruitment

Nonverbal Communication

Here's an interesting little pop piece on nonverbal messages. It repeats the belief that 80 percent of a message comes from the nonverbal--a belief for which I know of no evidence. It makes good copy but is probably far from the truth. The impact of a message depends largely on the message itself and blanket percentages are simply inadequate.
Kansas City Star | 05/29/2006 | Body lingoO

interpersonal conflict

I thought this was interesting, not only for the content but as an indication that what we teach in interpersonal communication has relevance just about anywhere.

The Speaking Channel Home Page

Looks like this would be an interesting ancillary for any public speaking course and textbook.
The Speaking Channel Home Page

Dress Codes

Should prove interesting in a nonverbal unit on dress.
Oconomowoc Focus

California Textbooks

Congratulations to California!
Honor gays in textbooks? Calif. considers - Education - MSNBC.com

Public Speaking

An interesting take on a class in public speaking.
LA Weekly

Teaching Online

Online and Face-to-Face Teaching
Do Profs Enjoy Teaching Online? - MSN Encarta

Gender differences and sex

Thought this might make for some interesting class discussions.
Elle/MSNBC Sex survey: A bedroom disconnect - Hot Monogamy? - MSNBC.com

TICB 11/e Cover

To clear up some confusion: the copy of TICB 11/e that many received with the Blackberry on the cover is an instructor copy. You can see what the real cover looks like on the back of the book or on this blog. The Blackberry cover was designed to get people's attention and to discourage resale of the examination copy (I think). I hadn't seen it until last week myself. But it wasn't clear that this was not the cover that would appear on student copies. Considering the work that went into the "real" cover--and it's a really attractive one--it's too bad that this was not made clear.

E-mail

I thought this was interesting.
Most e-mails need an 'emoticonal' rescue (News) - myDNA

Communication training

Still another indication of the importance of communication in getting a job.
Are U.S. Colleges Keeping Up? - MSN Encarta

Nonverbal Communication and Lying

Here's a pop report on a study of lying detection that might be interesting to use in class.
Lying Is Exposed By Micro-Expressions We Can't Control - UB NewsCenter

E-mail Etiquette

A little thing on e-mail etiquette, another useful reminder.
Newswise | E-mail Talk Requires Special Handling to Avoid Fireworks

Nonverbal Communication Research Page

This blog, maintained by Marvin Hecht, is a great place to start your search for nonverbal materials.
Nonverbal Communication Research Page

Interpersonal Communication in Crisis

Thought you might be interested in this; check out the section on interpersonal skills.
Welcome to the Crisis Resource Center at the University of Houston!

Communication Self Test

Here's a ten-item self-test on communication skills--it might make a good introduction to conversation or interpersonal communication generally.
Communication Skills Test - Short

Health Communication

Another example of the importance of communication.
Patients' Global Ratings of Their Health Care Are Not Associated with the Technical Quality of Their Care -- Chang et al. 144 (9): 665 -- Annals of Internal Medicine

Resume Advice

Here's a brief guide to some common mistakes people make in their resumes and will go well with the interviewing unit in the human communication course.

MSN Careers - Seven Signs It's Time to Toss Your R�sum� - Career Advice Article

Public Speaking Apprehension

An interesting take on commapp.
Fear of Flying, Public Speaking and All Phobias Gain Rapid Relief From New Meridian Based Procedure

World Citizens Guide

Take a look at this guide; it's a natural to use in connection with intercultural communication. You can also download an abridged version free..
World Citizens Guide

USA Vanguard - Communication Professor McPherson resigns

I don't know McPherson, but I just thought this was
interesting.
USA Vanguard - Communication Professor McPherson resigns

Communication Skills Test

Here's an interesting self-test that you might find useful.
Communication Skills Test - Short

Even CEOs need IPC

Still another bit of testimony to the importance of IPC.

IPC in Afghanistan

Take a look at this if you get a chance. It seems everyone is realizing the value of interpersonal communication skills.

TICB

I thought that students using TICB might be interested in the attached website. The skills we teach in interpersonal communication are taught in the graduate school of management!
syllabus

Verbal Abuse

I just ran across this and I think the way it's presented electronically is just great. Whoever did it, it looks just fine!
Deal with VA (link 3)

Pubilc Speaking Research

If your students don't already know--and I suspect they do--they can create a "news alert" for their speech topics with Google (it's free). Just indicate the phrase you want Google to search and you'll be sent via e-mail or mobile phone actually, websites and other items that include that phrase. There are other "news alerts" sites (you can search for them with your favorite search engine with the term "news alerts"); it just seems that Google is the easiest to navigate.

Relationship Deterioration

I thought it might be interesting for students to compare the path of relationship deterioration as described in the textbook with that described by an actual person going through it. The Nick Lachey article in the current issue of Rolling Stone might do the trick.

Rolling Stone : Nick Lachey: King of Pain

After the breakup

Here's a little addition to what we say in the texts about what to do after a relationship breaks up.
MSN Dating & Personals - The right way to rebound

Cultural Attitudes Exercise

Here is an exercise I’m planning to use in an upcoming revision. I figure that using extreme statements is the best way to awaken in students the importance of understanding their cultural attitudes and the consequences of such attitudes.
Exploring Cultural Attitudes
One of the best ways to appreciate the influence of culture on communication is to consider the attitudes people have about central aspects of culture. In a group of 5 or 6—try for as culturally diverse a group as possible—discuss how you think most of the students at your school feel (not how you feel) about each of the following. Use a five-point scale: 5 = most students strongly agree; 4 = most students agree; 3 = students are relatively neutral; 2 = most students disagree; 1 = most students strongly disagree.
_____ 1. Most people receiving welfare benefits don’t really want to work.
_____ 2. The issue of discrimination against women is overly exaggerated.
_____ 3. Homosexuals are mainly interested in having sex with many partners.
_____ 4. Minorities would be successful if they worked hard and stopped complaining.
_____ 5. Racism isn’t going to end overnight so minorities need to be patient.
_____ 6. Poverty is just a natural way of life for some people.
_____ 7. Most feminists are just too sensitive about sexism.
_____ 8. Both females and males are victims of sexism.
_____ 9. Gay rights means gay men and lesbians demanding special privileges.
_____ 10. All men and women have a choice to be homosexual or not.
_____ 11. Racism isn’t going to end overnight so minorities need to be patient.
_____ 12. Minorities have the same opportunity as whites to succeed in our society.
Attitudes strongly influence communication. Understanding your cultural attitudes is prerequisite to effective intercultural communication.
Source: These statements were taken from the Human Relations Attitude Inventory (Koppelman, with Goodhart, 2005). The authors note that this inventory is based on an inventory developed by Flavio Vega.

Laughter and Love

I continue to be amazed at the classroom potential of so much of the stuff that appears in these dating and personals sites. This is just one example.
MSN Dating & Personals - Does laughter equal love?

Psychology Today Website

For anyone not familiar with this website, take a look. There is definitely something here for everyone. We need something like this for communication.
Psychology Today: relationships & (communication listening 'non-verbal communication')

Empathy Website

I thought there was lots of interesting stuff here. Lots of good examples for the classroom.
Empathy, Listening Skills, and Relationships

Mentoring

A recent USAToday graphic depicts the impact of mentoring--based on a survey of 4561 respondents from 42 different countries--46% thought the impact of mentoring on their career was "great", 45% said "moderate," 8% said "small" and 1% said "little" or "none"--a pretty big impact and yet, oddly enough, we don't do much with it in communication. There are no books that I'm aware of that focus on communication and mentoring.

Dating Rules

Depending on your class, this might prove very interesting.
MSN Dating & Personals - The rules of dating around

Communication in the Workplace

The recent Time magazine (3/20/06, p. 80) article, “Why your boss may start sweating the small stuff,” by Julie Rawe is interesting not only for pointing out new directions in business but for reiterating guidelines for interpersonal communication that have appeared in textbooks over the last 10 or 20 years. For example and to use the examples used in the article, when you check your messages while talking with a colleague, it “devalues the speaker’s time and thus the speaker.” We would say it’s a good example of disconfirmation. Ditto for greeting one person with a handshake and others with a much friendlier gesture; it makes the handshake seem disapproving and disconfirms the other person.

Paglia on Academia

Take a look at Camille Paglia’s op-ed piece, “Academic, Heal Thyself” (New York Times, 3/6/06, p. A21). As with all Paglia’s writings, you may agree, you may disagree, but you’re not likely to be neutral.

Leadership

According to a USAToday snapshot (3/6/06), 89 percent of the 150 executives surveyed believe it’s more challenging to be a company leader—which I take to be largely though not exclusively a communication skill--today than five years ago. Only 1 percent thought it was less challenging. BTW, both Marist College in NY and Temple University in PA both have interesting programs on communication and leadership.

Community Colleges

I thought this article on community colleges might be of interest to some.
MSN Encarta - Career Training

Romance Quiz

In communication research, there are conflicting findings on whether men or women are more romantic. Here's a little quiz that might get discussion going.

Male Myths

This looks like it will make an interesting addition to the discussion of gender and communication.
Relationships � Article � MSN Lifestyle

Self-Esteem

This is a slightly revised version of the material on self-esteem in Messages. I like this better because it’s more involving—with the self-test paralleling the text discussion. And I also added the brief section on recalling your successes.

Self-esteem is a measure of how valuable you think you are; people with high self-esteem thinking very highly of themselves whereas people with low self-esteem view themselves negatively. Before reading further about this topic, consider your own self-esteem by taking the following self-test.

Test Yourself: How’s Your Self-Esteem?
Respond to each of the following statements with TRUE if the statement describes you at least some significant part of the time FALSE if the statement describes you rarely or never.
1. Generally, I feel I have to be successful in all things.
2. A number of my acquaintances are often critical or negative of what I do and how I think.
3. I often tackle projects that I know are impossible to complete to my satisfaction.
4. When I focus on the past, I more often focus on my failures than on my successes and on my negative rather than my positive qualities.
5. I make little effort to improve my personal and interpersonal skills.
How did you do? TRUE responses to the questions would generally be seen as getting in the way of building positive self-esteem. FALSE responses would indicate that you thinking much like a self-esteem coach would want you to think.
What will you do? The following discussion elaborates on these five issues and illustrates why each of them creates problems for the development of healthy self-esteem. So, this is a good starting place. You might also want to log into the Natinoal Association for Self-Esteem’s website (http://www.self-esteem-nase.org). There you’ll find a variety of materials for examining and for bolstering self-esteem.

The basic idea behind self-esteem is that when you feel good about yourself—about who you are and what you’re capable of doing—you will perform better. When you think like a success, you’re more likely to act like a success. When you think you’re a failure, you’re more likely to act like a failure. Increasing self-esteem will, therefore, help you to function more effectively in school, in interpersonal relationships, and in careers. Here are five suggestions for increasing self-esteem that parallel the questions in the self-test.

Attack Self-Destructive Beliefs
Challenge those beliefs you have about yourself that are unproductive or that make it more difficult for you to achieve your goals—for example, the belief that you have to succeed in everything you do, the belief that you have to be loved by everyone, the belief that you must be strong at all times, and the belief that you must please others (Butler, 1981). Replace these self-destructive beliefs with more productive ones, such as “I succeed in many things but I don’t have to succeed in everything” and “It would be nice to be loved by everyone, but it isn’t necessary to my happiness.

Seek Out Nourishing People
Psychologist Carl Rogers (1970) drew a distinction between noxious and nourshing people. Noxious people criticize and find fault with just about everything. Nourishing people, on the other hand, are positive and optimistic. Most important, they reward us, they stroke us, they make us feel good about ourselves. To enhance your self-esteem, seek out these people. At the same time, avoid noxious others, those who make you feel negatively about yourself. At the same time, seek to become more nourishing yourself so that you each build up the other’s self-esteem.

Work on Projects That Will Result in Success
Some people want to fail, or so it seems. Often, they select projects that will result in failure simply because they are impossible to complete. Avoid this trap and select projects that will result in success. Each success will help build self-esteem. Each success will make the next success a little easier. When a project does fail, recognize that this does not mean that you’re a failure. Everyone fails somewhere along the line. Failure is something that happens; it’s not something you’ve created, and it’s not something inside you. Further, your failing once does not mean that you will fail the next time. So put failure in perspective.

Remind Yourself of Your Successes
Some people have a tendency to focus, sometimes too much, on their failures, their missed opportunities, their social mistakes. If your objective is to correct what you did wrong or to identify the skills that you need to correct these failures, then focusing on failures can have some positive value. But, if you just focus on failure without any plans for correction, then you’re probably just making life more difficult for yourself and limiting your self-esteem. To counteract the tendency to recall failures, remind yourself of your successes. Recall these successes both intellectually and emotionally. Realize why they were successes and relive the emotional experience when you sank the winning basketball or aced that test or helped your friend overcome personal problems. And while you’re at it, recall too your positive qualities. For a start read down the list of the essential interpersonal skills on the inside covers and check off those you’d consider among your assets. To this list add any other qualities you number among your positive qualities.

Secure Affirmation
It’s frequently recommended that you remind yourself of your successes—that you focus on your good deeds; on your positive qualities, strengths, and virtues; and on your productive and meaningful relationships with friends, loved ones, and relatives (Aronson, Cohen, & Nail, 1998; Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 1999).
The idea behind this advice is that the way you talk to yourself will influence what you think of yourself. If you affirm yourself—if you tell yourself that you’re a success, that others like you, that you will succeed on the next test, and that you will be welcomed when asking for a date—you will soon come to feel more positive about yourself. Self-affirmations include statements like: “I’m a worthy person,” “I’m responsible and can be depended upon,” “I’m capable of loving and being loved,” “I’m a good team player,” and “I can accept my past but also let it go.”
However, not all researchers agree with this advice. Some argue that such affirmations—although extremely popular in self-help books—may not be very helpful. These critics contend that if you have low self-esteem, you’re not going to believe your self-affirmations, because you don’t have a high opinion of yourself to begin with (Paul, 2001). They propose that the alternative to self-affirmation is to secure affirmation from others. You’d do this by, for example, becoming more interpersonally competent and interacting with more positive people. In this way you’d get more positive feedback from others—which, these researchers argue, is more helpful than self-talk in raising self-esteem.
Identification with people similar to yourself also seems to increase self-esteem. For example, deaf people who identified with the larger deaf community had greater self-esteem than those who didn’t so identify (Jambon & Elliott, 2005). Similarly, identification with your cultural group seems also helpful in developing positive self-esteem (McDonald, McCabe, Yeh, Lau, Garland, & Hough, 2005).

As in the previous edition, a cautionary note is added in one of the questions for discussion:
Popular psychology and many television talk shows (especially Oprah) emphasize the importance of self-esteem. The self-esteem camp has come under attack from critics, however (for example, Bushman & Baumeister, 1998; Baumeister, Bushman, & Campbell, 2000; Bower, 2001; Coover & Murphy, 2000; Hewitt, 1998). Much current thinking holds that high self-esteem is not desirable: It does nothing to improve academic performance, it does not predict success, and it even may lead to antisocial (especially aggressive) behavior. On the other hand, it’s difficult to imagine how a person would function successfully without positive self-feelings. How do you feel about the benefits or liabilities of self-esteem? Would you have included this topic in this text?

Two dialogues

In revising Messages, I added dialogues for analysis in each chapter. Here are 2, one from the culture chapter and one from the listening chapter.

Dialogue for Analysis
The Intercultural Relationship
Here’s a dialogue centering on intercultural relationships. Analyze the dialogue and try to identify examples of effective and ineffective interpersonal communication. How might you have engaged in this dialogue to make it a more effective, satisfying, and culturally sensitive interaction?

The Cast
Annette, Barbara, Caroline, and Dana, all in their early 30’s
The Context
The four former college best friends now meet once a year for an elaborate reunion dinner.

Annette It’s so great getting together every year.
Barbara I’m always anxious to hear what everyone’s been up to.
Dana Well, I got engaged.
At once What? Engaged? When did this happen?
Annette You weren’t even dating anyone the last time we met!
Dana I guess I just met the man I’ve been look for all my life. And he’s not even from our country.
Barbara You couldn’t find someone right here? In this entire country?
Annette What did your parents say?
Dana They were furious.
Annette I bet they were.
Dana They were furious; they told me all the reasons it wouldn’t work and all the reasons I should get my head examined. And they want nothing to do with any children we might have. They don’t even want to see their own future grandchildren.
Barbara You know interracial relationships don’t work.
Caroline And it’s just not accepted—despite what you see on TV.
Barbara And TV is NOT reality.
Caroline And don’t be fooled into thinking everything will be ok—it won’t.
Annette And what about the kids?
Barbara Is he—tell me, he is—at least a Christian?
Dana No—surprise No. 3—he’s an atheist and a communist.
Annette Your parents are right; you should have your head examined.
Caroline You need to reconsider this, honey. You’re going to make the rest of your life very difficult. And what about the kids?
Dana Your kids are the ones to suffer. They won’t know who they are or where they belong. I know this for a fact. You know my cousin married that creep from Lebanon or some such third world country.
Annette And you’re going to bring your kids up as little atheists? That’ll make them real popular.
Caroline You’re pregnant aren’t you?
Dana No, I’m not pregnant but we are trying.
Dana Well, we intend to expose the children to a variety of religious viewpoints and let them make up their own minds. I mean isn’t that more logical than shoving one religion down their throats?
Barbara And where will you live?
Dana We’ll live partly in North Korea—he has a big family there and he’s very close to them and we get along real well. And we’ll live partly right here in Tokyo. By the way, his name is Kwon and we love each other.

Dialogue for Analysis
The Reluctant Listeners
Here is a simple dialogue that illustrates the difficulty people have listening to things they don’t want to hear. As you read the dialogue, try to identify the principles of listening that these individuals violate and indicate what they might have done to make listening more effective.

The Cast
Sam (the father)
Kate (the mother)
Jack (son, age 16)
Heather (daughter, 19 years old)
Bobby (son, age 13)

The Context
The family is watching television.

Sam Kate, pass the popcorn; this is great stuff.
Jack Hey, mom, dad; I need to say something.
Heather What’s up? Let’s hear.
Bobby I need to get new sneakers.
Kate Oh, I forgot all about them. Let’s go on Saturday and I need to get a new toaster, coffee filters, and a hundred other things.
Sam And pick me up some duct tape—a six roll pack.
Heather So, Jack, you wanted to say something.
Kate Yes, dear, what is it?
Sam You’re not getting a car—not until you’re 18. And not unless you start college.
Jack It’s not a car. It’s me. I don’t know how to say this exactly but I think I’m gay. I mean I am gay. I know I’m gay.
Sam Holy shit! You mean you’re a faggot? My son is a faggot?
Kate Hold on Sam. He’s only 16; he doesn’t really know what he is. Lots of boys go through this phase.
Jack It’s not a phase Mom.
Sam Well, it better be a phase—if you want to live in this house, that is.
Bobby Tricia’s brother is gay; she told me.
Kate Bobby, don’t say things like that.
Heather I think it’s great that Jack’s come out.
Sam Come out! Out where? The neighbors don’t know, do they?
Kate I’m not sure what to say. Do you want to go to therapy? Do you want to get cured?
Jack Mom, being gay isn’t a disease that you get cured of. I’m gay and will always be gay.
Kate But, I can’t bear to see you unhappy.
Jack Mom, I’m not unhappy; I’m gay.
Kate Well, I don’t care; you’re not gay; you’re going to see Reverend Wilson. You’ll see, it’ll all work out. You’re not gay. He’s not gay, Sam.
Jack Mom, I am gay. Aren’t you listening?
Sam You better not be; no faggot is going to live in this house, under my roof, and eat my food. I’m going to the bar. [exits]
Heather So, what’s the big deal—he’ll listen to Barbra Streisand and sing Broadway show tunes—(Sings) I am what I am and what I am needs no excuses.
Jack Heather! She’s kidding Mom.
Heather Yes, Mom, I’m kidding.
Kate Let’s not talk anymore about this. Bobby, what kind of sneakers do we have to get?

Communication Teacher

Communication Teacher for 2005 just arrived—4 issues in one. It contains a wealth of useful exercises and ideas for teaching a wide variety of courses. Among the topics you might find interesting—critical thinking in public speaking, focus group activity, persuasive writing, impromptu speaking, speech apprehension, and gender differences—something for everyone, it seems.

New Book

If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look Deborah Tannen’s newest book, You’re Wearing That? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation. It’s already on the best seller list. In one of the interviews Tannen expressed the importance of the study of conversation by saying “understanding how language works within relationships, you can change patterns you’re not happy with.” It’s the same as the connection we make between theory and skills in our texts—the more you understand of how things work, the more control you’ll have over how things work.

Dark Side of IPC

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.